Complete Guide to Wells Fargo Rewards

If you’ve never paid attention to Wells Fargo in the points and miles world, you’re not alone.

But thanks to new credit cards and a revamped rewards program that now includes travel transfer partners, Wells Fargo Rewards is starting to become a legitimate contender in the flexible points game. It’s still simple compared to programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards® or American Express® Membership Rewards, but that’s part of the appeal.

Here’s everything you need to know about this emerging points currency.

What Are Wells Fargo Rewards?

Wells Fargo Rewards is the points currency tied to certain Wells Fargo-issued credit cards — most notably the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card and Wells Fargo Autograph® Card.

Unlike Chase or American Express, which have been building loyalty ecosystems for years, Wells Fargo’s program is much newer and simpler — but still worth understanding if you want to maximize every dollar you spend.

How to Earn Wells Fargo Rewards Points

The best way to earn Wells Fargo Rewards points is by holding the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card or the Wells Fargo Autograph.

Here’s a breakdown of the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card’s earning structure:

• 5x points on hotels

• 4x points on airfare

• 3x points on travel and restaurants

• 1x point on everything else

For a card with just a $95 Annual Fee annual fee, these are incredibly strong earning rates —especially for big travel spenders. There’s also an annual $50 airline statement credit, which helps offset that fee even further.

Wells Fargo also occasionally has welcome offers. For example, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey has a current welcome offer of: Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.

That’s a big boost — enough for a one-way business class flight to Europe or a couple of domestic economy flights.

Turning Wells Fargo Cash Back into Rewards Points

If you hold a cash-back card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card, you can combine your cash-back into your Rewards balance if you also hold a transfer-capable card like the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey.

This unlocks the ability to turn flat cash back into fully transferrable points, unlocking access to travel partners and more valuable redemptions.

This works similarly to how you can combine rewards earned with the Chase Freedom Unlimited® with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

How to Redeem Wells Fargo Rewards Points

Wells Fargo Rewards can be redeemed in a few different ways, including:

• Travel bookings through the Wells Fargo portal

• Cash back or statement credits

• Gift cards

• Transfers to travel partners

Let’s take a closer look at the most valuable option: transfer partners.

Wells Fargo Rewards Transfer Partners

Wells Fargo Rewards can now be transferred to the following programs:

This isn’t the largest list, but it includes all three major airline alliances, opening the door to dozens of redemption options around the globe. Plus, you get access to Choice Hotels with a boosted ratio.

Here are some transfer partner sweet spots you can take advantage of with Wells Fargo Rewards points:

• Avianca LifeMiles: Book Star Alliance flights (including United) for as few as 7,500 points domestically.

• Flying Blue: Fly to Europe on Promo Rewards from 18,750 miles one-way.

• Avios: Great for short-haul redemptions and flights with American Airlines, Qatar, and more. You can also freely transfer Avios between programs.

• Choice Privileges: Thanks to the 1:2 transfer ratio, hotel rooms that cost just 8,000 Choice points effectively require only 4,000 Wells Fargo points.

Avianca has some of the best Star Alliance award rates, including on domestic United flights, making it a great one-stop Star Alliance shop to have access to:

And since you can transfer Avios between British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Finnair, and Qatar, this opens you up to one-in-a-lifetime redemptions like Qatar Qsuites:

While the program lacks the breadth of other issuers, these key partners cover a surprising number of use cases.

Booking Travel Through the Wells Fargo Portal

Wells Fargo Rewards can be redeemed through the bank’s travel portal to book flights, hotels, rental cars, and more.

Points are worth 1 cent each when used this way, making it a simple and straightforward redemption option. You won’t get outsized value like with transfer partners, but you also won’t need to worry about award availability or blackout dates (or those pesky taxes and fees on top of your points).

This is a great option if you want to use your points without the extra steps of transferring them or navigating airline programs.

What Are Wells Fargo Rewards Points Worth?

The value of Wells Fargo Rewards varies depending on how you redeem them:

Here’s a quick example:

Let’s say you transfer 18,750 Wells Fargo points to Flying Blue and book a one-way economy flight from Houston (IAH) to Vienna (VIE) on a Promo Reward. 

If that flight would normally cost $400, we can calculate the value using our handy dandy equation:

Value per point = Cash cost ($400) - Taxes & fees ($127) / points price (18,750)

This specific redemption would yield 1.5 cents per point — not too shabby.

Or you could transfer 4,000 Wells Fargo points to Choice and book a hotel room worth $100 — that’s a redemption value of 2.5 cents per point.

As always, your mileage may vary, but transferring points strategically will often yield the best bang for your buck.

Bottom Line

Wells Fargo Rewards may not be the most robust program on the market, but it’s quickly proving itself as a simple, flexible, and valuable currency for travelers.

With strong earning categories, solid transfer partners, and easy redemption options, the program is surprisingly valuable. If you’re looking for a simple way to earn flexible travel rewards, Wells Fargo deserves a spot on your radar (and maybe in your wallet, too).