Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card Review 2024

For a no-annual-fee card, the benefits of the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card are worthy of celebrity status. There’s a generous welcome bonus of 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. The card also earns high rewards in several categories at 3 points per dollar at restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

Here’s what qualifies for each of the elevated rewards categories:

• Dining: Eating places and restaurants, drinking places, fast food restaurants and caterers
• Travel: Airline, hotel/motel, timeshare, or vehicle/auto rental, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites and campgrounds
• Transit: Passenger railway, taxis, limousines, ferries, toll bridges and highways, parking lots and garages
• Gas: Gas station purchases include automated fuel dispensers and electric vehicle charging stations
• Select streaming services: Cable and other pay television, digital goods, books, movie, music and continuity/subscription services
• Phone plans: Landline and cellphone providers under telecommunication services.

For a no-annual-fee card, the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is filled with extra benefits. The card includes $600 in cellphone protection subject to a $25 deductible when you pay your cell phone bill with the card. And as a Visa Signature card, it also comes with a wide range of travel protections and insurances ranging from auto rental collision coverage to roadside assistance dispatch to travel and emergency assistance and referral services.

The Autograph card also comes with a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening. A variable APR of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% applies for purchases after the intro period ends and for balance transfers. The card has a balance transfer fee of up to 5%, minimum $5. This medium-length introductory APR period won’t compete with the best 0% APR cards on the market, but it’s a nice perk.

• $0 annual fee
• Welcome offer of 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
• Earn 3 points per dollar at restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar on other purchases
• 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening. A variable APR of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% applies for purchases after the intro period ends and for balance transfers. The card has a balance transfer fee of up to 5%, minimum $5
• $600 in cellphone protection ($25 deductible) when paying your phone bill with the card
• Visa Signature benefits include secondary auto rental insurance coverage, roadside dispatch, travel and emergency assistance and Visa Signature Luxury Hotel collection benefits.

As a card that earns solid rewards in common daily spend categories, the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card ranks as one of the best credit cards for various uses across our site.

• Best Wells Fargo Credit Cards
• Best Credit Cards for Streaming Services
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• Best No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards
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• Best Gas Credit Cards
• Best-Looking Credit Cards

Earning Rewards

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card earns 3 points per dollar at restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar on other purchases. It also includes a welcome bonus of 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.

Redeeming Rewards

Rewards earned with the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card may be redeemed through Wells Fargo Rewards for travel, gift cards, as a statement credit or at select online stores. You can also redeem your earnings as a credit toward an eligible Wells Fargo loan (like a mortgage or personal loan).

Rewards Potential

To determine the rewards potential of the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card we consider what an average household might spend on a credit card each year. Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. Our estimated 70th percentile household brings in $116,000 annually and we base spending on that number.

Forbes Advisor estimates that the household has $36,177 in expenses that can be reasonably charged to a credit card. Of this, we estimate $3,856 is spent on restaurants and dining, $6,044 is spent on travel, $2,479 on transit and gas, $732 on streaming, $1,583 on phone plans and $21,483 on all other credit card purchases. With $14,694 in annual spending in the 3-points-per-dollar spending categories, this sample household could expect to earn 44,082 points. Add to this an additional 21,483 points earned at 1 point per dollar and the family earns 65,565 total points per year.

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening. A variable APR of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% applies for purchases after the intro period ends and for balance transfers. The card has a balance transfer fee of up to 5%, minimum $5.

• Cellphone protection: Damage and theft insurance for cellphones up to $600 with a $25 deductible, when the bill is paid with the card.
• Visa Signature benefits: As a Visa Signature card, the card comes with travel and shopping benefits including secondary auto rental collision damage waiver coverage, access to roadside dispatch, travel and emergency services and special benefits at the Visa Luxury Hotel collection

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR
• Purchase intro APR offer: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening
• Balance transfer intro APR offer: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $0
• Balance transfer fees: up to 5%, min: $5
• Foreign transaction fees: None

In order to maximize your rewards-earning on this card, take advantage of the categories that earn 3 points per dollar for your everyday purchases. An easy way to do this is to make your Wells Fargo Autograph your default payment method for the expenses that you do not pay for in person, especially those that fall within the card’s bonus categories.

For example, you’ll likely want to make this card your default payment method for monthly expenses like your phone plan and streaming services. Combine this with setting the card as your default payment for rideshare, public transit and food delivery apps, and you are setting yourself up for the points to pile up even faster.

Unlike other credit card rewards programs, Wells Fargo Rewards is a fixed-point currency. This means that no matter what you redeem your points for, they are generally worth 1 cent per point. In the context of the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card, this means that your points all possess the same value whether you redeem them for travel, gift cards, as statement credits or to pay for online shopping.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®

As far as no-annual-fee flat-rate earning cards go, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® is an excellent everyday use card with fantastic rewards. The card earns 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on eligible dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases, plus an additional 1.5% cash back on the first $20,000 in purchases the first year. The Autograph wins when it comes to rewards with its wider array of bonus earning categories, but the Freedom Unlimited earns a higher rate on all your non-bonused spending.

The Freedom Unlimited offers a longer, more versatile introductory APR: 0% introductory APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 20.49% - 29.24% applies. An intro transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies in the first 60 days of account opening. After that, a fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer applies. And, if combined with a premium Chase card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, rewards can be redeemed for eligible travel or Pay Yourself Back at a greater value.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card’s rewards are appealing for a flat-rate rewards card. With the Active Cash you’ll earn 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Also a Visa Signature card, the Active Cash comes with cellphone insurance and benefits with the Visa Signature Hotel Collection, but does not have the extensive list of travel perks offered with the Autograph card. The Active Cash offers a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a fee of up to 5%, with a minimum of $5 applies. This means the decision between the Active Cash and the Autograph comes down to which reward structure makes more sense for your spending patterns and what additional perks are important to you.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card vs. Capital One Savor Rewards Credit Card*

The $95-annual-fee Capital One Savor Rewards Credit Card* also rewards dining and several additional bonus reward categories, but its rewards structure is a bit more complex. It earns 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 4% cash back on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®) and 1% on all other purchases.

The Capital One Savor Rewards Credit Card* offers some extra benefits in the way of travel accident insurance, 24-hour travel assistance, concierge service, extended warranty and Capital One Shopping which could be more appealing to some people than the benefits of the Wells Fargo Autograph—unless, of course, your phone is accident prone. Though these two cards reward somewhat different categories, the choice between them comes down to personal spending habits and budget as well as a willingness to spend an annual fee.

If you’re looking for a no-annual-fee card with a top-notch welcome bonus, lucrative reward earning on multiple everyday categories and a slew of extra benefits, this card is an excellent option. Compare this card with others on our best no-annual-fee list to help decide which one might be best for you.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points of miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards.