Key takeaways
- We think the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey is one of the best travel credit cards for its price range ($95 annual fee). It has a uniquely high rewards rate you won’t find with many other cards, and it has competitive travel and protection benefits.
- The cell phone protection on this card is better than average. You can receive up to $1,000 per claim (minus a $25 deductible), up to two claims, and a maximum of $2,000 per 12-month period.
- The main Wells Fargo Autograph Journey drawback is that we wish it had access to more transfer partners. We expect Wells Fargo to improve on this if it wants its cards to compete in this space.
Who should get the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey?
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey makes the most sense if you travel frequently, as you can take advantage of earning points on travel-related purchases, such as hotel stays and flights.
But we think the Autograph Journey could also make sense if you only travel occasionally. Its low $95 annual fee effectively drops by $50 if you use the $50 annual airfare statement credit each year. That ends up being a small effective annual fee for a card that offers plenty of value.
If you want to avoid annual fees completely, then the Autograph Journey won’t work for you.
This card also loses some of its rewards rate value if you already have specific hotel and airline cards you use for those types of purchases. For example, if you frequently stay at Hilton hotels and always use a Hilton credit card to pay for your Hilton stays, then the Autograph Journey would be a secondary choice.
Credit card basics
Card type | Travel |
Credit card issuer | Wells Fargo |
Credit card network | Visa |
Annual fee | $95 |
Welcome offer | Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip |
Reward rate | Earn unlimited 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, and 1X points on other purchases |
Recommended credit score | Excellent, Good |
Foreign transaction fee | None |
Why we like the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey credit card: benefits and perks
- Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.
- High rewards rate: Earn unlimited 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, and 1X points on other purchases. This is a high earning rate that most other travel cards can’t match.
- Annual airfare statement credit: Earn a $50 annual statement credit with a $50 minimum airline purchase.
- No foreign transaction fees: Avoid paying foreign transaction fees while traveling abroad or making purchases from foreign merchants.
- Travel protection benefits: Take advantage of travel protection benefits, including trip cancellation insurance.
- Cell phone protection: You can receive reimbursement for damaged, stolen, or unrecoverable cell phones. Receive up to $1,000 per claim (minus a $25 deductible) for up to two claims and a maximum of $2,000 per 12-month period.
- Autograph card exclusives: Receive access to exclusive live entertainment events as an Autograph Journey cardholder.
- Points transfer: With certain Wells Fargo credit cards, including the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card and Wells Fargo Autograph Journey, you can transfer your points to travel partner loyalty programs. Some available partners include Choice Privileges, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, and British Airways Executive Club.
- Credit limit: The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey has a minimum credit limit of $2,000.
What we don’t like about this card: drawbacks
- Annual fee: There’s a $95 annual fee. If you compare credit cards, there are plenty of cards with no annual fee. But as travel cards go, the Autograph Journey’s annual fee is reasonable.
- Limited transfer partners: The Autograph Journey starts out with (essentially) four transfer partners because British Airways Executive Club, AerClub, and Iberia Plus all share Avios rewards. Some of the best rewards credit cards have 10 or more transfer partners.
Earning and redeeming Wells Fargo Autograph Journey rewards
Potential earnings in years one and two
Here's a look at how your rewards can add up with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey credit card. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 0.01.
Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.
Year one earnings: $1,250
Year two earnings: $650
These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model which takes a look at points earned via spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee.
Best ways to earn
Category | Rewards rate |
Hotels | 5X |
Airlines | 4X |
Other travel and restaurants | 3X |
Other purchases | 1X |
The best way to earn rewards with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey is by using it as much as possible on travel-related purchases. For example, you can earn 5X points on hotels and 4X points on airlines, which is above what most travel cards offer for hotel stays and flights.
For everyday earning, take advantage of the 3X points on other travel and restaurants. If you tend to eat out a lot, you could quickly rack up travel rewards
Maximizing your redemptions
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey offers these redemption options:
- Points transfer to a participating loyalty program partner
- Paper check
- Deposit into an eligible Wells Fargo checking or savings account
- Statement credit
- Wells Fargo ATM withdrawal (if you also have a Wells Fargo debit or ATM card)
- Travel, including flights, car rentals, and hotel stays
- Eligible PayPal purchases
- Gift cards
- Charitable donations
In general, Wells Fargo redemptions are worth $0.01 per point. So 10,000 points would be worth $100 for most redemptions.
How you use your points depends on personal preference, but we think travel redemptions, including points transfers to travel partners, tend to make the most sense. In some cases, you could get more value from your points by transferring and redeeming them with a travel partner.
Other cards to consider
If the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey doesn’t seem like the right fit for you, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
Card | Welcome offer | Rewards rate | Annual fee |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening | 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases | $95 |
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 | $95 |
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has the same $95 annual fee but provides access to more transfer partners. You can also take advantage of combining points between multiple Chase cards to maximize your earning potential.
Learn more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.
The Capital One Venture Rewards has a $95 annual fee and makes earning travel rewards easy with its simple rewards rate. If you want to avoid worrying about different earning categories, you can largely do so by earning at least 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day.
Learn more in our Capital One Venture Rewards review.
FAQ
Is the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card worth it?
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card is worth it if you want a high-earning travel rewards card with flexible points. We like how the $50 annual airfare statement credit can immediately offset the $95 annual fee. The Autograph Journey also provides enhanced cell phone protection and other travel protection benefits.
What credit score do you need for the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card?
You typically need a good or excellent credit score to qualify for the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey. That’s at least a 670 FICO score.
Bottom line
We like the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey. It’s an excellent travel card with high earning potential and a low $95 annual fee. We think this card could make sense as the go-to travel card for plenty of people, especially if you already bank with Wells Fargo.
With its cell phone protection, $50 annual airfare credit, and other protection benefits, the Autograph Journey makes a real statement as a balanced and competitive card suited for all types of travelers.
If you prefer different types of perks or benefits, such as airport lounge access, check out our list of the best travel credit cards.