3 Reasons Why the Wells Fargo One Key Card Is a Must-Have for Casual Travelers

I’m part of a small group of travelers willing to spend endless hours searching for award flights, pay hefty credit card annual fees, and go to great lengths to earn elite airline status — but I realize most aren’t.

And that’s why the new One Key™ Card, issued by Wells Fargo, is an excellent option. With a $0 annual fee, the ability to earn strong rewards on everyday spending, and even complimentary travel insurance, the One Key card is one of the best options out there for casual travelers. Let’s talk about it.

1. One Key Card Has No Annual Fee

In fact, there are 2 One Key cards from Wells Fargo:

• One Key+™ Card: Charges a $99 annual fee
• One Key card: $0 annual fee

While the higher-end One Key+ card offers higher One Key elite status, $100 in OneKeyCash each card anniversary, and a $100 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit, that’s where its superior benefits end.

Many travelers already have PreCheck or Global Entry, and while the $100 in OneKeyCash is great at face value, I still think the no-annual-fee card is the way to go.

Both cards earn the same amount of OneKeyCash on your purchases. Plus, they’re both World Elite Mastercards, which means they come with many benefits, including travel insurance, cell phone protection, and shopping protection — making for a strong case for the base-level One Key card.

2. Earn No-Fuss Rewards

One of the main reasons people shy away from points and miles is because it can be overly complicated — and I get it. While it’s something I enjoy, many travelers simply don’t have the time for it.

That’s why the One Key card is a solid alternative. It offers generous rewards on everyday expenses, with no caps to the rewards you earn:

• 3% OneKeyCash at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and food delivery
• 3% OneKeyCash at Expedia, Vrbo, and Hotels.com
• 1.5% back everywhere else

Your OneKeyCash can be used for anything within the Expedia Group’s platform, which includes flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation packages, cruises, activities, and U.S. Vrbo rentals. However, when using rewards for flights, you must have enough OneKeyCash to cover the full cost of the flight, including taxes and fees.

OneKeyCash isn’t like other travel rewards. It functions as cash-back rewards, so you can redeem them for anything you like without finding award availability. This makes it simple to use and a good option for those who don’t want to mess around with points and miles but still want to earn valuable rewards for travel.

3. Score Travel and Lifestyle Benefits

OneKeyCash aside, what truly impresses me about the One Key card is the fact that it’s a World Elite Mastercard. That’s not a common feature on credit cards with no annual fee, and there’s a good reason for that: World Elite Mastercards come with some really strong benefits.

Complimentary Travel Insurance

The most impressive benefit you’ll get with the One Key card is complimentary travel insurance. While you can purchase your own travel insurance policies, this credit card also offers a level of insurance at no cost.

For a $0 annual fee card, this is a great benefit. While the best benefits are usually reserved for premium travel credit cards (with annual fees that cost $400+ per year), the ones provided by the One Key card are more than solid:

• Trip cancellation insurance
• Trip interruption insurance
• Travel accident insurance
• Rental car insurance

Cell Phone Insurance

Sure, your cell phone carrier will let you pay extra for insurance, but why bother when your credit card offers complimentary cell phone protection? To be eligible for this coverage, you’ll need to pay your phone bill with your One Key card.

Then, if you have a claim, you’ll need to pay a $25 deductible. Coverage is included if your phone is damaged, stolen, or unrecoverable — cracked screens don’t count. You can claim a maximum of $1,000 per incident and a maximum of 2 claims per 12-month period.

ShopRunner Membership

I use ShopRunner approximately once a year since most of my shopping is done through Amazon. That said, I always appreciate that my World Elite Mastercard covers a ShopRunner membership. This entitles me to free 2-day shipping at popular online retailers, including Bloomingdale’s, Under Armour, and more.

Other Benefits

There are a whole host of other benefits available to those who have a One Key card (or any World Elite Mastercard), including:

• Up to $5 off a monthly Peacock subscription
• $10 off your second Instacart order each month
• $30 statement credit on a $200+ ResortPass booking
• 7% off Booking.com stays

While not all of these are travel-oriented benefits, that’s a good thing. It’s just one more way the One Key card does the work to become an excellent all-in-one option for consumers.

Final Thoughts

The One Key card isn’t for everyone, especially if you’re looking to maximize your rewards. But there are a lot of folks who just don’t have the time to spend poring over points and miles — nor can they stomach the annual fees that some cards charge.

Instead, the One Key card makes it easy to earn and redeem travel rewards, while still offering strong benefits, including travel insurance and cell phone insurance.