Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Launches Today

Tl;dr: This newcomer is already one of the leaders in the crowded $95-fee space.

Wells Fargo is launching a new credit card, and it’s aimed squarely at the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Citi Premier, and Capital One Venture Rewards cards in the ~$100-fee premium travel card space. We’ll have a full review later, but let’s take a quick look at how the three stack up.

Fees and credits

All four cards charge a $95 annual fee. The Autograph Journey offers a $50 statement credit towards airfare purchases. The Sapphire Preferred offers a $50 credit toward hotel stays booked through Chase plus a 10% anniversary points bonus. The Premier offers a $100 hotel credit, but only on a single $500+ stay booked through Citi. The Venture Rewards offers a $100 credit toward TSA PreCheck or Global entry, but only every four years.

Earning rewards

Autograph Journey: 5x on hotels, 4x on airlines, 3x on travel and dining, 1x on all other spending.

Sapphire Preferred: 5x on travel through Chase; 3x on dining, select streaming, and online groceries; 2x on travel, 1x on all other spending.

Premier: 3x on restaurants, gas, supermarkets, air travel, and hotels, 1x on all other spending.

Venture: 5x on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One, 2x on all other spending.

Using rewards

Autograph Journey: Redeem with Wells Fargo or transfer to partners including British Airways, Avianca, Choice Hotels, and Flying Blue.

Sapphire Preferred: Points are worth 1.25¢ when redeemed via Chase. Transfer partners include Southwest Airlines, United, Hyatt, and British Airways.

Premier: Redeem with Citi or transfer to partners including Choice Hotels, Wyndham, JetBlue, Avianca, and FlyingBlue.

Venture: Redeem as statement credits toward travel at 1¢/point or transfer to partners including Choice Hotels, Avianca, British Airways, and FlyingBlue.

Conclusion

The Autograph Journey launches with earning rates and core travel purchases that top its competitors, and the $50 airfare credit is among the more easily-used in this class. While the selection of transfer partners is somewhat lackluster at launch, there is room for growth. Even as it stands I might prefer the Autograph Journey on paper to its competitors, so I look forward to seeing what they add following its launch.