Earn 5% Cashback with Discover in Q1 2025 – Activate Your Bonus Now!

by joeheg

With several versions of the Discover card, you can earn 5% back in specific categories every 3 months on the first $1,500, earning up to $75 cashback. You can earn up to $300 annually by maxing out the quarterly bonus. Since Discover cards have no annual fee, it’s an excellent deal for those who want to earn cashback.

One drawback of the offer is that it’s not automatically applied to your account. Instead, cardholders need to register every 3 months for the bonus.

Click here to register for the Discover 5% Cashback Bonus.

2025 Q1 Bonus Categories

a burger and fries in a styrofoam container

For the first quarter of 2025, the 5% cashback bonus is available for restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services. These categories are perfect for kicking off the new year, whether you’re dining out, tackling home projects, or enjoying your favorite shows.

Activate to earn the 5% Cashback Bonus at restaurants, home improvement stores, and select streaming services from 1/1/25 (or the date on which you activate 5%, whichever is later) through 3/31/25, on up to $1,500 in purchases.

  • Restaurant purchases: Include full-service restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, fast-food locations, caterers, and delivery services. Restaurants located inside or affiliated with another business, like hotels or retail stores, and establishments classified as bakeries may not qualify.
  • Home Improvement Store purchases: Include online and in-store purchases at home improvement retail stores, building supply stores (e.g., lumber, paint, and hardware), and lawn, nursery, and garden supply stores. Purchases made through third parties (e.g., contractors) or from home furnishings, home appliance, and floor covering stores are excluded.
  • Examples of Select Streaming Services: Include Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Video, AMC+, Apple Music, Apple TV, Audible, DirecTV Stream, FUBO, Google Play Music and Video, Max, iHeartRadio, MLB.TV, Netflix, Pandora, Paramount Plus, Peacock, Showtime, SiriusXM, Sling TV, Spotify, Starz, Vudu, YouTube Music, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV. Bundled subscriptions, third-party billing, and add-ons may not qualify.

Other Cards for Streaming Services

Streaming services are becoming a popular bonus category for credit cards. Before moving your subscriptions to Discover for the 5% back, you might also consider these cards:

  • Chase Sapphire Preferred: This card has streaming services as a 3X bonus category. This can be an excellent option for those who want to earn flexible travel points.
  • American Express Blue Cash Preferred: Offers 6% cashback on select U.S. streaming services, making it one of the best choices for streaming fans.
  • Citi Custom Cash: Automatically provides 5% cashback on your highest eligible spending category each billing cycle, including streaming services.

Check out our post on the best credit cards for online music and satellite radio subscriptions for even more options.

Registration

You can register for the offer on the Discover website.

Before transferring your spending in these categories to a Discover card, ensure you can’t earn more points with a different program. While earning 5% is a great return, you might prefer earning rewards with a program like AMEX Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards, depending on your card setup and spending habits.

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