Better Health for All

Discover actively mitigates indirect health effects, particularly financial stress. The 'Thriving Wallet' initiative provides resources to manage financial stress, linking financial stability to mental and physical health.

The company also established a $36 million Financial Health Improvement Fund to support technologies enhancing the financial health of low- and moderate-income individuals. Additionally, creating nearly 1,000 jobs in an underserved area improves economic stability, contributing positively to community health. Discover's core financial products and services have no significant direct positive or negative health impact, nor do they generate revenue from products with direct health harms. The products do not have direct safety implications for physical or mental health, nor are they health-related products requiring accessibility considerations or specific risk disclosures. The company does not collect or manage health-related data, nor does it hold healthcare-related patents or produce food/nutritional products, or conduct clinical trials. Its operations are not directly relevant to health crisis response, and its products do not have addiction potential requiring mitigation.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Discover Bank was subject to significant regulatory findings and penalties. The FDIC determined that for approximately 17 years, Discover misclassified millions of consumer credit cards as commercial accounts, resulting in merchants being overcharged over $1 billion in interchange fees

. Consequently, the bank is required to pay a $150 million civil money penalty and distribute at least $1.225 billion in restitution to affected merchants . Additionally, the FDIC issued consent orders mandating Discover to improve its consumer compliance management system, enhance corporate governance, and address shortcomings in its compliance management system for consumer protection laws . The company has increased its risk and compliance costs by over $300 million between 2019 and 2023, hiring over 200 new compliance officers to address these issues .

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Discover Financial Services reported a CEO-to-median-employee pay ratio of 145:1 for 2023, with the CEO's total compensation at $8,659,519 and the median employee's annual compensation at $59,905.

Since 2018, the company's pay equity analyses show women and minorities earn, on average, between $0.99 and $1.03 for every $1.00 earned by men and non-minorities, after accounting for role, tenure, and geography. In 2018, Discover increased its minimum hourly wage to $15.25 for virtually all full-time U.S. employees, impacting over 7,000 individuals, and provided $1,000 bonuses to more than 15,000 non-executive employees. The company has been recognized as a 2024 Best Place to Work for People with Disabilities, achieving a perfect score on the Disability Equality Index for four consecutive years, and earned a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for ten consecutive years as of 2023 for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion. However, a former executive filed a lawsuit in September 2024 alleging gender and age discrimination.

Honest & Fair Business

Discover Financial Services was fined $100 million in April 2023 for interchange fee overcharges that occurred between 2007 and 2023

. This issue was a regulatory condition for its acquisition by Capital One in May 2025 . The company has faced ongoing regulatory scrutiny, including an FDIC probe in July 2023 into its compliance system and a pricing error on credit card accounts from 2007 . Discover increased its compliance and risk management spending to nearly $500 million in 2023 , with similar expenditures anticipated for 2024 , to address these issues. Discover has an Integrity Hotline to protect whistleblowers, emphasizing non-retaliation and confidentiality, and encourages anonymous reporting from employees, vendors, consumers, and customers . In September 2024, a former executive filed a lawsuit alleging gender and age discrimination, claiming unfair blame for regulatory issues and revoked stock awards . The company released its first ESG report in May 2023 .

Kind to Animals

Discover Financial Services is a consumer finance and digital banking company. Its core operations do not involve direct animal welfare activities such as animal testing, sourcing animal products, or operations that impact wildlife

. Consequently, the company has no animal-derived products, animal husbandry, or animal agriculture operations, and no specific public policies or initiatives addressing animal welfare .

No War, No Weapons

Discover Financial Services has no involvement in military contracts, arms manufacturing, or any military-industrial complex activities, aligning with its focus on consumer financial services.

The company maintains a neutral position regarding military involvement and does not derive revenue from arms or defense contracts. It has no exposure to controversial weapons and no defense-related assets requiring divestment. Despite this, Discover partners with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service to expand MILITARY STAR card acceptance, which generated $439 million in value for the military in FY 2023. The company also offers Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act (SCRA) benefits, including a 5.9% APR and fee waivers for eligible military members. Discover Bank was recognized with the ESGR's Pro Patria award for its military work-at-home program, providing job training and opportunities for military personnel and families.

Planet-Friendly Business

Discover Financial Services reported 0% of its total water consumed in 2023 was sourced from regions of high water stress.

The company achieved a 74% waste diversion rate across its U.S. offices in 2023. Its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions were 31,618 tCO2e in 2023, an extremely low absolute value for a services provider. Discover plans to increase renewable energy usage to 32% in 2024. Only 8% of its total U.S. owned and operationally controlled square footage is LEED certified. The company has set a goal to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 50% from its 2017 baseline by 2030, but these targets are not explicitly stated as SBTi-validated. It partnered with an external consultant in 2023 to identify climate risks and opportunities to inform the future development of a TCFD report.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Discover Financial Services has 37 formal partnerships, including 12 distinct partnerships and 25 with nonprofits in Whitehall, Ohio.

The company reported no cultural appropriation incidents. FPIC processes are not applicable to its business model, nor is the social license concept. For its Chatham construction, operations, and facility spend, 34% (over $3.2 million) was directed to local Black-owned contractors. The company supported Beloved Community Services Corporation, a nonprofit developer that restores historic sites in predominantly Black neighborhoods. Additionally, 70% of employees completed optional inclusivity training.

Safe & Smart Tech

Discover has an AI Governance Council in place to ensure responsible AI use.

The company offers a Freeze it® feature, which enhances customer control over their data. Additionally, Discover complies with GLBA and CCPA regulations, reinforcing its commitment to data privacy.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Discover Financial Services achieved a waste diversion rate exceeding 74% in 2023

, successfully recycling approximately 1,310 tons of material across its U.S. offices .