# Is the Discover Card really considered so mock-worthy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 27, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691 "2007-06-27T21:43:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/1 "2007-06-27T21:43:11Z")
Recently, I was channel surfing when I stumbled on an episode of _the Family Guy_. I don’t know if it was an old or new episode, but the plot involved Peter and the familiy owning/running a restaurant. There was this prolonged (aren’t they all?) bit in which Peter mercilessly mocks a customer asking to use his Discover Card. I know that the DC is not as universally accepted as Visa, MC or AE, but is it really considered so low class – or _something_ so mockworthy? I tend to use my DC when I can. It comes with a lower interest rate than my Visa Card. Are people snickering at me behind the register when I’m not looking? ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/2 "2007-06-27T21:45:25Z")
I think it is just making fun of the fact that Discover isn’t accepted as widely as Visa and/or MasterCard. I don’t think that people make fun of those with a Discover card. However, they might make fun of you if you were using a Diners Club charge card… ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/3 "2007-06-27T22:46:50Z")
[QUOTE=LVgeogeek] I think it is just making fun of the fact that Discover isn’t accepted as widely as Visa and/or MasterCard. [/QUOTE] And that Peter is the most hopelessly pathetic restaurant manager and has no idea how to deal with even the easiest of customer inquiries without being a complete asshole. The joke works _because_ Discover card is not really mock-worthy. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/4 "2007-06-28T00:21:43Z")
[QUOTE=stuyguy] Are people snickering at me behind the register when I’m not looking? [/QUOTE] Probably. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/5 "2007-06-28T03:00:19Z")
[QUOTE=stuyguy] There was this prolonged (aren’t they all?) bit … [/QUOTE] Yes, they are all prolonged. I think that show is really funny, but they always carry on their jokes about 5 seconds too long, to the point where I’ve stopped laughing and am ready to throw something at the TV. Anywho…I don’t have a discover card (don’t really use credit cards in general), but don’t they have pretty good cash back things? I don’t see anything wrong with them. ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/6 "2007-06-28T03:03:57Z")
[Here’s](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-7-vinh4UA) the clip. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/7 "2007-06-28T03:58:06Z")
I used my Discover card for an entire year for business travel (because of mega screw ups in the process of getting my corporate American Express). It was accepted literally everywhere I needed to go. Now that I have my corporate Amex card, I recently went to Toronto & found that outside of the hotel, that one was pretty much worthless anywhere. I don’t think Discover is anything joke-worthy. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/8 "2007-06-28T05:16:36Z")
Amex charges twice what Visa and MC charge businesses to use their card. If I ran a business I wouldn’t accept it either. I don’t know what Discover charges. ---
**Author:** ![cji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@cji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cji)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/9 "2007-06-28T05:50:49Z")
[QUOTE=Renee] Amex charges twice what Visa and MC charge businesses to use their card. If I ran a business I wouldn’t accept it either. I don’t know what Discover charges. [/QUOTE] A pretty common thing to see (not accepting Amex or any CC) at smaller lunch type places - which makes business travel/expenses fun. Trying to hunt down a place that takes Amex (submitting cash expenses is such a pain) and also serves decent food is a good way to get to know the area! The other thing I see, which drives me up a wall, is the “minimum charge $X” businesses try to enforce. Always fun to get in an argument over violations of their agreements with visa/mc/amex to not do things like that ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/10 "2007-06-28T06:48:47Z")
[QUOTE=tremorviolet] And that Peter is the most hopelessly pathetic restaurant manager and has no idea how to deal with even the easiest of customer inquiries without being a complete asshole. The joke works _because_ Discover card is not really mock-worthy. [/QUOTE] I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![meow\_meow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@meow\_meow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meow_meow)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/11 "2007-06-28T15:44:42Z")
I signed up for one because they offered me a 0% interest for the life of the balance as long as I use it 2 times a month. So I transfered my Visa to it and buy little things like gas (well, that used to be a little thing) twice a month. If I DON’T do the 2 transactions, however, I bet the APR would go up to something crazy like 21%. I do think it has a reputation of being the underdog of cards though. I think this is because in the past the interest rates were one of the highest, and it was an easy card to get. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/12 "2007-06-28T15:56:32Z")
I guess it’s different now, but I still recall that it was originallly issued by Sears, and – in as much as I ever think about class issues, which isn’t much, but since you asked – I’ve always thought that it was a card that the “lower class” was more likely to use. That is, you wouldn’t expect to see a guy in a suit and tie pull out a Discover Card at The Four Seasons. The fact that low-class Peter mocks it is somewhat funny. I never saw that clip, though. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/13 "2007-06-28T16:18:54Z")
I also thought it was perceived as lower class because of the Sears connection. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/14 "2007-06-28T17:03:55Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] I don’t get it. [/QUOTE] Well, here’s the [clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-7-vinh4UA) if anyone wants to see it. I have a sneaking suspicion that you’re whooshing me but here goes: the Family Guy’s premise is a spoof off all those sitcoms with the fat slob husband who’s a complete jerk to everyone (including his family) but is somehow also a “loveable” loser. On the Family Guy, they make it obvious that Peter’s a complete (almost sociopathic) asshole (as are most of the family, Brian the dog is the normal one). And so would be the absolute last person who could make a resaurant (or any business which relies on good customer service) as success. The Discover card bit is a chance to demonstrate it as well as poke fun at Discover card’s status as a lower tier credit card. But if the Discover card was really that mock-worthy, it wouldn’t work as well to expose Peter’s inherent jackassedness. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-discover-card-really-considered-so-mock-worthy/409691/15 "2007-06-28T17:08:05Z")
I had no idea it was a lower-class card! I use it as much as I can, since it gets between 1 and 5% back as bonuses, with additional discounts at certain stores. I almost never fly, so frequent flyer miles aren’t worth it for me. Daniel