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Many are familiar with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees). It is widely recognized as one of the best starter credit cards, offering access to the high-value Chase Ultimate Rewards program and valuable perks for a reasonable annual fee.
However, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card(Rates & Fees) is also a solid, albeit lesser-known, card. The Wells Fargo Rewards program is a relative newcomer in the transferable points space, but it boasts some interesting transfer partners. The card itself even offers unique perks you won't find on the Sapphire Preferred.
But which $95 annual fee travel rewards card is right for you?
$95Rates & Fees
- 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
$95Rates & Fees
- 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
Welcome Offers
A welcome bonus is one of the easiest ways to earn a stash of points for future redemptions.
New Sapphire Preferred applicants can score 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Meanwhile, the Autograph Journey offers new cardholders the opportunity to earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
However, comparing two different welcome offers by looking only at the point amount is like comparing apples to oranges. Each point currency has a different valuation. For instance, AwardWallet users redeem Ultimate Rewards points for 2.02¢ apiece, on average. That makes the welcome offer worth around $2,000 toward award travel. However, AwardWallet users typically redeem Wells Fargo Rewards for 2.39¢ apiece, so the welcome offer is worth about $1,434.
Winner: Sapphire Preferred. Both cards provide strong welcome offers, and Wells Fargo points have been more valuable in recent redemptions. However, the Sapphire Preferred‘s higher offer still edges out a win.
Related: The Best Rewards Credit Cards for Each Spending Category
Earning Points
While a welcome bonus is a nice way to earn a big sum of points in a short amount of time, a card's earning potential is what allows you to earn points long after you've redeemed your bonus. The Sapphire Preferred earns the following:
- 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
The addition of vacation rentals and gas/EV charging stations in the Sapphire Preferred‘s 2026 refresh brings its earning potential from mediocre to amazing.
Meanwhile, the Autograph Journey earns:
- 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
Winner: Autograph Journey. Although the Sapphire Preferred‘s addition of vacation rentals makes it a strong competitor, it's hard to beat the chance to earn 5X on hotels, 4X on airlines, and 3X on all other travel expenses, including vacation rentals.
Redeeming 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, thanks to Points Boost. However, your success at getting this valuation will depend on which hotels and flights are eligible for a Points Boost. More often than not, you'll get a value of 1¢ per point through the portal.
You can also transfer points to one of Chase's 14 airline and hotel transfer partners:
Cardholders of the Autograph Journey can redeem points to cover eligible purchases, purchase gift cards, and pay for all or part of online purchases when shopping through PayPal — most of which you can do for about 1 cent per point. And although Wells Fargo may have introduced the ability to transfer points only in the last few years, it already has several high-value partners. Here are all of Wells Fargo's 10 hotel and airline transfer partners:
Winner: Sapphire Preferred. While both cards provide access to transfer partners, Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to more airlines and hotels than Wells Fargo Rewards do. Thus, you have more flexibility with Ultimate Rewards.
Related: How To Maximize the Value of Wells Fargo Rewards Points
Special Perks
The Sapphire Preferred is packed with perks. It provides a $100 annual Chase Travel℠ hotel credit, a free year of DoorDash DashPass (activate by December 31, 2027), an up to $120 credit for TSA PreCheck, NEXUS, or Global Entry application fees every four years, and a year of Apple TV (activate by December 31, 2026).
Plus, Chase offers some of the most comprehensive travel insurance on the market, including travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, emergency evacuation and transportation, an extended warranty benefit, and purchase protection.
When looking for perks, the Autograph Journey has much to offer. You will receive a $50 annual statement credit when you purchase airfare of $50 or more on this card. Travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and cell phone protection are also additional benefits.
Neither of these cards charges foreign transaction fees, so they are both great to take with you on trips abroad. Both are Visa Signature products, so you'll get special perks at the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection, access to unique experiences, and rental car benefits.
Winner: Sapphire Preferred. Both cards offer similar travel protections, but the Sapphire Preferred perks simply outnumber the Autograph Journey. The choice may also come down to whether you prefer the $50 airfare credit from Autograph Journey or the $100 hotel credit from Sapphire Preferred.
Related: 22 Credit Card Benefits Every Traveler Should Know About
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?
$95Rates & Fees
- 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
$95Rates & Fees
- 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
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
