2020 Discover Cashback Calendar
This article was last updated Nov 08, 2019. Terms and conditions may have changed. For the most accurate information, please consult the issuer website.
Discover revealed the entire list of 5% cashback categories for 2020, so you can plan your spending for the year. That’s great news for Discover it® Cash Back and other eligible Discover cardholders who earn 5% cash back at different places each quarter like gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, Amazon.com and more up to the quarterly maximum, each time you activate, 1% unlimited cash back on all other purchases - automatically.
Here, we’ll review the 2020 cashback calendar, what you need to know to earn 5% cashback and how the Discover cashback calendar compares with the Chase Freedom® cashback calendar.
| Discover’s 5% Cashback Calendar 2020 | |||
| Jan-Mar | Apr-June | July-Sept | Oct-Dec |
| Grocery stores, Walgreens and CVS | Gas stations, Uber, Lyft and wholesale clubs | Restaurants and PayPal | Amazon.com, Target.com and Walmart.com |
Here’s what you need to know:
- You need to activate the bonus categories to earn 5% cash back. Log into the Account Center or call 1-800-DISCOVER (1-800-347-2683) to activate.
- Each quarter, 5% cash back is limited to $1,500 in spending. After you hit that ceiling, you’ll earn 1% cash back.
- All purchases outside the bonus categories automatically earn 1% cash back.
- Eligible cards include:
How the 2020 calendar compares with 2019
The 2020 cashback calendar is very similar to 2019’s calendar, with the addition of Walgreens, CVS, and wholesale clubs. Wholesale clubs were brought back this year after being absent in 2019. In 2018, Discover cardholders benefited from wholesale clubs as a bonus category twice — during the first and last quarters of that year.
There is also the return of rideshare services Uber and Lyft, which are included with gas stations and wholesale clubs from April to June.
Discover cashback calendar vs. Chase cashback calendar
While Discover releases its entire 2020 cashback calendar early, Chase releases the categories prior to the quarter in which they are available for the Chase Freedom®. Chase tends to build the anticipation and reveal categories throughout the year. However, looking at past years, grocery stores and department stores will most likely be included.
Here’s what we know so far:
| Discover it® Cash Back | Chase Freedom® | |
| Jan-Mar | Grocery stores, Walgreens and CVS | To be announced |
| Apr-June | Gas stations, Uber, Lyft and wholesale clubs | To be announced |
| July-Sept | Restaurants and PayPal |
To be announced |
| Oct- Dec | Amazon.com, Target.com and Walmart.com | To be announced |
Which cashback program is better?
It’s hard to choose the best cashback program for two reasons. First, Chase hasn’t released its 2020 cashback calendar, so we don’t know which categories will be included. Second, everyone has different spending habits. Depending on where you shop most should help you determine which card is a better fit.
If you’re in the market for a new cashback card, you should also take a close look at the Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card - $200 Cash Rewards Offer, which will provide cardholders a flexible rewards program, which began early in 2019. Existing and new Bank of America® Cash Rewards credit card - $200 Cash Rewards Offer holders will be able to earn 3% cash back in one of six categories: gas, online shopping, dining, travel, drug stores or home improvement and furnishings; 2% at grocery stores and wholesale clubs; and unlimited 1% on all other purchases. Cardholders can choose which category they want to earn 3% in every month.
