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Wells Fargo Active Cash Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph Card: High Flat-Rate Cash Rewards Take the Cake

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Ashley Maready
By: Ashley Maready
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Ashley Maready is a former history museum professional who made the leap to digital content writing and editing in 2021. She has a BA in History and Philosophy from Hood College and an MA in Applied History from Shippensburg University. Ashley loves creating content for the public and learning new things so she can teach others, whether it's information about salt mining, canal mules, or personal finance.

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Wells Fargo is a big name in the financial world, and it focuses on offering a smaller number of quality cards, rather than tons of options for consumers. Two of the best in its lineup are the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (see rates and fees) and the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card (see rates and fees).

Either could be a winner for you, but when you match them up head to head, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card comes out slightly ahead. Let's take a closer look at these two cards based on a range of criteria.

Wells Fargo Active Cash Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph Card overview

As of Jun. 18, 2024
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Image for
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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= Excellent
= Good
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= Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

$200 cash rewards

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.

20,000 bonus points

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

2% cash rewards

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases.

1X-3X points

Intro APR: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 15 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 15 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Intro APR: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR:

20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR

Regular APR:

20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR

Annual Fee: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

$0

Annual Fee: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

$0

Highlights:

  • Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
  • Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
  • Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.
  • 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR thereafter; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5.
  • $0 annual fee.
  • No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
  • Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
  • Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.

Highlights:

  • Select “Apply Now” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
  • Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
  • Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
  • $0 annual fee.
  • 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR thereafter.
  • Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
  • Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.
  • Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Show More Arrow graphic to expand and collapse content Show Less Arrow graphic to expand and collapse content

Why Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card might be the ideal choice

A good flat-rate cash back credit card can be one of your strongest weapons if you're hoping to earn something back on all of your credit card spending. With a cash rewards rate of 2% across the board, you simply can't find a better option for either a one-card wallet or a card that can be your fallback for spending in miscellaneous categories.

So if you're looking for a card that makes your life easier (no standing in line at a store and wondering "Which card should I use?"), the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card may just be a winner.

When Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card could be the better option

Want to earn rewards points instead of cash rewards? Rewards points give you more options for redemption than cash rewards, and this card offers the chance to earn them at a higher bonus rate in some of the most popular spending categories, including restaurants, travel, and gas stations.

If you enjoy the credit card points game, give the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card closer consideration. Plus, with no foreign transaction fee, it could be a great fit for your next vacation.

RELATED: Best Travel Credit Cards

Wells Fargo Active Cash Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph Card comparison

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

Final take

This is such a hard comparison, because both of these cards could be an excellent addition to your wallet. Ultimately, I'm giving the gold star to the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, because a flat 2% cash rewards rate is just too good, especially without an annual fee. Also, cash rewards are much easier to understand and can be directly used to reduce the cost of your next credit card bill.

That said, if you're a traveler and enjoy playing the reward points game and spend a lot of money in bonus categories, the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card might be better for you. It has no foreign transaction fee, so that's an important point of difference from the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (3% fee). Consider your spending to assess whether the welcome bonus is achievable for you, too.

Both options are excellent -- so do some soul searching, weigh your spending habits, and know that whichever you choose, you're bound to be happy.