Wells Fargo Autograph Card: Worth It?
So, let’s talk about the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card, which made its grand entrance in March 2024. At first glance, this card comes armed with a sensible annual fee, eye-catching bonus categories, and even the allure of transferable points. Not bad, right?
It’s arguably the underdog of credit cards, not usually in the spotlight, yet glowing in the area of rewards. As the credit card landscape shifts, more voices are suggesting that this card is a must-have for everyone.
In this write-up, I’ll dive deeper into this intriguing card. Yes, it’s impressive and should definitely be on your radar. But let’s also explore why I’m slightly puzzled about fitting this into my personal credit card game plan.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card basics
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa Card is quite an unexpected gem, standing its ground alongside heavyweights like the American Express® Gold Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, and Citi Strata Premier℠ Card. Let’s break down the essentials and then move on to my personal thoughts.
Welcome bonus of 60K points
First up, this card offers a welcome gift of 60,000 points if you splurge a modest $4,000 within three months. It’s a decent offer, but nothing that’ll knock your socks off.
$95 annual fee (before $50 credit)
The card demands a $95 annual fee from the get-go—no freebies in year one here. This fee is on par with other mid-tier cards. Yet, it throws in a $50 credit each year if you spend that amount on airlines. Do the math, and it turns out you’re essentially budgeting $45 annually for this card—a pretty sweet deal.
Valuable 3-5x points bonus categories
The rewards? Outstanding—truly. Here’s the breakdown:
- 5x points on hotels
- 4x points on airlines
- 3x points on travel and dining
- 1x points on everything else
Plus, you’re off the hook for foreign transaction fees, so spending internationally is no problem.
Points redemption options
Wells Fargo crafted its very own transferable points currency. At the moment, you can shift your points to these travel loyalty programs:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Avianca Lifemiles
- Choice Privileges
- British Airways Club
- Iberia Club
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Or, if you prefer, redeem points for travel purchases through their portal at a rate of one cent each.
Is the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey worth it?
Pundits claim it’s high time we forget almost every other card on the market and direct attention to this Wells Fargo number. A $45 annual fee for earning scores of 3x on travel and dining, 4x on airlines, and 5x on hotels? That’s a rewards structure to reckon with… or is it?
Here’s the rub: I see two potholes—point value and the general exhaustion of card juggling.
Wells Fargo points are rather limiting
Kudos to Wells Fargo for cobbling together a transferable point currency, but those transfer partners? A bit restricting. They buddy up with programs like Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Avianca Lifemiles, which are frequent faces in the realm of transferable points. Yet, they don’t offer transfer bonuses like others do.
Programs paired with Wells Fargo regularly get premium transfer bonuses elsewhere. It somewhat feels like sporting events where your team is outplayed at home. I generally value other points 25-40% higher than Wells Fargo’s, given the absence of bonuses and fewer partners.
To put a number on it, I might peg other currencies at 1.7 cents each, whereas Wells Fargo sits around 1.3 cents. This is more of a gut feeling, but it feels about right.
Credit card fatigue also factors into this
The whole business of managing cards feels more and more like work these days. If Wells Fargo’s points don’t check every box, does adding another card really make life easier?
Here’s how other cards fit in my life:
- Airfare? Better rewards from The Platinum Card® from American Express.
- Hotels? Chase Sapphire Reserve® now gives 4x points on direct bookings, which is rather tempting.
- Dining? The American Express® Gold Card is standing out.
- Everyday loose change? Wells Fargo only yields 1x points. Not great.
- If anything, the appeal lies in the 3x points for travel beyond hotels and airlines.
Boiling it down, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey should be a go-to player with its broad rewards layout. But the narrow path for redemption stumps me—how does it fit into my strategy?
Maybe if I dust-binned 90% of my cards, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey could shine. But, I’m hanging tight—still compelled to earn points with a robust gang of partners.
Bottom line
There’s undeniable allure with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey: a reasonable fee, plus 5x points on hotels, 4x on airlines, and 3x on travel and dining. It’s rich in rewards, yet bookings with limited airlines dilute its edge as there’s no sight of transfer bonuses.
It might be perfect for some, but for me, it’s a puzzle piece that just won’t fit.
By the way, have you seen the Val Seny ski resort? Just a thought!
Your thoughts on the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card?