Is the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card worth it?
Is the Wells Fargo Active Cash worth it?

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. Pros Unlimited cash rewards

$200 cash rewards welcome bonus

No annual fee

Introductory APR period for first 15 months

Access to Visa Signature® Concierge

Get up to $600 cell phone protection (subject to a $25 deductible) Cons 3% fee charged on foreign transactions Learn More View More

The Wells Fargo Active Cash is a flat-rate cash-rewards credit card with a $0 annual fee. It offers unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases — a simple rewards system that allows you to earn bonus cash rewards on most of your credit card spending. The card's welcome bonus also comes with spending requirements that should be easy to meet. Currently, you can get $200 in cash rewards when you spend $500 on purchases in your first three months with the card. Additionally, the Wells Fargo Active Cash offers 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. After that, a variable APR of 20.24%, 25.24% or 29.99% kicks in. Note, only balance transfers you make within 120 days qualify for the intro rate. As you can see, the Wells Fargo Active Cash requires little effort on your part while providing consistent value. For that reason, it can be worth considering in the following situations: You want a simple rewards credit card. Some cardholders are great at keeping track of rotating cash-back categories and decoding the best travel card's redemptions. But it's not for everyone — and there's nothing wrong with that. If you want a simple but rewarding cash-back system, the Wells Fargo Active Cash can give you just that.

Some cardholders are great at keeping track of rotating cash-back categories and decoding the best travel card's redemptions. But it's not for everyone — and there's nothing wrong with that. If you want a simple but rewarding cash-back system, the Wells Fargo Active Cash can give you just that. You want to earn bonus rewards on all your spending. On the other hand, this card can play a crucial role in a more complicated credit card strategy. If you already have credit cards that earn high rates in certain categories, for example, the Wells Fargo Active Cash can help ensure that you earn more than 1 cent per dollar on spending outside those categories.

On the other hand, this card can play a crucial role in a more complicated credit card strategy. If you already have credit cards that earn high rates in certain categories, for example, the Wells Fargo Active Cash can help ensure that you earn more than 1 cent per dollar on spending outside those categories. You don't want to pay an annual fee. Many of the best rewards credit cards charge annual fees. If you'd rather avoid those, the Wells Fargo Active Cash can be a good choice.

Many of the best rewards credit cards charge annual fees. If you'd rather avoid those, the Wells Fargo Active Cash can be a good choice. You want a 0% APR card that offers ongoing value. You can find cards with longer intro 0% APR periods, but they're less likely to earn rewards. Of course, no card is perfect for every scenario. For example, if you want to focus on travel rewards, you might spread your spending too thin if you add a cash-back card into the mix. The Wells Fargo Active Cash also might not be worth it if you're looking for a card with premium benefits. You're more likely to find those on annual-fee cards.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash benefits

While this card is light on benefits, it still provides a few helpful perks. Namely, you'll get: Cell phone protection : The card makes you eligible for up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. A $25 deductible applies.

The card makes you eligible for up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. A $25 deductible applies. Credit Close-Up ℠ : You can get monthly FICO score updates along with personalized credit insights to help you keep your credit healthy.

You can get monthly FICO score updates along with personalized credit insights to help you keep your credit healthy. 24/7 Visa Signature Concierge : This complimentary personal assistance service provides information and referrals on dining, travel, entertainment and more.

: This complimentary personal assistance service provides information and referrals on dining, travel, entertainment and more. Luxury Hotel Collection: Another Visa Signature benefit, Luxury Hotel Collection allows you to book hotel stays and receive premium perks.

Alternatives to the Wells Fargo Active Cash

The Wells Fargo Active Cash has a lot going on for it, but it's always wise to consider your options. For example, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® has a intro offer where you carn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back. And if you have or are interested in other cards in the Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, you can combine the rewards you earn, easily maximizing the value of your cards.

Chase Freedom Unlimited® Learn More On Chase's secure site Rewards Enjoy 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; and 3% cash back on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Welcome bonus INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Annual fee $0

Intro APR 0% for the first 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers

Regular APR 20.49% - 29.24% variable

Balance transfer fee Intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Foreign transaction fee 3%

Credit needed Excellent/Good

Member FDIC. Terms apply. Read our Chase Freedom Unlimited® review.

If you want a card with double rewards but are more interested in travel cards, look into the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees). It earns 5X miles on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and unlimited 2X miles on other purchases. It also makes you eligible for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit up to $100 every four years. The Capital One Venture does charge a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees), which is on the lower end for travel credit cards.

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.

Subscribe to the CNBC Select Newsletter! Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.

Bottom line

The Wells Fargo Active Cash can be an excellent choice if you want to make sure you warn bonus rewards on all of your purchases — whether it will be your only card or not. Still, consider other options as well. While the Wells Fargo Active Cash is hard to beat when it comes to simplicity, you may find it lacking if you want travel rewards or extra benefits.

Why trust CNBC Select?

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.