Wells Fargo Credit Cards

You can’t check for Wells Fargo credit card pre-approval. The only way to find out if you’ve been pre-approved for a Wells Fargo credit card is to receive an offer in the mail. If you get such an offer, it means Wells Fargo has done a soft inquiry on your credit history and determined that you’d be a good candidate for the card they mailed you about. Pre-approval doesn’t guarantee your application will be successful. But it does mean you have extremely good odds.

If you’ve received a Wells Fargo pre-approval offer, it will include a unique code. To respond, just go to the Wells Fargo credit card page, click “Respond to an Offer,” and enter your code.

And if you haven’t received a pre-approval offer, you can still estimate your chances of success before actually applying.

Here’s what you should know about Wells Fargo Credit Card pre-approval.

• Wells Fargo will look at a combination of your credit history, income and other debts to determine whether to approve you for a card. You can stay on top of your credit score with WalletHub’s free daily updates.
• Some cards may simply be out of reach, depending on your credit standing. For example, the Wells Fargo Rewards® Card requires excellent credit. And you need good credit or better to get the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card or Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® Card. If you have bad credit, the Wells Fargo Secured Card is your best shot at approval.
• One of the best ways to improve your chances of approval is to boost your credit score. You can do this by paying down your debt, making your monthly payments on time, and using less of your available credit. WalletHub’s personalized credit analysis will tell you exactly what to do.
• If you already have a Wells Fargo credit card, credit reallocation may help you get a new one. Reallocation lets you shift some of your credit limit from an existing Wells Fargo card to a new Wells Fargo card. You can’t shift your entire credit limit, and it’s not guaranteed to get you approved for a new card, but it can’t hurt. To ask about credit re-allocation, call 1800-642-4720.

There’s no way to check for Wells Fargo credit card pre-approval. But if you know your credit score, and what type of card you want, you should be able to get a ballpark sense of your approval chances.

The Wells Fargo foreign transaction fee is 3% on both debit cards and credit cards. That means whenever you use a Wells Fargo credit card or debit card to buy something from a foreign merchant, you’ll pay an extra 3% of the purchase amount. That applies to purchases both in-store and online.

Many credit card companies offer at least one travel card without foreign transaction fees. But Wells Fargo does not. So the Wells Fargo foreign transaction fee is 3% no matter which card you use. As a result, using a Wells Fargo card abroad really isn’t ideal. Your best bet is to use your Wells Fargo card for everyday expenses and get a no foreign transaction fee card from another issuer for international spending.

And that 3% Wells Fargo foreign transaction fee isn’t the only international service charge you have to worry about if you use a Wells Fargo card abroad. You’ll also have to pay for using non-Wells Fargo ATMs. But some services, like getting a replacement card while you’re away, can be free.

Here are the Wells Fargo foreign transaction fees:

• Wells Fargo debit card foreign transaction fee: 3% of the purchase amount
• Wells Fargo credit card foreign transaction fee: 3% of the purchase amount
• Non-Wells Fargo ATM withdrawal: $5
• Other non-Wells Fargo ATM transactions: $2
• Wells Fargo ATM transactions: $0
• Cash advances: 5% or $10, whichever is higher, plus ATM fees
• Emergency Card Replacement: $0 (fees for rush service may apply)

Because of the Wells Fargo foreign transaction fee and ATM fees, it’s best not to rely on a Wells Fargo credit card when you shop at foreign merchants. Plenty of other credit card companies, from Chase and Citi to U.S. Bank and USAA, offer cards with no foreign transaction fees.

Plus, none of the cards from Capital One or Discover charge foreign fees. Capital One Venture and Barclaycard Arrival Plus are two of the best options for international travel.

You can check your Wells Fargo credit card application status online or by calling 1-800-967-9521. If you’re already a Wells Fargo customer, all you need is your username and password. If not, you’ll have to provide your last name, birthdate, Social Security number and the access code that Wells Fargo emailed you when you applied.

It should only take a few minutes to check your status and find out whether your application is approved, denied, or still pending. And if you’ve been approved, you should get your card in the mail within 10 calendar days.

You can learn all the steps and details of the different ways to look up your application below.

Here’s how to check your Wells Fargo credit card application status:

• By Phone: You can call 1-800-967-9521 between 5:00 AM and 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday. When prompted, say, “Check the status of my application.” Then enter your application ID number. If you don’t have it, your Social Security number works, too.
• Online: Wells Fargo’sapplication status webpage allows you to check using either your Wells Fargo login credentials or your last name, date of birth, Social Security number and an access code that Wells Fargo will email you when you first apply.
• Email: Simply clicking “Check Your Application Status Now” in one of the emails you’ve received from Wells Fargo is an option, too.
• Status Options & Timeframes: Your status will be approved, denied or pending. If your application is still pending, you should receive a final decision within 7 business days of applying. And if your application is approved, your card should arrive within 10 calendar days of the decision being reached.

Finally, if Wells Fargo denies your credit card application, you will receive a letter explaining why. If you believe the rationale doesn’t really apply to you, you can request reconsideration by calling 1-800-869-3557. But this is a long shot.

You can easily report a Wells Fargo credit card lost or stolen online, but the only way to completely cancel a Wells Fargo credit card account is to call customer service at 1-800-642-4720. 

Before you do so, however, make sure you’re canceling your Wells Fargo card for the right reasons. It might make sense for a card with an annual fee that you don’t plan to use anymore, for instance. But if your Wells Fargo credit card isn’t costing you any money, you’re better off keeping it open. In general, the more available credit you have, the better it is for your credit score. An account with zero balance also helps your credit utilization. And you’ll still get credit for paying on time every month.

The credit score implications are at least worth considering before you cancel any credit card account, especially if you plan to take out a big loan in the next six months or so. In any case, it’s always good to have an escape plan, so all Wells Fargo cardholders should know how to cancel their accounts should the need arise.

To cancel a Wells Fargo credit card:

• Pay any pending balance and redeem your rewards first. You won’t be able to close your account with an unpaid balance, and you’ll lose any unredeemed rewards once your account is closed.
  
• Call Wells Fargo credit card customer service at 1-800-642-4720. Enter your card number, press the pound key and tell the representative that you’d like to close your account.
  
• Wells Fargo will close your account immediately. They will mail a letter formally confirming the change within 10 business days of your call.
  
• Check your free credit report. At the very least, make sure to do so two months after receiving Wells Fargo’s letter, to confirm the account is closed.

After closing your Wells Fargo credit card, you may want to re-evaluate how much you spend on any other credit cards you may have. Closing a credit card means you have less available credit, and thus possibly higher credit utilization, which can be bad for your score. You can monitor your credit score with WalletHub’s free daily updates to ensure that your credit isn’t affected by closing your Wells Fargo account.

You can get Wells Fargo to activate your credit card online, over the phone or through the Wells Fargo mobile app. The Wells Fargo credit card activation number is 1-877-294-6933. To activate over the phone, you must provide your full card number and verify your identity. To activate online or through the app, log in to your Wells Fargo online account (or create one first). In total, the activation process should take you less than five minutes. And you’ll be able to use your card right after.

Here’s how to activate a Wells Fargo credit card:

• Online: Log in to your Wells Fargo account on the activation page. From there, verify your identity by entering your personal information (address, Social Security number) in order to activate your card. If you don’t have an online account yet, you can create one in minutes by entering your account number and SSN and then making a username and password.
• Over the phone: Call Wells Fargo at 1-877-294-6933. Enter your card number. Enter any identifying information requested, like your Social Security number.
• Wells Fargo App: Download “Wells Fargo Mobile” for iOS or Android. Log in to the app using the same username and password as your online account. Select your card from your list of accounts to activate it.
  

You need to activate your Wells Fargo credit card before you can use it. And it’s a quick and easy process, so you should be able to start using your card within minutes of receiving it.

If you’re looking to activate a Wells Fargo debit card instead, you can use all of the above methods. But there’s a fourth way to activate a Wells Fargo debit card. You can activate it at any Wells Fargo ATM by simply inserting your card and entering your PIN. Your PIN should have been mailed to you in a separate envelope from the one with your card.