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Wells Fargo is making a splash in the credit card space with its travel rewards card and a revamped rewards program. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card features an exceptional return on travel spending and the ability to transfer points to a handful of travel partners.
Here's what we know about this rewards credit card, its benefits and how it stacks up against the competition.
What we know about the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card
The Autograph Journey card doesn't mess around when it comes to earning points — here's what you'll get when making purchases this credit card:
- 5X points on hotels
- 4X points on airlines
- 3X points on other travel
- 3X points on restaurants
- 1X points on all other purchases
The earning structure of the rewards helps make the Autograph Journey a strong competitor in the travel card space. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which also charges a $95 annual fee, earns 5X miles on hotel and car rental purchases — but only if you book through Capital One Travel, the issuer's travel portal. One of the Autograph Journey's standout features is that it lets you earn high rewards on hotel and airline spending no matter how you book.
The points you can earn are unlimited, so your balance can grow quickly, especially if you spend a lot on hotels and airlines. Another way to quickly rack up points is through the card's intro bonus, which is worth 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on the card in the first three months.
The Autograph Journey card has a $95 annual fee, which is partially offset by a $50 annual airline credit, which you can earn each account anniversary year. To qualify for the credit, the transaction must be at least $50 (you can't earn a partial credit) and the merchant must fall under the airline or air carrier category. So this credit should apply to airfare, checked-bag fees, seat selection fees and more, as long as you meet the $50 threshold. The credit applies to the first transaction of $50 or more.
The Autograph Journey also has a solid lineup of credit card insurance benefits, including:
- Trip interruption/cancellation coverage
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Travel accident insurance
- Rental car collision damage waiver (secondary coverage for rentals in the U.S.)
- Travel and emergency assistance services
- Roadside Dispatch®
- Cell phone insurance
Cardholders spend freely overseas because it has no foreign transaction fee.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey and transfer partners
Wells Fargo is adding the ability to access transfer partners to its no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph® Card (the Autograph Journey will also give you access to transfer partners). The ability to transfer points is rare on a no-annual-fee card and instantly boosts this card's value.
Right now, Wells Fargo has a smaller list of transfer partners, but more partners are expected to be added. The conversion ratio is 1:1 for all of the programs except for Choice Hotels, which is 1:2. Transfers to these programs go live on April 4, 2024:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue (partners with Delta)
- Avianca LifeMiles (partners with United)
- British Airways Executive Club (partners with American Airlines and Alaska Airlines)
- Iberia Plus (partners with American Airlines and Alaska Airlines)
- Choice Privileges
Wells Fargo told CNBC Select that with the addition of transfer partners, any Wells Fargo-branded consumer cardholders will be able to convert those rewards into transferrable points, if you have a Wells Fargo card that enables rewards transfers. This means you could earn 2% in cash rewards on purchases with the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card and combine the cash rewards with a no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph® Card, then transfer those points to partners (once transfers are live).
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is great if you want simplicity thanks to its flat-rate 2% unlimited cash rewards on purchases and $0 annual fee.
- High flat-rate return on purchases
- Intro-APR for purchases and qualifying balance transfers for a year
- No annual fee
- Cell phone protection
- Has a foreign transaction fee
- Limited redemption options unless you pair it with a Wells Fargo card that allows point transfers
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
- $0 annual fee.
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
Balance Transfer Fee
3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5
Foreign Transaction Fee
3%
Is the Autograph Journey right for you?
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card is aiming for the top travel credit cards with a competitive bonus and excellent rewards for popular travel purchases. And if you have any other consumer Wells Fargo-branded cards, getting the Autograph Journey instantly makes them more valuable. However, until Wells Fargo adds more transfer partners, this card's value is a tier below the top credit card travel programs, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards® and American Express Membership Rewards.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) doesn't earn as much for general travel spending and flights or hotels booked outside of the Chase Travel℠ portal, but you can transfer Chase points to 14 partners, including valuable loyalty programs for World of Hyatt, Air Canada Aeroplan and United MileagePlus. The Sapphire Preferred also has more comprehensive travel protections including primary rental car coverage, trip delay reimbursement and baggage delay insurance.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Long list of travel and shopping protections
- $50 annual Chase Travel hotel credit
- Has an annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase TravelSM
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
The Capital One Venture Rewards card, as mentioned earlier, is another travel card that charges a $95 annual fee (same as the Autograph Journey). It earns fewer rewards than the Autograph Journey in some categories, but Capital One has a robust list of transfer partners (18 in total), including four of the same programs Wells Fargo partners with. The Venture Rewards can make your time at the airport a little more pleasant if you use its statement credit of up to $120 for a TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry application, valid every four years.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a reasonable annual fee and earns flexible travel rewards, which makes it a great travel card for beginners or heavy travelers.
- Valuable welcome offer worth at least $750 in travel
- You can transfer miles to over 15 Capital One partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- No foreign transaction fees
- Lacks ongoing travel benefits such as statement credits or lounge access
- Limited bonus spending category that only applies to certain Capital One Travel bookings
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
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Bottom line
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card is coming out of the gate strong and poised to compete with the top travel cards from other issuers. It has a reasonable annual fee, travel protections, a strong welcome bonus and an amazing return for all sorts of travel spending.
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