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Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card Review: Big Travel Rewards on a Modest Budget
February 6, 2025
What Is the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card?
Launched in March 2024, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card is a travel rewards credit card designed for travelers who want premium-like perks without a sky-high fee. It’s essentially Wells Fargo’s answer to popular mid-tier travel cards. With this card, you earn generous points on travel and dining, get flexible redemption options, and even enjoy some protections usually seen on pricier cards.
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Key features at a glance:
- Rewards: 5X points per $1 on hotels, 4X on flights, 3X on dining and other travel, and 1X on everything else. These high earning rates apply on everyday spending without having to book through any special portal – a big plus for convenience.
- Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 monthsnerdwallet.com. That’s equivalent to $600 when redeemed for travel or cash back – and potentially more if you transfer points to airlines.
- Annual fee: $95
- Notable perks: Each year you get a $50 airline incidental credit. You can also transfer points to a handful of airline and hotel partners – a small but mighty partner list that opens the door to outsized value redemptions. Plus, the card includes valuable travel protections and cell phone insurance.
In short, Autograph Journey is aimed at frequent travelers who want to rack up points fast and have flexibility in using them. Wells Fargo has come out strong – so strong that the card actually won “Best New Credit Card of 2024” from The Points Guy’s annual awards.
How Wells Fargo Rewards Work
The card earns Wells Fargo Rewards points, which are worth a solid 1¢ each by default. 1 point = $0.01 whether you redeem for travel, cash back, gift cards or shopping credits. This is refreshingly simple – you’re always getting full value.
Importantly, points can be transferred to airline/hotel partners like Air France/KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Avios, Virgin Atlantic, and more. Transfers are at a 1:1 rate to most airlines. This means if you’re savvy, you could squeeze more than 1¢ value per point – for example, moving 30k points to an airline for an award ticket worth $450
Redemption options: If you prefer simplicity, you can redeem points through Wells Fargo’s GoFar Rewards portal for travel, or as cash back/statement credits, at the standard rate. You can even use points during checkout with certain merchants. No matter how you redeem, you won’t have to worry about losing value – a point is worth the same whether for a flight or a gift card.
Travel and Purchase Benefits
One big reason to get a travel card is the peace of mind benefits, and Autograph Journey delivers some, especially considering its cost:
$50 Airline Credit
Automatically get $50 back each year when you spend $50+ with any airline. This effectively cuts your net annual fee down to ~$45 if you use it – a nice perk for travelers.
Travel Insurance
Charge your trip to the card and you get trip cancellation/interruption coverage up to $15,000 per trip for covered reasons. That’s unusually high coverage for a mid-tier card – great for peace of mind on expensive trips. You also get secondary car rental collision damage waiver and lost luggage reimbursement. In real life, these can save you hundreds in a pinch – like reimbursement if your $2,000 vacation gets canceled due to illness.
Cell Phone Protection
Pay your monthly phone bill with the card, and your phone is insured up to $1,000 against damage or theft. Considering many flagship phones cost ~$1,000, this is a huge value. For comparison, even some $400+ annual fee cards cap phone coverage at $800 with higher deductibles, so Autograph Journey shines here.
Visa Signature perks
As a Visa Signature, the card gives you access to the Luxury Hotel Collectionand a 24/7 concierge service. These are nice-to-haves if you travel, though not everyone will use them regularly.
What’s missing?
It’s worth noting what you don’t get: there’s no airport lounge access, and no annual free hotel night or airline lounge passes. If those luxury perks are important, this card might not check all boxes. However, many competitors in this fee range also don’t include lounge access, so Autograph Journey isn’t really losing out in its peer group.
Comparing Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card with Other Credit Cards
When considering the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card, it's helpful to compare it with other popular options in the mid-tier travel card category:
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card:
- Annual fee: $95
- Sign-up bonus: Substantial points bonus after meeting spending requirements
- Key rewards: 2X points on travel and dining, 1X on other purchases
- Standout feature: 25% more value when redeeming points for travel through Chase TravelSM
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card:
- Annual fee: $95
- Sign-up bonus: Large miles bonus after meeting spending requirements
- Key rewards: 2X miles on all purchases, 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Standout feature: Miles transferable to travel partners
American Express® Gold Card (rates & fees):
- Annual fee: $325
- Welcome offer: Substantial points bonus after meeting spending requirements
- Key rewards: 4X points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000 per year, then 1X) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, then 1X) and 3X on booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com
- Standout feature: Up to $120 dining credit and up to $120 Uber Cash annually. An Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Each card offers unique benefits tailored to different spending habits and preferences. Consider your personal financial goals when choosing the best card for you.
Key Takeaways:
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card excels in offering huge reward rates
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers versatile travel rewards
- Capital One Venture provides simple, flat-rate miles earning
- American Express® Gold Card features strong dining and groceries rewards
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Why We Like the Autograph Journey Card (Pros & Cons)
Top Benefits in a Nutshell:
Outstanding Rewards Rates
Earning 5X on hotels, 4X on flights, 3X on other travel and dining is virtually unheard of at this price point. And you don’t have to use any special travel portal – just pay with your card. For a frequent traveler, these rewards pile up fast. No caps or rotating categories to worry about either.
Big Welcome Offer
60,000 points (worth $600+). This is a one-time windfall that can offset a lot of travel costs upfront.
Flexible, User-friendly Rewards
Whether you want cash back, a statement credit, or to book travel, your points are ready to use. Seasoned points geeks will love the transfer options, while cashback-oriented folks can simply erase travel purchases or get cash with no complicated math.
$50 Travel Credit
Easy to use and effectively reduces the annual cost of the card. It’s like getting half your annual fee back, as long as you take one flight or pay one baggage fee per year.
Solid Travel Protections
Trip cancellation insurance, baggage loss coverage, rental car damage waiver – these can save the day. Many cards at this fee level lack one or more of these, so having all of them is a strong plus.
Cell Phone Insurance
As mentioned, this is a standout perk. If you’re paying ~$15/month for AppleCare or phone insurance, you could cancel that and use this card’s free coverage – potentially saving ~$180/year, which more than covers the card’s fee.
Drawbacks and Considerations:
Annual Fee
$95 per year isn’t outrageous, but it’s not $0. If you won’t utilize the travel credit or the bonus categories much, a no-annual-fee card might suit you better.
Limited Transfer Partners
Wells Fargo’s travel partner list, while growing, is relatively small and has no domestic U.S. airline apart from transfer via other programs. If you’re heavily into points transfers, Chase or Amex have far more partners. That said, the partners do include several major international airlines and one hotel. It’s quality over quantity – but still, something to note.
No Premium Travel Perks
As mentioned, no lounge access, no free checked bags or annual hotel night certificates. Autograph Journey focuses on earning and redeeming points generously, but it doesn’t come with the VIP extras some travelers crave. If you need those perks, consider a premium card.
Requires Good Credit
You’ll likely need a good to excellent credit score to get approved. This is standard for rewards cards, but if you’re new to credit or rebuilding, it could be a hurdle. Wells Fargo also restricts you to one new card every 6 months.
Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons if you fit the target user profile (travels often, wants flexible rewards). But how does Autograph Journey stack up against other popular travel cards in the market? Let’s compare.
Put Your Cards to Work with Kudos
Maximizing a wallet full of rewards cards can be a juggling act – but that’s where Kudos comes in. Kudos is a friendly, free browser extension that acts like your personal credit card assistant.
Once you add it, Kudos will:
- Auto-recommend the best card at checkout – for example, if you’re about to buy airline tickets, Kudos will remind you that your Autograph Journey card earns 4X on airfare and should be used for that purchase. No more guessing which card gives the most points or cash back!
- Track your rewards and perks across cards in one place. You can see your point balances, your progress toward bonuses, and even all your card benefits at a glance. This makes it super easy to ensure you’re using features like that $50 airline credit or cell phone protection we discussed.
- Provide personalized tips – The more you use it, the more Kudos learns your spending patterns and can suggest optimizations. It’s like having a savvy best friend who knows all your cards’ fine print. 😉
How to get it: Just add the Kudos extension to your browser, and let it start saving you money and maximizing rewards. It’s an effortless way to double-check that you’re always using the right card at the right time. For a card like Wells Fargo Autograph Journey – with so many category bonuses – Kudos can be the secret weapon to never miss out on 5X or 4X points.
Remember: The smartest way to travel hack is not just having great cards, but also using them optimally. Kudos has your back on that!
Our Expert Takeaway
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card is a travel powerhouse for its price. It offers unusually high reward rates on travel spending, a hefty welcome bonus, and flexibility that meets both casual and seasoned travelers’ needs. Wells Fargo basically took the playbook of what millennials and Gen Z travelers want – lots of points on adventures, freedom to use those points how you like, and useful perks like insurance – and bundled it into one card.
Who should get this card? If you travel at least a few times a year (for work or fun) and dine out regularly, Autograph Journey can pay for itself and then some. The $95 annual fee is easily offset between the $50 travel credit and the rewards you’ll earn. It’s especially appealing if you’ve felt “locked out” of other travel cards’ best features – here you get transfer partners and protections without needing a premium $550 card.
Who might pass: If you rarely travel or already have a top-tier card with similar perks, this might be overkill alongside it. Also, points hobbyists deeply tied to a specific airline/hotel might prefer a co-branded card for that brand.
In our view, Wells Fargo Autograph Journey is absolutely worth it for the majority of travelers looking to step up their rewards game. It’s refreshing to see a $95 card pack this much punch. And with tools like Kudos to help maximize all those 5X and 4X categories, you’ll be enjoying free flights and extra perks with ease. Happy travels – and happy point stacking!
FAQ
Is the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card worth it?
Yes – for frequent travelers, the Autograph Journey card is very worth it. Its rewards and $600 bonus can easily outpace the $95 fee in value. Plus, benefits like the $50 travel credit and insurance protections give you tangible returns. If you travel often or want flexible, high-value points, it’s a great choice.
What credit score do I need for the Autograph Journey card?
You’ll typically need a good to excellent credit score, around 670+ FICO, to be approved. Wells Fargo will check that you haven’t opened another Wells Fargo card in the last 6 months as well. If your credit score is lower, consider improving it first or starting with a no-annual-fee card like the regular Wells Fargo Autograph.
Does the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey have an annual fee?
Yes. The card has a $95 annual fee. However, this is partly offset by the $50 airline credit you get each year. In addition, the large welcome bonus covers several years’ worth of fees by itself.
Can I transfer Wells Fargo Autograph Journey points to airline miles or hotel programs?
Yes. Wells Fargo allows you to transfer your points to a select list of travel partners. Currently, you can transfer to programs like Air France/KLM Flying Blue, British Airways Avios, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Iberia Plus, and a few others. There’s also one hotel partner. Transfers are usually at a 1:1 rate. This feature lets you potentially get more value out of your points if you find a great award flight or hotel deal.
Does the Autograph Journey card offer airport lounge access or luxury perks?
No. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey doesn’t include airport lounge access, free checked bags, or other luxury travel perks – those are typically found on premium cards with higher fees. This card focuses on big rewards earnings and solid core benefits, but you won’t get lounge entries. If lounge access is a must-have, you might pair this card with a lounge membership or consider an upscale card.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
