Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card Review

If you’re in the market for a credit card that offers rewards in everyday spending categories, the $0 annual fee Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card should be on your radar. Along with elevated points on travel, dining, gas and more, the card comes with a valuable sign-up bonus and an intro APR on purchases.

We highlight the pros and cons of the Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card — and show how it compares to the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — to help you determine if it’s the right card for you.

• Valuable sign-up bonus with a low spend requirement

  The Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card comes with a valuable sign-up bonus that’s relatively easy to earn. Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.

• Rewards in popular spending categories

  Cardholders earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases.

  Rewards can be redeemed for travel, gift cards, statement credits or merchandise.

• Intro APR on purchases

  If you need to finance a large purchase, such as a vacation, you can do so without incurring interest charges for a year with the Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card. The card offers a 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. After that, a 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% Variable APR applies.

• No annual fee

  The Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card charges a $0 annual fee.

• Cellphone protection

  Receive up to $600 of cellphone protection (subject to a $25 deductible) when you use your Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card to pay your monthly cellphone bill.

• No intro APR on balance transfers

  Because the Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card does not offer an intro APR on balance transfers, you will be subject to interest charges at a 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% Variable APR if you transfer a balance to the card.

  If you have high-interest credit card debt that you want to transfer, you may want to consider a card that offers an interest-free period on balance transfers for a year or longer, like the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card.

• No travel transfer partners

  While some travel credit cards allow cardholders to transfer rewards to airline and hotel loyalty programs, the Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card does not.

• Potentially high APR

  The Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card has an ongoing 19.74%, 24.74%, or 29.74% Variable APR. So unless you qualify for the lower rate, you could be subject to a high APR.

• Balance transfer fee

  If you transfer a balance to your Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card, you will be charged a balance transfer fee of 3% for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5 of the amount of each transaction.

  There are a handful of cards available with no balance transfer fees. However, those cards typically don’t offer interest-free periods of more than a year. They’re also often issued by credit unions that require membership to apply.

Compare it to the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

 

If you prefer a travel rewards card with an even more valuable sign-up bonus and the opportunity to transfer rewards to travel transfer partners, you may want to consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Cardholders 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. Cardholders also earn 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Along with redeeming miles for travel, checks, account credit or gift cards, the card lets you transfer miles to a number of travel transfer partners, including Air Canada, British Airways, Choice Hotels, Emirates and more, at a rate of 1:1.

Additional Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card benefits include a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, auto rental collision damage waiver, travel accident insurance and extended warranty protection. As for foreign transaction fees, there are none.

Keep in mind, though, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card does not offer an intro APR on purchases. So if you carry a balance month over month, you will be subject to interest charges at an APR of 19.99% - 29.74% (Variable).

Also, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee. However, the value you can get from the card’s sign-up bonus alone more than covers that amount during the first year of card membership.

If you want to earn a generous rewards rate on everyday purchases, such as dining, gas, streaming services and phone plans, the $0 annual fee Wells Fargo Autograph^℠ Card could be a great option.

But if you want access to a much more valuable sign-up bonus and more robust travel benefits, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card may be a better fit. Just keep in mind, to earn the bonus, you have to spend significantly more during the first three months of card membership.

Additionally, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges an annual fee and does not offer an intro APR on purchases. Therefore, you’ll want to earn more than enough rewards to cover the annual fee each year. You should also be prepared to pay your balance in full each month to avoid incurring interest charges.