Barclays vs Discover Bank
High-Yield Savings Accounts Comparison

Last Updated: September 18, 2025

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Summary of Barclays vs. Discover Bank

As of September 18, 2025 Barclays offers an APY of 4.10% for its Tiered Savings account, with a minimum balance of $250,000, compared to Discover Bank's 3.50% APY for its Online Savings Account, with a minimum balance of $0.

Barclays yields $40 more than Discover Bank on a $10,000 balance after one year. Barclays pays $390 (with an effective APY of 3.9%), while Discover Bank pays $350 - an APY advantage for Barclays.

In addition, Barclays also offers 3.70% APY for the Online Savings account.

Barclays

Strengths

  • Barclays offers a higher APY of 4.10% for balances over $250,000.
  • Barclays has a strong App Store rating of 4.8.
  • Barclays has no maintenance fees on its savings accounts.

Potential Drawbacks

  • Barclays requires a minimum balance of $250,000 to earn the highest APY.
  • Barclays has no physical branches available.
  • Barclays' Google Play rating is lower at 4.7.

Discover Bank

Strengths

  • Discover Bank has no minimum balance requirement for its savings account.
  • Discover Bank has a higher Google Play rating of 4.3.
  • Discover Bank has no maintenance fees on its savings account.

Potential Drawbacks

  • Discover Bank offers a lower APY of 3.50% compared to Barclays.
  • Discover Bank has no physical branches available.
  • Discover Bank's App Store rating is slightly lower at 4.9.
Summary: Barclays offers a higher APY of 4.10% for substantial balances, while Discover Bank provides a no-minimum-balance option at 3.50%. Both banks have no maintenance fees and are BBB accredited. Barclays has a better App Store rating, but Discover excels in Google Play ratings. Both banks operate online only, lacking physical branches.

Compare Barclays' vs Discover Bank's Savings Accounts

BarclaysDiscover Bank
ProductTiered SavingsOnline SavingsvsOnline Savings Account
APY
3.90% - 4.10% (as of 9/18/2025)3.70% (as of 9/18/2025)3.50% (as of 9/18/2025)
Bundled Account
NoNoNo
FDIC-insured
YesYesYes
Online OnlyYesYesYes
Compound Frequency
DailyDailyDaily
Minimum Deposit$0$0$0
Minimum Balance for APY$250,000Enough to earn $0.01 in interest$0
Maintenance Fee$0$0$0
Direct Deposit Required
NoNoNo
NoteThe 4.10% APY is only available for balances over $250,000. For lower balances, the APY is 3.90%.
App Store Rating4.8/54.9/5
Google Play Rating4.7/54.3/5
BBB RatingA+A+

Comparative Historical APY Insights (Last 8 Months)

BarclaysDiscover Bank
ProductOnline SavingsTiered SavingsvsOnline Savings Account
Latest APY3.70 %4.10 %3.50 %
TrendSidewaysFallingSideways
Slope (bps/mo)-3.6-6.1-4.0
Rate Changes / Mo0.630.750.38
Days Since Last Change1009284
High (-8 m)4.00 %4.50 %3.75 %
Low (-8 m)3.70 %4.10 %3.50 %
Draw-down from High-7.5 %-8.9 %-6.7 %
Volatility (CV)0.0240.0350.027
APY Insights Glossary
Latest APY
Most recent advertised annual-percentage yield.
Trend
Direction over the last 8 months (regression slope).
Slope (bps/mo)
Average monthly change; 10 bps = 0.10 pp.
Rate Changes / Mo
Typical number of APY moves per month.
Days Since Last Change
Recency of the latest APY adjustment.
High (-8 m)
Highest APY in the last 239 days.
Low (-8 m)
Lowest APY in the last 239 days.
Draw-down from High
How far today sits below the 8-month peak.
Volatility (CV)
Coefficient of variation = stdev ÷ mean.
Why Track Savings-Account APYs?
  • See how quickly a bank reacts to Fed moves or competition.
  • Gauge “twitchiness” - frequent moves can annoy savers.
  • Spot if you're buying near a peak (draw-down) or riding a rise.
  • Slope (bps/mo) shows speed of change.
  • Volatility (CV) scales jumps by average level.

Calculate Savings Growth for Barclays vs Discover Bank

All calculations are based on APY.

Barclays

APY: 4.10%

⚠️The higher APY only applies once your balance reaches $250,000.

Total savings breakdown:

  • Interest earned: $2,370.2 (11.64%)
  • Total contributions: $13,000 (63.82%)
  • Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.55%)

Your total balance

$20,370.20

Effective APY: 3.90% (based on your deposit and contributions)

Total balance: $20,370.2

Earnings: $2,370.2

Bank Overview

Discover Bank

APY: 3.50%

Total savings breakdown:

  • Interest earned: $2,114.1 (10.51%)
  • Total contributions: $13,000 (64.63%)
  • Initial deposit: $5,000 (24.86%)

Your total balance

$20,114.10

Effective APY: 3.50% (based on your deposit and contributions)

Total balance: $20,114.1

Earnings: $2,114.1

Bank Overview

With a $5,000 initial deposit and $13,000 in total contributions over 5 years, Barclays's total earnings would be $256.1 higher than Discover Bank's total earnings.

The Banksparency Savings Calculator provides estimated savings growth based on user input and our latest data.

More Comparisons

Compare Barclays' APY of 4.10% with other banks
Compare Discover Bank's APY of 3.50% with other banks