Here are Discover’s 2022 cash-back rotating categories
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information. This page includes information about the Discover cards that is not currently available on The Points Guy and may be out of date.
There is a lot to love about rotating-category credit cards. When you maximize the categories offered each quarter, you can rake in an impressive amount of cash back each year — and oftentimes, the categories offered aren’t common across other top credit cards.
Discover has released its 5% categories for the entirety of 2022, and many of them are conducive to everyday spending. Cardholders of the Discover it Cash Back can enroll to earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 spent in combined spending in these categories each quarter.
Here’s the full calendar for 2022:
- First quarter (January-March): Grocery stores, fitness clubs and gym memberships.
- Second quarter (April-June): Gas stations and Target.
- Third quarter (July-September): Restaurants and PayPal.
- Fourth quarter (October-December): Amazon.com and digital wallets.
The information for the Discover it Cash Back has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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Earning potential on the Discover it Cash Back
If you max out the bonus category each quarter, you could be taking home an additional $75 per quarter and $300 a year — not too shabby. Even better, if you don’t currently have a Discover it Cash Back and sign up for one now, Discover will match all the cash back you earn in a 12-month period at the end of your first year of having the card.
That ultimately adds up to a potential of 10% back on the bonus categories, meaning up to $600 in cash back. That’s pretty great for a no-annual-fee cash-back credit card, and Discover also makes it pretty easy to redeem your cash back.
However, note that you must enroll each quarter and can only earn 5% in each quarter on up to $1,500 in purchases. After that, you’ll earn 1% back on all purchases. Also, you must enroll each quarter before making any transactions. Unlike with the Chase Freedom Flex, you can’t do it retroactively after you’ve made the purchase and still earn 5% (on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter you activate).
Previous Discover it Cash Back categories
For reference, here are the previous Discover it Cash Back quarterly categories, going back to 2017:
| Year/Quarter | Bonus Categories |
|---|---|
| 2022 – Q1 | Grocery stores, fitness clubs and gym memberships |
| 2022 – Q2 | Gas stations and Target |
| 2022 – Q3 | Restaurants and PayPal |
| 2022 – Q4 | Amazon.com and digital wallets |
| 2021 – Q1 | Grocery stores, Walgreens and CVS |
| 2021 – Q2 | Gas stations, wholesale clubs and select streaming services |
| 2021 – Q3 | Restaurants and PayPal |
| 2021 – Q4 | Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Target.com |
| 2020 – Q1 | Grocery stores, Walgreens and CVS |
| 2020 – Q2 | Gas stations, Uber, Lyft and wholesale clubs; The Home Depot (June only) |
| 2020 – Q3 | Restaurants and PayPal |
| 2020 – Q4 | Amazon.com, Walmart.com and Target.com |
| 2019 – Q1 | Grocery stores |
| 2019 – Q2 | Gas stations, Uber and Lyft |
| 2019 – Q3 | Restaurants |
| 2019 – Q4 | Amazon.com |
| 2018 – Q1 | Gas stations and wholesale clubs |
| 2018 – Q2 | Grocery stores |
| 2018 – Q3 | Restaurants |
| 2018 – Q4 | Amazon.com and wholesale clubs |
| 2017 – Q1 | Gas stations, ground transportation, wholesale clubs |
| 2017 – Q2 | Home improvement stores, wholesale clubs |
| 2017 – Q3 | Restaurants |
| 2017 – Q4 | Amazon.com and Target |
Other card options
If you’re interested in other cards with rotating bonus categories, the Chase Freedom Flex mentioned above offers 5% back (on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter you activate) similarly to the Discover it Cash Back, in addition to other bonus categories, including 5% on eligible travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards and 3% on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants.
Additionally, if you have an Ultimate Rewards-earning card such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, you can convert cash back earned with the Freedom card into Ultimate Rewards points, making the Chase Freedom Flex a powerful companion card.
Related: Best credit cards with customizable rewards
Bottom line
If you have the Discover it Cash Back card, make sure you mark down the 2022 dates so you can remember to activate your cash-back categories each quarter. You don’t want to miss out on rewards accidentally. Of course, you can also subscribe to the TPG newsletter, where we send out a reminder to activate your rotating bonus categories each quarter.
Additional reporting by Stella Shon.