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In early 2024, a brand-new travel rewards card entered the market, courtesy of Wells Fargo. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (Rates & Fees) is the big brother to the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card (Rates & Fees) and became Wells Fargo's first travel rewards card to offer points transfers to travel partners.
Let's go over everything that this relative newcomer brings to the table.
- 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
Page Contents
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Pros
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Cons
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Welcome Offer
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Benefits
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Earning Rates
- Redeeming Points With the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Application Restrictions
- Cards That Compete With the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey
- Bottom Line
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Pros
- Earns 5X points per $1 spent on hotels, 4X on airlines, and 3X on other travel and restaurants.
- $50 statement credit for your first airline purchase each cardholder year.
- Higher earning rates for airfare and hotels.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Cons
- Limited transfer partners compared to similar cards.
- Standard welcome offer comparable to other mid-tier travel cards.
- $95 annual fee.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Welcome Offer
New applicants for the Autograph Journey can earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. This offer is worth $600 when cashed out or can be worth much more when transferring points to travel partners.
For a card with a $95 annual fee, this is a pretty standard welcome bonus when compared to other similar mid-tier credit cards.
Related: The Best Rewards Credit Card Bonus Offers Available This Month
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Benefits
Travel partners
This card is Wells Fargo‘s first credit card to offer transfer partners. These partners include six airlines and one hotel.
It's important to note that all points transfer at a 1:1 ratio, except for Choice Privileges. In this case, Wells Fargo Journey points transfer to Choice at a 1:2 ratio, rivaling transfers from the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card.
$50 airfare statement credit
Receive a statement credit of $50 after your first airline purchase of $50 or more each cardholder year — more than cutting the annual fee in half!
The credit is immediately available when you open the card and renews each year after the billing cycle that includes your annual fee. It can take up to two billing cycles for the credit to show on your card statement.
Visa Signature® Luxury Hotel Collection
You'll have access to the Visa Signature® Luxury Hotel Collection, which includes over 900 hotels. Guaranteed perks on these bookings include daily breakfast for two, food and beverage credits, complimentary Wi-Fi, and perks like room upgrades and late checkout based upon availability.
Related: How To Receive Elite Hotel Benefits Without Elite Status
Insurance protections
- Cell phone protection: Receive up to $1,000 to cover damaged or stolen cell phones when you pay your monthly bill with the card. There is a $25 deductible per claim, and you can file two claims within a 12-month period.
- Travel accident insurance: Receive travel accident insurance worth up to $1,000,000 when you purchase your airline or other common travel ticket with your card.
- Lost baggage reimbursement: Receive up to $3,000 in luggage reimbursement per trip if your bags are lost due to theft or misplacement by your travel carrier during a trip.
- Trip cancellation and interruption protection: Get reimbursed up to $15,000 for lodging, flights, and activities if you use your card to pay and your trip is canceled for a covered reason.
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: Pay for rental cars using your card and get reimbursed for covered damage or theft. The coverage is secondary for rentals within the U.S. and primary for rentals outside the U.S. The following countries are excluded from this coverage: Israel, Jamaica, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland.
No foreign transaction fees
There are no additional fees for using your card outside of the U.S.
Autograph card exclusives
Get exclusive access to tickets for live events through Wells Fargo Autograph Card Exclusives.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Earning Rates
The Autograph Journey has generous earning rates for multiple categories. They are:
- 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
These categories stand out from other mid-tier cards that typically earn 3X or less on flights and hotels unless booking directly in the bank's travel portal. Travel purchases include “timeshare, or vehicle/auto rental, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, [and] campgrounds.”
Related: The Best Credit Cards for Travel Purchases
Redeeming Points With the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey
Cardholders have several ways to redeem points, including:
- Transferring to one of Wells Fargo's travel partners
- Covering eligible purchases with the Redeem for purchases program
- Paying for all or part of your online purchases when shopping through PayPal
- Redeeming for gift cards from over 100 different merchants
Most of these redemptions will be worth 1¢ per point. However, transferring points to airline and hotel partners can potentially fetch several times that amount.
Related: Back to Basics: An Introduction to the Types of Reward Points
For example, you could book either of these hotels in Tokyo for 8,000 points per night. With Wells Fargo's 1:2 transfer ratio to Choice Privileges, you'll need just 4,000 Wells Fargo points.
Nightly cash rates are around $100. So, for 4,000 Wells Fargo points, you're getting a value of 2.5¢ per point — more than double what you'd get by cashing out your points.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Application Restrictions
Wells Fargo card application rules can be strict. On the Autograph Journey application terms, you'll find this rule:
“If you opened a Wells Fargo Credit Card account within the last six months, then you may not qualify to open an additional Wells Fargo Credit Card account.”
Wells Fargo is also known to restrict customers to earning one new welcome bonus every 15 months. Additionally, Wells Fargo considers your total banking relationship when looking at new card applications, so it may be helpful to have a checking or savings account with Wells Fargo before applying.
Cards That Compete With the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey
To make a more detailed decision before applying for the Autograph Journey, you may find it helpful to compare the card against some of its closest competitors. Here's a high-level overview of three additional options:
- If you want a Wells Fargo card with no annual fee, consider the Wells Fargo Autograph® Card. This is the little brother to the Autograph Journey, and as such, it has similar benefits. Unfortunately, the downside is that it does not offer transfer partners, so you're stuck redeeming your rewards at one cent apiece. The upside is that it does have solid 3x earning categories. Check out our full Wells Fargo Autograph review to see if this card would be a good fit for you.
- If you want a card with flexible points and more transfer partners, check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Chase Ultimate Rewards has many partners beyond what the Autograph Journey offers — including Hyatt, Marriott, IHG, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and more. The card also offers an annual $50 hotel credit, travel insurance, and great earning rates in multiple categories. Our Chase Sapphire Preferred review will tell you more about why this is one of our favorite cards.
- If you want a card with flexible rewards and better everyday earnings, look into the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Similar to other options, you'll earn miles that can be transferred to multiple airline and hotel programs, all for an annual fee under $100. However, this card stands out for its 2X earnings on everyday purchases. It also lends the ability to use miles to cover the cost of recent travel purchases. See our full Capital One Venture Card review to learn more.
Rates & Fees
- 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
- 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 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
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
Bottom Line
The Autograph Journey from Wells Fargo is comparable to many other mid-tier travel cards on the market. It stands out in its earning rates, thanks to higher-than-average returns for both airfare and hotels and the fact that you do not need to book through a travel portal for elevated points earnings.
However, its transfer partners are lacking. Wells Fargo has reported that more partners will be added, so hopefully this happens sooner than later. These additions could make this card a true contender in a crowded market for rewards credit cards.
- 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
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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