Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card review 2024: Score high rewards almost everywhere for no annual fee

With the recent addition of travel transfer partners, the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is worth adding to your collection. The no-annual-fee card is packed with value, earning elevated rewards across multiple categories and a plethora of ways to redeem that bounty. In our Wells Fargo Autograph Card review, we’ll explain what you need to know.

Wells Fargo Autograph basics

• Annual fee: $0.
• Welcome bonus: 20,000 points after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Rewards: 3 points per $1 at restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
• APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, then a variable APR of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% applies thereafter for purchases and balance transfers. The card has a balance transfer fee of up to 5% with a $5 minimum.
• Other perks and benefits: Cellphone protection, secondary auto rental collision damage waiver, travel and emergency services assistance, 24/7 roadside dispatch, FICO credit score monitoring, emergency cash disbursement and card replacement and My Wells Fargo Deals. 
• Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? Yes.
• Recommended credit score: Good to excellent.

Introduction

Anyone seeking a card with high rewards on most of life’s expenses will appreciate that the Wells Fargo Autograph 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. Plus it comes with several valuable benefits, all without requiring an annual fee. 

The points earned on the card can be redeemed as a statement credit, transferred to travel loyalty partners, used to book travel through the issuer or redeemed for gift cards with multiple merchants. It also comes with cellphone protection and some travel and purchase protections, like 24/7 roadside dispatch and access to travel and emergency assistance. 

The Autograph and its $95-annual-fee sibling, 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. , got a glow up in April 2024 with the addition of a travel transfer partner program. Travel rewards enthusiasts can often get even greater value from their points with programs that allow rewards transfers to a loyalty partner.

While the Autograph doesn’t offer the elite travel benefits of a premium travel rewards credit card, there are no foreign currency conversion fees. As a Visa Signature card, the Wells Fargo Autograph Card also comes with access to the benefits and perks of the Visa Signature Luxury hotel collection. You won’t earn elite status or airline benefits by holding the card, but for a no-annual-fee card, the Autograph makes its mark.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

BLUEPRINT RATING

Our ratings are based on specific use cases for each card. We compared this card to others in the same category and developed our rankings based on this criteria, along with our editorial input. Note that although we chose this card as the best in its category, the right card for you will depend on your own financial circumstances.

Rates & fees / Terms apply

Rates & fees / Terms apply

Apply Now

On Wells Fargo’s secure website

BLUEPRINT RATING

Our ratings are based on specific use cases for each card. We compared this card to others in the same category and developed our rankings based on this criteria, along with our editorial input. Note that although we chose this card as the best in its category, the right card for you will depend on your own financial circumstances.

Welcome bonus

Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s a $200 cash redemption value.

20,000 bonus points

Annual fee

$0

Regular APR

20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR

Credit score

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

(700 – 749) Good, Excellent

Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up – like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.

Editor’s take

Pros

• Generous rewards rate across a wide range of categories.
• No annual fee.
• Introductory APR period on purchases.

Cons

• Minimal cardholder perks compared to other cards.
• Potentially high purchase APR after the introductory period.
• Lacks an intro APR period on balance transfers.

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card comes with a generous rewards program likely to entice commuters — particularly those who use transit services — as well as foodies. It’s somewhat light on benefits, but for no annual fee, there’s a lot to love about the Autograph.

Card details

• Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
• Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s a $200 cash redemption value.
• Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up – like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
• $0 annual fee.
• 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR thereafter.
• Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
• Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.
• Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.

Pros

• High rewards in everyday spending categories: The Wells Fargo Autograph Card earns high rewards in several common spending categories, including travel, restaurants, gas stations and transit. 
• Travel benefits: The card features several travel protections, including secondary rental car insurance, 24/7 roadside dispatch and travel and emergency services assistance.
• No foreign currency conversion fees: Use the Autograph card for purchases when traveling outside of the U.S. without added fees. 

Cons

• No intro APR for balance transfers: The introductory APR only applies to new card purchases, not balance transfers.
• Low rewards rate outside of the bonus categories: The card offers a wide swath of elevated rewards categories, but those may not align with everyone’s spending habits. 
• No elite travel perks: Some travel rewards cards offer lounge passes or status with a hotel or rental car program. But not this one.

Wells Fargo Autograph Card rewards

The Wells Fargo Autograph 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. A complete list of eligible streaming services can be found here.

The welcome bonus is currently 20,000 points after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Points can be redeemed for statement credits, flights, car rentals, hotels and gift cards to cover eligible card purchases or to pay for purchases at select online merchants. You can also donate points to eligible charity organizations. 

To redeem Wells Fargo points to book travel, you must call Wells Fargo Rewards Customer Service at 1-877-517-1358.

You can also use the online Points Transfer option to transfer Wells Fargo points to one of the issuer’s loyalty partners, which includes Choice Privileges, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca lifemiles, British Airways Executive Club, Aer Lingus’ AerClub and Iberia Plus. Transfers to Choice Privileges are at a 1:2 ratio and all of the airline partners transfer at a 1:1 ratio.

Wells Fargo Autograph rewards potential

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for the Wells Fargo Autograph Card has $25,087 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card. Here’s a breakdown of how much you could earn from credit card spending based on that:

Spending category	Spending amount	Points per dollar	Points earned
Travel	$2,941	3 points	8,823 points
Dining	$3,526	3 points	10,578 points
Gas stations	$2,228	3 points	6,684 points
Transit	$781	3 points	2,343 points
Eligible streaming services	$564	3 points	1,692 points
Phone plans	$1,411	3 points	4,233 points
Other spending	$13,636	1 point	13,636 points
TOTAL	$25,087		47,989 points

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In the above example, our sample cardholder earns 47,989 points, worth $479.89 when taken as cash-back or used to book travel through the issuer. Transferring those points to travel partners may be worth more, depending on the specific redemption.

How the Wells Fargo Autograph compares to other rewards cards 

There’s another Wells Fargo card with Autograph in its name: The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card. Here’s how the two cards compare.

Wells Fargo Autograph vs. Discover it® Miles

The Wells Fargo Autograph and the Discover it Miles are both no-annual-fee cards that earn rewards redeemable for travel and other options. Instead of earning in specific categories, the Discover it Miles earns an unlimited 1.5 miles per $1 on purchases. Like other Discover cards, it comes with a unique welcome offer — Discover will automatically match all miles earned at the end of the first cardmember year. 

Overall, the Discover it Miles has fewer card benefits than the Autograph card, lacking the ability to transfer rewards to travel transfer partners, as well as the travel perks and cellphone protection benefits of the Autograph card. Most will find that the Autograph has more to offer.

Wells Fargo Autograph vs. Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card * The information for the Capital One VentureOne 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.

The Wells Fargo Autograph and Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card * The information for the Capital One VentureOne 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. have a number of similar features: Both carry with no annual fee, have low spending requirements to earn a welcome bonus and come with introductory APR offers. The VentureOne, however, has less earning potential when it comes to travel. Its rewards rate is 5 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.25 miles per $1 on other purchases.

Both cards come with travel protections, but the VentureOne card includes travel accident insurance¹ and extended warranty coverage, which isn’t included with the Autograph card. The VentureOne also has a longer list of travel transfer partners than the Autograph. If you’re loyal to one of Capital One’s 15+ transfer partners, the VentureOne may be a better choice when it comes to using your rewards. Otherwise, the Autograph’s rewards rate will be a better choice for most.

Wells Fargo Autograph vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

If you prefer a cash-back card from Wells Fargo with an introductory APR offer that includes both purchases and balance transfers, consider the Wells Fargo Active Cash, which also has no annual fee and comes with a 0% intro APR for the first 15 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies thereafter. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3%. After that a fee of up to 5%, with a minimum of $5 applies. There’s no need to track spending in specific categories either as the Active Cash earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. 

The Active Cash card’s earnings can only be redeemed for cash back, and not transferred to travel loyalty partners. But for some, cash back is the best reward of them all as you can use it on anything you please, travel or otherwise.

Should you get the Wells Fargo Autograph Card?

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card is a great option for those who want to earn flexible rewards with a variety of redemption options. It’s also a solid card for those whose spending habits align with the card’s bonus categories for maximum reward earnings. 

With no annual fee, an easy-to-attain welcome bonus offer and additional card benefits, the Autograph card is packed with enough value to earn a spot in most wallets. 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

^{¹For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.}