Discover Financial Services (DFS) is a diversified consumer finance company. They offer traditional banking products like checking and savings accounts. In addition, they provide personal loans, student loans, and home equity loans. But the company is probably best known for its credit card services. They offer a suite of "Discover Credit Cards" with features to suit the individual. The company is unique with respect to traditional banks who offer credit cards. DFS owns and operate their own payments network, giving the company a cost advantage and an additional source of fee revenues. Most retailers run payments through the Visa or Master Card networks, the big brethren to Discover. So those banks that offer Visa or Master Card branded credit cards simply ride along those networks.
