In what year was the Discover card introduced?

The Discover card was introduced in 1985.

Sears introduced Discover in the United States as part of an effort to build a broader financial-services business around its retail stores. Sears had acquired Dean Witter Reynolds and the Greenwood Trust Company, which became the banking foundation behind the new card. A trial transaction took place at an Atlanta Sears store on September 17, 1985.

Discover was designed to challenge established card networks with features that were unusual at the time. It generally charged no annual fee, offered comparatively high credit limits, and later became known for its Cashback Bonus program. Those features helped it attract consumers despite resistance from some retailers.

The card’s early expansion was expensive: Sears reported substantial losses from the operation in 1986 and 1987. Discover eventually developed its own payment network and became a major U.S. card brand. A common mix-up is confusing the 1985 introduction with later milestones, such as the launch of Discover Platinum in 1998.