Before you head out on your next adventure, you might want to add a travel card to your wallet. Let’s unpack everything you’ll find with the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card in our review.
Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card
Pros
- Generous sign-up bonus
- 3X points on travel and a wide selection of common purchases
- 0% introductory APR for the first 12 months
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- May not be the best choice if you’re not a frequent travele
- No credit or reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA Precheck
- Rewards points are not as generous as percentage cash back offers
Table of Contents
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card is one of the more interesting travel oriented credit cards available. While the rewards it offers are mostly related to travel and dining purchases, you have complete flexibility in how you redeem them. You can of course redeem them for travel, but you also have the option to take cash or gift cards.
The card comes with a generous combination of sign-up bonus, rewards points, and a 0% introductory APR. And of course, as a credit card offered by Wells Fargo, you’ll have access to one of the largest banks in the U.S. That includes the ability to redeem cash rewards at the bank’s more than 13,000 ATMs.
This is definitely a rewards and balance transfer credit card offer worth considering.
- Learn more about the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card.
About Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card
The details of the card’s major benefits are as follows:
Rewards points. You get 3X points per $1 spent for the following categories:
- Eating out
- Ordering in
- Gas
- Rideshares and transit (including bus, rail, and taxis)
- Flights
- Hotels and homestays (including timeshares)
- Car rentals
- Popular streaming services, including Apple Music, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Sirius XM Radio Inc., and Spotify Premium
You’re then eligible for 1X points on all other purchases. There’s no limit on how many points you can earn, and they don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
Points can be redeemed as follows:
- Travel
- Cash (can be redeemed by phone or online in $25 increments, or at Wells Fargo ATMs in $20 increments)
- Gift cards, as low as 2,500 points for a $25 dollar gift card
No airline restrictions. There are no blackout dates on air travel when points are redeemed through Go Far Rewards. You can also use a combination of points and a card payment.
0% introductory APR. The card has a 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months.
Credit required: Good/excellent.
Features and Benefits
In addition to the sign-up bonus, rewards points, and the 0% introductory APR, the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card comes with a very long list of additional features and benefits:
- Zero liability. You’re not responsible for unauthorized transactions when you report them quickly.
- Rapid alerts. Tracks purchase activity, and provides notification of irregular or suspicious activity.
- Cell phone protection. Your cell phone will be protected from damage or theft when you pay your monthly cell phone bills with the card. Good for up to two claims per 12-month period, to a maximum of $600 per occurrence, and $1,200 per 12-month period.
- Advance Access. Buy tickets for concerts, theater, and special events before they go one sale to the general public.
- Retail protection. For eligible purchases made on the card you’ll receive protection on goods that are damaged or stolen within 90 days from the date of purchase. The maximum coverage is $1,000 per loss, and a total of $50,000 per cardholder account for each 12 months period.
- Extended warranty. The original manufacturer’s warranty on a new item purchased with the card can be extended for up to 12 months. The benefit is good for up to $10,000, or the actual amount charged, whichever is less.
- Return protection. If an item is purchased using the card and it is deemed to be unsatisfactory, and the merchant won’t take it back, you are eligible for a refund for the full purchase price of up to $300 per item, to a maximum of $1,000 per cardholder account each year.
Travel Specific Features and Benefits
- Worldwide travel accident insurance. Provides coverage for up to $150,000 for accidental death or dismemberment while traveling on a common carrier. The fare must be charged to the card.
- Lost luggage reimbursement. Eligible for travel on common carriers charged to the card. Checked baggage lost while traveling is eligible for reimbursement for up to $1,000, per insured, per covered trip.
- Auto rental collision and liability insurance. Charge the rental to the card, waive the collision damage offered by the rental company, and the vehicle will be covered in the event of theft or damage to the vehicle. Primary auto insurance is required for liability coverage.
- Roadside assistance. This is a 24 hour service, providing assistance with towing an emergency roadside repairs if the vehicle is immobilized you are involved in an accident or a breakdown. The service can also arrange for alternative transportation, or a hotel stay if necessary. You will be responsible for third party charges.
- 24/7 travel emergency assistance, and emergency cash advances. This includes medical emergency assistance, legal emergency assistance, personal assistance for passports, immunization/inoculation requirements; foreign currency exchange rates; embassy and consular referrals; general information on local customs and business etiquette; travel advisories and customs information, and local voltage information. You will be responsible for third party charges.
Sign-up Bonus
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card comes with 30,000 bonus points when you spend at least $3,000 in purchases in the first three months after the card is approved. Those bonus points have a cash redemption value of $300. They will be redeemable within one or two business cycles following the end of the three month offer.
Pricing
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card has the following APR and fees:
- Annual fee: None.
- APR: 0% introductory APR for 12 months on both purchases and balance transfers, then 14.74% to 27.24% variable, based on your creditworthiness.
- APR for cash advances: 26.24% to 28.24% variable, based on your creditworthiness.
- Balance transfer fee: The greater of 3% of the amount transferred, or $5.
- Cash advance fee: The greater of 5% of the amount transferred, or $10.
- Foreign transaction fee: None.
- Late payment fee: $37.
How to Sign Up for the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card
You can apply for the Wells Fargo Propel AMEX Card online. You will be required to furnish your Social Security number and income information.
Once you apply, you’ll receive an application ID and a phone number where you can check the status of your application. The credit decision will generally be made within five to seven business days.
You may be eligible for a credit line increase after your account has been established for at least one year.
Customer Service
Customer Service is available 24/7 by phone or online chat, for account management.
You can also check the application status for your Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card by calling 1-877-514-3717. Hours are as follows (Pacific time):
- Mon – Fri: 5 am – 7 pm
- Sat: 8:30 am – 5 pm
- Sun: Closed
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Generous sign-up bonus, worth up to $300.
- 3X points on a wide selection of common purchases, but primarily related to travel.
- 0% introductory APR on both purchases and balance transfer as for the first 12 months.
- Points redemptions are completely flexible, and can be taken as travel, cash, or gift cards.
- No annual fee.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Cash rewards can be redeemed at Wells Fargo ATMs.
Cons:
- Rewards points are primarily centered on travel related purchases; the card may not be the best choice if you’re not a frequent traveler.
- There’s no credit or reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, a feature you’d expect to have on a travel related credit card.
- The rewards points aren’t as generous as percentage cash back offers. For example, 3X points on $1,000 in purchases will have a redemption value of $30. A straight up 5% cash back offer will be worth $50.
Should You Sign Up for the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card?
The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card doesn’t dominate the credit card universe in any particular category. That includes the sign-up bonus, rewards points, the 0% introductory APR, and the many additional features and benefits it offers. But it is very good in each of these categories, which makes it a credit card worth having.
For example, there are credit cards that offer a sign-up bonus worth $500 or more. But they typically have a higher spending requirements to earn it, and may limit redemption to a single category, like travel.
Some cards may have more generous rewards, such as 5% cash back on select categories which rotate each quarter. But the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card gives you 3X points on purchases you’re likely to make all year round. Plus you get 1X points on all other purchases.
Rewards redemptions are also a strong suit of this card. You’re not limited to one specific category, like travel. You can redeem points in travel, but you also have the option to take points in cash or gift cards as well.
The 12-month 0% introductory APR isn’t the best in the industry either. Some cards go up to 18 months. But the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card extends the introductory to include both purchases balance transfers.
The card also has a longer list of additional features and benefits than most cards, particularly those that apply to travel. The cell phone protection plan alone can be worth up to $600 per phone, and up to $1,200 per year.
That’s a lot of features packed into a single credit card with no annual fee.
Learn more about the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card.
Topics: Credit Cards • ReviewsThe post Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card Review – Generous Sign-Up Bonus appeared first on The Dough Roller.
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