Discover 5% Bonus Categories for Q2 2026
Discover has revealed the 5% Cashback Bonus categories for the second quarter of 2026. Beginning April 1st, and Discover More (no longer available) cardmembers can earn 5% Cashback Bonus at Restaurants and Home Improvement Stores. The offer runs through June 30, 2026, for up to $1,500 in purchases. That’s up to $75 cash back for the quarter.
In addition to 5% Cashback Bonus on these categories, Discover it and Discover More cardmembers will earn 1% cash back on all other purchases as well. And first year cardmembers get an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back they earn at the end of their first year, automatically. All with no annual fee. Check out more details below.
Eligible 5% Categories
Earn 5% Cashback Bonus at Amazon.com and Drug Stores from 4/1/26 (or the date on which you activate 5%, whichever is later) through 6/30/26, on up to $1,500 in purchases.
- Restaurant purchases include those at full-service restaurants, cafes, cafeterias, fast-food locations and caterers. Note, bakeries and restaurants located inside of or affiliated with another business may not qualify.
- Home improvement store purchases include online and in-store purchases at home improvement retail stores, building supply stores, home furnishing stores, home appliance stores and floor covering stores. Lawn, nursery and garden supply stores also count toward category earnings.
Important Terms
- To qualify for 5%, the purchase transaction date must be before or on the last day of the offer or promotion.
- For online purchases, the transaction date from the merchant may be the date when the item ships.
- Rewards are added to your account within two billing periods.
- Even if a purchase appears to fit in a 5% category, the merchant may not have a merchant category code (MCC) in that category.
- Merchants and payment processors are assigned an MCC based on their typical products and services.
Activate 5% Categories
In order to earn 5% cash back, you have to activate the bonus before making your purchases. These quarterly bonus categories can be activated by visiting this page and logging into your account. You can also activate with one click through emails sent out by Discover.
Apply for Discover it Card
If you don’t have the Discover it card currently, you can currently apply and get a $100 bonus. You also earn double cashback during your first cardmember year. That means you earn 2% cashback on all purchases and 10% cashback on bonus category purchases.
You can have up to two Discover cards, but you need to wait at least a year to apply for the second one.
Guru’s Wrap-up
Discover has revealed the 5% bonus categories for Q2 2026. This quarter’s categories include Restaurants and Home Improvement Stores. The latter can be useful if you have any big purchases planned, and stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s also sell third party gift cards. Getting 5% back on dining is also a decent option if you don’t have one of the most rewarding cards for this category.
This is also a good time to make sure you have maximized spending for the current quarter. That includes:
- Grocery stores
- Wholesale clubs
- Select streaming services
