Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card Review: Strong Earning Rates and Travel Perks for a Manageable Annual Fee

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Benefits

Generous Welcome Bonus

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card offers new cardholders 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

This is worth at least $600 in travel. But it’s possible to squeeze over $1,000 from these points with a bit of strategy when you transfer rewards to partners.

Rewards

The Autograph Journey Card earns Wells Fargo’s proprietary rewards currency. As we’ll cover in a minute, these points can be used in a variety of ways, including for cash back, making them extremely easy to redeem.

The Autograph Journey Card earns:

• 5 points per dollar on hotels
• 4 points per dollar on airlines
• 3 points per dollar on restaurants and other travel
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases

This earning rate is competitive with (and in some ways outshines) some of the most popular travel rewards credit cards on the market, including the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

If you spend a lot on travel and dining, the Autograph Journey Card is a points-earning heavyweight.

Rewards Redemption Options

The Autograph Journey Card earns some of the most flexible rewards in existence. You can redeem them for truly anything, from a fancy lie-flat business class seat to Europe to an oil change at your local mechanic. But the way that you redeem them can drastically change the value you’ll get from them.

For example, you can offset the price of travel booked through the Wells Fargo Rewards portal at a rate of 1 cent per point. Or, you can cash them out at a rate of 1 cent per point as a statement credit or to your checking account — to offset any purchase.

But the best way to use these points is by transferring them to Wells Fargo’s travel partners. These include:

• Aer Lingus
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• British Airways
• Iberia
• JetBlue
• Virgin Atlantic/Virgin Red
• Choice Privileges

Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to all partners except Choice Privileges, which benefits from a 1:2 ratio (1,000 Wells Fargo Rewards = 2,000 Choice points). Converting rewards into airline miles and hotel points is the only way to get outsized value from them.

As an example, you could transfer 34,000 points to Iberia for a one-way business class flight between Chicago (ORD) and Madrid (MAD) in a lie-flat seat. These seats routinely cost over $2,300, giving you an astounding value of more than 6 cents per point.

Annual Airline Credit

The Autograph Journey Card comes with a decent collection of benefits for its $95 annual fee. The most eye-catching feature is its annual $50 statement credit to reimburse an airline purchase of at least $50. If you buy airfare even once per year, this credit is as good as cash for you.

Cell Phone and Travel Protections

The card also offers a handful of travel protections. You’ll get:

• Secondary rental car insurance (primary when outside the US)
• Trip cancellation and interruption protection
• Travel accident insurance
• Lost baggage reimbursement

One standout protection is its automatic cell phone insurance when paying your monthly phone bill with the card. You can get up to $1,000 of protection on your cell phone (subject to $25 deductible) against covered damage or theft. This will help give you peace of mind that your device is protected while saving you money by not needing to pay out of pocket for the coverage through another provider.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

As a true travel credit card, the Autograph Journey Card does not charge foreign transaction fees, making it a great companion when spending outside the US.

A card with no foreign transaction fees can save you up to 3% on international purchases, which can add up quickly if you’re on a long or pricey trip.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Drawbacks

Annual Fee and Other Costs

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card charges a $95 annual fee. While it’s partially covered by the card’s annual $50 airline credit, it’s still an upfront expense you’ll have to consider.

It also charges a 19.99%, 25.99%, or 28.99% Variable APR , based on your creditworthiness.

Just remember that you won’t pay credit card interest unless you carry a balance month-to-month. Pay off your credit card in full each billing cycle, and you don’t need to worry about your interest rate.

You’ll find other common credit card fees with the card, too, such as:

• Balance transfer fees of 3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5%, min: $5
• Late payment fees up to $40

Travel Insurance Could Be Stronger

The Autograph Journey Card notably lacks trip delay insurance and baggage delay insurance, both of which are found on many of the best credit cards for travel insurance.

If these benefits are important to you, consider a ​​travel credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which has the same annual fee and comes with broader travel insurance coverage.

Modest List of Transfer Partners

Wells Fargo’s list of transfer partners isn’t as large as those of competing programs, such as Chase Ultimate Rewards®, American Express Membership Rewards®, Citi ThankYou® Rewards and Capital One Rewards.

For example, Wells Fargo only has one domestic airline partner (JetBlue TrueBlue), and its hotel partner, Choice Privileges, is best suited to budget-minded travelers. That said, the transfer ratio to Choice is outstanding; you’ll get 2 Choice points for every Wells Fargo point you transfer.

Who Is the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Best For?

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card is a good choice for frequent travelers who can take advantage of its high bonus category earning, annual airline credit, transfer partners and travel coverage.

If you’re a fan of the Wells Fargo Rewards ecosystem, and can use enough perks to justify the $95 annual fee, it’s a solid pick. The airline fee credit and cell phone insurance alone may be enough to wipe out the yearly cost. But if you won’t maximize the card’s benefits, you might also consider the Autograph Journey Card’s little sibling, the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph® Card. While it doesn’t come with as many perks, you can still transfer points to partners, and its earning rates are respectable.

Is It the Right Card For You?

The Autograph Journey Card may be a good travel credit card for your situation if even two or three of the following bullets describe you:

• You spend a lot on travel or dining purchases
• You value the ability to convert rewards into airline miles and hotel points
• You currently pay for cell phone insurance
• You pay at least $50 for airfare each year

Alternatives to the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card isn’t the only mid-tier flexible travel points card on the market. These alternatives may be a better fit, depending on your spending habits and travel preferences:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: The $95-annual-fee Sapphire Preferred Card is widely regarded as one of the best travel cards for beginners. With a hefty welcome bonus, excellent transfer partners and standout travel insurance, it’s ideal for those who want an all-purpose card that covers all the bases. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card benefits are above average for a card at this price point.
• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card: Also with a $95 annual fee, the Premium Rewards credit card is a solid pick for travelers who value simplicity and don’t need the ability to transfer rewards to partners. The Premium Rewards credit card comes with strong benefits, including up to $100 in annual airline incidental statement credits, a credit of up to $100 every four years toward the TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee, and top-notch travel protections. Plus, if you’re a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you can earn up to 75% more rewards on your purchases, depending on how much you have on deposit with Bank of America or its investment arm, Merrill.