SIDE A
A
Chase · Visa
Chase Freedom Rise
VS.
×
SIDE B
B
Discover · Discover
Discover it Student Cash Back
FILING
Head-to-Head · Plastic Quarterly
Both cards target first-time borrowers with no annual fees and minimal credit requirements, but they take different approaches to rewards. Chase Freedom Rise offers a straightforward 1.5% flat cash back on everything with no categories to track. Discover it Student Cash Back delivers 1% base rewards plus rotating 5% categories, and includes a cashback match that doubles all rewards earned in year one. The critical difference is APR: Chase's 24.49%–31.24% range is significantly higher than Discover's 17.24%–26.24%. For students building credit, the lower APR can mean hundreds of dollars in interest savings if you carry a balance. However, the rewards structure and signup incentives favor different spending patterns and financial discipline levels.
THE VERDICT
Our ruling.
“Discover it Student Cash Back wins for most first-time borrowers because its lower APR substantially reduces borrowing costs, and the cashback match in year one creates genuine value even at 1% base rewards. Choose Chase Freedom Rise only if you're confident you'll never carry a balance and want the simplicity of flat-rate rewards without tracking rotating categories.”
CHOOSE A
Side A is for you if…
- 01You're certain you'll pay your balance in full each month and value simplicity over complexity
- 02You spend heavily on everyday purchases and want consistent cash back without category management
- 03You want free credit monitoring through Chase's ecosystem and don't qualify for Discover's student perks
- 04You prefer a single flat rate (1.5%) rather than juggling rotating quarterly categories
CHOOSE B
Side B is for you if…
- 01You might carry a balance occasionally—the 7-8 percentage point APR advantage saves real money on interest charges
- 02You're a student with a 3.0+ GPA and can capture the $20 annual bonus plus the rotating 5% categories
- 03You spend at least $1,500 quarterly in bonus categories (groceries, gas, restaurants vary by quarter)—the 5% rate compounds significantly with cashback match in year one
- 04You want the cashback match feature, which doubles all earnings in year one, effectively giving you 2% on base purchases
THE LEDGER
Side by side.
- ISSUER
- Chase
- Discover
- NETWORK
- Visa
- Discover
- ANNUAL FEE
- $0
- $0
- APR RANGE
- 24.49% – 31.24%
- 17.24% – 26.24%
- INTRO APR (PURCHASES)
- None
- None
- INTRO APR (BALANCE TRANSFERS)
- None
- None
- REWARDS TYPE
- cashback
- cashback
- REWARDS RATE
- 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- 1% cash back on all purchases
- SIGN-UP BONUS
- None
- $20 Good Grades bonus each year GPA is 3.0+
- BONUS VALUE
- —
- $20/year + Cashback Match
- MIN. CREDIT SCORE
- 580+
- 580+
- FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE
- Yes (3%)
- None
A HIGHLIGHTS
Chase Freedom Rise
- —No annual fee and no credit history required
- —Flat 1.5% cash back on everything
- —Automatic credit line reviews after 6 months
- —Free credit score and monitoring through Chase
- —Access to Chase offers and merchant deals
B HIGHLIGHTS
Discover it Student Cash Back
- —5% rotating quarterly bonus categories
- —Cashback Match doubles all cash back in the first year
- —$20 statement credit each school year for GPA of 3.0 or higher
- —No annual fee and no credit history required
- —Free FICO credit score on monthly statements
QUESTIONS · ANSWERS
Frequently filed.
On a $2,000 balance carried for six months, Chase's higher APR could cost you $150–200 more in interest than Discover. For a first-time borrower building credit, this gap matters considerably. If you plan never to carry balances, APR is irrelevant, but most students occasionally miss full payments.