The differences between these two Wells Fargo cards run deeper than just how you earn rewards. Let's dive into them, feature by feature.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph Card annual fee
Good news: The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card has no annual fee. This is astonishing to me, based on the depth and breadth of the perks included.
More good news: The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card doesn't have an annual fee, either. The bad news about this is that we can't use the annual fee as a differentiator between the two. Oh well.
Winner: Tie
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph Card welcome offer
The welcome bonus for the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is likely accessible for just about everyone. New cardmembers can earn $200 cash rewards by spending just $500 in the first three months with the card -- that works out to just about $167 a month. I'm betting most people have regular expenses easily paid by credit card totaling this much per month -- or if you've got a bigger bill or a $500 purchase coming up, you could earn that welcome bonus in one fell swoop.
Earning the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card's welcome bonus requires a bit more from a cardholder. You'll need to spend $1,000 in the first 3 months, and in return, you'll earn 20,000 bonus points. If you redeemed these as cash rewards, they'd equal $200 in value. Spending $1,000 in three months might be more of a stretch for some prospective applicants, unless you can shift a lot of your regular spending to the card, or have a good-sized bill coming due.
Based on the lower spending requirement, I'm giving the welcome offer win to the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.
Winner: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph Card intro APR
If you're hoping to take advantage of a long intro APR offer, Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card has one of the best deals out there. You can finance a big purchase over time or move a balance over to save yourself on interest costs while you pay it off.
The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card comes with a 0% intro APR lasting 15 months from account opening (after 15 months, a go-to rate of 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR applies). For a balance transfer, you must set it up within 120 days of account opening, and you'll pay a fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card has an attractive intro APR offer, too. If you've got a big purchase you want to pay off over time, the card comes with a 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening. After the year is up, your card's go-to rate applies -- 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR. However, there is no 0% APR offer available for balance transfers with this card.
For a longer 0% APR period and having extra time to pay off a balance transfer, the win goes to the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.
Winner: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph Card rewards
As I mentioned above, each of these Wells Fargo cards offers a different type of rewards. With the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, you'll earn cash rewards at a rate of 2% across the board. It's a slight bummer that there are no higher bonus categories, but 2% is the highest I've seen for flat-rate cash back. And there's no arguing with how easy this can make your credit card spending. Just think about it:
- Your $150 weekly grocery tab: $3
- Buying $100 worth of pet supplies: $2
- A $400 bill at the auto mechanic: $8
These are all small amounts, but they'll add up over time.
The points you can earn with the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card are also very valuable, but there's more to keep track of with this card. For example, you can earn 3X points per $1 in these categories:
- Restaurants
- Travel and transit costs
- Gas stations
- Streaming services
- Cellphone plans
You can earn 1X point per $1 on other purchases, which is pretty decent. That said, there are other cards with a higher base rate, in addition to bonus categories where you can earn more points.
Based on simplicity and the higher base rate, I have to give this category to the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card.
Winner: Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card