Wells Fargo is a household name in the United States and is often considered to be among the top banks for consumers. Every month, we compile a list of the greatest bank account promos for new and existing clients, and its accounts are always among the top choices.
Wells Fargo is also a busy issuer of credit cards, albeit they usually do so under the radar. With only two credit cards to choose from, Wells Fargo isn’t as flexible in its offerings as other rival issuers like Chase and Barclaycard.
When compared to other cards in their category, both of them are strong options. Keep reading to learn more about these cards and Wells Fargo’s practices as a credit card issuer.
Credit Cards from Wells Fargo
The goals of each Wells Fargo credit card are distinct:
- Wells Fargo Active CashSM Card: An all-purpose cash-back credit card Hotels.com®
- Rewards Visa® Credit Card: A travel rewards credit card geared for regular travelers with a preference for Hotels.com
The odds are good that at least one of these Wells Fargo credit cards will work for your spending habits and requirements. What you need to know about each is listed below.
- Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card
2% Cash Back on All Eligible Purchases
The Wells Fargo Active CashSM Card is possibly the greatest Wells Fargo credit card available. This card features:
- Offering a flat 2% cash back on any and all purchases, with no restrictions or limits of any kind, the program is ideal for those who like to shop often.
- After making a first purchase of $1,000 during the first three months of membership, you will get a sign-up bonus of $200 in cash rewards.
- Purchases and debt transfers are eligible for a 0% APR for a full 15 months from account creation.
Keep in mind that to take advantage of the introductory 0% APR on balance transfers, you must initiate the transaction within the first 120 days.
- To qualify for the $200 cash rewards incentive after spending $1,000 in the first three months after account opening, the minimum qualifying purchase amount is $1,000.
- Get 2% back in rewards cash on all purchases, no limits. As long as your account is active, your rewards will stay valid indefinitely, and your cash-back earnings are not limited to any specific categories.
- Rewards can be redeemed for statement credits or other monetary equivalents, with minimums for redemption based on the program.
- Enjoy an introductory APR of 0% for a period of 15 months on both purchases and eligible debt transfers. After that, the standard variable APR (between 14.99% and 24.99% as of this writing) will apply. Transfers of funds between eligible accounts must be completed within the first 120 days after account establishment.
- Main Costs: The yearly cost is nothing. Fees for dealing in foreign currency amount to three percent of the total amount of the trade.
- In addition, if you pay off your monthly cell phone bill in full with your Wells Fargo Active Cash card, you’ll be eligible for damage and theft coverage of up to $600 (minus a $25 deductible).
- Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card
The limited-time signup bonus consists of two reward nights with a maximum combined value of $250 (or $125 each night).
Frequent fliers who prefer or are okay with booking their accommodations through Hotels.com will get great value with the Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card.
More than 500,000 hotels, B&Bs, and other accommodations across the world participate in its flexible and potentially highly valuable rewards program. That’s a lot more than you’d get with a single hospitality group’s co-branded hotel rewards credit card.
Some frequent fliers may find the Hotels.com Rewards Visa card’s loyalty currency, “stamps,” difficult to utilize after becoming accustomed to the more common points or miles. Though it may take some time to get the hang of things, the payoff will be worth it in the end.
- Spend $1,000 during the first three months, and you’ll get two reward nights worth $250 total (without taxes and fees, up to $125 each night). If you redeem a reward night for a hotel that costs less than $125 a night, you will have to pay the difference out of pocket. As the name implies, this deal is only available for a limited time.
- Rewards are earned at the rate of one stamp for every night spent in a qualifying Hotels.com hotel and one stamp for every $500 spent in qualifying purchases.
- How to Redeem Points: Redeem 10 points for 1 reward night at a hotel booked via Hotels.com.
- There are no yearly fees or fees for overseas transactions, which are two of the most common types of additional charges.
- Extras: For the first year, you may stay at any of our partner hotels and take advantage of our complimentary services like breakfast, airport transfers, and Wi-Fi.
- As long as your account is in good standing, you may use your credit card to purchase nonrefundable passenger fares with the peace of mind that they are protected by basic travel insurance protections including trip interruption and cancellation coverage (within policy limitations). When you pay your monthly phone payment using your credit card, you’ll also get up to $600 in insurance against stolen or damaged phones, minus a $25 deductible.
What You Should Know About Wells Fargo Cards
Active Cash Card customers of Wells Fargo can earn points through the company’s own rewards program (Go Far Rewards) for making purchases that qualify. Customers with Wells Fargo bank accounts may use their credit cards to get overdraft protection as an extra perk.
In addition, Visa offers a number of perks that cardholders may take advantage of at no additional cost.
Rewards for Going the Distance
For using the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card, you may earn Wells Fargo’s internal loyalty currency, Go Far Rewards points.
Every net purchase made on your credit card might earn you Go Far Rewards points, depending on the card’s rewards structure. The Wells Fargo Earn More Mall is an employee-only online retailer where you can rack up rewards points quickly by purchasing popular consumer products including trendy clothing, cutting-edge technology, and stylish new furnishings.
The Go Far Rewards may be used in many ways. You may get cash (statement credits), pay down your Wells Fargo loan, buy gift cards and other products, book travel and entertainment, and more by redeeming your points at the Go Far Rewards website. You can combine the rewards from several family members’ Wells Fargo accounts.
Points are worth around $0.01 each and may be redeemed for cash with a total of $25 (2,500 points) when redeemed online or $20 (2,000 points) when redeemed at an ATM.
Go Far Rewards can be earned indefinitely, while certain card terms and restrictions may apply.
Remember that your Go Far Rewards points will expire after a year if they aren’t used, and will be lost permanently if you or Wells Fargo shut your card account.
Wells Fargo Deposit Account Holders Have Overdraft Protection
Having your checking and credit card accounts with Wells Fargo means you’ll have access to the bank’s overdraft protection service. Overdraft protection is optional with the cards listed above.
There isn’t much complexity to the function. Wells Fargo will automatically use the cash advance credit line on your credit card to cover any overdrafts that could occur when making purchases or withdrawals from your checking account.
Overdraft protection from Wells Fargo does not come at no charge. The charge for each transfer is different, but it always starts at $12.50 and goes up from there depending on the amount being transferred. It is considered one transfer even if several take place on the same business day. All overdraft protection transfers will be subject to the standard cash advance APR from this point forward.
Bottom Line
While Wells Fargo’s selection of credit cards is solid, it is by no means the most extensive in the United States. You should explore elsewhere for a student rewards credit card, a credit card with a certain airline, or a credit card for small businesses.
Those reliable resources are readily available, thankfully. You should compare the offers from Wells Fargo to those from other major issuers like Chase, American Express, Capital One, and Barclaycard before deciding on a credit card from Wells Fargo. You just need to keep trying different combinations until you discover the one that works for you.
