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Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card [2024]: Travel or Cash Rewards?

The Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card has an excellent cash rewards rate, but the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card offers targeted rewards for frequent travelers.

By Ben Walker, CEPF, CFEI®

Edited by Melinda Sineriz, ABFP™

Updated Sept. 24, 2024

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4.7

5.0

Our view

The Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card (Rates and fees) and the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card (Rates and fees) are both solid cards. The Active Cash because of its excellent rewards rate — you can earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. This type of rewards rate makes it easy to carry one rewards card in your wallet that you can use for all eligible purchases.

But the Wells Fargo Autograph is a better choice than the Active Cash if you’re a frequent traveler. It has no foreign transaction fees, and you earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans; plus earn 1X points on other purchases.

How we evaluate products

Wells Fargo Autograph vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash

	Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card	Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card
Card type	Travel	Cash rewards
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 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
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 unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Intro APR	0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases (then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable)	0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases (then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable) 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers (then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable)
Foreign transaction fee	None	3%
Credit needed	Excellent, Good	Excellent, Good
	Apply now or read our review	Apply now or read our review

What are the differences between the Autograph and Active Cash?

Earning rates

Here are the earning rates for both cards:

Wells Fargo Autograph: Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans; plus earn 1X points on other purchases.
Wells Fargo Active Cash: Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

If you prefer simple rewards rates and using one card for all your eligible purchases, the Active Cash is the better choice. It’s very much a set-it-and-forget-it card, where you don’t have to think about it. You just use it and rest assured you’re earning a high rewards rate (for a flat-rate card).

But if you’re a frequent traveler or have long commutes, the Autograph would be better.

There is no clear “winner” between the two cards. The Wells Fargo Active Cash has a simpler rewards rate, so you don’t have to worry about categories if your spending patterns change frequently.

But you could potentially earn more rewards with the Wells Fargo Autograph if your spending aligns with its higher earning categories.

Transferring rewards to travel partners

This is another reason why you might want to get the Autograph if you travel frequently — you can transfer rewards to partners. The transfer partner list for Wells Fargo is pretty modest at the moment, but it will likely expand in the future.

Rewards typically transfer at a 1:1 ratio, meaning 1,000 Wells Fargo points are 1,000 miles. The exception is Choice Privileges, which is at a 1:2 ratio, and 1,000 Wells Fargo points are 2,000 Choice Privileges points.

Wells Fargo travel partner	Transfer ratio
Aer Lingus AerClub	1:1
Air France-KLM Flying Blue	1:1
avianca lifemiles	1:1
British Airways Executive Club	1:1
Iberia Plus	1:1
Choice Privileges	1:2

Intro APR offers

The Wells Fargo Autograph provides one intro APR offer of 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases (then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable). That’s a pretty good purchase offer, but there’s no offer for balance transfers.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash provides two intro APR offers, one for purchases and one for qualifying balance transfers:

Purchases: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases (then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable)
Qualifying balance transfers: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers (then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable)

It has a 0% intro offer for qualifying balance transfers, and they’re both longer than the Autograph’s. Overall, the Wells Fargo Active Cash has the better intro APR offers, so if that’s a priority, I would choose the Active Cash over the Autograph.

Foreign transaction fees

The Wells Fargo Autograph doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees, while the Wells Fargo Active Cash charges a 3% foreign transaction fee. This type of fee shouldn’t matter much unless you travel abroad, making this yet another reason the Autograph is the better travel option.

What the Autograph and Active Cash have in common

Annual fees

The Wells Fargo Autograph has a $0 annual fee, and the Active Cash also has a $0 annual fee. This makes both cards affordable to have in your wallet, even if you don’t use them all the time.

Cell phone protection

This is a relatively unusual benefit offered by both cards if you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your applicable card. Eligible phones get up to $600 worth of cell phone protection (minus a $25 deductible).

Travel benefits

Although the Autograph is, technically, the better travel card between the two, they both have the same travel benefits under the hood:

Secondary auto rental collision damage waiver
Travel and emergency services assistance
Roadside Dispatch
24/7 concierge service
Access a luxury hotel collection through the Visa Signature Hotel Collection

Redemption options

Other than transferring rewards to travel partners, the two cards have identical redemption options:

Travel
Gift cards
Credit for eligible purchases
Statement credits
Credits to a qualifying Wells Fargo checking account or mortgage
Mailed checks
Cash via a withdrawal from a Wells Fargo ATM
Payments with rewards at participating merchants, including PayPal
Charitable donations
Merchandise

Why not get both?

The only obstacle to getting both cards is getting approved for them. I would apply for the one you’re most interested in first, then apply for the second one after 6 months.

The reason for the wait is that Wells Fargo states in its terms and conditions that “you may not qualify for an additional Wells Fargo-branded credit card if you have opened a Wells Fargo-branded credit card in the last 6 months.”

FAQ

Is the Wells Fargo Autograph Card worth it?

The Wells Fargo Autograph could be worth it if you don’t want foreign transaction fees and your everyday spending aligns with its 3X bonus categories, including restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. This can help you maximize your earning potential if those are categories you already spend money in.

Is the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card hard to get?

The Wells Fargo Active Cash isn’t typically hard to get, depending on your credit score. You often need a good or excellent credit score to qualify for the Wells Fargo Active Cash, which is at least a 670 on the FICO scoring model.

Keep in mind that credit card issuers use multiple factors to determine your eligibility, so having a certain credit score doesn’t guarantee approval.

Bottom line

We usually recommend the Wells Fargo Active Cash over the Wells Fargo Autograph because it’s easier to use with its simple rewards rate. And you can also take advantage of intro APR offers on purchases and qualifying balance transfers.

But the Wells Fargo Autograph makes sense if you want a credit card with no foreign transaction fees to take on your travels. And the Autograph can make even more sense if you can take advantage of its bonus categories with your everyday spending.

For more of our top recommendations, check out our dedicated page to compare credit cards and credit card offers.

Awesome Rewards Rates + Intro APR