In June 2015, Discover introduced their double rewards promotion. Both the Discover IT Cash Back and the Discover IT Miles offer double rewards on the entire first year’s earnings.
In the case of the Cash Back card that means getting 2% cash back everywhere and 10% cash back on category spend, as well as double the cash back on portal, referral, and signup bonus earnings. In the case of the Discover IT Miles it means getting 3% cash back on all purchases.
Is the double cashback promo churnable? If I got it on the Discover Cash Back card, can I get it again on the Discover IT Miles card? Maybe I can even get it again on another Cash Back card? Discover allows us to have two cards total – which can even be two of the same version – so long as you wait a year between applications.
In our List of Churnable Credit Cards we note that Discover signup bonuses are churnable. Typically, the question was applicable to earning the occasional small cash back bonus offered with signup. Now we need to know if it’s true for the double cash back promo as well.
As far as data points go, it won’t be impossible to know until sometime towards the end in 2017. Remember, the double cash back promo only started in June 2015. Later in the year, we might get data points from people who applied for a Discover card in June 2015 and got their doubling in mid-2016, then applied for another Discover card in mid-2016 and got their doubling in mid-2017.
The closest we have to a data point is for those people who enrolled in the double cash back offer while it was available for existing cardholders at initial rollout. If you recall, when Discover rolled out the double cash back promotion, they allowed existing cardholders to enroll as well. That ended a month later. Now, many people enrolled their existing card in the double cash back offer, and subsequently opened a new Discover card. As far as I know, they all got the double cash back on both cards. Please chime in if you have a data point, especially if both of your cards are of the same version.
That’s certainly encouraging, but once Discover limited the promo to new cardholders, it’s possible that existing cardholders are not eligible, even when signing up for a completely new account.
The Discover Cashback Match terms state:
This exclusive offer is available only to new cardmembers.
It’s unclear if they mean to exclude existing cardholders from enrolling (as had been the case previously), or if they mean to exclude someone from getting a second card. It’s even possible that they’ll deny the double cash back for a different version of the card since you aren’t technically a new cardholder.
There is one report on Slickdeals of a Discover rep saying that you can not get it if you already have a card. Interestingly, the gist of that reported conversation indicates that separate card versions (e.g. one Cash Back card and one Miles card) are eligible for separate bonuses. Of course, take this all with a grain of salt.
Another question is if you close all your Discover cards and then apply for a new card a month later, are you called a “new cardmember”? I’d think so, but we don’t know for sure.
Lots of questions.
For best odds, try to stagger the card type: if you have the Cash Back card – apply for the Miles card, and vice versa. If you want a second Cash Back card, try applying for the NHL version of the Cash Back card in the hopes that it’s considered a separate product (although the above-mentioned rep indicated otherwise).
Updates based on the comments: Multiple reports confirm that those who got the existing-cardholder doubling were able to get another doubling getting a second card, even the same version. As for new card applicants, a couple data points make it look very likely that you can get the bonus a second time, even for two new cards, and even for two of the same version. We won’t know for certain until the cash back actually posts, but those who have tried this see verbiage in the login and have gotten emails indicating that they’re earnings will be doubled.
I had received my cashback match on my first Discover Card (Chrome Card that was later PCd to an IT) and I applied for a second IT card and it showed language for Cashback match as well as sending me a 3 month cash back match update email. Recently when I logged in it asked me to combine my accounts into one log in, so I did. I just noticed that I can no longer see my Pending Cashback match online. I will have to contact discover to see if I am still enrolled in the Match.
Here’s something odd — my DH had a Discover More card. Last fall, Discover suddenly switched him to a Discover It card and told him he would be getting double cashback during the next year. I have no idea why Discover did that, but I have no complaints.
On the other hand, I requested that my Discover More card be converted to a Discover It Miles card when the Miles version first came out. They said no, but ask again later. I sock-drawered the card and forgot about it.
Just today, I got an unsolicited email referencing my request and saying that they are now willing to convert; I just need to call them to make the request. No indication that the double rewards apply however, so it stays in a shoe box (in the sock drawer…in the basement).
Hi Chuck, another useful post, thanks. I just got off the phone with Discover CSR. I have 4 year old Discover it card, tried PC this card to NHL to see if the cashback match would apply, they said NO. Basically cashback match applies only if you apply for a NEW card. In that sense it’s churnable, however, this costs one Hard Pull. If you just PC existing card to say Discover IT to NHL or Miles card you don’t get cash back match. Thought this will useful DP.
True, the bonus is now only for new accounts. Will cost a hard pull, as you note.
I think they also will HP you twice to open a new 2nd card unless you cancel the first one. Have read lots of reports of folks getting a 2nd card of a different type, but not many getting a 2nd card of the same type a year later.
Kind of surprised, I thought at this point it was common knowledge. But yeah, I’m about 2 months away from getting my DCB on my second IT. I’ve even had the Discover emails reminding me that I’m getting DCB (as well as SM).
Added my Discover IT existing account to DCB during that small window in the summer of 2015 (as well as my wife’s). I then applied for a second account in the first week of April 2016. I did this because I wanted to have my wife refer me so that we’d both get double the $50 refer a friend bonus. To do this I had to make sure the $50 posted to her account before that final statement cut sometime around the end of May/ early June 2016. Sure enough, it posted and she got it doubled. Basically turned the sign up into a $200 bonus when it’s all said and done.
Since last April I’ve doubled up on home improvement (eBay 10% off GC before that gravy train ended). Loaded $1500 to amazon last quarter and now I’m working on buying Costco gift cards for Q1 warehouse. Discover has definitely been good to me!
We’ll have to wait for actual data points, but it does appear that it will work. We’ll see…
Wait — I thought Costco didn’t accept Discover. How are you getting the Q1 bonus on Costco gift cards?
Anyone else able to answer this?
Buying cash cards at Costco.com with your discover. They accept all forms of payment online but only visa in warehouse. I can confirm this triggers the 5% (already received it on my January statement). Will be doing the same for Q2.
Anthony, that is *great* information! Thanks so much!
For anyone with double cashback, this equals a 10% discount on Costco. Given that Costco’s prices are already very good, this should produce some real bargains.
(I’m not sure if you can buy a GC at Costco using a Costco GC. I think I have done it once or twice in the past, so probably you can. But Costco’s selection of Gift Cards is very limited, at least in-store.)
Thanks everyone for chiming in!
To summarize:
Multiple reports confirm that those who got the existing-cardholder doubling were able to get another doubling on the same card.
A couple data points make it look very likely that you can get the bonus a second time, even for two new cards, and even for two of the same version. We won’t know for certain until the cash back actually posts, but those who have tried this see verbiage in the login indicating that they’re earnings will be doubled.
Chuck. I was initially really confused by your comments and updated statement in the post about existing CC holders.
You said:
“Multiple reports confirm that those who got the existing-cardholder doubling were able to get another doubling on the same card.”
I think you mean you can get the same product twice in a row and STILL get the double cashback right? I guess some thought you couldnt get IT twice. Discover lets you have 2 CC so get both of the same IT CC.
Originally, I thought you meant get the double promo AGAIN on the SAME CC that had the 1st promo (meaning exact same CC number) so you extend the promo to 2 years. I had no clue what you were talking about.
No, I meant a second card. Let me edit that.
DP: during the Apple Pay craze I opened a second Discover IT card (in addition to my currently existing Discover IT). I can confirm that I received the double CB after a year on it. I also got the sign up bonus, which was also doubled.
Just made this comment to your things to know post, but it appears that Discover does not do recon. I was told that twice by their csr’s and then quickly googled it and every report I found was that people were told the same thing. Wait 30 days and apply again if you want…One person said that the rep offered to do another pull on the spot and got them approved. Also, my wife was recently approved for a Miles card after her 1st year came to an end on the It and has received literature stating her bonus will be doubled after the first year.
Usually, for a second card, you have to call in to get approved.
Chuck,
Forgive me for being a little dense. So I have a discover it card. The double ends this spring. I was hoping to get the NHL version, with the double in a year, spring of ’18. I don’t want to waste a hard pull. I was thinking it might be better NOT to have to explain to a person why I need another card. So I was thinking it would be better to apply online. However, I gather from your post above that in fact, I’d be better off calling in to apply. Is that right?
If so, any suggestions on how to explain why I want a second card?
Thanks.
I don’t see why it matters if you call in or apply online. Either way, you’ll have to get it manually approved with a subsequent call.
It will be another hard pull when you apply.
They just ask to clarify that you want a second, they won’t ask nosy questions why. Do the NHL and then it’s an easy explanation since it has 10% NHL benefit.
Thanks
Good info. I’ve had a Discover card since 1988 — my oldest open credit line. I wasn’t paying attention to rewards in 2015 so until I read this post, I never knew I missed the chance to get double cashback on my existing card. I guess I need to apply for a second card soon.
I just applied for my second a month ago, after getting paid out the double cashback on the first. I can confirm I got an email with the bonus language on the second card, and see I mention of it when I log in to that account.