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At a glance
- Best for: Newcomers taking their first steps into the world of points and miles
- Annual Fee: $95
- APR: N/A
- Reward Rate: 1X-5X
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey® Card
60,000 Bonus Points
Offer Details:
Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that’s $600 toward your next trip!
Why we like it
The jury is still on how useful the Autograph Journey Card will be, but the signs are looking positive. It’s Wells Fargo’s first card with trasferable points helping make that 60,000 point bonus and the strong earning rates all the more lucrative. As cards go, it might not be a showstopper, but it’s a strong introduction to points and miles or an opportunity for a welcome points injection.
Reward details
5X points on hotels
4X points on airlines
3X points on restaurants and other travel
1X points on other purchases
Pros & Cons
Pros
Strong introductory offer
High-spend bonus categories
A trusted name for many
- First Wells Fargo card to offer transferable points
Cons
$95 annual fee
Limited partners cap the potential value
Long term use is still unclear
Overview
Wells Fargo has taken some decisive steps into the world of points and miles with its Autograph Journey Card. The new product is attempting to compete with other big-name travel cards — its solid introductory offer and the arrival of transfer partners make it an interesting consideration for anyone with their finger on the pulse of points and miles.
But should you take the leap with the bank’s first true travel credit card?
Read on to discover the good and the bad of the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card.
Who is the Autograph Journey card best for:
Thanks to its strong earning rates and newly added transfer partners, the Wells Fargo Autograph is perfect for newcomers to the world of points and miles who want the reassurance of a familiar name or travelers who want just one card that will reward them handsomely for their lifestyle.
Its valuable introductory bonus can be appealing to more experienced users who could find great use of the card’s transfer partners.
The Bottom Line:
The jury’s out on the long-term value of the card. But for those familiar and comfortable with Wells Fargo and looking to take their first steps into the world of points and miles can find this a welcome addition to their wallet.
Intro Bonus
One of the greatest draws of the Autograph Journey Card is its hefty welcome bonus offer. New cardholders will earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 within three months of opening the card. The spending threshold is in line with many other mid-tier card bonuses.
In the past, a Wells Fargo bonus of this size would be tied to a fixed value of $600. That was because Wells Fargo points could only be redeemed on Wells Fargo travel or for cashback at 1 cent a piece.
The Autograph Journey has changed all that with the addition of seven airline and hotel transfer partners. This valuable development means it’s possible to extract $1,000 or more of travel from that bonus. The new-found flexibility of Wells Fargo points should turn anyone’s head.
Pros & Cons
No card is perfect, and the Wells Fargo Card is no exception. Let’s take a look and the good and bad sides of the Autograph Journey card.
Pros
- Strong rewards-earning rates on dining and travel purchases. 5x points per dollar on all hote purchases is particularly impressive.
- Strong introductory bonus offer
-
First Wells Fargo Card to include transfer partners
- $50 airline statement credit
- Approachable annual fee
- Visa Signature perks
Cons
- Transfer partners are limited compared to other card issuers
Benefits & Perks
Cards with lower annual fees tend to be a little bare on the perks front. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey is no exception to that rule. With that said, it does come with a couple of solid add-ons to help balance out the $95 annual fee.
$50 airline statement credit
The simplest-to-use perk is the annual $50 airline statement credit. To trigger the credit, just use the card to make at least $50 in purchases with any airline. As this resets each year, it effectively lowers the card’s $95 annual fee by half.
Visa Signature Benefits
The Autograph Journey is part of the Visa Signature program which grants cardholders a few neat perks. Cardholder stays at any properties booked under the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Program will be complemented by food and beverage credits, space-available room upgrades, and complimentary breakfasts. The Visa Signature Concierge is also available for booking and reservation help.
Travel insurance
The Autograph Journey also offers a few helpful coverage perks including an auto rental collision damage waiver, cellphone protection, and roadside emergency assistance.
Earning rewards & redeeming points
The Autograph Journey’s earning rates are strong and designed to match (and beat) its direct competitors like the Chase Sapphire Preferred®, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or the Amex Green Card.
Earning rewards
5x points at hotels
The Autograph Journey puts travel firmly in its earning sights with a very strong 5x points per dollar on hotel purchases. While many cards restrict earning rates this high to purchases made on their own travel portal, Wells Fargo allows you to earn 5x points no matter which way you book. This is a great perk as it can often be more expensive to book via the travel portal compared to booking directly with the hotel.
It’s important to note that travel aggregator sites like Booking.com won’t trigger the 5x points per dollar. You’ll need to book directly.
This earning rate is higher than any other mid-tier travel card.
4x points on airlines
Another strong earning rate is the card’s 4x points per dollar on airline purchases. This operates similarly to the hotel option as you’ll get this elevated rate when booking directly with the airline. Still, earning 4x points on pretty much any airline transaction represents an excellent haul of points. Considering you’ll often be able to double up with the miles you’d earn from the airline when flying, it could put you in good stead.
This earning rate is higher than any other mid-tier travel card.
3x points on other travel and restaurants
Sweeping up the rest of your travel expenses is the 3x points per dollar rate on “other travel” and restaurants — which is a great rate for these popular spending categories. From what I can tell, the restaurant rate will work abroad too, which isn’t always a given with other cards.
The “other travel” category is broad and includes “retailers whose merchant category code is classified as: timeshare, or vehicle/auto rental, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, campgrounds.” While it’d be nice to include some of these purchases under the higher 5x/4x rates, scoring 3x points per dollar is a fair compromise if the price of a hotel or flight is cheaper elsewhere.
Cardholders earn 1x point per dollar on all other purchases.
Redeeming points
Reward redemptions are simultaneously the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey’s most promising and restricting attribute. Here are all the ways you can use your points.
Transfer to travel partners
The best way to use your Wells Fargo points is to transfer them to a valuable airline or hotel partner. This can help you score outsized value, often far above 2 cents per point. While Wells Fargo lags in terms of number of partners, the ones it does offer are bursting with value.
You can transfer to the following partners at a 1:1 ratio unless stated:
- Aer Lingus AeroClub
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Iberia Plus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club / Virgin Red
- Choice Privileges (1:2 transfer ratio)
Keep in mind, that the three Avios programs (British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia) can also move points into Finnair and Qatar Airways Avios accounts.
It’s also pertinent to remember that these are Wells Fargo’s first-ever transfer options. While it’s not guaranteed, it’s likely the bank will add more in time, helping to increase the points’ use. I don’t generally recommend holding onto points too long, but this may be one situation where it could pay dividends.
Still, its transfer partners are great and allow for many worthwhile redemptions. For example, you could:
- Transfer 53,000 points to Air France-KLM Flying to fly in business class from the US to Europe ($2,000+ in value)
- Transfer 30,000 points to Avianca and get four short-haul flights within the US on United Airlines ($750+ in value)
- Transfer 12,000 points to Virgin Atlantic for a round-trip flight between the US and London ($600+ in value)
- Transfer 40,000 points to British Airways for a round-trip flight from the mainland US to Hawaii on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines ($400+ in value)
Redeem at Wells Fargo Rewards
A simpler but less valuable way to redeem your points is via Wells Fargo’s rewards portal. Here you’ll be able to redeem points for gift cards, statement credits (i.e. cashback), travel on WF Travel, and even put them towards your mortgage or other Wells Fargo credit card bills.
Redemptions are set at 1 cent per point, so you’ll not get as much worth from your points. But what it lacks in value, it makes up in simplicity.
Is this card right for you?
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card is an approachable card backed by a familiar name. It’s a huge improvement on its previous cards, finally offering the chance to transfer points to partners, but it’s not quite as valuable as its competitors yet. Still, it could be a nice addition for your wallet, especially if you have your eye on one of its new partners.
- Best for: Newcomers taking their first steps into the world of points and miles
- Annual Fee: $95
- APR: N/A
- Reward Rate: 1X-5X
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey® Card
60,000 Bonus Points
Offer Details:
Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that’s $600 toward your next trip!
Why we like it
The jury is still on how useful the Autograph Journey Card will be, but the signs are looking positive. It’s Wells Fargo’s first card with trasferable points helping make that 60,000 point bonus and the strong earning rates all the more lucrative. As cards go, it might not be a showstopper, but it’s a strong introduction to points and miles or an opportunity for a welcome points injection.
Reward details
5X points on hotels
4X points on airlines
3X points on restaurants and other travel
1X points on other purchases
Pros & Cons
Pros
Strong introductory offer
High-spend bonus categories
A trusted name for many
- First Wells Fargo card to offer transferable points
Cons
$95 annual fee
Limited partners cap the potential value
Long term use is still unclear
by your friends at The Daily Navigator
