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How to Buy a Dash Cam Without Draining Your Savings

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How to Buy a Dash Cam Without Draining Your Savings

A dual-camera dash cam keeps you covered front and rear, and timing it right saves you cash.

VoAtlas editorial Updated · 3 min read
Typical cost $250 before anything else
Across the 0% window $16.67/mo 15 months, no interest

How we got that: $250 spread evenly across the 15-month introductory window on the Discover it® Cash Back. Checked · at the bank Carry a balance past the window and the standard APR applies to what is left.

Driving around without a dash cam feels a bit like walking through a parking lot with your eyes closed. You want that extra set of eyes watching the road, especially when other drivers are unpredictable or hit-and-runs happen. A reliable dual-camera setup for the front and rear usually runs about $250, but you don't have to pay it all at once if you time your buy right.

Tech sites drop their prices during holiday sales in November, so that is the sweet spot to look. Keep negotiations separate from how you pay. Lock in the best price for the hardware and installation first, and figure out the payment spread after.

Just remember that the 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers is a hard deadline, not free money. If you still have a balance left when those 15 months run out, interest kicks in on the original amount.

The steps

  1. 01

    Hunt the November sales

    Tech sites drop prices on dash cams during holiday sales in November. Wait for these specific windows rather than buying at random. You will usually save a chunk off the typical $250 cost just by being patient.

  2. 02

    Decide on installation

    You can plug it into the cigarette lighter yourself in ten minutes, or pay a shop to hardwire it so the cables stay hidden. Hardwiring looks cleaner and lets the camera run while parked, but it adds to the labor cost.

  3. 03

    Use your card window

    If you want to spread out the cost, the Discover it® Cash Back card gives you 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. That means you pay no interest if you clear the balance before the 15 months are up. If you split $250 evenly across that window, you are looking at $16.67 per month.

  4. 04

    Check the memory card

    Dash cams eat through storage fast, and many cheap bundles skip the microSD card or include one that fails after a few months. Buy a high-endurance card rated for continuous video writing so you do not lose footage when you need it most.

  5. 05

    Test the angles

    Once it is stuck to the windshield and rear glass, sit in the car and check the phone app feed. Make sure the front view captures your hood and the rear view clears your wiper sweep so you actually get useful video.

  6. 06

    Check the card terms before you commit

    Every figure we publish for the Discover it® Cash Back carries the date a person verified it against Discover and a link to where they checked. Intro windows and APRs change without notice, so confirm the current terms before applying.

    See Discover it® Cash Back terms →

Common questions

Do I really need a rear camera?

Yes, because rear-end collisions and parking lot bumps happen all the time. A front-only camera misses half the story if someone taps your bumper at a light.

Will hardwiring drain my car battery?

Most hardwire kits have a low-voltage cutoff that shuts the camera off if your car battery starts dropping too low. If you drive daily, it is rarely an issue.

What size memory card do I need?

Get at least a 128GB high-endurance card. Anything smaller will loop over your older footage too quickly and overwrite something important before you save it.

Can I install it myself?

Front cameras just stick to the glass and plug into a USB port or socket. Running the rear camera wire neatly through the headliner takes a little patience, but you can easily do it in an afternoon.