Wells Fargo Propel American Express Review

Wells Fargo Propel points are worth 1 cent each when redeemed for cash back, statement credits, travel and most gift cards. There are also options to buy merchandise and digital downloads with Propel points on the Wells Fargo Go Far Rewards portal, but the prices on those items can vary and may give a value of less than 1 cent per point. Lastly, it's possible to transfer points to another Wells Fargo card that uses Go Far Rewards, at a 1:1 ratio. If transferred to a Wells Fargo Visa Signature® Card, the points can be worth up to 50% more (1.5 cents each) toward airfare.

To earn Wells Fargo Propel points, just use the card for purchases. You'll earn 3 points / $1 spent on dining, travel, gas, rideshares, transit and streaming services. And you'll get 1 point / $1 on all other purchases. There's no limit to the number of points you can earn, and those points do not expire as long as your account remains open.

Yes. The Well Fargo Propel card is metal. Wells Fargo does not disclose the exact metals used to make the card, but it weighs 10 grams, which is about twice as heavy as a regular plastic credit card. 

One of the most unique things about Wells Fargo Propel being made of metal is that it is one of the only metal credit cards that has a $0 annual fee. Most metal credit cards are very expensive to offset their substantial perks. Propel provides a lot of value regardless, with 3 points per $1 spent on dining, travel, gas, rideshares, transit, and streaming services. It also gives 1 point per $1 on all other purchases and a bonus of 20,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months.

While Wells Fargo Propel is a great credit card, it's best not to choose a card solely because of what it's made out of. Weigh the card's features against others you're interested in before making a decision.

The Wells Fargo Propel credit score requirement was 700 or higher. This means you needed at least good credit to get this card; but Wells Fargo Propel isn't available to new applicants anymore.

If you are looking for a rewards credit card, you can check out our editors' latest picks to see which one suits your needs best.

An applicant's Wells Fargo Propel approval odds are best if they have a credit score of at least 700, which is the start of the good credit range. Other major factors affecting the odds of approval for the Wells Fargo Propel card include the applicant's income, how much debt they have, and whether they've applied for other credit recently. Wells Fargo will consider a person's full financial profile in order to make a decision.

Unlike many other credit card companies, Wells Fargo does not offer a way for you to check your approval odds before applying. Other banks have pre-qualification tools, where you can plug in some basic personal information and find out which credit cards you have the best chances of getting approved for based on a harmless soft pull of your credit.

Although Wells Fargo hasn't implemented such a tool, they will send out pre-approved offers by mail for the Propel card. If you receive a pre-approved offer, it means your Wells Fargo Propel approval odds are high. However, you're still not guaranteed to get approved.

The top Wells Fargo Propel benefits included $1,200 per year in cell phone insurance, reimbursement for damaged or stolen purchases, and $150,000 in travel accident insurance. The Wells Fargo Propel had a number of other perks, too, such as a $0 annual fee, 0% foreign transaction fees, and rewards of up to 3 points / $1 spent on purchases.

Overall, the Wells Fargo Propel was packed with value, but it is no longer available to new applicants.

Here are the top Wells Fargo Propel benefits:

• Cell phone insurance

  Insures your cell phone up to $600 per claim and $1,200 per year, with a $25 deductible, when you pay your cell phone bill with the Wells Fargo Propel.

• Extended warranties

  Doubles the existing manufacturer's warranty on items you buy with the Wells Fargo Propel, adding up to a maximum of 12 months.

• Retail protection

  Covers up to $1,000 per claim and $50,000 per account, per year for items you buy with your card that are damaged or stolen within 90 days.

• Return protection

  Gives up to $300 per claim and $1,000 per account per year when you try to return a working, good-condition item you bought with a Wells Fargo Propel to a store and they won't accept it.

• Travel accident insurance

  Offers up to $150,000 per trip when you, your spouse, or your unmarried dependent children are in a serious accident on a trip paid for with the Wells Fargo Propel.

• Baggage insurance

  Gives up to $1,000 per person, per trip when you, your spouse, or your unmarried dependent children have your bags lost or stolen while on a common carrier.

• Rental car insurance

  Provides up to $50,000 in reimbursement for rental cars paid for with the Wells Fargo Propel that are damaged or stolen.

• Initial bonus

  This card's initial bonus used to be 20,000 points for spending $1,000 within the first 3 months.

The Wells Fargo Propel benefits were plentiful, but you cannot apply for this card anymore. So, you might want to check out our editors' latest picks for the best travel credit cards on the market and see which one better suits your needs.

Your Wells Fargo Propel credit limit will be determined based on your creditworthiness, income, and debt. There are anecdotal reports of some Wells Fargo Propel cardholders getting credit limits of over $20,000, but Wells Fargo doesn't disclose a minimum or a maximum.

Please note that no matter what credit limit you get on your Wells Fargo Propel card, it's not a good idea to max out the card. Instead, you should aim to use less than 30 percent of your credit limit each month.

If you're not happy with your initial limit, after at least 6 months of on-time payments, you can call Wells Fargo at (800) 642-4720 (they don't accept requests for higher credit limits online). The representative will ask for your annual income, your monthly mortgage payment, and your desired credit limit.

The Wells Fargo Propel bonus is no longer available as the card has been discontinued in 2021. In the past, successful applicants were able to get 20,000 points for spending $1,000 within 3 months of account opening. Wells Fargo Propel was designed as an everyday spending card that also catered well to travel, as it earned 3 points / $1 on flights, hotels, car rentals, gas stations, dining, streaming services and more.

If you are after a Wells Fargo credit card with everyday spending rewards and travel perks, the Wells Fargo Visa Signature® Card offers 5 points per $1 spent on gas, grocery, and drugstore purchases for 6 months on up to $12,500 spent, and 1 point on all other purchases. And points have 50% more value when redeemed for airfare. The card also features a $0 annual fee and an introductory purchase APR of 0% for 15 months (12.49% - 25.49% (V), based on creditworthiness, thereafter).

Wells Fargo has a credit card lineup that caters to a wide range of needs, so make sure to check out our editors' picks for the best Wells Fargo credit cards. If you're not tied to Wells Fargo as an issuer and prefer considerable bonuses, take a look at the best credit card sign-up bonuses.

Wells Fargo Propel rental car insurance offers up to $50,000 per rental in reimbursement for damage to or theft of a rental vehicle. The car rental must have been charged entirely to the Propel card in order to be eligible. Rentals are covered for up to 31 consecutive days in the U.S. and Canada only.

There are plenty of exceptions to the coverage, though. For example, trucks, RVs, mini-buses and vehicles valued over $50,000 are not covered. Neither are antique cars (over 25 years old or not manufactured in the last 10 years). In addition, certain situations are not eligible for coverage. Those include driving while intoxicated, damage due to war, or regular wear and tear. Check your card's guide to benefits for full details.

To start the Wells Fargo Propel rental car insurance claims process, first notify the Claim Administrator of your intent to file a claim by calling 1-855-830-3727. They will send you a claim form, which you must return within 45 days of the incident, along with secondary information such as a copy of your credit card statement that shows the rental, police reports, and the automobile rental agreement.

Keep in mind that Wells Fargo Propel rental car insurance is secondary. So if your existing auto insurance policy covers rental cars, you will have to go through that first. After that, the Propel card's coverage may provide additional reimbursement.

Wells Fargo Propel's streaming rewards are 3 points per $1 spent on most popular streaming services, both for video and music. Some of the major services included in the bonus category are Apple Music and TV, Amazon Music, Prime Video, Netflix, ESPN+, Disney+, Kindle Unlimited, Hulu, and Spotify. There are 18 total eligible services.

There is a bit of fine print when it comes to the Wells Fargo Propel streaming bonus category. If your streaming service is billed to your card bundled with another service or membership, or if it's provided by a third party rather than the streaming service company, the purchase may not be eligible for bonus points. It's also good to note that Propel doesn't just offer bonus points on streaming services. It also offers 3 points per $1 spent on gas, travel, dining, transit and rideshare services. All other purchases give you 1 point per $1 spent.

There are two types of Wells Fargo Propel travel insurance: travel accident insurance and travel inconvenience insurance for lost or damaged baggage. Each type of travel insurance is a free benefit,  available to the cardholder, their spouse and their unmarried dependent children. In both cases, the cardholder must pay for the fare entirely with the Propel card in order to be eligible.

Wells Fargo Propel travel accident insurance offers up to $150,000 per trip in reimbursement for death or disfigurement caused by a common carrier. A common carrier is a travel provider such as an airline, train, cruise ship, etc. The travel insurance only covers injury and death while you are traveling, not during other times on your trip. There are some exclusions, too, such as emotional trauma, self-inflicted injuries, disease and more.

The Propel card's baggage insurance offers up to $1,000 per person, per trip when your bags are lost or stolen while you're traveling on a common carrier. But no more than $250 of this reimbursement can be for jewelry or fur. In addition, some other items are excluded, including perishables, cameras, money, art, electronics and more.

The Wells Fargo Propel card also provides rental car insurance, but this is not traditionally considered to be “travel insurance.” The rental car insurance coverage will reimburse you up to $50,000 if a car you rent with the Propel card in the U.S. or Canada is damaged or stolen.