The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card is a low-maintenance travel credit card geared toward beginners in the points and miles space. It has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees and earns high rewards on common spending categories, such as restaurants, transit and streaming services. It stands out for providing access to Wells Fargo's travel transfer partners, which is less common for cards without an annual fee.
The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card offers generous bonus spending categories and lets you transfer points to airline and hotel partners, which is rare for a credit card with no annual fee.
- Access to all of the Wells Fargo transfer partners including Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) and Virgin Red
- No annual fee
- Excellent bonus spending categories
- Intro-APR for purchases
- No travel credits or other valuable travel perks
- Lacks key travel protections such as trip delay reimbursement and trip cancellation/interruption coverage
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 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
- Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
- $0 annual fee.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR thereafter.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
Balance transfer fee
3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5
Foreign transaction fee
None
Wells Fargo Autograph® Card review
Welcome bonus
The Wells Fargo Autograph Card offers a welcome bonus of 20,000 points when you spend at least $1,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. That averages out to roughly $333 in purchases per month, which is a relatively easy spending goal.
You can redeem those points for $200 in statement credits, gift cards or travel bookings. You can also transfer those points to any of Wells Fargo's travel partners to potentially increase the value of your points.
Benefits and perks
The Wells Fargo Autograph Card offers cardholders a variety of valuable benefits including:
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft (with a $25 deductible) when you pay your monthly bill with the card
- Auto rental collision damage waiver (which covers damage from an accident, a natural disaster or vandalism, as well as theft)
- Roadside Dispatch, a paid service that can help tow your car, change a flat tire, and more.
- Access to the Visa Signature® Luxury Hotel Collection, which allows you to book a hotel through www.visasignaturehotels.com and also receive perks like a free room upgrade (when available), complimentary breakfast for two, and more.
- Access to the My Wells Fargo Deals program, which offers cash back with participating merchants.
How to earn and redeem points
Earning
The Wells Fargo Autograph Card earns points at the following rates:
- 3X points on travel
- 3X points at restaurants
- 3X points at gas stations
- 3X points on transit
- 3X points on streaming services
- 3X points on phone plans
- 1X points on all other purchases
Because there's no cap on these rewards, the sky's the limit (or more realistically, your bank account) when it comes to earning points.
Redeeming
Rewards do not expire if your account remains open and can be redeemed in a variety of ways through Wells Fargo's rewards portal, including:
- Travel, such as airfare and hotel stays
- Statement credits
- Gift cards (in $25 increments)
- Shopping with participating merchants
You can also transfer your points to the loyalty programs of participating partners at a 1:1 ratio (unless noted), including:
- Choice Privileges® (1:2 transfer ratio)
- Flying Blue (Air France and KLM)
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Iberia Plus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club/Virgin Red
Transferring your Wells Fargo rewards points to partners can give them a big boost in value. For example, you can book off-peak one-way business class award flights for only 34,000 Iberia Avios points from certain U.S. cities to Spain. These flights regularly cost over $1,500, netting you a value of over four cents per point even after accounting for taxes and fees (typically around $130 each way).
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Rates and fees
The Wells Fargo Autograph Card charges a $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. New cardholders can benefit from the card's 0% introductory annual percentage rate (APR) for 12-months from account opening on purchases. After that, it's a 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% variable APR.
Card comparison
Wells Fargo Autograph® Card vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
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%
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a straightforward card that earns a flat 2% cash rewards on purchases. It pairs well with the Autograph card since it helps cover any gaps (like groceries) left out of the Autograph Card's bonus spending categories.
An even better reason to pair the Autograph and Active Cash together is that when you have an Autograph Card, the cash rewards earned by the Active Cash can also be transferred to the airlines and hotels participating in Wells Fargo's new rewards program. That means instead of redeeming your cash rewards earned by the Active Cash as a statement credit, for example, you can put them toward expensive airfare where you can get more value. Carrying both cards in your wallet turns you into a rewards-earning machine and can help make a once-in-a-lifetime vacation much more attainable.
Learn more: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Wells Fargo Autograph® Card vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is a no-annual-fee card that earns generous cash-back on everyday purchases and a lucrative welcome bonus.
- Users get a high rewards rate and strong welcome bonus
- Purchases and balance transfers get long intro APR
- No annual fee
- Travelers face a foreign transaction fee
- Few rewarding ongoing benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase TravelSM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can use points to redeem for cash through an account statement credit or an electronic deposit into an eligible Chase account located in the United States!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.24% - 27.74%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, in the first 60 days. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
While the Wells Fargo Autograph Card boasts some tempting rewards and benefits, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) also offers a ton of perks with no annual fee. It comes with a generous welcome bonus and earns at least 1.5% cash back on everything you buy. That means you can earn rewards at a faster pace for purchases that fall outside of one of the Wells Fargo Autograph Card's bonus categories.
The Freedom Unlimited has a stronger array of built-in insurance benefits. Eligible items are covered by the card's purchase protection and extended warranty protection. Plus, it also provides trip cancellation and interruption insurance. However, you can't transfer your rewards to travel partners unless you pair your Freedom Unlimited with a different Chase credit card (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees)), whereas the Autograph card enables point transfers by itself.
Learn more: Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Is the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card right for you?
The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card can be a solid choice for anyone looking to accumulate points on travel or other everyday purchases. It also stands out for being a rare no-annual-fee travel credit card that earns flexible rewards that can be transferred to airline and hotel loyalty programs.
However, this may not be the best card if you're a frequent traveler who enjoys premium perks like airport lounge access. Additionally, while you earn 3X points in several categories, it only earns 1X points on other purchases. So you could benefit from pairing this card with one that has high flat-rate rewards like the Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card to get the most bang for your buck.
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