Fact vs. fiction: Wells Fargo confirms new Autograph Journey card and forthcoming transfer partners

There’s a lot of excitement within the travel rewards landscape at the idea of a new rewards credit card, new transfer partners and the idea of a new-to-everyone welcome offer. And for the last few weeks, Wells Fargo and its Autograph card portfolio have been at the center of some of that speculation.

We love a good rumor as much as the next person, but since speculation alone doesn’t fund reward trips, we got on the phone with our contact at Wells Fargo to parse out fact from fiction about exactly what is coming next.

While we still don’t have all the details, here’s everything you need to know (for now) about what’s coming.

TPG was able to confirm that Autograph Journey is the new Wells Fargo credit card coming in 2024. This card will join the existing Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card, which launched in 2022 and offers a solid value proposition for a card with no annual fee (see rates and fees) — including a welcome offer of 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,500 or more in purchases in the first three months from account opening.

The new Autograph Journey Visa card will most likely have an annual fee, though specifics around that are not yet 100% confirmed.

While the existing points-earning structure of the Autograph Journey was not yet available, Wells Fargo did confirm that the points-earning structure at launch will be more lucrative than that of the existing Autograph card, which awards 3 points per dollar in the following categories:

• Restaurant purchases — including dining in, takeout, catering and delivery
• Travel — including airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises
• Gas — including fuel at gas stations and electric charging purchases
• Transit — including subways, ride-hailing services, parking and tolls
• Popular streaming services
• Phone plans with cellphone and landline providers

Additionally, TPG was told that any speculation about the welcome offer for the new Autograph Journey card at launch is just that — speculation. Such details are still under development and not finalized.

Transfer partners are coming to Wells Fargo

In addition to an all-new card, TPG has confirmed that Wells Fargo will launch transfer partners in its Autograph portfolio. However, unlike some reports, that won’t be this year.

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The exact timing of when transfer partners will come to the existing Autograph card (as well as the new Autograph Journey card) in 2024 is not yet available, nor is the list of transfer partners. However, this redemption option will be available on the relatively near-term horizon for the Autograph portfolio and, as such, will likely represent a major boost to the issuer’s customers.

Currently, the Wells Fargo Autograph Card is a fixed-value product, as the points you earn can be redeemed at a value of 1 cent apiece — for a statement credit or gift card (in $25 increments) or to book travel. However, since transferable rewards programs typically offer added flexibility and enhanced value through individual sweet spots, this has the potential to be a very positive development.

For now, that means that just one Wells Fargo card — the Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees) — offers transfers to select airline and hotel loyalty programs.

Related: Your complete guide to the Bilt Rewards program

For years, the rewards credit card game was largely dominated by Chase and American Express. And while they are still juggernauts in the space, and rightfully so, competition is a good thing for points-earning consumers.

The Bilt Mastercard is a great example of how an all-new card and loyalty program can come on the scene, make a difference in the landscape and shake up the wallets of those who have been at this for a long time. And it seems like Wells Fargo is primed for even more disruption in 2024.

See Bilt Mastercard rates and fees here.
See Bilt Mastercard rewards and benefits here.