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Many are familiar with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees). It is recognized as one of the best starter cards for someone getting into the points and miles hobby and provides good value through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program.
However, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (Rates & Fees) is also a solid point-earning card. The Wells Fargo Rewards program is a relative newcomer but boasts some interesting transfer partners, plus the card itself has some unique perks you won't find on the Sapphire Preferred.
Which $95 annual fee travel rewards card is right for you? Let's look at the details!
Comparison of Welcome Offers
The Autograph Journey has an excellent sign-up bonus. As a new applicant, you can earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Based on the average 2.39¢ apiece rate for which AwardWallet users redeem Wells Fargo Rewards points, this bonus is worth over $1,600 toward award travel.
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's $600 toward your next trip.
- Earn unlimited 5X points with hotels, 4X points with airlines, 3X points on restaurants and other travel, and 1X points on other purchases.
- $95 annual fee.
- Book your travel with the Autograph Journey Card and enjoy Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Baggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.
- Earn a $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.
- Up to $1,000 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
- 5X points per $1 spent with hotels
- 4X points per $1 spent with airlines
- 3X points per $1 spent on other travel and restaurants
- 1X points per $1 spent on other purchases
With Sapphire Preferred, new applicants can score 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
This bonus is worth over $1,462 toward award travel, given that AwardWallet users extract 2.02¢ per Chase Ultimate Rewards point they redeem.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on gas and EV charging
- 3X points on vacation homes at top brands like Airbnb, Vrbo and more
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Winner: Autograph Journey. While both cards provide strong welcome offers, Wells Fargo points are more valuable in recent redemptions.
Related: The Best Rewards Credit Cards for Each Spending Category
Redeeming Points
Several options exist to redeem the points earned on the Autograph Journey. Some examples include covering eligible purchases with the Redeem for Purchases program, purchasing gift cards, and paying for all or part of your online purchases when shopping through PayPal — most of which you can do for about 1 cent per point. But best of all, you can leverage a slate of 10 hotel and airline transfer partners:
Related: How To Maximize the Value of Wells Fargo Rewards Points
You can redeem the points you've earned on the Sapphire Preferred at a rate of up to 1.5 cents per point through the Chase Travel℠ portal. You can also transfer points to one of the 14 travel airline and hotel programs that partner with Chase:
Another option is to cash out your Ultimate Rewards points at a rate of 1 cent per point. Like the Autograph Journey, you can redeem points for gift cards and certain shopping purchases through the Chase website.
Winner: We'll give this one to the Sapphire Preferred. While both cards provide access to transfer partners, Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to more airlines and hotels than Wells Fargo Rewards do. Thus, you have more flexibility with Ultimate Rewards.
Special Perks
When looking for perks, the Autograph Journey has much to offer. You will receive a $50 annual statement credit when purchasing airfare over $50 on this card. Travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and cell phone protection are also additional benefits. The card is also a great travel companion, as it doesn't impose foreign transaction fees.
On the other hand, the Sapphire Preferred has some nifty perks. It provides a $100 annual Chase Travel℠ hotel credit, travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, an extended warranty benefit, and purchase protection.
Related: 22 Credit Card Benefits Every Traveler Should Know About
Additionally, cardholders can receive a free year of DoorDash DashPass to enhance their Doordash experience (activate by December 31, 2027). It also has no foreign transaction fees, which is another plus for those who like to travel abroad.
Moreover, both of these cards are Visa Signature products. This means special perks at the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection, access to unique experiences, and rental car benefits.
Winner: Slight edge to the Sapphire Preferred. Both cards offer similar travel protections, but the Sapphire Preferred adds perks like DoorDash benefits. The choice may come down to whether you prefer the $50 airfare credit from Autograph Journey or the $100 hotel credit from Sapphire Preferred.
Bottom Line
Both the Autograph Journey and the Sapphire Preferred are excellent cards. They have amazing bonuses, functional spending categories, multiple options for redeeming points, and extra perks that can be useful.
As seen above, the Sapphire Preferred has a slight edge over the Autograph Journey, but they are really close. But the choice is yours — which of these cards is best for you?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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