The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card is a top-notch travel card for only $95 per year.

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card is a new travel credit card that offers a competitive edge with its generous welcome offer, high rate of earning rewards points, and the ability to transfer rewards points to partner travel loyalty programs starting on April 4, 2024.

If you're seeking a new travel card, CNBC Select offers the necessary information to determine if the Autograph Journey card is the best fit for you.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card review

Welcome bonus

New Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa Card members can earn 60,000 rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases with the card in the first three months of account opening. Currently, you can redeem Wells Fargo rewards points for one cent per point, which means the bonus is worth at least $600.

Benefits and perks

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa Card offers a $50 annual airline credit, which can be earned by making an eligible purchase of at least $50. This benefit can be used for airfare or baggage fees, making the card's effective annual fee $45 when taken at face value.

Cardholders will also appreciate this card's travel protections, which include:

• Travel and emergency assistance
• Rental car coverage (secondary in U.S.)
• Lost baggage reimbursement
• Trip cancellation and interruption protection
• Travel accident insurance

With a Visa Signature® card, you can utilize Visa Signature Concierge and book stays at the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection. The concierge services can assist you with travel, entertainment, and dinner reservations. Additionally, when you reserve a stay through the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection, you will receive perks such as free breakfast for two, room upgrades (when available), and a $25 food and beverage credit.

How to earn and redeem rewards

Earning

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa Card offers high rates on hotel and flight bookings without requiring customers to book through a specific site or travel portal.

• 5X points on hotels
• 4X points on airlines
• 3X points on all other travel
• 3X points on restaurants
• 1X points on all other purchases

Redeeming

You can redeem Wells Fargo Rewards in various ways, such as gift cards, travel, statement credit, and ATM withdrawals. Each redemption is worth one cent per rewards point, so 10,000 points are worth $100.

On April 4, 2024, when Wells Fargo Rewards travel partner transfers become available, you can significantly enhance the worth and adaptability of your rewards. The initial selection of partners includes:

• Choice Privileges®
• Air France-KLM
• Flying Blue
• Avianca LifeMiles
• British Airways Executive Club
• AerClub
• Iberia Plus

With these partners, you can book flights with every major airline alliance and most of the biggest U.S.-based airlines. Wells Fargo plans to announce new transfer partners.

You can book American Airlines and Alaska Airlines flights through British Airways for flights under 650 miles in distance for 7,500 points and flights under 1,151 miles for 9,000 points. You can also reserve flights on United Airlines through Avianca for as little as 7,500 miles one-way. Additionally, you can book Delta flights through its partner Air France-KLM.

You could use the 60,000 points earned from the welcome bonus to book a round-trip award from the U.S. to Europe on Avianca, which often charges fewer miles for trans-Atlantic flights, leaving you with points to spare after your trip.

Iberia provides one-way business-class awards from cities such as Chicago, Boston, and New York to Spain for only 34,000 miles each way, which is a great deal for a ticket that can cost more than $3,500.

Rates and fees

The annual fee for the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa Card is $95, and there are no foreign transaction fees. The standard APR is a variable rate of 21.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99% based on your creditworthiness.

Card comparison

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa Card is similar to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card in terms of its annual fee ($95), travel protections, and redemption options (including points transfers).

The Sapphire Preferred offers more comprehensive travel protections, including trip delay reimbursement, primary rental car insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty protection, compared to the Autograph Journey. However, if you require cell phone coverage, the Autograph Journey may have a better set of built-in insurance benefits.

While the Autograph Journey card offers more rewards for travel purchases, Wells Fargo's limited transfer partners hinder its potential value. However, with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can transfer to 14 airlines and hotels, including Hyatt, Marriott, Southwest, Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, and United, providing more versatility and higher potential value.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card vs. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is more rewarding for those who don't spend much on travel or dining, as it earns at least 2X miles on every purchase. This means that you could earn double the rewards on any purchases that fall outside of the Autograph Journey's bonus categories.

Capital One has 18 travel partners and direct access to all of the programs partnered with Wells Fargo except for Aer Lingus and Iberia. However, both of those airlines are part of the Avios program and you can transfer your Capital One miles from British Airways to Aer Lingus and Iberia. The only clear advantage the Autograph Journey has in the points transfer department is a better 1:2 transfer ratio to Choice Hotels. Unless you base your travel plans around using Choice points, the Venture Rewards card may be a stronger option for consumers who don't spend heavily on travel and dining.

Is the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card right for you?

Earning high points for hotel and airline purchases with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa Card is a traveler's dream. With 5X points for hotel purchases and 4X points for airline purchases, this card is a must-have for anyone interested in travel. Even if you don't earn bonus rewards points with hotels and airlines, the 3X points earned for general travel and dining purchases make it a worthwhile investment. Additionally, the $50 annual airline credit helps offset more than half of the card's $95 annual fee.

If you're looking for a card that offers rewards on spending other than dining and travel, you might want to consider other options. While the Autograph Journey has great insurance benefits, it doesn't include primary rental car coverage.

Bottom line

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Visa Card is a top-performing travel credit card that offers excellent rewards for hotel and airline purchases. Cardholders will soon have access to transfer partners, although the list is currently smaller than comparable programs, it will expand in the future.

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