Discover Financial Services is a major American financial services company and the fourth-largest card payment network in the United States, founded in 1985 by Sears, Roebuck and Co. under the leadership of Dean Witter. The Discover Card was introduced at that year's Super Bowl with the revolutionary concept of no annual fee and a cashback rewards program, disrupting the credit card industry dominated by Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Headquartered in Riverwoods, Illinois, Discover operates both as a card issuer and a payment network, similar to American Express's closed-loop model. The company's Discover Network processes billions of transactions annually and has built acceptance to over 70 million merchant locations worldwide. Discover is known for its straightforward, consumer-friendly approach, consistently offering cards with no annual fees, competitive cashback rewards, and U.S.-based customer service that is available around the clock. The company's flagship product, the Discover it card, offers rotating 5% cashback categories that have become a hallmark of its brand identity. Beyond credit cards, Discover offers personal loans, student loans, home equity loans, and savings products through Discover Bank, which is one of the largest direct banking operations in the country. The company also operates the PULSE debit network, one of the nation's leading ATM and debit networks, and Diners Club International, the world's first independent credit card company. Discover employs approximately 20,000 people and has maintained a reputation for high customer satisfaction, regularly earning top rankings in J.D. Power credit card satisfaction studies.
discover.com/ →