Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card vs. Bank Of America® Customized Cash Rewards Credit Card: Unlimited or Customized Rewards?

CREDIT CARDS - CASHBACK CREDIT CARDS
The Wells Fargo Autograph Card and Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card offer bonus rewards in everyday categories. See which one might be a better fit for you.
Updated Feb. 7, 2024
Fact checked
Smiling woman looking at her phone and holding a credit card

We receive compensation from the products and services mentioned in this story, but the opinions are the author's own. Compensation may impact where offers appear. We have not included all available products or offers. Learn more about how we make money and our editorial policies.

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card has a $0 annual fee, everyday earning categories, and cell phone protection. The Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card also has a $0 annual fee and offers customized earning on common spending categories.

Which one is better?

In this Wells Fargo Autograph vs. Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card review, we evaluate the perks and benefits of both cards to see how they compare. This could help you decide which card deserves a spot in your wallet.

In this article

Wells Fargo Autograph Card vs. Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card

The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards is considered a cashback credit card. Its primary benefit is that it allows you to choose how you earn cash back each month. It also provides multiple intro APR offers.

The Wells Fargo Autograph is primarily a travel credit card since it earns points and offers certain travel benefits. But it could be considered a cashback card as well because its cash redemptions offer the same value as its travel redemptions.

Use this table to quickly compare the available features and benefits of both cards, including their welcome offers, earning rates, and redemption methods.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Card type Travel/Cash back Cash back
Credit card issuer Wells Fargo Bank of America
Credit card network Visa Visa
Annual fee $0 $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) Earn a $200 online cash rewards bonus after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening
Earning rate Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans; plus earn 1X points on other purchases Earn 3% cash back in the category of your choice and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and 1% on all other purchases
Redemption methods
  • Account deposits or statement credits
  • Mailed check
  • Cash by withdrawal from a Wells Fargo ATM
  • Travel
  • Gift cards
  • Charitable donations
  • Merchandise
  • Pay with Rewards
  • Transfers to a Rewards Pool or another Wells Fargo Rewards account
  • Statement credits
  • Paper check
  • Deposits into a Bank of America checking or savings account
  • Credits or contributions to an eligible Merrill® account
Intro APR 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening (then a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable) 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 billing cycles (then 18.24% - 28.24% Variable)

0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 18.24% - 28.24% Variable)

Travel perks
  • Auto rental collision damage waiver
  • Roadside dispatch
  • Travel and emergency assistance services
  • Visa Signature Concierge service
  • Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection
  • Roadside dispatch
  • Travel and emergency assistance services
  • Visa Signature Concierge service
Other benefits
  • Cell phone protection
  • None
Foreign transaction fee None 3%
Credit needed Excellent, Good Excellent
Learn more Learn more

What both cards excel at

Here’s where the Wells Fargo Autograph and Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards share a few similarities:

  • Generous welcome bonuses: Each card offers a valuable welcome bonus. With the Wells Fargo Autograph, you can 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 Customized Cash Rewards offers $200 after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days of account opening.
  • Everyday earning potential: Their earning rates and categories might vary, but they align with many common spending areas such as gas, dining, or grocery stores. This could make it easier to frequently earn rewards on everyday purchases.
  • Annual cost: The Wells Fargo Autograph has a $0 annual fee. The Customized Cash Rewards also has a $0 annual fee.
  • Visa payment network: Both cards use the Visa payment network, which is accepted in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. This could be useful for traveling to international destinations and still having a credit card that works. But watch out for foreign transaction fees (more on this later).

8 important differences between the Wells Fargo Autograph Card and Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Digging into the differences between the Wells Fargo Autograph and Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards could highlight where you might prefer one card over the other.

1. Bonus categories

Earning rates and bonus categories are often one of the best ways to continue receiving value from a rewards card on an everyday basis.

The Wells Fargo Autograph card allows you to earn unlimited 3x points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans; plus earn 1x points on other purchases.

The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards offers 3% cash back in the category of your choice and 2% cash back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs (up to $2,500 in combined choice category/grocery store/wholesale club quarterly purchases) and 1% on all other purchases.

At a glance, it might seem like the Customized Cash Rewards is the better option because you get to choose how you earn your cash back. This includes choosing between these categories:

  • Gas
  • Online shopping
  • Dining
  • Travel
  • Drugstores
  • Home improvement and furnishings

But there’s a limit of $2,500 each quarter before the earning rate reverts to 1% cash back. The customization could be helpful, but there’s no limit to your rewards on the Autograph, likely making it the more valuable option in this case.

Check out our Wells Fargo Autograph Card review to learn more.

2. Bank of America Preferred Rewards®

The Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program offers opportunities for certain Bank of America cardholders to earn 25% to 75% bonus rewards. The program is free to join, but you have to meet these requirements:

  • Have an active and eligible Bank of America checking account.
  • Have at least a three-month combined average daily balance of $20,000 in qualifying Bank of America deposit accounts and/or Merrill investment accounts.

Bank of America Preferred Rewards® has three tiers with increasing bonus rewards and daily balance requirements:

  • Gold: Offers a 25% bonus on credit card rewards and requires at least a $20,000 three-month combined average daily balance.
  • Platinum: Offers a 50% bonus on credit card rewards and requires at least a $50,000 three-month combined average daily balance.
  • Platinum Honors: Offers a 75% bonus on credit card rewards and requires at least a $100,000 three-month combined average daily balance.

Since the Wells Fargo Autograph has no association with Bank of America, its cardmembers miss out on potential Bank of America Preferred Rewards® value — a possible 25% to 75% bonus to your earning potential that’s available on the Customized Cash Rewards.

Read our Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card review for more details.

3. Intro APR offers

The Wells Fargo Autograph offers 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening (then 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable).

The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards offers 0% APR on purchases for 15 billing cycles (then 18.24% - 28.24% Variable). It also offers 0% APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 18.24% - 28.24% Variable).

The terms of these intro APR offers are typically better on the Customized Cash Rewards because they offer more time. There’s also no intro APR offer for balance transfers on the Wells Fargo Autograph.

4. Redemption options

Wells Fargo Autograph redemption options include:

  • Account deposits or statement credits
  • Mailed check
  • Cash by withdrawal from a Wells Fargo ATM
  • Travel
  • Gift cards
  • Charitable donations
  • Merchandise
  • Pay with Rewards
  • Transfers to a Rewards Pool or another Wells Fargo Rewards account

Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards redemption options include:

  • Statement credits
  • Paper check
  • Deposits into a Bank of America checking or savings account
  • Credits or contributions to an eligible Merrill® account

The Autograph offers more redemption options, including the opportunity to redeem your points for travel. Its options would likely prove more useful and flexible compared to what’s available on the Customized Cash Rewards.

5. Credit requirements

The Wells Fargo Autograph typically requires a good or excellent credit score while the Customized Cash Rewards typically requires an excellent credit score. Here are the credit score ranges on the FICO scoring model:

  • Excellent: 800 to 850
  • Very Good: 740 to 799
  • Good: 670 to 739
  • Fair: 580 to 669
  • Poor: 300 to 579

Your approval odds could be better with the Wells Fargo Autograph compared to the Customized Cash Rewards depending on your credit score. Do note that numerical credit scores are provided as guidelines only and are not a guarantee of approval.

6. Foreign transaction fee

Foreign transaction fees are often added to any foreign purchase you make with a credit card. But not all credit cards charge these fees.

The Wells Fargo Autograph has no foreign transaction fees while the Customized Cash Rewards charges 3%.

7. Travel perks

The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards is geared toward earning cash back and doesn’t offer much in the form of travel benefits. But with the Wells Fargo Autograph, you get access to:

  • Auto rental collision damage waiver
  • Roadside dispatch
  • Travel and emergency assistance services
  • Visa Signature Concierge service
  • Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection

Any of these benefits could prove useful depending on how often you travel and the different types of situations you might encounter.

8. Cell phone protection

Cell phone protection isn’t a common benefit found on many credit cards. But having this benefit would likely be useful since cell phones are often essential and expensive. The Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards doesn’t offer cell phone protection.

The Wells Fargo Autograph offers coverage against eligible damage or theft of a cell phone on up to $600 per successful claim. There’s a $25 deductible and a maximum of two successful claims per year.

Which card should you choose?

You should typically choose the card that most aligns with your spending habits and financial goals. Use these tips as guidelines on why you might choose one of these cards over the other.

You might choose the Wells Fargo Autograph if:

  • You want to earn unlimited rewards.
  • You want cell phone protection.
  • You want travel redemptions and benefits.

You might choose the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards if:

  • You want increased control over how you earn rewards.
  • You likely won’t spend over the $2,500 quarterly limit, after which your rewards drop to 1%.
  • You want to take advantage of intro APR offers.
  • You can meet the requirements of the Bank of America Preferred Rewards® program.

FAQs

Which is better, the Wells Fargo Autograph or the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card?

The better card between the Wells Fargo Autograph and Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card depends on your spending habits and financial goals. You might consider the Autograph for its everyday, unlimited bonus categories and cell phone protection benefit. But the Customized Cash Rewards could make sense for its customized bonus categories and intro APR offers.

Which grocery stores and gas stations are eligible for Bank of America Cash Rewards cash back?

Bank of America includes these purchases in its “grocery stores” category:

  • Grocery stores and supermarkets
  • Freezers and meat lockers
  • Candy, nut, and confection stores
  • Dairy product stores
  • Bakeries
  • Miscellaneous food stores

Bank of America includes these purchases in its “gas” category:

  • Marinas
  • Service stations
  • Automated fuel dispensers
  • Fuel dealers

Does the Wells Fargo Autograph come with any travel benefits?

Yes, the Wells Fargo Autograph comes with these travel benefits:

  • Auto rental collision damage waiver
  • Roadside dispatch
  • Travel and emergency assistance services
  • Visa Signature Concierge service
  • Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection

Bottom line

The ultimate winner between the Wells Fargo Autograph and Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards depends on your personal finance goals.

The Autograph has loads of benefits and no limits on the amount of rewards you can earn. But you might prefer the intro APR offers and control over how you earn cash back with the Customized Cash Rewards.

For more options, use our dedicated page to compare credit cards. These are top recommendations in a variety of categories, including travel, cash back, balance transfer, and more.

Choose Your Cashback Category

4.4

Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card

Annual Fee

$0

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details

Want to learn how to make an extra $200?

Get proven ways to earn extra cash from your phone, computer, & more with Extra.

You will receive emails from FinanceBuzz.com. Unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy

  • Vetted side hustles
  • Exclusive offers to save money daily
  • Expert tips to help manage and escape debt