How the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card Stacks Up vs. Competitors
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Travel rewards credit cards pile on some sweet perks, but in many cases you’ll have to pay a hefty annual fee. That’s not the case with the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card, which offers a sign-up bonus and a high rewards rate in popular spending categories, all for a $0 annual fee.
Here’s what you’d get with this card.
Welcome offer and ongoing rewards
New cardholders will receive an enticing sign-up bonus: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
You’ll earn 3 points per $1 spent in these categories:
Restaurants.
Travel.
Gas, transit, and electric vehicle charging.
Popular streaming services.
Select phone plans.
All other purchases earn 1 point per $1. You can redeem points for travel, gift cards, statement credits or when checking out online with PayPal.
Wells Fargo is also adding several airline and hotel transfer partners later in April 2024, offering another option for redeeming rewards.
Other benefits:
Cell phone protection against damage or theft. Get up to $600 when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card. Note that there’s a $25 deductible.
Rental car coverage.
Travel and emergency services, including roadside dispatch.
Access to My Wells Fargo Deals, which offer discounts in the form of statement credits at participating merchants.
Autograph Card Exclusives: Get access to special concert/entertainment events.
The card has no foreign transaction fee, making it a good option for overseas travel. You can also get a reprieve from interest payments. Pay 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months from account opening, and then the ongoing APR of 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR.
Here’s how the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card compares to other no-annual-fee travel rewards cards.
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
Earn 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases.
Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel booked through the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Center.
Redeem points in the form of a statement credit to pay for travel expenses or dining (including takeout).
Other benefits:
Bank of America Preferred Rewards® members earn 25% to 75% more points on each purchase.
Welcome bonus: 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
APR: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 18.49%-28.49% will apply.
Foreign transaction fee: None.
How it compares to the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card: The flat rewards rate for most purchases makes the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card a bit easier to manage, plus you’ll earn 50% more points on those “everything else” purchases that only earn 1 point per dollar with the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card. And the ability to redeem rewards for dining is a nice touch, since that can help you offset the cost of all those meals you buy during travel. (Preferred Rewards members, of course, get an even better deal.) But if you’re willing to manage a card with bonus rewards categories, the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card comes out on top in terms of overall value, given its higher rates in so many popular spending categories.
Discover it® Miles
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
Earn 1.5 miles per $1 spent on all purchases.
You can redeem miles in the following ways: for cash back in the form of a statement credit or direct deposit to your bank account, or for a statement credit to cover an eligible travel purchase. You can also pay with miles at select merchants such as Amazon and PayPal.
Welcome bonus: UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. You could turn 35,000 Miles to 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match.
APR: 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 18.49%-27.49% Variable APR.
Foreign transaction fee: None.
How it compares to the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card: The Discover it® Miles is the simplest card of the bunch. You don’t even need to reach a spending minimum to get a sign-up bonus — whatever you spend in the first year will be doubled. And the ability to redeem miles for a statement credit or direct deposit makes this a hybrid travel/cash-back card. But, again, it doesn’t top the ability to earn 3 points per $1 on certain spending. Also note that Discover cards aren’t as widely accepted internationally compared with cards on the Visa and Mastercard networks.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card - Miles Boost
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
Earn 1.25 miles per $1 spent on all purchases.
Earn 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Redeem miles for a statement credit as reimbursement for eligible travel purchases. Use miles to pay for travel booked through Capital One Travel, or redeem on Amazon or when using PayPal at checkout.
You can also transfer your miles to travel partners’ loyalty programs.
Other benefits:
Rental car coverage.
Travel accident insurance.
Extended warranty for eligible purchases.
Welcome bonus: Earn a bonus of 40,000 miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $400 in travel.
APR: The ongoing APR is 19.49%-29.49% Variable APR.
Foreign transaction fee: None.
How it compares to the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card: If you use the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card - Miles Boost to book travel through Capital One’s travel portal, you can earn an impressive rewards rate for a $0-annual-fee card. Plus you can transfer points to travel partners, a feature this card shares with its more premium counterparts, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. But you won’t earn as many rewards when you dine out or fill up your tank.
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