Special Summertime Credit and Banking Offers

Double Your Credit Rewards

For those who apply for and are approved to get the Discover It credit card (10.99% to 22.99% annual percentage rate; no annual fee) by July 31, Discover will double the amount of cash back earned during the account's first year. The card pays 5% cash back on purchases made in quarterly rotating categories (up to $1,500 in spending per quarter) and 1% on everything else. With the promotion, the effective return on your purchases the first year will be a whopping 10% in bonus categories and 2% on everything else (though you’ll have to wait a year to get the extra cash). From July through September, the bonus category includes home improvement stores, department stores and Amazon.com; from October through December, purchases in the “holiday shopping” category will earn top rewards (no further details are available yet). The 2016 calendar hasn’t been released, but if the first half of 2015 is an indication, gas and restaurant purchases may be on the table next year.

Surprising Credit-Card Purchases That Don't Earn You Rewards

The promotion also applies to the Discover It Chrome card (12.99% to 21.99% APR; no annual fee), which is for college students and pays 2% on gas and restaurant purchases (up to $1,000 per quarter in combined purchases) and 1% on everything else.

If you already have one of the eligible Discover cards, you can take advantage of the promotion, too. Call Discover’s customer service department at 1-800-347-2683 and ask to be enrolled.

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For more great credit rewards, see my list of the Best Rewards Cards of 2015.

Get Cash for Switching Savings Accounts

Online bank Capital One 360 is giving away cash to new customers who move at least $5,000 to its savings account by July 31. The bonus starts at $50 for a $5,000 transfer and goes up to $500 for depositing $50,000 or more in the account. You must fund the account within 10 days of opening it, then maintain the minimum balance required for the qualifying bonus tier each day for 90 days to get the free cash. (For example, if you put $20,000 in the account, you’ll qualify for the corresponding $200 bonus as long as you keep at least $20,000 in the account for the whole 90 days.) This promo is best suited for those who have a pile of cash they don’t plan to withdraw from for a few months.

Capital One 360 Savings has no monthly fee or minimum balance requirement, and it pays a 0.75% interest rate—far better than the national average on a savings account, though a bit lower than leading rates of 1% on some other accounts. See my list of 2015's Best Deals in Online Banking for other great online accounts.

Lisa has been the editor of Kiplinger Personal Finance since June 2023. Previously, she spent more than a decade reporting and writing for the magazine on a variety of topics, including credit, banking and retirement. She has shared her expertise as a guest on the Today Show, CNN, Fox, NPR, Cheddar and many other media outlets around the nation. Lisa graduated from Ball State University and received the school’s “Graduate of the Last Decade” award in 2014. A military spouse, she has moved around the U.S. and currently lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and two sons.