Hi, I want to start building my credit. I’m not a student, but I have a solid job, and I’ve heard good things about both. My dilemma is deciding which one is better. Should I choose Capital One or Discover?
edit: Thanks to everyone for your responses; I really appreciate it.
I prefer Discover of the two, but both are good for first-time cardholders.
I chose Discover when I was 19. I was in college but got the regular card, and the limit increased over time. The 5% cashback categories can be helpful, and their customer service is based in the US (for now, we’ll see what happens after the Capital One merger).
@fabian
I’m a bit worried about the merger since Discover has treated me well.
Hunter said:
@fabian
I’m a bit worried about the merger since Discover has treated me well.
Mergers often lead to less favorable situations for consumers. They rarely benefit consumers although they claim they will in front of regulators.
@fabian
I agree. If I had to choose, I’d go with Discover.
Capital One might set you at a specific limit, while Discover will offer you more growth.
Davin said:
Capital One might set you at a specific limit, while Discover will offer you more growth.
Capital One places all applicants into categories based on their credit score and often doesn’t move customers to better categories as their profiles improve.
@Farrell
From my experience, they bucket on a per card basis. Many cards I’ve opened early in my credit journey have been stuck at $500 to $1500. But later, I managed a card at almost $40,000 that started at $10,000 a couple of years ago. But yes, definitely choose Discover first.
I appreciate Discover for its simplicity. It’s easy to understand the card, website, and app. Without premium cards, there’s clarity in what you get. That might not suit those looking to juggle multiple cards, but if you’re starting out, it’s a good way to learn the basics of credit management.
You can’t really go wrong with either choice. If you have Discover, make sure you have a backup since some places don’t accept it. Also, Capital One is in talks to acquire Discover, aiming to finalize it in the first half of 2025. It may not be a deciding factor but worth considering.
@Matthew
I’ve used Discover for five years and can only think of one place that didn’t take it.
I recommend Discover because Capital One has better cards that you would like to keep the path open for. Discover is a solid starter since it’s not mainstream.
Check with the bank or credit union you already use for their credit card. You are more likely to get approved since you have a long-standing relationship. You can focus on rewards later once you get the hang of using credit cards responsibly.
Don’t overlook Chase Freedom Rise, which is a good starter card. Approval takes only a soft pull. Having an existing relationship with banks helps with approvals too.
Capital One has stricter approval policies. If I had known, I would have chosen them before Chase.
Capital One checks all three major credit bureaus when you apply for their cards, and they categorize you based on your credit profile. Once they categorize you, they usually won’t change it until you apply for a new card.
The best choice is the one that offers you a card.
I’m not saying that just to be snarky, but the primary goal when getting your first card is to build your credit history. You can chase rewards later. If you can get a card from both, I’d choose Discover due to its strong customer service, especially for first-timers.
I’m Team Discover.
Discover is the way to go.
If you want to build your credit history and increase your FICO Score while managing your cards wisely, consider both.
This will boost your total limit and positively reflect on your FICO history while also allowing you to learn the timing of when to use each card for maximum cashback.