Discover announced today the 5% categories on the Discover IT card for the entire 2021:
- Q1: Grocery Stores, Walgreens, CVS
- Q2: Gas Stations, Wholesale Clubs, Streaming Services
- Q3: Restaurants, Paypal
- Q4: Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com
All the same categories as 2020, except they swapped out the Uber/Lyft from Q2 2020 and inserted streaming in its place. First and third categories are terrific, and Q2 isn’t bad either. Overall I’d say it’s a nice lineup for them to continue.
First quarter can already be activated now.
Hat tip to username7575
People in here complaining like they have to hit the cap and on top of that having a P2 also hit the cap or it doesn’t count. Take a step back a little and be thankful you are even able to earn 5% back on a purchase. Pretty much every country outside the US has either no rewards or terrible rewards. On that note, every quarter has something that almost everyone can use and one can argue the last quarter being the hardest if a person doesn’t shop those specific stores. So if you aren’t able to hit the cap, congratulations, you saved more money than you would have gotten back by spending.
(I’m not someone who complains about not hitting the cap) I agree with you that US cards have great rewards programs. However, I suspect that eventually it is mostly the consumers who bear the costs…
you say this when the exact same brand&model cost a lot more in the US? a couple items I looked at recently are priced 50%+ and sometimes 150%+ here in the US. 5% reward doesn’t even make up for the price differences. what is there to be happy about when you still come out negative?
Wow discover did get lazy with their categories this year. A little creativity anyone?
Discover should have a “FUN” category: alcohol & cannabis purchases 5% cashback. Can you imagine the revenues generated?
@chuck Why do you say that you like Q3 better than Q2? During Q2 you can just buy 3 $500 VGC at BJs, or some gas stations. But no restaurant sells any that I know of. And using PayPal involves fees. Seems like Q2 is easier- Unless I’m missing something?
Everyone accepts Paypal, I find it exceedingly easy to use up. But to each their own.
I was able to even get 5% back with Chase Freedom on PayPal political donations this year!
I love Q3 and also hate it. Why PayPal and Restaurant always same quarter.
Agree you
if a streaming service offers an annual plan, Q2 would be a good time to take advantage of that –
This worries me a bit that they will just stick with this format every year until whenever they decide the axe the categories altogether.
I think it’s more just complacency. Discover seems reluctant to really do anything fresh with their products. So may as well leave the categories basically the same every year until they decide to change the format.
I personally like how the categories haven’t changed. Makes for more efficient long-term planning.
3 of the 4 categories are stupid easy to max out year after year (Groceries, Paypal, Walmart/Amazon/Target) . I’m not mad at all.
I would hate for them to change it to something obscure.
How do you max out Q4 so easily? Do most people here spend $3,000 (if P2 mode) a quarter at those 3 stores? That seems like a ton of money to spend on merchandise. I don’t see a way to buy gift cards at any of those stores online, unless I’m missing something. Also, you left out Q2- but BJs sells $500 VGC so isn’t that even easier than Q3?
Target usually has the Christmas-time gift card sale.
You can buy groceries at Walmart and I’m sure at Target as well with their pickup service. Not really hard to do that and get your household supplies from these places either. Not always about gift cards.
I find that’s not even worth it though, it’s cheaper to just go to the store and I don’t believe you can buy groceries at walmart.com or at least it won’t allow me to even though I can see my instore purchase history.
Too bad there isn’t a mobile payment like Samsung Pay etc. that could be taken advantage of in any of the categories or quarters. At least PayPal Key could be used for the PayPal category?
Ha, what are the odds PayPal Key still exists in its current form in Q3 2021?
Let us hope it still works
Discover continues killin’ it Q1 through Q3. As a reminder, you can use Discover at Costco in Q2 by ordering Shop Cards from Costco.com.
Can the Costco gift cards shop cards from costco.com be used at the gas pumps or is it only regular credit cards like a Visa? This way at least some savings would be beneficial since gas pumps don’t take Discover.
Costco gift cards can be used at the gas pumps. I have just used it without any issue.
Costco gift card can be use for all purchase you make at Costco. Can be Store. Food court. and online as well there is option apply shop card before place order.
Forget mention Costco shop card pump Gas no problem. But have to be member If i remember correct. Cause you have to insert member card first before insert payment card
No, you can insert the shop card without inserting membership for gas. It just won’t let you pay for more than the value left on the card. The barcode also works, without membership, at the food court, since Costco began requiring membership for food court purchases earlier this year.
I can accept these categories. I just hope CFF matches them in off quarters.
So, a 2020 do-over, then?
SHHHHHHHH WE DON’T TALK ABOUT THAT. These are NEW categories for 2021, which WE’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!
Don’t even joke about that