Is the Wells Fargo Autograph worth it?

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If you’re exploring your options for credit cards that offer a solid rewards structure and no annual fee, the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is one card that may be worth your consideration.

Below, we’ll take a look at this card’s perks and benefits to see if it might bring value based on your spending habits and financial needs.

When is the Wells Fargo Autograph worth it?

If you want to earn rewards in common spending categories

The first thing that stands out about the Wells Fargo Autograph is its generous rewards rate on common spending categories. You’ll earn 3X points on purchases made at restaurants, gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations, travel, transit, select streaming services and phone plans. All other spending earns 1X points.

Also, it’s worth noting that popular streaming services include Disney+, YouTube TV and Spotify Premium.

If you want flexible redemption options

This card is a part of the Wells Fargo Rewards program. When it comes to using your rewards, some of your redemption options include:

• Statement credits to offset eligible purchases
• Gift cards (in $25 increments)
• Travel (with limitations)
• Paying with rewards through PayPal
• Cash from a Wells Fargo ATM (redeem in $20 increments with your Wells Fargo ATM or debit card)

If you want to earn a welcome bonus

Another notable perk of this card is its welcome bonus. You can earn 20,000 bonus points (worth $200 in cash redemption value) after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

If you want an intro APR offer on purchases

This card also comes with a 0 percent intro APR for the first 12 months from account opening on purchases, followed by a 20.24 percent, 25.24 percent or 29.99 percent variable APR.

Although introductory APR offers are pretty standard among rewards cards these days, an intro APR offer on new purchases is still helpful if you have a large purchase coming up that you’d like to pay off over time, interest-free.

If you want cellphone protection

By paying your monthly cellphone bill with your Autograph card, you’ll be eligible for cellphone protection with Wells Fargo. If your phone is damaged or stolen, you can get reimbursed for up to $600 per claim (subject to a $25 deductible). Note, you can submit up to two claims per year ($1,200 maximum coverage). You also must consistently use the Wells Fargo Autograph Card to pay your monthly cellphone bill to take advantage of this benefit.

If you want additional card perks

In addition to earning rewards and redeeming them in a variety of ways, there are some other card perks that make this card even more worthwhile, such as:

• An auto rental collision damage waiver
• Travel and emergency assistance services (terms apply)
• Pay-per-use roadside dispatch
• Visa Signature perks like access to Visa Signature® Concierge service and the Luxury Hotel Collection properties

If you enjoy traveling abroad

It’s also worth noting that the Autograph Card doesn’t charge foreign currency conversion fees, which typically cost about 3 percent of your transaction. This fee can apply when you are traveling overseas or even purchasing something from a retailer based outside of the United States.

When is the Wells Fargo Autograph not worth it?

If you want to earn boosted value for travel purchases

One thing you might miss with this card is the option to get more value on travel redemptions. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers the potential for heightened points value when transferring to Chase travel partners — you can get up to 2 cents per point in value when redeeming with high-value transfer partners, according to our valuations — as well as a 25 percent boost on points redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

These are two perks that the Wells Fargo Autograph card lacks — the Autograph doesn’t offer the ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners, and points are only worth 1 cent each toward travel redemptions. But if this isn’t a deal breaker for you, we still think the Autograph offers enough rewards, perks and benefits to make it worthwhile.

If you don’t want to keep track of bonus categories

If a card with bonus categories isn’t for you, you might want to consider a flat cash back card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, which offers 2 percent cash rewards on purchases. This card also comes with no annual fee, a welcome bonus of $200 in cash rewards (after spending $500 in purchases within the first three months) and other card perks.

Should you get the Wells Fargo Autograph?

Unlike rotating bonus category cards, the Autograph doesn’t require you to activate any bonus categories to start earning points. Simply swipe your card for purchases and see points accumulate in your Wells Fargo account (accessible online or via the mobile app). If you frequently spend in this card’s categories, and if you don’t want to pay an annual fee, this card could be worthwhile for you.

The bottom line

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card offers a generous welcome bonus, a respectable rewards structure on some common spending categories and many other card benefits. Because there’s no annual fee, there’s not much you can lose by keeping this card around.