Discover 5% Categories For Q3 2025: Gas & EV, Public Transit, Utilities

The rotating 5% quarterly categories on the Discover IT card for the third quarter, valid from July 1st through September 30, 2025, on up to $1,500 in purchases:

  • Gas and EV Charging
  • Public Transit
  • Utilities

I like the Utilities category and plan to max this out on my gas and electric bills. Remember to activate first. Here is the fine print:

    • Gas Stations & EV Charging purchases include those made at merchants classified as places that sell automotive gasoline that can be bought at the pump or inside the station and public electric vehicle charging stations. Gas Stations & EV Charging affiliated with supermarkets, supercenters, and wholesale clubs may not be eligible. Certain parking garages where public electric vehicle charging is offered or included may not be eligible.
    • Public Transit purchases include local commuter passenger bus, rail, and ferry services. Taxi, rideshare services—including shared bikes and scooters—long-range passenger landrail, and water transportation services are not included.
    • Utilities purchases include purchases for residential electricity, natural gas, and water service. Utilities purchases also include purchases made over the phone or online for internet, cable, satellite TV, and mobile and landline phone service. Purchases at retail stores for internet, cable, satellite, and mobile and landline phone service do not qualify. Purchases made through third parties, such as through a landlord, property management company, or homeowners association, may not qualify. Purchases for standalone streaming services, some satellite phone and internet service, vehicle connectivity, accessories, or equipment may not qualify.
    Chuck
  • On June 1, 2025, 00:38
Tags: discoverquarterly categories

View Comments (46)

  • while i'd love to use my discover on utilities, my main utility is shady duplicitous greedy & evil, so i will never ever give them a credit card that they can post charges to (spoiler - they do this to lots of ratepayers).

      • @2 @6

        So if you're not going to merge them, perhaps you should put a link to the other page at the top of each of those two pages, just so the people who want to real all the comments about the Q3 2025 Discover categories can easily get to the other page with one click?

      • Bummer. Rare when you and Chuck post the same deal, but good to know the limitations I guess. Thanks.

    • Most likely it will. MCC don't care about logic @guest_2070393
      #1766470

      ETA: Well, that wasn't a great comment to link, but search 'util' in that post for more info

    • Hmm, so you want to pay federal tax and expect utilities category to count for 5%?
      Logic is not logicing.

  • Whomp whomp Cash+ covers utilities, Custom Cash covers gas.
    If Discover made these categories permanent, it would have been the daily driver card...

    • But is is double the rate if you churn after a year you get 10% back. Yes it is a bit to try to get you to spend now on quarterly part of the year though. Also they also don't care about type of spend so gift cards are okay to shift categories via that way.

  • A few years ago, South Jersey Gas changed its MCC code to "government services", nixing my Elan card's 5% Utilities category. SJG is a private company.

  • I got an email from Chase promoting their birthday surprise category for June. It mentioned 5% cash back for Internet, Cable, and Phone Services (June only).

    Depending on the merchant or service, Chase or Discover might be good for this category depending on what is accepted and in the fine print. Otherwise, I'm not sure the advantage to using either Bank for this category if there is one.

    • One possible "advantage" is Chase is only good during June, and Discover only during Jul-Sep

  • When I used to pay my water and property tax via my city’s online payment portal, the transaction names were both “*City, State* collector” (the ** was a placeholder.) Do you think they would both trigger the 5% for both?

    • Maybe not. The "merchant" here is the city, not an utility company, so probably codes as government. But try and see.

    • If the trash collection is included your electricity bill, like it is on my Los Angeles Department of Water and Power bill, then it counts for all banks that give extra credit for electricity.

      But if it's separate, then it can depend on what that particular bank counts as "utilities".

    • I would guess that it'd count, if Discover just looks at the MCC. But my trash company doesn't even accept Discover.

    • Trash not included.

      “ Utilities purchases include purchases for residential electricity, natural gas, and water service. Utilities purchases also include purchases made over the phone or online for internet, cable, satellite TV, and mobile and landline phone service. Purchases at retail stores for internet, cable, satellite, and mobile and landline phone service do not qualify. Purchases made through third parties, such as through a landlord, property management company, or homeowners association, may not qualify. Purchases for standalone streaming services, some satellite phone and internet service, vehicle connectivity, accessories, or equipment may not qualify.”

  • I guess that I'll be using my Discover cards to spend about $3030 on "gas" next quarter. 😉

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