Wells Fargo Autograph Card vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited Card [Detailed Comparison]

With the right everyday spending card, earning rewards on every purchase requires little effort. Finding the right card that matches your spending mix can be more arduous.

Fortunately, today’s comparison features 2 everyday spending cards packed with earning potential, flexible redemption choices, and plenty of additional benefits.

The no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card and Chase Freedom Unlimited^® are perfect to consider as go-to everyday cards.

Next, we’ll explore card details and the reasons these 2 cards should be on your rewards-earning radar.

Wells Fargo Autograph Card vs. Freedom Unlimited Card — Overview

Before we progress through the details of the Wells Fargo Autograph card and Freedom Unlimited card, a side-by-side overview might be helpful.

Here’s how our featured cards compare overall:

* Premium Chase cards include those with an annual fee, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, and Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card.

The Value of a Welcome Offer

Immediately after card approval for the Wells Fargo Autograph card or the Freedom Unlimited card, you have the opportunity to earn a welcome bonus offer.

Welcome bonus offers can be worth hundreds of dollars and are earned by meeting spending requirements within the specified period.

These offers vary, so review the most current offer before applying. Here are current card snapshots containing the most recent information:

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card offers great 3x bonus points and cell phone protection with no annual fee.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card offers great 3x bonus points and cell phone protection with no annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.

20,000 points

Annual Fee

$0

APR

0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases, 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% variable APR thereafter

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is an excellent no annual fee card that offers 3x points on 6 different bonus categories. Choose from multiple options when you’re ready to redeem your rewards, and take advantage of great perks including cell phone protection, auto rental collision damage waiver, and no foreign transaction fees.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 spent on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans
• 1x points per $1 spent on other purchases
• No annual fee

Cons

• Points are worth a fixed 1 cent per point, so it isn’t possible to get outsized value

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Select “Learn More” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
• 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 unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up – like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
• $0 annual fee.
• 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% variable APR thereafter.
• Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
• Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.
• Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature^® Concierge.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases, 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% variable APR thereafter
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

INTRO OFFER

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!

Welcome Offer

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Up to $300 cash-back

Annual Fee

$0

APR

0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Freedom Unlimited^® is easily one of the best cash-back credit cards on the market. There aren’t many no-annual-fee credit cards that offer multiple great bonus categories like 5% back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% back on all other purchases.

When paired with other Chase cards in the Ultimate Rewards family, you can transfer that cash back into points if you wish – making it one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.
• 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases

Cons

• 3% foreign transaction fee

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!
• Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year).
• After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
• No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
• Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.
• No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited^® card
• Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 0% Intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Bottom Line:

The Wells Fargo Autograph card and Freedom Unlimited card come with welcome offers that can be earned in the specified period after card approval. Welcome bonus offers can be worth up to hundreds of dollars.

Earning Potential

The Wells Fargo Autograph card earns flexible Wells Fargo Rewards points. The Freedom Unlimited card is marketed as a cash-back card but first earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points that can subsequently be redeemed for cash-back.

Matching a potential card’s earning categories to your actual spending mix is a key consideration when selecting a rewards-earning card.

Here’s how you earn rewards on each of our featured cards:

When we compare earnings on travel purchases, the Wells Fargo Autograph card has the edge, earning 3x points on all travel. The Freedom Unlimited card earns well on flights and hotels purchased via Chase Travel and 1.5% cash-back on all other travel.

The Wells Fargo Autograph card offers bonus earnings on streaming services and phone plans, and the Freedom Unlimited card has them at drugstores. Both cards earn well on dining.

One key earning difference between the cards is earnings on purchases that do not fall into these bonus categories. If you have large purchases such as tuition expenses, household remodeling or repairs, medical expenses, etc., you may fare better with the Freedom Unlimited card, earning 1.5% cash-back, than the Wells Fargo Autograph card, earning 1x points.

Bottom Line:

The Wells Fargo Autograph card earns well on travel, dining, streaming services, and phone plans. The Freedom Unlimited card offers bonus earnings on flights and hotels via Chase Travel, dining, and drugstores. All other purchases earn just 1x points with the Wells Fargo Autograph card versus a better 1.5% cash-back with the Freedom Unlimited card.

Redemption Options

It’s a proud moment when you have accumulated a stash of rewards and are ready to redeem them for a special getaway.

With the Wells Fargo Autograph card or Freedom Unlimited card, rewards offer endless possibilities.

Here is an overview of the redemption options for our featured cards and additional information to help make your rewards go further:

The Wells Fargo Autograph card earns Wells Fargo Rewards points, and the Freedom Unlimited Card earns cash-back as Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Based on the options at redemption time, we value Wells Fargo Rewards points at approximately 1.5 cents each and Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents each.

Here are the best redemption options for maximizing rewards with our featured cards.

Wells Fargo Rewards Points

Wells Fargo Rewards points earned on the Wells Fargo Autograph card can be redeemed for 1 cent each for a statement credit, shopping, gift cards, or charitable donations. Greater value is possible when points are transferred to airline or hotel partners.

Redeem for Flights

Wells Fargo Rewards points can be redeemed for 1 cent each for travel via the Wells Fargo Rewards portal. Transferring points to airline partners can yield far greater potential value.

Wells Fargo has 5 airline transfer partners, including Aer Lingus AerClub, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, and Iberia Plus.

While the list is not as extensive as Chase’s, using these partners, you can book with all 3 major airline alliances. Points transfer at a ratio of 1:1.

For example, you can secure a flight for just 55,000 Flying Blue miles from the U.S. to Europe. Fares can be even less when utilizing monthly Flying Blue Promo Rewards.

Redeem for Free Hotel Nights

There is just 1 Wells Fargo hotel program transfer partner, but the Choice Privileges loyalty program offers great value for your rewards.

Wells Fargo points transfer to Choice Privileges at a 1:2 ratio. This means a hotel requiring 16,000 Choice Privileges points can be booked after transferring only 8,000 Wells Fargo points!

Here are a few sweet properties you can book for that amount:

• Clarion Collection Hotel Folketeateret (Oslo, Norway)
• Clarion Hotel Admiral (Bergen, Norway)
• Hotel Caribe By Faranda Grand, A Member Of Radisson Individuals (Cartagena, Colombia)
• Selma Spa+ (Sunne, Sweden)

Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

The Freedom Unlimited card is marketed as a cash-back card but earns rewards first as points that can generally be redeemed for a flat rate of 1 cent each.

The true value of Ultimate Rewards points is unleashed when the Freedom Unlimited card is paired with a premium Chase card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Chase Sapphire Reserve card. You can then transfer points from the Freedom Unlimited card to either of these cards and then redeem for potentially greater value.

When you redeem for travel via Chase Travel, you can redeem Ultimate Rewards points for 1.25 cents with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and 1.5 cents each with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

You can transfer points from either of these premium cards to airline or hotel partners for even greater potential value.

Hot Tip:

Looking for ideas on ways to use your Chase points? Check out our suggestions!

Redeem for Flights

Chase has nearly a dozen airline transfer partners. With its 1:1 transfer ratio, finding good value for your rewards is not difficult.

For example, we like Air Canada Aeroplan as a solid transfer partner for securing business class flights to Europe for just 60,000 points. Adding a stopover can be just 5,000 additional points.

Redeem for Free Hotel Nights

Chase has 3 hotel program transfer partners: IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt. We like the value of transferring points to World of Hyatt best for receiving outsized value.

A standard room in a Category 1 hotel starts at 3,500 points per night. Or you can splurge at the all-inclusive Hyatt Ziva Cancun for just 42,000 points per night.

Bottom Line:

The Wells Fargo Autograph card and the Freedom Unlimited card offer endless reward redemption possibilities. The best redemptions involve transferring rewards to airline or hotel partners. However, to maximize value beyond 1 cent per point with the Freedom Unlimited card, you need a Chase premium card.

Travel Protections and Benefits

Travel protections can provide needed economic relief should something happen during your trip. Benefits can save you money on select purchases or make travel more comfortable.

Here are the travel protections and benefits featured on the Wells Fargo Autograph card and the Freedom Unlimited card:

• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver — Reserve and pay for your car rental and decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW insurance to receive coverage for damage and theft.
  • With the Wells Fargo Autograph card, coverage is secondary in the U.S. and primary outside of the U.S. where coverage is available.
  • Using the Freedom Unlimited card, coverage is secondary within your country of residence and primary in most other countries.
• Roadside Dispatch — No worries when stranded roadside, as 1 call and 1 prearranged service fee can get you back on the road. Services can include limited towing, lockout, and jump-start services, changing of an inflated spare, emergency fuel delivery, and standard winching.
• Travel and Emergency Assistance — Receive help finding a translator, legal or medical referrals, emergency transportation, and more with just 1 call. Cardholders are responsible for the cost of actual services received.

Wells Fargo Autograph Card

• No Foreign Transaction Fees — Foreign transaction fees can be 3% or more of your foreign purchase. The Wells Fargo Autograph card does not charge these fees.
• Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection Benefits — Book your stay using your card to enjoy elite benefits that include an upgraded room (when available), breakfast for 2, complimentary Wi-Fi, late checkout on request (when available), a $25 food/beverage credit, and VIP guest status.

Freedom Unlimited Card

• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance — If your trip needs to be canceled or is disrupted for a covered reason, you could receive up to $1,500 per person, up to $6,000 per trip, for prepaid, nonrefundable tickets. A portion of your ticket must be paid for with your card.

Bottom Line:

The Wells Fargo Autograph card and Freedom Unlimited card have car rental insurance, roadside dispatch, and travel emergency assistance. The Wells Fargo Autograph card does not charge foreign transaction fees and has Visa Signature hotel benefits. The Freedom Unlimited card has better overall travel insurance benefits, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance.

Shopping Protections and Benefits

Qualifying items purchased with your card could receive extended protection should something go wrong with your purchase. Shopping benefits can also save you money on select purchases.

The Wells Fargo Autograph card and the Freedom Unlimited card include several such features.

Here are the shopping protections and benefits found on both featured cards and those unique to each card:

• Introductory 0% APR on Purchases — Pay large or multiple purchases back over time with no interest charges:
  • Wells Fargo Autograph card — 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases, 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% variable APR thereafter.
  • Freedom Unlimited card — 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%.

Wells Fargo Autograph Card

• Cell Phone Protection — Pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card and receive coverage to replace or repair your damaged or stolen phone. You could receive up to $600 per claim, up to 2 claims per 12 months, up to $1,200. There is a $25 deductible per claim.
• My Wells Fargo Deals — Your online card account has several offers with participating merchants. You can earn additional cash-back by making the required purchase with your card.
• Wells Fargo Exclusives — Cardholders can purchase up to 6 tickets for exclusive entertainment events.

Freedom Unlimited Card

• Purchase Protection — Eligible items purchased with your card could have protection for damage or theft up to 120 days from the date of purchase. You could receive reimbursement for up to $500 per item for replacement or repair.
• Extended Warranty — Eligible items with manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years or less could receive an additional year.
• DoorDash DashPass — Receive a complimentary 3-month subscription and an additional 9-month option for 50% off. Enroll by January 31, 2025.
• Chase Offers — Log in to your online card account to find offers from select retailers and service providers. Add the offer to your card, make the required purchase, and receive cash-back as a statement credit.

Bottom Line:

The Wells Fargo Autograph card offers cell phone protection and access to entertainment events. The Freedom Unlimited card has product protection coverages. Both cards offer shopping portal deals and an introductory 0% APR period for purchases.

Fees and Authorized Users

It’s important to review any additional fees you might incur with either of our featured cards.

First, neither the Wells Fargo Autograph card nor the Freedom Unlimited card charges an annual fee.

Next, there is no fee to add authorized users to either card.

Both cards have an introductory 0% APR on purchases. The Freedom Unlimited card also offers a 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on balance transfers, then a variable APR of 19.74% - 28.49%. There is a fee of either $5 or 3% of the transfer amount, whichever is greater, on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, the fee is $5 or 5% of the transfer amount, whichever is greater.

And finally, it’s important to know that the Freedom Unlimited card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, while the Wells Fargo Autograph card does not charge these fees.

You can learn more about any associated card fees by clicking on the Learn More tab in the card snapshots at the beginning of the article.

Final Thoughts

When selecting a card for everyday purchases, the Wells Fargo Autograph card or Freedom Unlimited card could serve you well if matched well with your most frequent spending categories. The Freedom Unlimited card may be a better earning fit if you have heavy expenses in nonbonus categories offering a solid 1.5% cash-back earnings on all purchases.

While both cards have several options, the Wells Fargo Autograph card is the better card at redemption time. It has direct access to transfer partners and does not require holding an additional premium card to receive maximum value. If you hold a premium Chase card, the Freedom Unlimited card is an excellent choice as a companion card.

If you’re an international frequent traveler and don’t hold a premium travel rewards card, the Wells Fargo Autograph card is better, as it does not charge foreign transaction fees.