Guide to Wells Fargo Rewards: How to earn and redeem points for travel and other uses
Updated 1:05 p.m. UTC March 25, 2024
Editorial Note: Blueprint may earn a commission from affiliate partner links featured here on our site. This commission does not influence our editors' opinions or evaluations. Please view our full advertiser disclosure policy.
With over 4,000 branches and $1.7 trillion in assets, Wells Fargo is the third largest bank in the U.S. Yet Wells Fargo credit cards offerings have long lagged in popularity behind competitors such as Chase and American Express. But, the introduction of the 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. includes the addition of airline and hotel transfer partners to the Wells Fargo Rewards program, adding appeal for travel rewards enthusiasts. Here’s what you need to know about the Wells Fargo Rewards program.
How to earn Wells Fargo Rewards
Wells Fargo now offers three main cards that earn Wells Fargo Rewards:
- Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: The no-annual-fee card earns 2% cash rewards on purchases.
- Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card: The no-annual-fee-card earns 3 points per $1 at restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
- 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. : For a $95 annual fee, the card earns 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.
You can pool the rewards between all three cards, according to a Wells Fargo spokesperson. This makes holding a combination of the Active Cash and one of the Autograph cards appealing as you can use the cards strategically to earn elevated rewards on all of your spending.
How to redeem Wells Fargo Rewards
With the Active Cash and the Autograph cards, points can be redeemed as a credit to your qualifying Wells Fargo credit card, checking account or mortgage. You can also use your rewards to pay for purchases from participating merchants. Other options include redeeming rewards for travel reservations through Wells Fargo or gift cards. Wells Fargo Autograph Journey and Autograph cardholders also will have the option starting April 4, 2024 of transferring rewards to six participating airline and hotel loyalty programs.
What are Wells Fargo Rewards worth?
When redeeming your points for cash back, statement credits, purchases, travel reservations booked through Wells Fargo and gift cards, Wells Fargo points are worth one cent each. When you transfer points to airline and hotel partners, the value will vary based on the partner loyalty program.
Best ways to use Wells Fargo Rewards
Transferring to airline or hotel partners when the program goes live April 4, 2024 may be the best way to redeem your Wells Fargo Rewards points. That’s because it’s possible to get a value of several cents per point or mile, especially when you’re able to redeem your rewards for expensive airline tickets or hotel stays. For example, the Air France-KLM Flying Blue frequent flyer program may offer business class tickets to Europe for 55,000 miles each way. If you’re able to redeem 110,000 miles for a round-trip flight that would normally cost around $5,000, you can receive nearly five cents in value per point transferred.
Another option is the Choice Hotels Choice Privileges program, which can offer extremely valuable redemptions for hotels in places such as Europe or Japan, and for all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. For example, an award night for a room with one double bed at the Comfort Hotel Bolivar in Rome, Italy in June 2024 is 25,000 points, but the cash price for this property in the heart of the city is $685 per night. This results in a value of roughly 2.7 cents per point redeemed.
Wells Fargo transfer partners
Starting April 4, 2024, the Wells Fargo’s Autograph Journey and Autograph cards have five airline partners and one hotel partner:
- Choice Privileges®
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Iberia Plus
Final verdict
Until recently, Wells Fargo Rewards was a simple program that allowed cardholders to redeem their points for one cent each towards cash back, statement credits, gift cards or travel reservations. But, with the introduction of the Autograph Journey card and the addition of transfer partners as a redemption option — cardholders now have the opportunity to turn their rewards into airline miles and hotel points, potentially raising their value to far more than one cent each.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Wells Fargo Rewards points are worth just one cent each towards statement credits, gift cards and travel reservations booked through Wells Fargo. However, Autograph Journey and Autograph cardmembers are able to transfer their rewards to airline and hotel partners, potentially unlocking redemptions worth at least several cents per point or mile.
Wells Fargo Rewards generally will not expire as long as your account is open and active, but check your card’s fine print to be sure.
If you redeem your points for travel booked through Wells Fargo Rewards, points are worth one cent each towards flights. So a $200 fight will cost 20,000 points. However, Wells Fargo Autograph cardholders can transfer their points to airline partners. The airline miles are redeemed through the airline, and the number of points required will vary based on the flight chosen and the rules of the frequent flyer program.
Yes, you can transfer Wells Fargo points to another person by going to the Wells Fargo Rewards page, logging in and choosing the “Share” option.
*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.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.