Wells Fargo announces a new travel rewards card, the Autograph Journey — get 60,000 transferrable points and much more
Wells Fargo is making a splash in the credit card space with its brand-new travel rewards card and a revamped rewards program. The new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card features an exceptional return on travel spending and the ability to transfer points to a handful of travel partners. Here's what we know about this new rewards credit card, its benefits and how it stacks up against the competition.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card Learn More On Well's Fargo's secure site Rewards Earn 5X points on hotels; 4X points on airlines; 3X points on other travel; 3X points on dining. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases

Welcome bonus Earn 60,000 bonus rewards points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first three months.

Annual fee $95

Intro APR None

Regular APR 21.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99% variable based on your creditworthiness

Balance transfer fee Introductory fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, for 120 days from account opening. After that, up to 5% for each balance transfer, with a minimum of $5.

Foreign transaction fee None Terms apply Pros Excellent rewards rate for hotel, airfare and travel

Strong welcome bonus

Access to transfer partners Cons Fewer transfer partners than comparable programs

Doesn't have several key travel protections (trip delay, primary rental car coverage in the U.S.) Learn More View More

What we know about the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card Learn More On Well's Fargo's secure site Rewards Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases

Welcome 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.

Annual fee $0 annual fee

Intro APR 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases

Regular APR 20.24%, 25.24% or 29.99% variable APR

Balance transfer fee Up to 5%, min: $5

Foreign transaction fee None

Credit needed Excellent/Good See rates and fees, terms apply.

Right now, Wells Fargo has a smaller list of transfer partners, but more partners are expected to be added. The conversion ratio is 1:1 for all of the programs except for Choice Hotels, which is 1:2. Transfers to these programs go live on April 4, 2024: Aer Lingus AerClub

Air France/KLM Flying Blue (partners with Delta)

Avianca LifeMiles (partners with United)

British Airways Executive Club (partners with American Airlines and Alaska Airlines)

Iberia Plus (partners with American Airlines and Alaska Airlines)

Choice Privileges Wells Fargo told CNBC Select that with the addition of transfer partners, any Wells Fargo-branded consumer cardholders will be able to convert those rewards into transferrable points, if you have a Wells Fargo card that enables rewards transfers. This means you could earn 2% in cash rewards on purchases with the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card and combine the cash rewards with a no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card, then transfer those points to partners (once transfers are live).

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card Learn More On Wells Fargo's secure site Rewards Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

Welcome bonus Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

Annual fee $0

Intro APR 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate

Regular APR 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers

Balance transfer fee 3% intro for 120 days from account opening then BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5

Foreign transaction fee 3%

Credit needed Excellent/Good See rates and fees, terms apply.

Is the Autograph Journey right for you?

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Learn More On Chase's secure site Rewards Enjoy beneﬁts such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Welcome bonus Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Annual fee $95

Intro APR None

Regular APR 21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers

Balance transfer fee Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee None

Credit needed Excellent/Good

Terms apply. Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review.

The Capital One Venture Rewards card, as mentioned earlier, is another travel card that charges a $95 annual fee (same as the Autograph Journey)(see rates and fees). It earns fewer rewards than the Autograph Journey in some categories, but Capital One has a robust list of transfer partners (18 in total), including four of the same programs Wells Fargo partners with. The Venture Rewards can make your time at the airport a little more pleasant if you use its statement credit of up to $100 for a TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry application, valid every four years.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Learn More Rewards 5 Miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 2X miles per dollar on every other purchase

Welcome bonus Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening

Annual fee $95

Intro APR N/A for purchases and balance transfers

Regular APR 19.99% - 29.99% variable

Balance transfer fee $0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you

Foreign transaction fee None

Credit needed Excellent/Good See rates and fees, terms apply.

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Bottom line

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Journey Visa® Card is coming out of the gate strong and poised to compete with the top travel cards from other issuers. It has a reasonable annual fee, travel protections, a strong welcome bonus and an amazing return for all sorts of travel spending.

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