Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card review 2024: rewards, benefits, and more

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The new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card is a great travel card with a reasonable annual fee. This card is best for frequent travelers thanks to its unlimited 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel, and 1X points on all other purchases.

In this review, we'll dive into the features, benefits, and potential drawbacks of the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, helping you determine if it's the right fit for your wallet.

Key features

• Unlimited 5x points on hotels, 4x points on airlines, 3x  points on other travel and dining, 1x on other purchases
• $50 annual airfare statement credit 
• No foreign transaction fees
• Travel protection benefits 

Benefits and rewards

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card comes with a generous welcome bonus of 60,000 reward points after spending $4,000 within the first three months. This bonus can be redeemed for travel, gift cards, or statement credits, giving you a head start on earning points. 

One of the most attractive aspects of this card is its unlimited reward structure. Cardholders earn 5X points on hotel bookings, making it an excellent choice for those who frequently stay at hotels. 

The card also offers 4X points on airline purchases, helping you accumulate points quickly when booking flights. For other travel expenses and dining, you'll earn 3X points, while all other purchases earn 1X points.

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card costs $95 per year, on par or lower than many other comparable travel credit cards. 

You’ll also get a $50 annual statement credit for any airline booking (with a $50 minimum airline purchase), effectively reducing the annual fee to just $45. This credit can offset the cost of flights, making your travel even more affordable.

Redeeming rewards

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card is a flexible travel card, which means you can transfer points to hotel or airline partners.

Co-branded cards often offer 2X-5X points on travel and may restrict which airlines or hotel chains you can use points with. For example, an American Airlines credit card often requires you to board an American Airlines plane to get the maximum points back. 

Unlike other travel cards, you don’t have to use Wells Fargo’s travel portal to earn bonus points when booking travel. For example, you can earn 5X points on travel purchases with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, but you must make those purchases within the Chase Travel℠ portal to earn the bonus points.  

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card doesn’t have this type of restriction. Also, unlike many other cards, there’s no cap on the rewards you can earn, says David Shipper, Strategic Advisor at Datos Insights. 

Travel protection benefits 

This card offers trip cancellation, reimbursing you up to $15,000 for non-refundable expenses such as lodging, flights, and activities if your trip is canceled for a covered reason. This benefit provides peace of mind when booking travel, knowing you're protected against unforeseen circumstances. 

The Autograph Journey card also offers other travel protections, such as trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, and auto rental collision damage waiver. These benefits can save you money and hassle in travel disruptions or mishaps.

Considerations and downsides

While the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card offers impressive rewards, there are a few potential downsides.

The card comes with an annual fee of $95, which may be a deterrent for some (especially when there are plenty of solid no annual fee cards on the market). But, the $50 annual statement credit for airfare effectively reduces the annual fee to $45, making it more manageable. 

“The card comes with a $95 fee, which many consumers will not want to pay. However, that fee is in line with other travel-related credit cards (if not a bit lower) and will more than offset by the card's many bonus features,” Shipper says. 

Another drawback is that the card's rewards are focused primarily on travel and dining. If you don't spend heavily in these categories, you may be unable to maximize the card's rewards. 

Additionally, the redemption options for reward points may be limited compared to other travel cards. While Wells Fargo does have a list of travel partners you can transfer points to at a 1:1 rate, the network is not as diverse or large as other competitors.  

This card also doesn’t have a 0% introductory APR offer, making it not the best choice for those who may carry a balance.

Who is the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card best for?

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card is an excellent choice for frequent travelers who spend heavily on hotels, airlines, and dining. The lack of limits on your bonus points makes this card especially worthwhile.

But if you spend regularly outside of these categories, this may not be the best card for you. 

You’ll get 1X points back on non-travel and non-dining purchases, but that’s the minimum across the industry. You’re better off using another card for groceries, electronics, gas, and everyday purchases.

Alternatives

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card offers many perks for people who like to travel often. However, you should compare credit cards before choosing the right travel card for your finances. Here are some alternatives.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card also offers 60,000 bonus points if you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening your account.

The card offers 5X points on travel purchased through Chase’s Travel portal, 2X on other travel purchases, 3X on dining and grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 3X points on select streaming services, and 1X on all other purchases.

The Sapphire Preferred card has a greater range of spending categories that exceed 1X points back. You’ll also get 25% more value when you redeem your points through the Chase Travel℠ portal. For example, 60,000 points can be valued at up to $750 for qualifying travel expenses. The card has a $95 annual fee.  

Capital One Venture Rewards Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards card offers a straightforward unlimited 2X miles for every dollar you spend. You’ll also earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, all for a $95 annual fee.

The new cardholder offer is 75,000 bonus miles if you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening your card. The card comes with travel accident insurance.

The ability to earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase is a good perk for non-travel spending categories. However, you must use Capital One Travel to book your flights and hotels to receive the maximum bonus miles.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph card is a good starter card for those who want to earn travel rewards but don’t want to pay an annual fee.

You can receive unlimited 3X points at restaurants, travel, gas and electric vehicle charging stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. All other purchases are eligible for 1X points. You can redeem points for travel, gift cards, and cash.

The card doesn’t have as many travel benefits but has some notable perks. You’ll get up to $600 of cell phone protection against theft or damage, 24/7 roadside dispatch, and an auto rental collision damage waiver.

You can earn 20,000 bonus points if you spend $1,000 within the first three months of opening your account, which is worth up to $200 in cash back. 

Citi Premier® Card 

The Citi Premier card has a 60,000 bonus point welcome offer if you spend $4,000 after the first three months of opening your account. This card has a $95 annual fee. You can earn a $100 annual hotel credit if you spend $500 or more, helping you offset the annual cost.

The card offers 3X points back on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotels. You will receive 1X points back on all other purchases. Points do not expire, and there is no limit to how many bonus points you can earn.

For a limited time, you can earn up to 10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions (excluding flights) booked through Citi’s travel portal. This promotional offer lasts until June 30, 2024. 

Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

The Bank of America Travel Rewards card is a straightforward card with no annual or foreign transaction fees. You’ll earn a flat 1.5X points on every purchase. You can also receive 25,000 bonus points if you spend $1,000 within the first 90 days of opening your account.

Unlike the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, this card has a 0% introductory APR offer. You’ll get 0% APR for the first 15 billing cycles for purchase. The intro balance transfer fee is 3% for the first 60 days, and this balance transfer fee goes up to 4% after the initial promotion.

Bank of America Preferred Rewards members can earn 25%-75% additional points on every purchase. Your membership level depends on your two-month combined average daily balance across your Bank of America bank accounts.

Outside of that, the card doesn’t have as many perks. It’s good for beginners who want to get started earning travel rewards. However, you may earn more rewards and access additional benefits if you use a card with an annual fee.   

The bottom line

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card is a great, flexible choice for travelers with a moderate annual fee. The card also has a generous welcome bonus similar to what you will find with other travel cards.

But it’s important to consider your spending habits and travel preferences when deciding if this card is right for you. If travel and dining aren’t your primary spending categories, you may find more value in alternative cards with different rewards. Its rewards, benefits, and travel protections make this card a solid choice for travelers. 

Editorial disclosure: Opinions expressed are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.