The Wells Fargo Autograph JourneySM Card launched in March 2024 with "frequent travelers" in mind.
It features rewards bonuses for spending categories such as airlines, hotels, dining and general travel.
And with a $95 annual fee, it is priced to compete with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Both of those cards make our list of best travel credit cards. Will this card join them?
Wells Fargo Autograph JourneySM Card: 6 Things To Know
Let’s take a look at some key things you need to know about Wells Fargo’s latest card offering to help you decide if it’s worth adding to your wallet.
1. The Rewards Program Is Structured To Benefit Travelers
As mentioned earlier, Wells Fargo is trying to target frequent travelers with this credit card. So, it makes sense that the rewards multipliers are tilted heavily in favor of spending categories that are associated with being on the move.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the rewards multipliers:
There are no spending caps on any of the categories, so your chances to earn points are unlimited.
2. This Is Different Than The Existing Wells Fargo Autograph Card
If the name “Wells Fargo Autograph Journey” sounds familiar to you, it probably is because Wells Fargo already has a credit card that is branded with the Autograph name.
The Wells Fargo AutographSM Card is a no-annual-fee credit card that offers cardholders 3x points on popular spending categories, including travel. It's a good card in its own right. Team Clark has it rated as one of the best options for no foreign transaction fees.
The Autograph Journey card also has no foreign transaction fees, which is a must for people who travel internationally.
To help differentiate the two cards, you’ll notice that the branding and color scheme for the new Autograph Journey card is slightly different:
3. The Card Features a Solid Welcome Bonus, But The Spending Requirement Could Get You
Wells Fargo says that Autograph Journey cardholders will be eligible for a welcome bonus worth 60,000 points.
To earn these points, you’ll have to spend at least $4,000 with the card in the first 3 months of card membership. That’s not unreasonable compared to some other travel credit cards, but it’s still an average of more than $1,300 per month.
If you have a large purchase to make for an upcoming trip, you may be able to clear a good portion of the welcome bonus while also earning top multipliers on your airline and hotel bookings.
4. You Can Earn More than Half Your Annual Fee Back Each Year With This Perk
Wells Fargo is offering a $50 annual statement credit for airfare purchases. Simply use the card to make an airfare purchase to qualify.
If you travel enough to consider getting a travel card, there’s a very good chance that you’ll make at least one airline purchase per year that will earn you this statement credit.
Doing so will effectively cut the annual fee to $45.
5. Wells Fargo Allows Points Transfer with This Card
In conjunction with its announcement of this new card, Wells Fargo also unveiled that it will be launching a new online rewards redemption option for its points-based credit cards.
The program, titled Points Transfer, will allow cardholders to transfer their Wells Fargo Rewards points as miles, points, or credits to participating partner loyalty programs.
The Points Transfer program is set to go live on April 4, 2024.
According to the announcement, the partner rewards programs included at launch will be:
- Choice Privileges®
- Air France – KLM Flying Blue
- avianca lifemiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- AerClub
- Iberia Plus
That list is missing some key brands and is a little underwhelming when compared to the travel portal points transfer options offered by competing card issuers like American Express, Chase and Capital One.
But Wells Fargo says that “more partners will continue to be added throughout the year.”
6. The Travel Cancellation Protection Perk Could Be Useful
Points multipliers and statement credits for travel-related purchases are a great start to a travel credit card, but Wells Fargo is also working travel protection into the equation:
"Travel protection benefits, including trip cancellation, which allows you to get reimbursed up to $15,000 for lodging, flights, and activities if the trip is canceled for a covered reason."
You simply need to book your travel by paying with the credit card to be eligible for the coverage. Of course, a key element to travel cards that offer this type of protection is carefully reading the fine print on which purchases are covered and what a qualifying event could be for your trip.
Do the perks for this new credit card interest you? Would you do business with Wells Fargo in order to receive them? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the Clark.com community.
The post 6 Things To Know About the New Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Credit Card appeared first on Clark Howard.