Although worth only $5 at most, Discover Card’s month-long Double Cashback Bonus (on the first $500 spent) sure sounds impressive. And combined with the cute penguin visuals, it’s an effective birthday greeting. And probably the first one you’ll get since it’s sent two weeks in advance of the first day of the month of your birthday.

Recipients must register to receive the bonus, a common technique to keep costs down. The card issuer continues to display dazzling graphics throughout and even sends a confirmation email (below). Great attention to detail.

It would be nice if you didn’t have to do a full login to register. But for extra reward points, most users will put up with the hassle.

Grade = A-

Discover Card birthday email (18 Aug. 2011, 2 weeks in advance of the birthday month)

First landing page: Log in (link)

Second landing page: Register (link, must be logged in to your Discover account)

Confirmation screen

Confirmation email