Wells Fargo Reflect vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash

The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card and the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offer consumers many advantages. One card offers one of the longest introductory APR periods for purchases and qualifying balance transfers on the market. The other offers a flat-rate cash rewards program that’s so flexible and easy to use, it’s what other cash rewards programs should aspire to.

To find out which card might be better for you, we’ll compare the Wells Fargo Reflect vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash side by side.

Main details

Wells Fargo Active Cash vs. Wells Fargo Reflect highlights

Both the Wells Fargo Reflect and the Wells Fargo Active Cash have strong benefits, although there are major differences between them. We’ll compare some of the major features below.

Welcome bonus winner: Wells Fargo Active Cash

The Wells Fargo Reflect doesn’t offer a welcome bonus, but Wells Fargo Active Cash users can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 within three months of account opening. This is a fairly standard welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card.

Rewards rate winner: Wells Fargo Active Cash

The Wells Fargo Active Cash card offers unlimited 2 percent cash rewards on purchases. There are no rotating or bonus categories to remember or keep up with. On the other hand, the Wells Fargo Reflect does not offer any type of rewards. If you’re looking for cash rewards, the Wells Fargo Active Cash is the better option.

Annual fee winner: Tie

Neither card charges an annual fee, so they’re both affordable options.

Foreign transaction fee winner: Tie

Neither card wins here since both charge a 3 percent foreign currency conversion fee on purchases made while traveling overseas.

Intro APR winner: Wells Fargo Reflect

The Wells Fargo Reflect includes a generous 0 percent intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then a variable APR of 18.24 percent, 24.74 percent or 29.99 percent. Additionally, balance transfers must be made within 120 days of account opening to qualify for the intro offer and a 5 percent balance transfer fee (minimum $5) applies.

Compared to other top 0 percent intro APR cards, this is a significant amount of time on its own — one of the longest intro periods currently offered. This gives you even more time and flexibility to pay for large purchases over time or pay down debt without incurring hefty interest charges.

The Wells Fargo Reflect wins in this category, but the Wells Fargo Active Cash’s intro APR offer should not be overlooked. With this card, you’ll receive a 0 percent intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for the first 15 months from account opening (then a variable APR of 20.24 percent, 25.24 percent or 29.99 percent), which is still helpful for paying off large purchases or paying down credit card debt.

Also, with the Wells Fargo Active Cash, note that balance transfers must be made within 120 days of account opening to qualify for the intro APR offer. An intro balance transfer fee of 3 percent (minimum $5) also applies during the first 120 days, then a balance transfer fee of 5 percent (minimum $5) applies.

Which card earns more?

We’ll take a look at an example of how one might use either card to make $1,000 in purchases.

Spending example

The Wells Fargo Reflect does not offer any cash rewards, so when you make $1,000 in purchases on your card, you won’t earn anything on those purchases.

With the Wells Fargo Active Cash, the same $1,000 in purchases will earn a flat 2 percent cash rewards back, which is equal to $20 in cash rewards. If you make at least $500 worth of purchases within the first three months of account opening, you’ll earn the $200 cash rewards welcome offer.

Why should you get the Wells Fargo Reflect?

An extra-long intro APR offer on purchases and qualifying balance transfers is enough to garner serious attention. However, the Wells Fargo Reflect has a few other benefits worth noting.

Additional benefits

• Competitive regular APR. After the intro APR offer ends, the variable interest rate is currently 18.24 percent, 24.74 percent or 29.99 percent, potentially making it a low-interest option if you have good to excellent credit.
• Cellphone protection. If you pay your cellphone bill with your Wells Fargo Reflect card, you will receive cellphone coverage for eligible theft and damage. You’ll receive coverage of up to $600 per claim and the ability to file a maximum of two claims per year. A $25 deductible applies.
• My Wells Fargo Deals. You can earn cash rewards by activating limited-time offers with merchants that participate in this program.
• Visa benefits. Visa Traditional benefits are included with this card, which means you’ll have access to standard benefits like card replacement and 24/7 pay-per-use roadside assistance.

Redemption options

Since there is no rewards program in place, there are currently no redemption options available with this card.

Recommended credit score

A good to excellent credit score (670 to 850) is recommended for the Wells Fargo Reflect.

Why should you get the Wells Fargo Active Cash?

A flat cash rewards rate is enticing — there are no confusing promotional periods, category activations or varying rewards rates for different categories. That could be enough to justify signing up, but there are other reasons the Wells Fargo Active Cash may be a smart choice for you.

Additional benefits

Many of the Wells Fargo Reflect’s perks also extend to Wells Fargo Active Cash cardholders, too. You’ll get the same perks like cellphone protection coverage and access to My Wells Fargo Deals. You’ll also get Visa Signature benefits, which include the Visa Traditional benefits, plus access to Visa Signature concierge services, Luxury Hotel Collection properties and more.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash’s regular variable APR is 20.24 percent, 25.24 percent or 29.99 percent. That’s not quite as good as the Wells Fargo Reflect’s variable APR, but it’s still competitive for the market.

Redemption options

Another Wells Fargo Active Cash perk is its variety of redemption options. Once you earn cash rewards back, you’ll have multiple ways to redeem your rewards, including:

• Statement credits
• Cash (in $20 increments) at Wells Fargo ATMs
• Direct deposits to a Wells Fargo checking or savings account
• Gift cards
• Travel via Wells Fargo Rewards

Recommended credit score

As with the Wells Fargo Reflect, you’ll need a good to excellent credit score (670 to 850) to qualify.

The bottom line

If paying down high-interest credit card debt is your goal, or if you know you need to make a large purchase and pay over time, the Wells Fargo Reflect is hard to beat. Paying down debt can be a game changer for your finances. You may not earn cash rewards or points, but the card could help with your long-term financial goals.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash, however, is worth considering for its flat cash rewards program. Few rewards programs are as straightforward and as flexible as this one. If you like the idea of using your credit card for everyday purchases — without having to keep track of bonus or rotating categories — you can earn a high rate of flat cash rewards on all purchases you make. Just be sure to pay your balance in full each month to truly reap any cash rewards you earn.