Credit Card News

Discover Reveals 5% Bonus Categories for First Quarter of 2026

by Kyle BurbankDec 1, 2025

The new year is just around the corner — and Discover has revealed its 5% bonus category selections for the first quarter of 2026.

About Discover’s Q1 2026 Bonus Category Selections:

Starting on January 1st of next year, Discover It card customers will be able to earn up to 5% back in three categories: Grocery Stores, Wholesale Clubs, and Select Streaming Services.

First up, the Grocery Stores category includes supermarkets, smaller grocery stores, and grocery delivery services as well as meat lockers and bakeries. However, as is usually the case, Walmart and Target stores are excluded. Additionally, convenience stores and discount stores may also be disqualified from this category.

Typically, Wholesale Club purchases would also be excluded from the Grocery Stores category — although that’s moot this time around. During the first quarter, Discover It customers can also earn up to 5% back at Whole Clubs where Discover is accepted. Services purchased from Wholesale Clubs, such as travel, cell phone purchases, and more may not be eligible in this category. Similarly, stand-alone stores located within Wholesale Club may also be excluded.

Lastly, Discover is bringing back its Select Stream Services bonus category. While Discover does provide a specific list of qualifying services, it does state that others may still be covered. Their list includes:

Note that streaming services that are bundled with another product or billed via a third party (such as by a cable provider, wireless provider, etc.) may not qualify.

In order to earn the 5% bonus rate, customers must enroll in this offer by visiting the Discover site or app. Additionally, the 5% bonus is capped at a total of $1,500 in combined bonus category spending during the quarter. Because of this, the maximum bonus cashback that can be earned from this offer is $75.

My Thoughts:

Discover is starting off the year with some super practical bonus category picks. For one, Grocery Stores is always a winner as the vast majority of people do shop at such stores over the course of a quarter. Meanwhile, as a Sam’s Club member, I’m always happy when Warehouse Clubs are included. Of course, the big catch here is that Costco doesn’t accept Discover cards, which is a big bummer for Kirkland fans. Finally, throwing in Select Streaming Services is a nice little bonus — although if you have other cards like the Capital One Savor that offers 3% in this category year-round, you’ll want to be sure to switch your billing back come April.

I’ll also note that rumors suggest Discover’s credit card payment site may soon move over to Capital One following their merger last year. We’ll see if that turns out to be true and what that could mean for future quarterly bonus category announcements.

Note: Click here for the current Discover It 5% Bonus Categories.

Author

Kyle Burbank

Head Writer ~ Fioney

Kyle is the head writer for Fioney. He is a personal finance nerd, constantly looking for new apps and services to test and incorporate into his own financial game plan. In addition to his role at Fioney, he's written for other publications including Born2Invest, Lifehack, and Laughing Place, as well as his own site Money@30. He also creates personal finance and travel-related videos for Fioney's YouTube channel, which has garnered more than 2 million views. Currently, Kyle resides in Springfield, Missouri with his wife of 10 years. Together, they enjoy traveling (including visiting Disney Parks around the world), dining, and playing with their dog Rigby.

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