How to send money with Discover credit card: full guide

Discover® offers credit and debit cards, as well as online banking and other associated financial services. If you’re a Discover customer you might be wondering how to transfer money from Discover to a bank account — or maybe how to send money from a Discover credit card.

This guide covers everything you need to know. We’ll also introduce a few alternatives like Wise, that you can check out if sending money with Discover turns out not to be the right option for you.

Can you send money with Discover credit card?

Exactly what options are available to you might depend on the Discover product or products you have.

For example, you can send money with a Discover credit card, but you’re likely to only be able to send to accounts you’ve used to pay off your bill in the past¹. If you’ve got Discover online banking, you’ll be able to make local and international wire transfers, too².

However, fees apply, and generally international transfers can only be sent in USD rather than a foreign currency³.

Finally, you might be able to send money with a Discover card through a third party specialist service like Venmo® or PayPal®. We’ll look at some specialist alternatives to Discover a little later.

Which types of transfers can you make with a Discover card?

Discover debit and credit cards aren’t always supported by money transfer services.

However, here are a few options that are available if you want to send money with a Discover card:

From a Discover credit card you can often make a online direct deposit to an account you’ve previously used to pay a Discover bill With Discover online banking you can send local and international wire payments With a specialist provider like Venmo, you can add a Discover card to make instant USD payments — you may also add your Discover card to PayPal to send payments locally and internationally

Send and receive international payments with Wise

Wise offers low cost online and in-app transfers all over the world, with the mid-market exchange rate every time.

Register your Wise account for free, and get started sending money right away. Here’s more about what you can do with Wise:

• Send payments to 80+ countries
• Hold and exchange 50+ currencies
• Mid-market exchange rates apply
• Receive payments like a local in 10 currencies
• Fast or instant overseas transfers⁴ with fees from 0.41%⁵

If you’re sending or receiving frequent overseas transfers, or if you want an international debit card to make spending in foreign currencies cheap and easy, check out the multi-currency Wise Account.

Hold and exchange 50+ countries, get paid like a local from 30+ countries, and use your Wise card to spend in 170+ countries with low fees and the mid-market rate.

Get started with Wise

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information

How to transfer money from Discover to bank account: step by step

If you’re sending money to one of your own accounts from your Discover credit card you’ll need to take the following steps:

Step 1. Log into your Discover card’s online or mobile banking

Step 2. Select Get a cash advance, then click the option for Cash advance into checking

Step 3. Enter the amount and the account you want the transfer to be deposited to

Step 4. Check everything over and submit

If you have a Discover checking account with online banking you can also send a wire transfer. However, it’s useful to know your wire request will usually take 2 or 3 days to be processed.

Transfers can be initiated online for local payments, while both local and international wires are available through the Discover banking app.

You may also be able to use your Discover card with a third party service like Venmo or PayPal. In this case you’ll need to log into the provider you prefer and follow their payment process.

How much does it cost to send money with Discover?

Discover’s fees vary based on the service you require.

From a Discover credit card, if you send money it’ll be treated as a cash advance. This will mean paying a cash advance fee, and can also mean interest starts accruing instantly. Check your own card holder agreement carefully.

If you have Discover online banking and send a wire, it’ll cost you 30 USD.

Finally, if you’re using a Discover debit card with Venmo there’s not usually any fee. However, if you’re using a Discover credit card you’ll likely have to pay a 3% charge.

PayPal also lets you send money with Discover, and again the fees depend on whether you have a debit or credit card, and whether you’re sending in USD or a foreign currency.

It’s worth noting that PayPal’s international fees can be on the high side, and include a currency conversion fee.

Is it safe to send money with Discover credit card?

Sending money through a reputable and trusted provider is usually safe. Double check all the details before you confirm your payment, and make sure you’ve picked a recommended service to process your payment.

How long does it take to send money with a Discover card?

The length of time it takes to send money with a Discover card will depend on which service you’re using. Discover wires arranged through online banking can take several days to be processed, for example, while Venmo payments can be instant.

Alternatives to sending money with Discover

You may decide that a different payment method is better for you — from a card issued on another network like Visa® or Mastercard®, a bank transfer or even by paying with cash.

Here are a few popular options, including some which have a broad selection of payment options, to consider:

Wise

Payment options: Options include ACH, wire, Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card
Fees: Low fixed fees for local USD transfers which vary by transfer method, international transfer fees from 0.41%

Wise offers local US payments, and international transfers to 80+ countries. Payments are arranged online or in-app, and deposited into your recipient’s bank account for convenience.

Wise is transparent about fees — so you’ll always see the costs before you confirm. If you’re sending to a foreign currency you’ll get the mid-market exchange rate and low fees from 0.41%.

Learn more about Wise

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
Quick and convenient service Low, transparent fees	No cash payment option Fees vary based on the details of your transfer

Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information

PayPal

Payment options⁶: Options include bank transfer, Discover, Visa, Mastercard or Amex® credit and debit cards⁷
Fees: 2.9% fee when using most credit cards to send locally, no fees on local transfers for other payment methods, international payments 5%, currency conversion 4%⁸

PayPal lets you use a Discover card to send money locally or internationally. You can send instant transfers to other PayPal accounts easily, but it’s good to know that fees apply.

If you’re using a Discover credit card you’ll pay a charge for both local and international payments, there’s also a fee for international transfers with a Discover debit card. Currency conversion incurs a 4% fee.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
Hugely popular site and app Fee free transfer options	Credit card fees can be high International fees are high and include conversion costs

Venmo

Payment options⁹: Options include bank transfer, Discover, Visa, Mastercard or Amex credit and debit cards¹⁰
Fees: 3% fee when using most credit cards, no Venmo fees for other payment methods¹¹

Venmo allows you to send payments within the US, and pay by linked bank account or card. Discover cards are supported, as well as other major networks as long as the card is in your name. Payments can be made in USD only, for deposit to a bank account.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
Good selection of payment methods Fee free transfer options	USD payments only 3% credit card fee

Zelle

Payment options¹²: Options include Visa or Mastercard debit cards¹³
Fees: No Zelle® fees — your bank may impose their own charges

Zelle payments can be made either from the Zelle app or in many cases from within your own bank or credit union’s online or mobile banking system.

Zelle doesn’t charge a fee for this service — but Discover cards aren’t accepted, and neither are credit cards.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
No Zelle fees Many banks offer Zelle directly through their own banking services	US based payments only Banks might impose their own Zelle charges, although this is not common

Western Union

Payment options¹⁴: Options include bank transfer, Discover, Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, and cash¹⁵
Fees: Variable fees based on transfer type and destination

Western Union® transfers can be sent to more or less any country in the world, online, in app, by phone and in person. You can choose to have your payment deposited to a bank account or collected in cash through Western Union’s enormous global agent network.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
Large agent network, plus online and app services Good selection of ways to set up and pay for your transfer	Fees apply which vary based on the way you arrange your payment Exchange rate markups can be used when sending overseas

MoneyGram

Payment options¹⁶: Options include bank transfer, Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, and cash¹⁷
Fees: Variable fees based on the transfer type

MoneyGram® offers payments locally and to 50+ countries around the world. You can pay online or in app using a Visa or Mastercard, or by making a bank transfer.

Alternatively if you want to pay in cash you can visit a MoneyGram agent to set up your payment.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
Well known, easy to use service Fast delivery times in some destinations	Fees apply When sending overseas, exchange rate markups may be used

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Now you’ve got all you need to make your payment with Discover. Use this guide to find the service that suits you best, and remember to check the total fees for any service you use. Alternative providers, like Wise, may offer lower overall costs when sending money overseas.

Make an international
Wise transfer

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Sources:

1. Discover credit card cash advance
2. Discover online banking
3. Discover banking FAQ
4. Speed: The speed of transaction claim depends on funds availability, approval by Wise's proprietary verification system and systems availability of our partners' banking system, and may not be available for all transactions
5. Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information
6. PayPal
7. PayPal cards
8. PayPal fees
9. Venmo
10. Venmo payment methods
11. Venmo fees
12. Zelle
13. Zelle payment methods
14. Western Union
15. Western Union payment methods
16. MoneyGram
17. MoneyGram payment methods
18. Cover photo by rupixen.com on Unsplash

Sources checked on 05.02.2023