How To Maximize the Value of Wells Fargo Rewards Points How To Maximize the Value of Wells Fargo Rewards Points

How To Maximize the Value of Wells Fargo Rewards Points

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When discussing top-value rewards programs, Wells Fargo Rewards isn't usually the first program that comes to mind. However, Wells Fargo has made recent strides to enter the transferrable points market like its other bank competitors. So, after making these improvements, how does the bank hold up compared to the other issuers?

Let's learn more about Wells Fargo Rewards so you can extract maximum value from your hard-earned points.

How To Earn Wells Fargo Rewards Points

Wells Fargo currently only offers two cards that earn Wells Fargo Rewards points: the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (Rates & Fees) and the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card (Rates & Fees). These two cards have wholly revamped how one can earn Wells Fargo Rewards points. Both cards work similarly to other bank-issued credit cards in that your points are transferrable to a number of different airline partners.

In addition, Wells Fargo allows you to combine your cash rewards with your points, similar to how Chase lets you combine the rewards you earn on its cash-back cards with the points you earn on its Ultimate Rewards-earning products.

Thus, if you carry a card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (Rates & Fees) card or Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card, you can easily combine your cash rewards with the points you've earned on a point-earning card. This functionality allows you to use the best card for every purchase and maximize your rewards.

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looking out over a city skyline with a large Wells Fargo logo on one building
Credit: Griffin Wooldridge/Unsplash

Wells Fargo Rewards credit card options

The Active Cash Card has no annual fee, and we consider this one of the best cash-back credit cards available. It also has a simple earning structure with unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, a solid welcome offer, and a 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers. After the introductory period, you'll pay a 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR. You also pay a balance transfer fee of 3% for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Apply Now
On Wells Fargo's website
Rates & Fees
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Annual Fee$0
Welcome Bonus Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases without the need to track spending categories or activate rewards quarterly. Cardholders also benefit from up to $600 coverage for cell phone damage or theft, subject to a $25 deductible.
  • Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
  • Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
  • Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
  • 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
  • $0 annual fee.
  • No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open.
  • Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
  • Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
  • Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases

The Wells Fargo Autograph also has no annual fee and earns 3x on travel (including airfare, hotels, and more), transit (parking, subways, tolls, and more), dining (including delivery websites), streaming services, gas (including EV charging stations), and phone plans. The card offers a quality welcome offer and a lengthy 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. A 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR will apply thereafter. It also offers numerous benefits for a card with no annual fee.

Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
Apply Now
On Wells Fargo's website
Rates & Fees
Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
Annual Fee$0
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.
The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card rewards cardholders with diverse spending requirements, offering unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. It enhances travel experiences with benefits like an auto rental collision damage waiver, emergency assistance, and Roadside Dispatch®, and no annual fee.
  • Apply Now to take advantage of this 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. 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% 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.
  • 3x on travel – including airfare, hotels, car rentals, timeshares, cruises, and more
  • 3x on transit – including parking, tolls, subways, ride shares, railways, ferries, and more
  • 3x on dining – including dining in, take-out, catering, delivery and more
  • 3x on gas – including gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations
  • 3x on phone plans – including landline providers and cell phones
  • 3x on streaming services
  • 1x on other purchases

The Autograph Journey has $95 annual fee and earns an unlimited 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, and 1X points on other purchases. It's a worthwhile wallet addition for frequent travelers.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card
Apply Now
On Wells Fargo's website
Rates & Fees
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card
Annual Fee$95
Welcome Bonus Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card offers competitive rewards for travelers, including 5X points on hotels, 4X on airlines, and 3X on dining and other travel purchases. Cardholders can earn a $50 annual statement credit with a $50 minimum airline purchase, and get access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection, and various insurance protections, including cell phone protection and lost baggage reimbursement. The card has a $95 annual fee.
  • 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 on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, 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 on hotels
  • 4X points per $1 spent on airlines
  • 3X points per $1 spent on other travel and restaurants
  • 1X points per $1 spent on other purchases

One of the bank's newest additions to its card portfolio is the Wells Fargo Attune Card, which earns 4% cash rewards on self-care purchases, sports, recreation, and entertainment purchases, and planet-friendly purchases, plus 1% cash rewards on everything else.

Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card
Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card
Annual Fee$0
Welcome Bonus Earn a $100 cash rewards bonus when you spend $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
The Wells Fargo Attune℠ Card offers a unique blend of rewards and benefits. Earn 4% cash rewards on self-care, select sports, recreation, entertainment, and planet-friendly purchases like public transportation and EV charging. All other purchases earn 1% cash rewards. Pay $0 annual fee, no late fees, and benefit from an attractive intro APR. Plus, get up to $600 in cell phone protection when you pay your monthly bill with the card.
  • 4% cash rewards on self-care purchases (including beauty and barber shops, gym memberships and fitness studios, health and beauty spas, and massage parlors)
  • 4% cash rewards on sports, recreation, and entertainment purchases
  • 4% cash rewards on planet-friendly purchases (including EV charging stations, riding public transportation, and purchasing select second hand and vintage)

Related: Our Favorite Benefits on Credit Cards With No Annual Fee

How To Redeem Wells Fargo Rewards Points With Transfer Partners

Wells Fargo currently has seven transfer partners. It offers point conversions to six airline programs at a 1:1 ratio and one hotel partner, Choice Privileges, at 1:2.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Aer Lingus (AerClub)
1:1
-
Unknown
Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges)
1:2
-
Unknown
Iberia Plus
1:1
-
Unknown

Transferring your points is the best way to maximize your Wells Fargo Rewards. You can redeem your points for premium cabin air travel and free hotel stays at values that eclipse the one-cent-per-point value you'll get when you redeem for statement credits or cash rewards.

Wells Fargo Rewards airline transfer partners

Three Wells Fargo airline transfer partners earn Avios: British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia. Each airline has its own sweet spots despite sharing the same mileage currency.

You can transfer between the three (plus Qatar Airways and Finnair) Avios airlines for free, which allows for increased flexibility depending on your destination and award availability. And sometimes, the award costs with one Avios airline are less than you'll find with another, so it's worth shopping around for the best price.

Avios present great value for flights to Hawaii. For example, you can transfer 16,000 Wells Fargo Rewards points to British Airways Executive Club and book a one-way economy ticket from Los Angeles (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL).

Avios award from LAX to HNL
Credit: British Airways

Avianca belongs to the Star Alliance, and the airline is a valuable transfer partner to use for flights to South America, business class flights to Asia with partners like EVA Air, and awards to Europe on partners like SWISS. For instance, I transferred credit card points to Avianca LifeMiles last summer and booked an award from Zurich to Boston! To snag this award for yourself, you can transfer 30,000 Wells Fargo Rewards points to Avianca and book an economy ticket — or 63,000 for a business class one.

LifeMiles award from ZRH to BOS
Credit: Avianca LifeMiles

Finally, Wells Fargo's last airline partner is Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Both airlines belong to the SkyTeam alliance. We like Flying Blue because of its incredible sweet spots, amazing monthly Promo Rewards for cheap flights to Europe and the reasonable prices it charges for long-haul journeys on partners like Korean Air and Etihad. For example, you can transfer 86,500 Wells Fargo Rewards to Flying Blue and book a 13-hour Etihad flight in business class!

Etihad award bookable via Flying Blue
Credit: Flying Blue

You can also use Flying Blue miles to book flights on Delta — often for better value than you'll find with Delta SkyMiles.

Wells Fargo Rewards hotel transfer partners

Choice Privileges is a lucrative transfer partner, given the favorable 1:2 conversion ratio. It's a valuable option for road warriors with their many motels across the U.S., and their acquisition of Radisson Hotels makes this a program to watch! Choice points hold their weight abroad, too, especially in otherwise expensive destinations such as Tokyo, Japan.

Choice redemption options in Tokyo, Japan.
Credit: Choice Privileges

Wells Fargo Rewards point values

You might wonder how valuable each of Wells Fargo's transfer partners is. Based on recent AwardWallet user redemptions, here's what one Wells Fargo Rewards point is worth towards each program:

Transfer PartnerAwardWallet Users Typically Redeem 1 Mile/Point For:Wells Fargo Transfer Ratio
Aer Lingus AerClub3.04¢1:1
Air France/KLM Flying Blue2.16¢1:1
Avianca Lifemiles2.85¢1:1
British Airways Executive Club2.56¢1:1
Iberia Plus3.04¢1:1
Choice Privileges0.6¢1:2
Virgin Red (Including Virgin Atlantic Flying Club)3.65¢1:1

Other Ways To Redeem Your Wells Fargo Rewards Points

Outside of transferring to partners, Wells Fargo provides many different redemption options, such as:

  • Redeem your rewards for a statement credit to a qualifying Wells Fargo credit card, checking account, or mortgage via automatic deposit or paper check. You can make redemptions in increments of $25 or 2,500 points.
  • Redeem rewards as a statement credit to cover eligible purchases with a minimum redemption of $1, or 100 points.
  • Use your rewards with participating merchants for merchandise or to purchase gift cards.
  • Redeem rewards for flights, car rentals, hotel stays, and other travel options through Wells Fargo's travel portal.
  • Visit a Wells Fargo ATM and redeem in $20 increments with your Wells Fargo ATM or debit card.
  • Make charitable donations.
  • Give your points to other Wells Fargo Rewards members.
  • Pool your rewards with other members.
Wells Fargo Redemption Options
Credit: Wells Fargo

Certain non-transfer redemption methods are better than others. For example, redeeming directly for merchandise generally presents poor value. While you often get 1 cent per point of value (but sometimes less than that), you don't earn rewards on the transaction. A better option is to pay with your card to earn rewards and then request a statement credit or cash rewards.

Also, redeeming points for gift cards limits your flexibility. You can often redeem points for gift cards at the same rate you can use points to cover a purchase. However, cash is more flexible than a gift card tied to a particular store.

Transfer Wells Fargo Rewards to another account

One helpful way to extract maximum value from Wells Fargo Rewards is to combine and transfer points to anyone without any fees attached. While programs like American Express Membership Rewards impose harsh restrictions on transferring points between members, Wells Fargo Rewards has a simple points transfer interface that allows you to transfer between member accounts free of charge — even when one member holds a cash-back card and the other a points-earning card. Cash rewards can be transferred as cash but can be received on the other end as points.

Combining points and cash from both cards could be a useful way to help someone plan a dream trip — or perhaps to fund family vacations in the long run. By combining points, you'll never have to worry about points being left behind.

a student looks at a computer to learn about credit cards with a grandfather
Credit: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

Just a note: while you can transfer from a personal to a business account or from a business account to another business account, Wells Fargo's terms and conditions don't clearly state that it's possible to transfer from a business account to a personal account. This makes the new Signify Business Cash℠ Card by Wells Fargo cash rewards ineligible to be redeemed via transfer partners if you happen to have an Autograph-branded card. That is, at least for now!

How long does a Wells Fargo redemption take?

If you're transferring to one of Wells Fargo's transfer partners, those points should transfer  instantaneously.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Aer Lingus (AerClub)
1:1
-
Unknown
Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges)
1:2
-
Unknown
Iberia Plus
1:1
-
Unknown

You can make most other redemptions can be done on the Wells Fargo website whenever you want. Another option is to call Wells Fargo Rewards Customer Service at 877-517-1358 to redeem your rewards. Its customer service team is available seven days a week. Generally, they're pretty quick to help you redeem your points.

Some reward redemption options, like cashing out at a Wells Fargo ATM, are immediate. Redemptions like statement credits or deposits may take five to seven business days to process.

Final Thoughts

At first glance, Wells Fargo Rewards isn't the most exciting option in the points and miles world, but the bank has made many changes in the last five years. Introducing transfer partners is a game changer and will surely grow over time. If your spending patterns and redemption preferences align, the program can provide solid value, especially considering the unique bonus categories many of Wells Fargo's cards offer.

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