There’s no shortage of credit card launches and refreshes, so you might wonder which credit card you should actually consider getting. The launch of the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is one card that may be worth exploring.

We’re going to take a look at this card’s perks and benefits to see if it might bring value based on your spending habits and financial needs. Keep reading to learn more about Wells Fargo’s latest rewards card.

Wells Fargo Autograph card details

Quick highlights

  • Rewards rate: 3X points on restaurants, travel, transit, gas stations, popular streaming services and phone plans; 1X points on other purchases
  • Welcome offer: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s a $200 cash redemption value
  • Annual fee: $0
  • Intro APR: 0 percent intro APR for the first 12 months from account opening on purchases, followed by a 19.99 percent, 24.99 percent, or 29.99 percent variable APR

The first thing that stands out about the Wells Fargo Autograph is its generous rewards rate on common spending categories that include restaurants, gas stations and phone plans. Plus, if you travel often or use transit services for a commute, you can earn even more points.

Another notable perk of this card is its welcome bonus (worth $200 in cash redemption value) when you spend $1,000 in the first three months to earn 20,000 bonus points. And although introductory APR offers are pretty standard among mid-level rewards cards these days, an intro APR period is still helpful if you have a large purchase coming up that you’d like to time with the opening of your card.

Earning rewards

Unlike rotating bonus category cards, the Autograph doesn’t require you to activate any bonus categories to start earning points. Simply swipe your card for purchases and see points accumulate in your Wells Fargo account (accessible online or via the mobile app).

As noted above, you’ll earn 3X points on restaurants, travel and transit, gas stations, popular streaming services (including Disney+, YouTube TV and Spotify Premium) and phone plans purchases. Other spending earns 1X points.

Redeeming rewards

In order to redeem for purchases, you must have at least 100 Rewards Points or $1 in Cash Rewards in your rewards account. Depending on the reward, rewards can be redeemed through a manual request or automatically. Redeeming points automatically is only available in increments of $25 in cash rewards or 2,500 points.

Among your options for redemption are:

• Redeeming through PayPal
• Redeeming through an eligible redemption account
• Redeeming through getting a paper check in the mail

You can redeem directly to an eligible Wells Fargo Account or Wells Fargo ATM using a Wells Fargo debit or ATM card, but only in increments of $20 in cash rewards or 2,000 points.

Additional card perks

In addition to earning rewards and redeeming them in a variety of ways, there are some card perks that can make this card even more worthwhile.

Cellphone insurance

By paying your monthly cellphone bill with your Autograph card, you’ll be eligible for cellphone protection with Wells Fargo. If your phone is damaged or stolen, you can get reimbursed for up to $600 per claim (subject to a $25 deductible). Note, there’s a $1,200 cap per 12-month period.

Rental car insurance

Your Autograph card also provides rental car insurance. As long as you charge the full cost of your rental car to your Autograph card and provide a letter of coverage with the rental agency (if required), you’ll be covered for up to $50,000. Different terms apply for the U.S. versus overseas rentals.

Visa Signature perks

The Wells Fargo Autograph card is a part of the Visa Signature program, so there’s an additional slate of perks that come with that, too:

  • Visa Signature Concierge service (complimentary 24/7 assistance in booking travel, event tickets and dinner reservations)
  • Access to the Luxury Hotel Collection properties
  • Travel and emergency assistance services

No foreign transaction fees

It’s also worth noting that the Autograph Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, which typically cost up to 3 or 4 percent of your transaction. This can apply when you are traveling overseas or even purchasing something from a retailer based outside of the United States.

The bottom line

The Wells Fargo Autograph offers a generous welcome bonus and respectable rewards structure on some common spending categories. As seen in the spending example above, you may get slightly more value from similar cards in the first year, but we think the Autograph makes a great case for ongoing value. Because there’s no annual fee, there’s not much you can lose by keeping this card around.

The only thing you might miss with this card is more options to get bonuses when redeeming for travel. For example, cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offer the potential for heightened points value when transferring to travel partners as well as a 25 percent boost to points redeemed for travel through the Ultimate Rewards portal — two perks that the Autograph card lacks.

If this isn’t a deal breaker for you, though, we still think the Autograph offers enough rewards, perks and benefits to make it worthwhile.