Discover cardholders are eligible for a $15\/month ID fraud protection program called Discover Identity Theft Protection. How does it compare with plans from LifeLock, which cost about $9 to $26 per month?<\/p>\n
Here we compare the exclusive Discover cardmember plan with LifeLock\u2019s three options for the general public. Also mentioned is Discover\u2019s free ID theft alert service for cardmembers.<\/p>\n
Discover quietly launched its ID theft protection plan. When logged in to their credit accounts, cardmembers sometimes see ads that compare Discover Identity Theft Protection<\/strong> with LifeLock\u2019s top-tier plan for protection, Ultimate Plus<\/strong>. Both the Discover plan and LifeLock Ultimate Plus can provide three-bureau credit report alerts<\/strong> and up to $1,000,000 for stolen funds replacement.<\/p>\n Discover has a significant edge over LifeLock in terms of credit score updates<\/strong>; they send monthly reports whereas LifeLock sends annual updates. On the other hand, LifeLock promises even more than $1,000,000 in compensation (see below), plus their best plan provides Norton LifeLock software<\/strong> for all your desktop and mobile devices. Discover conducts dark web scans on your behalf but doesn\u2019t provide anti-theft software.<\/p>\n Pricewise, Discover has more appeal than LifeLock Ultimate Plus:<\/p>\n Choosing the Discover plan or LifeLock Ultimate Plus, you\u2019ll get these benefits and more:<\/p>\n Children are entitled to the same insurance policies as the affiliated adult accounts. An extra child-related benefit with LifeLock is parental controls for desktop and mobile browsers.<\/p>\n Both Discover and LifeLock let you receive alerts by email and text. Additionally LifeLock can deliver alerts by phone call.<\/p>\n A main advantage with Discover is getting monthly summaries <\/strong>of your activity with all three credit bureaus. The closest you can get with LifeLock, in comparison, is annual three-bureau reports. Reading your credit reports each month is one of the best ways to keep tabs on your ID.<\/p>\n Discover might also have an edge with monitoring for credit-related identity fraud. In particular you can get alerts if someone correctly answers your Experian ID verification questions, such as your favorite teacher\u2019s name.<\/p>\n You might also prefer Discover\u2019s customer service<\/strong>. As a Discover cardmember you\u2019ve likely found that their service tends to be above-average whether you choose automated help or talk with an agent. You can expect the same with Discover Identity Theft Protection.<\/p>\n Compared with LifeLock, Discover has the lower price on ID theft protection with three-bureau monitoring. Why would you want <\/em>to pay more with LifeLock? The main appeal is Norton LifeLock software or Norton 360.<\/strong> It\u2019s included for virtually unlimited devices (desktop and mobile) when you choose LifeLock Ultimate Plus.<\/p>\n Norton LifeLock helps protect computer users from phishing scams by blocking fraudulent websites and emails. A VPN (virtual private network) is included for anonymous browsing on all devices, plus you\u2019ll get 500GB of cloud storage to back up your files. Optionally parents can activate controls to help filter Internet content for children\u2019s protection.<\/p>\n Sold separately, Norton 360 costs about $10\/month to protect a maximum of five devices. This makes LifeLock Ultimate Plus almost identical in cost compared with choosing Discover Identity Theft Protection and computer protection separately. Eventually LifeLock costs more, however; the introductory price converts to $34.99\/month after one year.<\/p>\n Another main advantage with LifeLock vs Discover is additional ID theft insurance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n All in all, LifeLock Ultimate Plus may be worth the extra money if you don\u2019t already have computer protection similar to Norton 360, and\/or if you have an especially high income or savings to protect. Otherwise, Discover Identity Theft Protection could provide ample yet affordable coverage at just $15\/month.<\/p>\n LifeLock features three main plans for ID theft protection. Each has an introductory discount during the first year. Choices are:<\/p>\n The above prices are per adult. A child\u2019s SSN and other information can be monitored for an additional $5.99 per month. The add-on is called LifeLock Junior.<\/p>\n As explained above, LifeLock Ultimate Plus ($25.99 per adult) has the most in common with Discover Identity Theft Protection ($15). It\u2019s the only LifeLock option with three-bureau monitoring. How do the other plans compare?<\/p>\n LifeLock Select is among the most affordable ID theft protection plans for 2020. It costs $8.99\/month per adult for 12 months. The annual plan renews at $11.99\/month, keeping it cheaper than Discover Identity Theft Protection. However, a shortcoming is LifeLock\u2019s lack of credit bureau monitoring and reporting. Discover monitors all three bureaus for signs of ID fraud, plus Discover provides monthly credit summaries.<\/p>\n The key benefits of LifeLock Select are:<\/p>\n Keep in mind that as a Discover cardmember, you\u2019re already entitled to free Experian credit bureau alerts. Discover checks Experian files daily and can send alerts by email or text. Combining that service with the cheapest LifeLock plan would of course be more effective than relying on LifeLock Select alone for ID theft protection, though it leaves Equifax and TransUnion unmonitored.<\/p>\n Upgrading to LifeLock Advantage does not add credit bureau monitoring. However, this plan can track your credit card and bank accounts for signs of identity fraud. It also sends alerts about crimes tied to your name.<\/p>\n LifeLock Advantage has an introductory rate of $17.99\/month per adult. After a year it renews at $25.99\/month.<\/p>\n Compared with LifeLock Select, this plan provides more insurance for stolen funds and personal expenses: $100,000 instead of $25K. Also, LifeLock Advantage lets you install Norton 360 on up to ten desktop computers, smartphones and tablets. The limit is five with LifeLock Select.<\/p>\n Compared with Discover, LifeLock Advantage promises even more compensation for lawyers and gives the extra advantage of Norton 360 protection. Still we\u2019d lean toward Discover\u2019s $15\/month plan because their credit bureau monitoring is so valuable.<\/p>\n Discover Financial Services formed in 1986. It\u2019s one of the largest credit card issuers in the USA, plus it provides checking and savings accounts, student loans, personal loans, home equity loans, and certificates of deposit. Customers can use Discover cards with millions of US merchants and ATMs. Discover also issues the Diners Club International card, which is accepted worldwide.<\/p>\n Discover cardmembers can enroll in a free identity alert service with dark web monitoring and daily Experian monitoring, or can pay for comprehensive identity theft protection as described above. The company also makes FICO scores available to all consumers for free.<\/p>\n Customer service is based in the US. The company is not accredited with the BBB. However, the Better Business Bureau rates Discover \u201cA+\u201d for its customer interactions.<\/p>\n LifeLock was established in 2005 with an exclusive focus on identity protection. The company grew rapidly, as it was among the best-advertised options in the industry. Since 2017 LifeLock has been a subsidiary of Symantec, the maker of Norton antivirus software. Customer service is based in the US and is available 24\/7.<\/p>\n LifeLock is not BBB accredited. They have an A- rating from the Bureau for transparency and other aspects of customer service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Price Comparison<\/h3>\n
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Common Features<\/h3>\n
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Advantages of Discover vs LifeLock Ultimate Plus<\/h3>\n
LifeLock Advantages: Norton 360 & Generous ID Theft Insurance<\/h3>\n
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Other LifeLock Plans vs Discover<\/h2>\n
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LifeLock Select vs Discover<\/h3>\n
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LifeLock Advantage Plan<\/h3>\n
About Discover<\/h3>\n
About LifeLock<\/h3>\n