Why I applied for the new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card
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“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
BLUEPRINT
Published 10:32 a.m. UTC April 8, 2024
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I love earning travel rewards. For me, the only thing better than taking a great vacation is doing so for free, or very close to it. And as any award travel junkie will tell you, the best kind of rewards don’t come from a single airline or hotel program, they’re flexible points you can transfer to multiple airlines or hotel programs. There are only a handful of credit card issuers that offer these kinds of rewards, and Wells Fargo just joined this exclusive club with its new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card * The information for the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. . When I first heard the details, I decided to apply as soon as the card became available. Here’s why:
Strong rewards for spending
This card offers 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening. That’s decent, but not earth-shattering. What does move the needle is how many rewards points you can earn from your spending. This card features 5 points per $1 on hotels, 4 points per $1 on airlines, 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. For a frequent traveler like myself, this card has serious potential.
Compelling transfer partners, and the promise of more
Cardholders can transfer their Wells Fargo Rewards points to the following airline and hotel programs, most at a 1:1 ratio:
- Choice Privileges (1:2 ratio)
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Avianca Lifemiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Iberia Plus
While this is a modest list, Wells Fargo has indicated that more partners will be added throughout the year. But even now, Wells Fargo Rewards points are extremely valuable. For example, you can transfer points to the Choice Privileges program of Choice Hotels at a 1:2 ratio. That means that 10,000 Wells Fargo Rewards points will turn into 20,000 Choice points, which can be a great deal, especially at their high-end hotels in the U.S. and their hotels in Europe.
You can also transfer your card earnings to Avianca Lifemiles, which can be redeemed on flights operated by the airline’s Star Alliance partners such as United, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Swiss and Turkish Airlines. Likewise, the Flying Blue program is great for awards on SkyTeam airlines such as Air France, KLM, Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic and others. And the British Airways Executive Club offers strong value for awards on their Oneworld partners such as American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Japan Airlines (JAL).
Earning travel rewards is a long game, and by the time I’ve earned enough rewards for a big redemption, I’m hopeful that Wells Fargo might add some additional, valuable transfer partners.
Low annual fee
This card has an annual fee of just $95, which is common among cards of this type, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card * The information for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. and the Citi Premier® Card * The information for the Citi Premier® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. . However, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card also comes with a $50 annual statement credit with a $50 minimum airline purchase. You don’t have to purchase the flights from Wells Fargo’s travel agency — any airline should work. For me, that brings the net yearly cost down to just $45, which is very low for a card with these features.
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Final verdict
I write about credit cards for a living, but I can’t rush out and apply for every new credit card on the market. However, the value proposition for the new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card is strong enough to make even this veteran credit card journalist take a chance at submitting an application. Thankfully, I was immediately approved, and I’m looking forward to using this card and taking some fun trips with the rewards.
*The information for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, Citi Premier® Card and Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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