Discover it Secured Review

Who is the Discover it Secured card for?

The Discover it Secured card is a great card for people looking for a secured credit card with a rewards system and no annual fees. This card offers great signup bonuses and features 2% cashback at restaurants and gas stations, and 1% on all other purchases. The Discover it Secured card offers the best value rewards among competing secured credit cards.

The card also features no annual fees, making it a good option for shoppers looking to maximize their cashback rewards. The card does require a $200 minimum deposit, which is comparably less than the market average for minimum deposits in secured credit cards. 

This card is ideal for people who are new to credit or are looking to strengthen their credit score. As part of its monthly statement, the card allows users to view their FICO credit scores for free. Lastly, The Discover it Secured card reports to the three major credit bureaus, helping users increase their credit score while also saving money.

Signup Bonus

After signing up, the Discover it Secured card offers a year-long cashback match bonus that doubles the rewards cardholders receive. There is no minimum purchase amount required for the cashback match bonus, and it is exclusive to new cardmembers. Unlike other travel credit cards, there are no minimum spending requirements in order to receive the benefit of this welcome bonus. Accordingly, you can spend as you normally would without the pressure of meeting spend thresholds in order to receive a big signup bonus.

Rewards

Moving on to the rewards rate, cardholders earn 2% cash back at restaurants and gas stations and 1% cash back everywhere else, helping consumers save more on common purchases. However, after spending $1,000 at restaurants and gas stations in a three month period, cardholders experience 1% cash back on every purchase.

The cash back rewards from the credit card never expire and rewards can be redeemed for cash at any time: this makes it especially convenient for cardholders to enjoy the benefits of the card. Discover also offers gift cards and eCertificates as rewards for cardholders. For example, cardholders may use their rewards to buy a gift card from Amazon.

Benefits

One differentiating feature of the Discover it Secured card is that after 8 months of use, cardholders are automatically reviewed to determine eligibility to transition into an unsecured account – that is, an account without a required security deposit. 

While the Discover it Secured card does not come with an introductory purchase APR, it is accompanied by an introductory transfer balance APR of 10.99%. This feature makes it easier to deposit existing funds into the credit account at the beginning of usage. During the introductory period, Discover also offers a balance transfer fee of 3%, which is later increased to 5%.

Another benefit of this card is that it is very consumer-friendly. Discover does not penalize cardholders with a higher APR after late payments, although Discover will charge fees of up to $40 for late payments after more than one late payment is made. This card does not come with a foreign transaction fee, so this card is also suitable for consumers that travel frequently for extended periods of time.

Services and Protections

The Discover it Secured card comes with free monthly FICO credit score reports which help card owners track their credit scores. For consumers looking to rebuild their credit score, free credit score reports are especially helpful as they reduce the costs associated with monitoring credit scores.

If a person loses their Discover it Secured card, they can contact Discover’s helpline at any time to receive assistance. Through the use of Discover’s mobile applications or their website, one can freeze their credit card with ease. Moreover, this card comes with free overnight replacement.

Discover’s commitment to protecting consumers continues with their surveillance of important consumer information on the Dark Web. If Discover sees your credit card information on one of the thousands of Dark Web sites, they will give free alerts concerning any dangerous activity. You will also never be responsible for unauthorized purchases on your credit card, as Discover takes care of this for you.

Cautions

When using this card, it is important to remember that a $200 minimum deposit must always be kept in the account. Oftentimes, cardholders forget to insert the required amount in a timely fashion, which may prompt Discover to shut down the credit card and will hurt the cardholder’s credit score. Ultimately, it is in the owner’s best interests to ensure that the minimum deposit of $200 is always met. Likewise, cardholders should try as best as possible to pay their monthly payments on time. After the first late payment, Discover will begin to deduct a late fee of up to $40.

When trying to receive cash back for your purchases, it is also important to understand what qualifies and what does not qualify for Discover’s reward program. While most restaurants and gas stations are included in this program, certain third-party payment programs and virtual wallets will not qualify for cashback rewards. Purchases made in wholesale clubs, discount stores, and warehouse clubs will also not qualify for Discover’s reward program.

The Security Deposit Account also has a maximum deposit limit of $2,500. This is important to keep in mind, as this will generally be what Discover uses to set the credit card limit. Discover will first evaluate the fitness of the owner by looking at their credit score and past history to determine what the credit card limit for the cardholder should be.

Lastly, once you have deposited money into the Security Deposit Account, you will not be allowed to withdraw money for further use. You will only be able to withdraw if you are closing your account, or you have made a mistake in inputting money into the account. Before closing an account, however, all outstanding payments must be paid off.

No Annual Fee

An attractive feature of the Discover it Secured card is that it does not charge an annual fee and is accompanied by a strong introductory rewards program. Given the many benefits, rewards, and services offered by this card, the Discover it Secured card offers a great value to many consumers.

Conclusion

The Discover it Secured card is excellent for any consumer eager to earn rewards on popular purchases and boost their credit scores, all without the nuisance of an annual fee. As one of the most popular secured credit cards, the signup bonus, fraud protection, and rewards program are all reasons to apply for this card. With no foreign transaction fee, this card is also great for frequent travelers looking to stay abroad. All in all, the Discover it Secured card offers a plethora of services at a reasonable price, making this a top secured credit card.