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The Perfect Pair: How Wells Fargo’s Autograph Journey and Active Cash Cards Work Together

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Stella Shon
Updated: 
Edited by: Ryan Smith
& Kellie Jez
The Perfect Pair: How Wells Fargo’s Autograph Journey and Active Cash Cards Work Together
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If you plan on only carrying 2 credit cards in your wallet, it makes sense to pick ones that work well together. A perfect example of such a pairing is the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card and the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.

Given the low or no annual fee associated with the cards, your out-of-pocket cost for carrying both cards is minimal compared to other, flashier cards out there.

Ultimately, if you focus on earning and optimizing the number of rewards you take home every month, you’ll want to take a serious look at this credit card combo.

Let’s take a look at why these cards make an ideal duo.

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Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card Overview

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card
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U.P. Rating 
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs 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.

A powerful point earning card with access to transfer partners.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card
A powerful point earning card with access to transfer partners.
Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.
60,000 points
$900
$95
19.49%, 25.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
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 card application.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
Why We Like This Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph JourneySM Card is an excellent option for those looking for a great all-around travel rewards card that offers bonus categories on hotels, airfare, travel, and dining, giving you the opportunity to earn points on these purchases quickly.

Plus the card offers flexible redemption options including access to transfer partners, an annual statement credit with airfare purchase, and no foreign transaction fees.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Earn 5x points on hotels
  • Earn 4x points on airfare
  • Earn 3x points on other travel and restaurants; 1x on other purchases
Cons
  • $95 annual fee
  • List of transfer partners is smaller than competing programs
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 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.
  • Earn unlimited 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, and 1X points on other purchases.
  • $95 Annual Fee.
  • Book your travel with the Autograph Journey Card and enjoy Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Baggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.
  • Earn a $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.
  • Up to $1,000 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
  • 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: 19.49%, 25.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

This past spring, the banking giant launched its first-ever premier travel rewards credit card earning transferrable points — and it’s a keeper.

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card comes with an affordable $95 annual fee and numerous opportunities to earn bonus points — with no caps to the categories below:

  • 5x points on hotels
  • 4x points on airlines
  • 3x points on all other travel purchases and restaurants
  • 1x points on all other eligilble purchases

The bonus categories on this credit card are, simply put, outstanding. Whether you’re a traveler who books luxury hotels one day and budget-friendly airport stays the next, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card is a superb catch-all option, earning bonus points on any travel purchase.

You can also find long-term value from the card by using its $50 annual airfare credit. It will immediately kick in after you pay for a flight of $50 or more with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, and a statement credit should appear within a few days.

» Related: The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Is My Favorite Travel Card — Here’s Why

Wells Fargo Active Cash Card Overview

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
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U.P. Rating 
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs 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 Active Cash card earns 2% cash rewards on purchases with no annual fee.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
The Wells Fargo Active Cash card earns 2% cash rewards on purchases with no annual fee.
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
$200 cash rewards bonus
$0
0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49% or 28.49% Variable APR thereafter.
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 card application.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
  • No annual fee
  • 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49% or 28.49% Variable APR thereafter
Cons
    • No bonus categories for those who want to optimize certain purchases
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 a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
  • Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
  • 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49% or 28.49% Variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
  • $0 annual fee.
  • No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
  • Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
  • Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
Financial Snapshot
  • APR: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49% or 28.49% Variable APR thereafter.
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction converted to U.S. dollars.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash card is one of the best cash rewards cards on the market. With no annual fee, the card offers an unlimited 2% cash rewards rate on all eligible purchases with the card.

This card also offers a 0% introductory APR offer, which could be good if you’re looking to finance large purchases:

0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 18.49%, 24.49% or 28.49% Variable APR thereafter

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Why These Wells Fargo Cards Are Better Together

The Wells Fargo Active Cash card earns cash rewards on its own, but when paired with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, you can convert those rewards into Wells Fargo Rewards points.

With the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, you can enjoy up to 5x points on its stated bonus categories. However, the 2% cash rewards rate on the Wells Fargo Active Cash card effectively turns into 2x points per dollar spent on non-bonus purchases.

In other words, by pairing the cards together, you will always earn at least 2x points on all purchases — and for minimal annual fees compared to other rewards credit cards on the market.

Both Wells Fargo credit cards offer complimentary cell phone protection when paying your monthly cell phone bill, though the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card offers higher coverage limits:

  • Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card: Receive up to $1,000 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $50 deductible.
  • Wells Fargo Active Cash card: Receive up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.

In this case, it may be worth forgoing the 2% cash rewards rate on the Wells Fargo Active Cash card. Putting your cell phone bill on autopay with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card can help you be eligible for up to $1,000 of protection in case your phone breaks or gets stolen.

Hot Tip:

Combining your rewards is simple. You can do it via the Wells Fargo Rewards portal when logged in online or via the Wells Fargo app (iOS, Google Play).

Redeeming Wells Fargo Rewards

When it comes time to redeem Wells Fargo Rewards points, the program has excellent transfer partners to some of our favorite international airline programs — where the true value often lies with redeeming points.

If you want to book business class flights, the Air France-KLM Flying Blue program offers one-way flights to Europe starting at 60,000 points, while the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club provides fantastic one-way rates to Japan with partner All Nippon Airways (ANA), starting at 52,500 points.

Virgin Atlantic planes at gate
Experience Virgin’s Upper Class for less. Image Credit: Christine Krzyszton

However, my personal favorite and vastly underrated way to redeem Wells Fargo Rewards points is through its sole hotel partner, Choice Privileges. The transfer ratio is 1:2, which means 1 Wells Fargo point can transfer as 2 Choice points.

Award nights within the program start at just 6,000 Choice Privileges points, so you’ll only need 3,000 Wells Fargo Rewards points thanks to the favorable transfer ratio.

How does this work in practice? For every $1,500 spent on my Wells Fargo Active Cash card or $600 spent on hotels with my Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, I can earn enough Wells Fargo points for one hotel night through Choice Privileges.

That’s an exceptional value for frequent travelers, making it one of the best hotel cards on the market.

Final Thoughts

Wells Fargo, one of the largest banks in the U.S., has significantly boosted its rewards credit card portfolio in 2024. As such, the sweet spot credit card pairing is easily the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and the Wells Fargo Active Cash card, which ensures you can earn between 2x and 5x points on all of your eligible purchases.

Featured Image Credit: Upgraded Points
Stella Shon's image

About Stella Shon

With a degree in media and journalism, Stella has been in the points and miles game for more than 6 years. She most recently worked as a Corporate Communications Analyst for JetBlue. Find her work in The New York Times, USA Today, and more.

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