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The best Wells Fargo credit cards provide competitive cash back, points, or consumer-friendly terms like no annual fees (or annual fees that are easily justified based on rewards), introductory interest rates, and one-time bonuses. Wells Fargo has cards for multiple market segments, offering rewards for consumers, students, and small business owners interested in various types of reward earning and redemption methods. We reviewed Wells Fargo's most popular consumer and business credit cards and chose the ones below as the best.
Best Wells Fargo Credit Cards for January 2023
- Best Business: Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card
- Best for Rates: Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
Best Business : Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card
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Earn a one-time $300 cash back bonus or 30,000 bonus points when you select a Business Card Rewards Program and spend $3,000 in the first three months after account open date.
Regular APR (%) | 15.49% - 25.49% variable |
Annual Fee | $0 |
Rewards Earning Rate | Earn 1.5% cash back on every $1 spent. |
INTRO PURCHASE APR | 0% for 9 Months |
INTRO BALANCE TRANSFER APR | 0% for 9 Months |
Balance Transfer Fee | See Bank Terms |
Cash Advance APR (%) | 28.24% |
Cash Advance Fee | See Bank Terms |
- Why We Chose This Card
- Pros and Cons
We chose the Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card as the best business card from Wells Fargo because it offers the simple cash back and no annual fee structure as the consumer Cash Wise card, making it a good option for business owners who appreciate the straightforward value and lack of complication. Up to 99 employee cards can be added at no charge to earn additional cash back on business purchases. Unlike Cash Wise, though, Business Platinum provides the choice of cash back or points. A substantial one-time cash back or points bonus is also a nice opportunity after you meet the card's initial spending requirements.
Flexible rewards structure
0% introductory APR
No charge for employee cards
Limited benefits
Small one-time bonus compared to spending requirement
Best for Rates : Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
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Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Regular APR (%) | 18.74% - 28.74% variable |
Annual Fee | $0 |
Rewards Earning Rate | 2% cash rewards are earned for every $1 spent in net purchases (purchases minus returns/credits) on the credit card account. |
INTRO PURCHASE APR | 0% for 15 Months |
INTRO BALANCE TRANSFER APR | 0% for 15 Months |
Balance Transfer Fee | Introductory fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater, for 120 days from account opening. After that, up to 5% for each balance transfer, with a minimum of $5. |
Foreign transaction fee (%) | 3% |
- Why We Chose This Card
- Pros and Cons
We chose the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card for best rates because it offers a flat 2% cash back on all purchases, rather than chasing down bonus rewards for certain categories. The non-bonus spending also ensures you never get less than 2% back, which helps you maximize your rewards. There's also a rare welcome bonus for a card that offers amazing rates, allowing you to earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $3,000 in the first three months.
Generous rewards rate with no caveats
Solid introductory 0% APR promotion
Rare welcome bonus
No bonus reward categories
High interest rate
Final Verdict
Wells Fargo has competitive credit cards for both consumers and small business owners. Whether you're looking for rewards, benefits, or a 0% APR offer, Wells Fargo has a credit card that can meet your needs.
Compare the Best Wells Fargo Credit Cards
Credit Card | Intro Offer | Rewards | Annual Fee | Regular APR | Minimum Credit Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card
Best Business |
$300 or 30,000 points after $3,000 within 3 months; 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 9 months | Unlimited 1.5% or 1 point per $1 plus 1,000 bonus points each month you spend $1,000 | $0 | 15.49% to 25.49% | 670 |
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
Best for Rates |
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. | 2% cash rewards are earned for every $1 spent in net purchases (purchases minus returns/credits) on the credit card account. | $0 | 18.74% to 28.74% | 670 |
Editorial Picks for the Best Wells Fargo Credit Cards
Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card
Best Business
Business owners can choose between unlimited 1.5% cash back or 1 point for every $1 spent and a bonus when you spend at least $1,000 each month. You can add up to 99 employee cards at no charge to earn rewards on their spending.
Read the full Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card Review.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
Best for Rates
Take advantage of 2% cash rewards for every $1 spent in net purchases (purchases minus returns/credits) on the credit card account. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Types of Wells Fargo Credit Cards
Wells Fargo primarily issues Visa cards, along with a Mastercard option for its business secured card. It does not currently offer any cards on the Discover or American Express networks. Wells Fargo's cards include points and cash back rewards and secured card options for consumers and small businesses, along with a card for college students.
Its credit cards generally fall within these categories:
- Cash back
- Flexible points
- Balance transfer credit cards
- Co-branded cards
- Student credit cards
- Small business cards
- Secured credit cards
While Wells Fargo does offer a secured credit card for small businesses, it does not currently offer a secured credit card for consumers.
How the Wells Fargo Rewards Program Works
Wells Fargo rewards points are earned at various levels based on the particular card. Cash back is earned as a percentage back on purchases, both as cash back and with enhanced earnings for certain purchase categories during introductory periods with its college student rewards card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Wells Fargo Credit Card Right for Me?
Wells Fargo offers several credit cards for consumers and small businesses that earn rewards and offer attractive benefits and 0% APR promotions. Many of its cards earn cash back or flexible points that allow customers to use their rewards in many ways. Promotions with 0% APR give customers extra time to pay off purchases or balances transferred from another credit card.
Credit cards from Wells Fargo offer numerous benefits depending upon the card that you select. Here are a few of the benefits that you may be offered on your credit card:
- Free FICO score
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Cell phone insurance
- Trip cancellation protection
- Lost luggage reimbursement
Currently, consumer credit cards from Wells Fargo do not charge an annual fee. However, most charge a foreign transaction fee of 3% on international purchases. Additionally, you may be charged up to $40 for a late or returned payment.
Interest Rates
Interest rates for Wells Fargo credit cards are variable based on the Prime Rate. Most cards have a range of interest rates that are based on your creditworthiness. Standard APRs are as low as 11.15% and as high as 24.99%, depending on your personal information and which card you apply for.
What Credit Score Do I Need to Qualify for a Wells Fargo Credit Card?
Wells Fargo offers credit cards for consumers and small business owners with good (670 FICO) credit and above. It does not offer a secured credit card for consumers, but it does have a business secured credit card. Wells Fargo does not offer cards targeted to consumers with no credit history or poor credit (below 670 FICO). However, college students can start to build credit with the student credit card.
To apply for a Wells Fargo consumer credit card, you'll need to provide the following information:
- First and last name
- Address
- Email and phone number
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Mother's maiden name
- Country of citizenship
- Housing status
- Monthly mortgage or rent payment
- Employment status and occupation
- Employer name and phone number
- Years at current employer
- Total annual income
- Is any portion of your income non-taxable?
After submitting an application, most people receive an immediate decision. If the system is unable to approve you, you should receive a letter requesting more information or explaining the bank's decision within seven to 10 business days.
Keep in mind that you may not eligible for a new card bonus or 0% APR offer if you opened a Wells Fargo credit card in the last 15 months and received a bonus or APR offer on that card.
How Good Is Wells Fargo Customer Service?
Wells Fargo ranked eighth out of 11 national card issuers in the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study. The bank received a below average score. Some of Wells Fargo's satisfaction rating may be a negative perception holdover from its retail banking scandal, when the bank had to make restitution for opening millions of accounts on behalf of customers without their consent. The banking giant is under new management, so time will tell if its customer service ratings improve.
What Is the History of Wells Fargo?
Wells Fargo is one of the oldest banking organizations in the U.S., formed in 1852 as an express and banking company in California by the same founders as American Express—Henry Wells and William Fargo—to take advantage of the booming gold rush that began in 1848. Through multiple mergers and acquisitions over the years, which included Crocker National Bank, Norwest, and Wachovia, Wells Fargo is now a super bank with coast-to-coast operations and well over $1 trillion in assets. Its credit card operations rank eighth in the U.S., just behind Discover in terms of outstanding balances.
Methodology
To determine the best Wells Fargo credit cards, we reviewed each of the available credit cards from its site. We gathered data points from each card, such as annual fee, interest rate, rewards earned, benefits, and more. Scores were assigned to all data points so that cards could be compared against each other and ranked for each type of customer. The cards with the highest scores were chosen as our favorites for each category. We continuously monitor this information for changes to ensure that our rankings and recommendations are up-to-date for our readers.
Meet Our Expert
Ben Woolsey is Investopedia's Associate Editorial Director of Financial Products and Services, including credit cards. He has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, including marketing for banking and financial institutions such as Associates First Capital and Bank One. Prior to Investopedia, he managed credit card content for CreditCards.com and Bankrate.com.
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