Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Review

Overview

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ is a flexible travel rewards card from Wells Fargo, running on the Visa network. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ earns up to 5x on travel and dining, so it pays you the most exactly where you already spend. It carries a $95 annual fee, so the real question is whether its rewards, credits, and perks clear that bar for the way you spend. New cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points ($600 value) after $4,000 in 3 months.

It lands in the mid tier: a modest annual fee in exchange for stronger earn rates and a meaningful welcome offer. The right call depends on whether your spending and the perks clear that fee each year.

Our 4.5 out of 5 rating

Each score weighs the rewards rate, value after the annual fee, welcome offer, points flexibility, and perks, with every point valued at a flat 1 cent. This is our editorial assessment to help you compare cards, not a guarantee of approval or of the value you will get.

Rewards: how it earns

Where the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ earns its rewards is its bonus categories: 5x on travel (about $90 a year on the $1,800 a typical household spends there) and 3x on dining (about $90 a year on the $3,000 a typical household spends there). Across a full year of average household spending, the card returns roughly $424 in rewards before any welcome bonus, so the more your spending overlaps those categories, the better it does.

Every point and mile above is valued at a flat 1 cent, the same honest standard we use for every card. Run your own spending through the calculator to see what this card would actually return for you.

Pros and cons

The welcome bonus

The current welcome offer is 60,000 bonus points ($600 value), earned after you spend $4,000 in 3 months. Valued honestly at a flat 1 cent per point, that is worth about $600. The spending requirement works out to roughly $1,333 per month, so make sure it fits your normal budget rather than pushing you to overspend. Stacking the welcome offer on top of a typical year of rewards and accounting for the $95 annual fee, the first year is worth roughly $929.

Is the annual fee worth it?

To come out ahead on the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ you need to clear its $95 annual fee. On typical spending it earns about $424 a year in rewards, and it carries up to $50 in statement credits. For anyone who spends in its categories, the fee is easy to justify.

Benefits and protections

Beyond the rewards, the perks and protections worth knowing about include:

• Transfer points to 10+ airline and hotel partners
• $50 annual statement credit toward airline purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• Cell phone protection up to $1,000
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Travel accident and baggage delay insurance

Statement credits

• $50 annual airline statement credit

Ecosystem and transfer partners

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ earns Go Far Rewards, one of the more valuable currencies in rewards because of where the points can go. You can move points 1 to 1 to 8 airline and hotel partners: Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, JetBlue TrueBlue, Choice Privileges, and Aer Lingus. As a hub card, this is the one you route points through before transferring out. The sweet spots are usually premium-cabin flights and high-end hotel nights, where a single point can be worth well more than the 1 cent we value it at here.

Who should get it, and who should skip it

It is best for people who spend heavily on travel and dining and will earn back the $95 fee through those bonus categories and the card's perks.

Skip it if your spending does not line up with its bonus categories, or if you would rather not think about where you swipe at all.

How it compares

If the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ is not quite the right fit, these related cards are worth weighing against it:

Frequently asked questions