Wells Fargo Autograph Card Review

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is a good credit card to consider if your biggest spending categories include travel, transit, restaurants, gas stations, streaming services, and phone bills, as you will earn 3 points / $1 spent. The Wells Fargo Autograph Card also has a $0 annual fee and great initial perks.

New cardholders can nab an initial bonus of 20,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months, along with an introductory APR of 0% for 12 months from account opening on new purchases. I like the sound of that.

Now, let’s talk about what’s not to like about this offer. There aren’t too many negatives, but a high regular APR and lack of balance transfer appeal are among them if you ask me. Keep reading to learn more about the Wells Fargo Autograph Card’s highlights, lowlights and other features worth considering.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card Highlights

20,000-point initial bonus

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card is a good value right off the bat for new cardholders who qualify for its 20,000-point initial bonus (worth $200) by spending $1,000 within 3 months of opening an account. For context, the average initial bonus among new credit card offers is 29,788 points or $231 cash back.

Just make sure to be realistic about your chances of meeting the spending requirement in time. The card won’t be as valuable if you don’t earn the bonus, and it defeats the purpose if you overspend significantly just to qualify. High interest rates will erode your savings if you can’t afford the payments.

3 points / $1 spent in bonus categories

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card’s bonus rewards rate of 3 points / $1 spent is perhaps the most important part of the offer, according to my analysis. It applies to purchases from restaurants and gas stations, as well as to popular streaming services, phone plans, travel purchases, and transit expenses.

If those bonus rewards categories don’t match up well with your spending habits, this card may not be for you. But if some of your biggest recurring expenses fall into these categories, Wells Fargo Autograph Card can provide some significant savings. The bonus rewards rate is equivalent to 3% cash back, after all.

I’ve certainly found myself streaming content on my phone while traveling and during daily transit, and I may have even taken a break from the streaming to order delivery from a restaurant once or twice. That almost checks all the bonus boxes. Too bad I wasn’t using this card at the time.

One reason why I haven’t gotten this card is that cardholders earn just 1 points / $1 spent on all other purchases. That’s the standard minimum earning rate for rewards cards, but some cards do offer a higher base rewards rate.

$0 annual fee

Most credit cards actually don’t charge annual fees, so the Wells Fargo Autograph Card’s $0 annual fee only saves you $21.65 per year compared to the average credit card offer. Still, you’re saving hundreds compared to premium credit cards.

I think not having to worry about paying an annual fee is particularly useful if you’re a light-spender or you plan to use multiple credit cards for different types of transactions. But you may want to at least consider cards that do charge fees, just to confirm you’re not missing out on more overall savings.

0% for 12 months from account opening on purchases (intro rate)

You don’t have to choose between rewards and low interest with the Wells Fargo Autograph Card – at least early on. New cardholders enjoy an introductory purchase APR of 0% for 12 months from account opening, providing plenty of time to pay off big-ticket buys before interest charges start to accrue.

Sure, even the average credit card offer with a low introductory APR gives that rate for 12 months. But most 0% interest credit cards don’t offer good rewards too.

Just bear in mind that the Wells Fargo Autograph Card card's regular APR is 19.99% - 29.99% Variable, and it applies to any balance remaining when the introductory period ends. I recommend using a credit card payoff calculator to plan your monthly payments so you can maximize your savings.

Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection

Cardholders enjoy benefits such as automatic room upgrades when available, complimentary in-room Wi-Fi, VIP guest status and more. These perks are available at properties that belong to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection, and they can come in handy if you’re a frequent traveler.

If you don’t travel often, I caution against assigning these perks too much weight in your decision regarding whether to apply. The benefits aren’t worth anything if you don’t use them.

$600 in cell phone protection

Cardholders who pay their monthly cell phone bill with the Wells Fargo Autograph Card are covered up to $600 if their phone breaks or is stolen (subject to a $25 deductible). You can file a claim to have your phone repaired or replaced – as many as 2 times every 12 months.

More and more credit cards are offering cell phone protection as a benefit these days, so this certainly isn’t something unique to the Wells Fargo Autograph Card. Nevertheless, if you decide to apply for the card due to its rewards, rates and fees, being able to take advantage of this perk will be an added bonus. I know I’ve lost and broken a few phones in my day, and I have friends who could’ve used phone insurance far more often than me.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card Lowlights

19.99% - 29.99% Variable regular APR

You don’t want to carry a balance from month to month with this card when its regular interest rate is in effect. It could be anywhere from 19.99% to 29.99% Variable, depending on your overall creditworthiness, but it’s not going to be low in any event. For comparison, regular APRs among new credit card offers currently average 22.15%, and even the average is too high to subject much of a balance to.

Fortunately, you can avoid dealing with this part of the offer by paying your monthly bills in full when the regular rate is in effect. Interest charges won’t be assessed if you do that, and I recommend setting up automatic monthly payments so you don’t forget. I find that it really takes a load off my mind not to worry about remembering due dates.

No balance transfer promotion

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card does not offer a low introductory APR for balance transfers. Its regular interest rate applies to transfers right away. The card also has a balance transfer fee to contend with: 3% intro for 120 days, then up to 5% (min $5).

Needless to say, there are better balance transfer credit cards available right now.

Other Things to Consider About the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

700 credit score needed for good approval odds

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card requires good credit or better, which means you will need a credit score of 700 or higher for good approval odds. You can check your credit score for free on WalletHub to see where you stand.

Unfortunately, if you have less-than-good credit, you’re unlikely to qualify for a Wells Fargo-branded general-purpose credit card.

Rewards don’t expire as long as the account is open

With some cards, rewards points and miles expire a certain amount of time after you earn them, or after a period of account inactivity. That’s not the case with the Wells Fargo Autograph Card. As long as your account is open, your unredeemed points are safe. I think that’s how it should always be.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card vs. the Competition

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card Review Methodology

This Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card review is based on WalletHub’s proprietary 100-point credit card rating system. By using a consistent methodology to evaluate the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card and all other cards, WalletHub’s credit card experts make it easy for people to compare their options and find the best credit cards for their needs.

The WalletHub rating system uses 16 key metrics grouped into seven categories: Fees, Rewards, Two-year Cost, Interest Rates, Approval Requirements, Special Features, and Reviews. Each metric has a maximum number of points allocated to it, based on the metric’s importance as determined by our editors. The points are added up to create an overall rating for the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card out of a maximum of 100 points, which is then converted to a 5-point scale.

Ratings for each category reflect how close Wells Fargo Autograph Card is to WalletHub’s definition of a 5-star credit card, which is based on market conditions and what we believe are reasonable terms. We compare Wells Fargo Autograph Card to that standard to give a numerical approximation of how reasonable and competitive its terms are compared to other cards.

To learn more about how WalletHub rates credit card offers, check out our full credit card review methodology.