Wells Fargo is revamping their entire credit card lineup. Its newest offering is the Wells Fargo Autograph Card, the ultimate travel and cash back combo.

So let’s break down all the features to help you decide if the wells Fargo autograph card is worth adding to your wallet.

All right, let’s jump right into it.

So wells Fargo recently discontinued three of its credit cards.

They released the wells Fargo active cash card, and now they have launched the new wells Fargo autograph card.

This product is unique in that you’ll earn points, and even the signup bonus is given to you in the form of points.

But this is still a cash back credit card, and a perfect cash back credit card at that.

So throughout the article, we’re going to operate under the assumption that you can get one cent per point, which is the industry standard.

So please keep that in the back of your head as we discuss some of these features.

CORE FEATURES 

Out of the gate, the wells Fargo autograph card will give you a 30,000-point bonus when you spend $1500 in the first three months.

So at one cent per point, you’re looking at three hundred dollars in cash.

You get three points per dollar on several popular spending categories, including restaurants, travel, gas transit, popular streaming services, and even your phone plan.

If we dig through the fine print, we can see what does and does not qualify for each category.

For example, it includes airlines, hotels, timeshares, vehicle rentals, and cruises. 

Well, transit would include metros, taxis, ride-sharing services, and that sort of stuff.

You’ll want to look at the fine print here to determine what exactly does and does not qualify for your spending.

But most spending categories are covered, and you’re still going to earn one point per dollar on other purchases.

Now, as I said, I still view this as a cash back credit card, and the reason I say that is that this isn’t going to work like products from American Express Cobalt Card or chase.

You can transfer your points to several transfer partners to maximize the point value.

Yes, you earn points and can redeem those points for travel through wells Fargo in unique ways. 

But if you’re looking to maximize the value, you’re getting from your points by spending money. 

You would be better off going with a product from American Express or chase that allows you to transfer those points that being said points.

That you earn from wells Fargo can be redeemed at a base value of again one cent per point, which is the same as chase and American Express.

So if you decide to redeem these for travel through wells Fargo, you can put them.

• Flights
• Car rentals
• Hotels 
• Activities 
• Custom-made trips 

That you can create yourself.

This is a pretty cool feature I have yet to see from their competitors.

Additionally, there is no foreign transaction fee, so redeeming points for travel is not the best option with this card.

It would make a fantastic card while traveling since you’re earning 3% on many spending categories.

Suppose you’re going to be traveling internationally and don’t want to carry around 12 different credit cards with you. 

In that case, this is a great all-around solution that gives you decent point multipliers in most places where you’re spending money.

Cash Advances

For cash advances, you also have to pay a fee of either $10 or 5% of each cash advance.

Whichever is more excellent, then, of course, your cash advance apr will be 28.24%.

This is something that I avoid doing with this card or any credit card at all.

Late Payment Fee

There is also a late payment fee of $40.
But this is avoidable if you pay off your card on time every month.

Pros and Cons

I’m going over the biggest pros and cons of the Wells Fargo Autograph Card. Starting for the pros

Pros

• You can’t go wrong with the 30,000-point spin bonus for making at least $1500 purchases within the first three months.

• Other than that, earning 3x points in many categories is another considerable advantage. Because with many other credit cards on the market, you may only get three x points and perhaps one or two different categories.

• With this one, you can earn 3x points in six different categories, and the only main category you won’t be receiving the 3x points on is the grocery category. So, in that case, consider using another credit card to buy your groceries, at least if you’re looking to max out your points.

• Finally, the last pro of this card is that there is no annual fee which I’m a big fan of.

Cons

Okay, those are the most significant advantages of this card regarding the biggest cons. In my mind, there aren’t too many.

• You have to have at least a good to excellent credit score could be a con. If I wanted to be super picky here, it doesn’t have any luxurious perks, such as free hotel nights.

• But you have to remember that this card has no annual fee. You’re paying less than $95 a year like with other cards with luxurious perks or even more.

With that in mind, you’re getting some pretty good benefits because it doesn’t have an annual fee.

Wells Fargo Autograph Card vs. other cards

How to Redeem Points?

Now outside of redeeming your points for travel.

Unfortunately, there needs to be a way to take your points at one cent for points and put that right into your bank account.

However, you can redeem them for gift cards in 25 increments and use them as a statement credit.

Which is just as good as taking Cash back into your bank account.

You can even use your rewards to cover purchases through specific merchants, including PayPal, which is the equivalent of Cash.

Yes, I would instead take that Cash directly into my bank but covering future purchases with the Cash back that I previously earned is still just fine.

And remember that because you’re earning three points per dollar on so many spending categories, when you redeem at one cent per point, that’s the equivalent of three percent cash back.

And beats out many of the most popular rolling category cards depending on how much money you’re spending, so don’t worry. 

We’re going to do the entire math later in this article.

But beyond the point multipliers and redemption options, you’ll have up to $600 auto rental collision damage insurance and cell phone protection.

You’ll be able to waive the Insurance from the rental company, which will save you much money.

And while this is secondary coverage here in the United States, it does appear to be primary coverage internationally, with only a few countries that are exceptions.

And you have more standard benefits like 

• Travel emergency service assistance
• Roadside dispatch
• Zero liability protection 

And that sort of stuff.

Again, this card is a direct replacement for the Discontinued propel card.

However, that product was an American Express card, and this is a visa card.

Meaning it comes with all of the benefits of visa signature, including their 24×7 concierge service and access to the visa signature luxury hotel collection.

Alternative Credit Cards

So a cash-back credit card that earns in the form of points is confusing.

But it’s challenging to argue with three percent equivalent cash back on so many spending categories.

So how does this stack up against something like the city custom cash card or discover credit cards that offer five percent back on rolling categories?

Well, as I mentioned earlier, it’s a simple math problem that depends on how much money you spend.

If you have the Discover It Credit Card and you’re looking at 5% cash-back on those specific rolling categories.

That changes each quarter up to fifteen Hundred dollars in spending each quarter.

But then, you’re earning just 1% cash back beyond that spending limit.

The City Custom Cash Card is slightly different and offers you five percent cash back on your highest eligible spending category each month on up to $500 in spending per month. 

Again, you’re looking at just one percent cash back beyond that threshold.

I mention all this because if you spend well below the thresholds of those products I just said, you would be better off earning five percent cash-back.

But if you have pretty average spending habits and spends more than five hundred dollars per month across these common spending categories.

Then you’ll want to carefully consider which card will give you the most significant benefit.

Each situation will look a little bit different depending on what rolling category is offered and where you spend the most money.

But the tipping point I have found for most combinations and situations is around one thousand dollars per month in spending.

I say that because, with the City Custom Cash Card, you would earn 5% on the first $500 of spending in your highest category.

And then one percent after that, which is thirty dollars in cash back.

But with the Wells Fargo Autograph card, you would earn Three percent on the entire one thousand dollars.

Assuming it’s in one of the spending categories, the same thirty dollars in total cash-back for the month.

So as a general rule of thumb, if you spend more than $1000 per month combined across those significant categories.

Like restaurants, gas stations, and travel, you will likely come out ahead with the wells Fargo autograph card over those rolling category products.

But the other thing you’ll want to consider is that many people, me included, prefer a simple flat cash-back structure.

Juggling multiple credit cards with varying spending multipliers and redemption options can be confusing and overwhelming.

Especially when it comes to simple cash-back credit cards, it’s just three percent on most of your spending and one percent on everything else.

To be thorough, they currently offer a zero percent intro APR for the first 12 months.

However, as you probably noticed, I rarely discuss interest rates or balance transfers in my reviews.

Because if you’re using a credit card properly, the interest rate and fees should be irrelevant.

Should You Get This Card?

So what are the most significant differentiators with this product, and is it something worth adding to your wallet?

Well, the biggest one for me is that flat three percent cash back on a wide array of spending categories.

And while it is a bummer that you’re not directly able to take that cash back into your bank account.

It is still three percent equivalent and considering it has no annual fee, that’s a decent offer.

And on top of that, the 30,000 point bonus is worth 300 in cash and one of the highest intro offers for a free credit Card on the market, at least I’m aware of.

But if you’re looking to simplify your credit card setup and want to avoid using the right card or activating categories.

Then the Wells Fargo autograph card would be a great addition to your wallet and one I will keep my eye on going forward.

FAQ

Last Word

I’d love to know what you think of the wells Fargo autograph card in the comment section below.

And what other products you’re excited to see from Wells Fargo as they continuously revamp their entire credit card lineup?