IHG One Rewards Premier vs Wells Fargo Active Cash®
Side-by-side comparison
| IHG One Rewards Premier | Wells Fargo Active Cash® | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $99 | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | Up to 185,000 IHG One Rewards Points | $200 cash rewards bonus |
| Dining | 5x | 2x |
| Groceries | 3x | 2x |
| Gas | 5x | 2x |
| Travel | 5x | 2x |
| Streaming | 3x | 2x |
| Everything else | 3x | 2x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $1,014 | $583 |
| Points type | Locked to IHG One Rewards | Pools with Wells Fargo → transferable |
| Network | Mastercard | Visa |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified June 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
The verdict
On a typical year of household spending, the IHG One Rewards Premier earns about $1,014 a year in rewards and the Wells Fargo Active Cash® about $583, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The IHG One Rewards Premier charges $99, which you clear through its rewards and perks. The Wells Fargo Active Cash® has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. Counting rewards, fees, and any credits, the IHG One Rewards Premier delivers more total value, about $332 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and dining. The bigger difference is the ceiling: the Wells Fargo Active Cash® earns points you can move to travel partners for outsized value, while the IHG One Rewards Premier stays locked to a single airline or hotel program. Favor the Wells Fargo Active Cash® if you will use travel transfers, the IHG One Rewards Premier if you want simplicity. On the sign-up bonus, the IHG One Rewards Premier currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the IHG One Rewards Premier if your spending leans toward dining, groceries, gas.