Why I got the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card — and how I plan to use the welcome bonus

13.07.2024 - 10:31 / thepointsguy.com

As a seasoned traveler, I'm always on the lookout for new credit cards that fit my lifestyle — especially when they fill gaps in my wallet. While a hefty welcome bonus is (obviously) appealing, there's so much more to picking a great travel card.

And recently, I added a terrific card to my portfolio.

Here's why I applied for the new Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (see rates and fees) — plus how I'm thinking about using the card's welcome bonus once it hits my account.

Read more: Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card review

Earlier this year, Wells Fargo officially burst onto the scene of transferable credit card currencies. We'd known it was coming since December 2023, but when the Autograph Journey Card launched, it marked the first time that Wells Fargo customers gained access to airline and hotel transfer partners with one of its own cards. When used strategically, transfers can allow you to get incredible value from your points and miles by leveraging sweet spots in the partner programs.

But even if you're not ready to learn about these optimization opportunities, there's another key feature of the Wells Fargo Rewards program (and a reason to get the Autograph Journey Card): You can use the rewards easily at a value of 1 cent each to offset charges on the card.

Other issuers peg different values to their rewards currencies depending on the redemption type. In some cases, this drops the value of each point or mile to 0.7 cents or even 0.5 cents.

Not Wells Fargo.

Each direct redemption with Wells Fargo Rewards results in a value of 1 cent per point. You can use your points as credits on eligible accounts or to offset eligible purchases on the card. You can opt for gift cards, travel, merchandise or even online shopping via PayPal, all at the same rate of 1 cent per point.

I usually lean toward transfer partners when redeeming my points, but it's awesome to have the flexibility to cover purchases or book travel without worrying about getting poor value from my rewards.

Another appealing feature of the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card is its valuable set of earning rates. When I use my card, I earn:

Given Wells Fargo's transfer partners, you could think of this as earning 5 British Airways Avios per dollar spent at hotels or 4 Avianca LifeMiles per dollar spent on airfare, assuming you ultimately transfer your points to those programs.

The best part of the top two categories is that there's no requirement to book through a specific portal or site. Many other rewards cards increasingly force you to book through the issuer to access elevated rates — but I can go directly to my preferred hotels and airlines with the Autograph Journey Card.

The card also incurs no foreign transaction fees (see