Last year, the seventh-annual TPG Awards recognized the best in the travel and loyalty industries. And while many of these honors came out of spirited debates among our editorial staffers, there was one credit card award that was, simply put, a slam dunk.
We’re talking about the trophy for the Best New/Refreshed Credit Card of the year — and the winner was the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (see rates and fees).
I added this card to my own wallet last year, and it also stood tall among the panel that selected it as the award winner.
Here’s why.
Related: Wells Fargo Rewards program: How to earn, redeem and transfer points
Transfer partners
Our team here at TPG gets excited when any new credit card hits the market. But when that product launch also features a brand-new, valuable rewards currency, it really shines.
That’s exactly what the Autograph Journey Card did when it first opened to new applicants.
After you earn points on the card — whether via everyday spending or the welcome bonus — you have the ability to convert them to the following transfer partners:
- Aer Lingus AerClub (1:1)
- Avianca LifeMiles (1:1)
- British Airways Executive Club (1:1)
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue (1:1)
- Iberia Plus (1:1)
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club/Virgin Red (1:1)
- Choice Privileges (1:2)
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Not only that, but all transfers process instantly (we tested each one), and there’s also no minimum. If you’re 23 points shy of a given redemption, you can transfer exactly 23 points. Most other programs require you to transfer in increments of 1,000, which can leave you with an odd balance of “stranded” rewards.
Last October, I booked a last-minute trip to New York to visit my family, and I needed a place to stay just north of the city. Thankfully, I found the Cambria Hotel White Plains — Downtown, which cost just 30,000 points per night for a large room with a king bed and a sofa bed, perfect for my family.
The two-night stay would’ve set me back nearly $800.
Instead, I transferred just 30,000 Wells Fargo Rewards points to my Choice Privileges account to book the room — giving me a value of more than 2.6 cents per point, based on TPG’s April 2025 valuations.
Redemption options
But transferring points to partner programs is just one of the appealing redemption options for the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card. There are many other possibilities, including travel and merchandise purchases, gift cards and offsetting PayPal purchases. You can even opt for a simple statement credit to your eligible account.
But the best part? Every one of these options gives you the same value — a notable differentiator compared to other issuers that may offer 20% less value on cash-back rewards or 30% less value on certain types of travel. You never need to worry about sacrificing value because every redemption option gives you a solid return on your purchases.
This flexibility and consistency played a big role in taking home the TPG Award — and it’s especially important given the next key feature on the card.
Lucrative earning rates
Many popular travel cards come with one or two bonus categories. Some restrict the most rewarding earning rates to purchases made in their own travel portal. But the Autograph Journey allows you to take home a lot of points on your everyday spending.
Here are the card’s earning rates:
- 5 points per dollar spent on hotels
- 4 points per dollar spent on airlines
- 3 points per dollar spent on other travel purchases
- 3 points per dollar spent on dining
- 1 point per dollar spent on other purchases
The card also has no foreign transaction fees, making it a great option when traveling abroad — whether you’re swiping it for a train in Germany, sushi in Tokyo or street tacos in Mexico City (all of which will earn 3 points per dollar, incidentally).
Plus, if you apply (and are approved) for the card today, you can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months.
All of this translates to a lot of rewards.
Read more: Earn 60,000 transferable points with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card
Perks with a low fee
A final reason the Autograph Journey took home the trophy as the Best New/Refreshed Credit Card is the array of benefits it offers at a relatively low $95 annual fee.
Here are some of the most notable:
- Airline credit: Earn a yearly $50 statement credit when you use your card for an airline purchase of $50+. Purchases at retailers must have a merchant category code of airline/air carriers.
- Cellular telephone protection: When you charge your wireless bill to your Autograph Journey Card, you can get reimbursed up to $1,000 to repair or replace your phone if it’s stolen or damaged (subject to a $25 deductible).
- My Wells Fargo Deals: Cardmembers will have targeted offers with a variety of merchants, which can save you money on select purchases (after activation). For example, I spent a night in an Autograph Collection property in January, and since I had a 10% offer, I received a $36.87 statement credit.
It’s benefits like these that’ll keep the card in my wallet for years to come.
Bottom line
Wells Fargo came out strong when it launched the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card in early 2024 — and it ran away with the award for the Best New/Refreshed Credit Card at the 2024 TPG Awards. With flexible redemption options, lucrative earning rates and a bunch of value-added perks, the card could be a great fit for just about anyone’s wallet.
Click here to learn how you can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months.
