Last week Wells Fargo launched online applications for their new Autograph Journey credit card that comes with the ability to transfer points to travel partners.
A reader on that post shared something interesting – they were offered an increased welcome offer as a result of having a checking account with Wells Fargo.
Here’s the current welcome offer details for this card:
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
60K points ⓘ Non-Affiliate 60K after $4,000 spend in first 3 months.$95 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Earning rate: 5X hotels ✦ 4X airlines ✦ 3X restaurants & other travel ✦ 1X everywhere else Card Info: Visa Signature issued by Wells. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Noteworthy perks: $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase ✦ Trip cancellation / interruption protection ✦ Cell phone protection ($25 deductible, $1000 max per claim) ✦ Transfer points to select airline & hotel programs |
Mser shared this in the comments of that past post about the card:
When I applied, a popup showed up saying I’d get 10,000 more miles because I’m a Premier Checking customer. Nice unexpected bonus.
I’m not sure if all Premier Checking customers are offered the 10,000 bonus points or if Wells Fargo customers with other types of their checking accounts also qualify for a boosted welcome offer. I’m also not sure if Wells Fargo automatically picks up on accounts you already have when submitting your application, but it could be worth logging in to your Wells Fargo account before applying for the Autograph Journey card just in case that has an impact.
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I don’t believe it is targeted (in that I think it is applicable to all Premier customers). I say this because as a recent Premier customer, the relationship manager promoted the fact that their other cards which normally carry a $200 (or equiv in points) SUB had a $300 SUB for Premier. I even logged in online and saw that it automatically showed that sweetened offer when I was logged in for these other legacy cards. I did not apply then, and when this Autograph Journey arrived a few weeks ago, I was mildly disappointed they didn’t have a $100/10K point sweetener on this one. A few days late, voila, when I was logged in, I saw this in my account with the extra 10K points SUB. So I believe it is applicable to all Premier customers just like the other Wells Fargo SUBs are (BILT of course, being an exception).
Their phrasing also confirms this. Before i login, their banner shows a 60K SUB for Autograph Journey. But as soon as I login, it says:
“Exclusive offer for Premier Checking clients
Earn 70,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months[1] – that’s $700 towards your next trip.”
Ya know, FM is the only points blog newsletter that I subscribe to, and have for a long time. I may have to reconsider that decision if you’re going to keep pimping these criminals
Don’t be mad. Don’t leave a comment. Just leave.
FM is simply reporting. FM is not pushing. If you noticed the card review, the embedded link is a NON-AFFILIATE link, which means FM doesn’t get a dime.
I think it’s appropriate to provide feedback to our (mostly) benevolent guides in the points game. They know the history of WF, and they can chose to publish, or not publish, these offers, whether the link is an affiliate or not, just as I can choose to subscribe or unsubscribe.
What seems odd is your insistence that I must be silent. I disagree.
Benevolence is an act of intention. By saying “mostly benevolent,” you are implying that the FM team has some level of intention other than well-meaning. I disagree.
You could have emailed the FM team to express your displeasure.
For some reason you seem to believe that you have dominion to direct how, when, and to whom I communicate. I grant you no such dominion. What I will grant you is the last word; I’ve already unsubscribed from this thread
“YEAH HOW DARE THEY GIVE US INFORMATION AND LET US MAKE OUR OWN DECISIONS ABOUT WHO TO DO BUSINESS WITH!!”
We’d be doing a disservice to our readers if we didn’t write about Wells Fargo credit cards, especially a new card that has a good welcome offer and transfer partners.
FWIW, we don’t earn anything when someone clicks through and applies for the Autograph Journey card, so it’s not like we’re writing about it to earn commission.
If someone dislikes Wells Fargo, one of the best ways of sticking it to them would be to get this card. They’d be getting at least $545 out of them from the welcome offer & points earned on spend after the annual fee, so they’d be ensuring Wells Fargo earns less money while earning some for themselves.
^^^ This One ^^^
Exactly!
I have basic personal and business checking accounts open and funded. No bonus $10k offer for me.
There was word of an extra 10k on the bonus for Wells Fargo Premier customers during the leaks about the SUB a few weeks ago.
To maintain a Premier Checking account without a $35/month fee, one needs $250k+ of funds in banking and/or investments at WF. Pretty big ask for an extra 10k of “meh” transferable points, especially if you factor in lost interest during an ACH transfer or a wire fee.
Wells is offering 10k as a thank you to those existing customers who have a significant relationship with the bank. Wells is not *asking* anything from anyone. Wells knows that 10k points is not going to entice anyone to move a banking relationship. And, for the reasons you state, Wells knows that 10k points is not going to entice a kiss-and-run hobbyist.
Doesn’t their premier checking require $250k cash or investments?
yes
…or a $35 per month fee. I might upgrade my checking to premier, knowing I’ll get hit for $35, before applying for the card. If I get 10k bonus, great, it was at a cost of .0035 per point, if not, I am out $35. Either way, switch back from prime to everyday which is where I started to get the $325 for opening it. Still ahead $295.