Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card vs. Capital One Venture Card [Detailed Comparison]

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card is the new kid on the block in the neighborhood of travel rewards credit cards. Packed with solid earning ability, flexible redemption options, and useful protections and benefits, the card has made a powerful entrance.

Conversely, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a long history of respect, having been touted as the card that earns double miles on every purchase. (We’ve all seen the popular “What’s in your wallet?” commercials.) The card also offers flexible redemption choices and useful benefits.

Based on what we know about these 2 cards, the duo became the perfect choice for our comparison today.

We’ll compare the attributes and any downsides of these 2 reward-earning cards to learn which consumer might be the perfect fit for each card.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card vs Capital One Venture Card — Overview

The Value of a Welcome Offer

Welcome offers on the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and Capital One Venture card present the opportunity to jumpstart your rewards earning immediately after approval for either card.

Bonuses can be earned by meeting minimum spending requirements within the specified period stated for each card, typically within the first 3 months.

Welcome offers can be worth hundreds of dollars at redemption time.

Here are the most current welcome offers and more information on our featured cards:

NEW CARD

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A powerful point earning card with access to transfer partners.

Learn More(at Wells Fargo's secure site)

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

A powerful point earning card with access to transfer partners.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$900

Annual Fee

$95

APR

21.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey^SM Card is an excellent option for those looking for a great all-around travel rewards card that offers bonus categories on hotels, airfare, travel, and dining, giving you the opportunity to earn points on these purchases quickly.

Plus the card offers flexible redemption options including access to transfer partners, an annual credit towards airfare, and no foreign transaction fees (rates & fees).

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on hotels
• 4x points on airfare
• 3x points on other travel and restaurants

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• List of transfer partners is smaller than competing programs

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Select “Learn More” to take advantage of this specific offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
• Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months – that’s $600 toward your next trip.
• Earn unlimited 5X points on hotels, 4X points on airlines, 3X points on other travel and restaurants, and 1X points on other purchases.
• $95 Annual Fee.
• Book your travel with the Autograph Journey Card and enjoy Travel Accident Insurance, Lost Baggage Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.
• Earn a $50 annual statement credit with $50 minimum airline purchase.
• Up to $1,000 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
• Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature^® Concierge.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 21.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Welcome Offer

Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.

$250 Capital One Travel Credit + 75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,600

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent Credit (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Cons

• $95 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Limited elite benefits

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
• Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get Capital One’s best prices on thousands of trip options
• Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
• Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Enrich every hotel stay from the Lifestyle Collection with a suite of cardholder benefits, like a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and more
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

Bottom Line:

The welcome offers on the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and Capital One Venture card can be worth hundreds of dollars. Welcome bonus offers can be earned by meeting minimum spending requirements within the specified period following card approval.

Earning Potential

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card earns Wells Fargo Rewards points, while the Capital One Venture card earns Capital One miles. These miles are not frequent flyer miles, they’re just referred to as miles but function as typical reward points.

The best card choice for earning rewards will be the one that closely matches your spending mix.

Here are all the ways to earn rewards on our featured cards:

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card boasts strong earnings for travel and dining purchases. If you’re spending heavily in these categories, the card may be better for you.

Alternately, the Capital One Venture card’s strength is its 2x miles on every purchase. If you have lots of expenses that don’t fall into bonus-earning categories, the card could deliver greater overall earnings for you. Plus, the card will earn 5x miles on hotels and car rentals via Capital One Travel.

For example, when paying tuition, medical bills, home renovations, high utilities, or other non-bonused categories, the Capital One Venture card will earn 2x miles. These categories have just 1x earnings with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card.

Matching bonus earning categories with your actual spending is important to receiving the highest earnings possible.

Earnings are just half the equation, as the true value is found at redemption time. We’ll explore those options next.

Bottom Line:

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card earns well on travel and dining. If your spending falls into these categories, the card may work best for you. The Capital One Venture card has 2x earnings on every purchase, making it a good choice for those who spend more in non-bonus categories.

Redemption Options

The value you receive with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card or Capital One Venture card at redemption time is an important reason for selecting one card over the other.

First, we’ll examine the options for redeeming rewards earned on each card. Then, we can discuss how these choices ultimately deliver value.

Here are the redemption options for each card:

Redeeming Wells Fargo Rewards

One of the best ways to redeem Wells Fargo Rewards points is to transfer points to airline or hotel partners.

Redeem for Award Flights

Wells Fargo Rewards points transfer at a 1:1 ratio to Aer Lingus AerClub, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways Executive Club, and Iberia Plus.

While we expect the list to expand, these 5 key airline transfer partners currently provide access to all the major airline alliances.

For example, you can transfer Wells Fargo Rewards to Avianca LifeMiles to book United Airlines flights. Or to British Airways Executive Club to purchase American Airlines flights.

Redeem for Free Hotel Nights

Additionally, Wells Fargo Rewards points transfer to Choice Privileges hotel loyalty program at a 1:2 ratio. This means your points double each time you transfer.

Choice Privileges has many sweet spots where your rewards go far. One sweet spot is select Nordic countries where it’s possible to find great value. For example, the Comfort Hotel Grand Central puts you in the heart of Oslo, Norway, for just 16,000 Choice Privileges points (8,000 Wells Fargo Rewards points).

Or, closer to home, you could opt for luxury at the Michaelangelo Hotel in New York City’s Time Square, for just 45,000 Choice Privileges points (24,000 Wells Fargo Rewards points).

Hot Tip:

Wells Fargo Rewards points can be shared with others who have a Wells Fargo Rewards account. The option to link accounts and transfer points can be found in your online Wells Fargo Rewards account under Rewards, then Transfer.

Redeeming Capital One Miles

Capital One has even more airline and hotel transfer partners than Wells Fargo.

Redeem for Award Flights

Capital One has more than a dozen airline transfer partners. This means you’ll have several options for purchasing award flights.

For example, transferring your Capital One miles to Avianca LifeMiles allows you to book Star Alliance flights from the U.S. to Europe. For just 63,000 miles, you can book a flight in business class on SWISS.

Redeem for Free Hotel Nights

Capital One miles transfer to 3 hotel rewards programs: ALL – Accor Live Limitless (2:1 ratio), Choice Privileges (1:1 ratio), and Wyndham Rewards (1:1 ratio).

Perhaps the best value of the 3 programs, with the highest potential for outsized value, is Wyndham Rewards. A luxury property such as the Viva Azteca by Wyndham, an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, can be booked for 30,000 Wyndham Rewards points (30,000 Capital One miles).

Learn more about how to book some of the best Wyndham properties with points in our article on this topic.

Another flexible option (although not the best value) is using Capital One miles for hotels by redeeming them for 1 cent each for a statement credit toward previous hotel purchases (within 90 days).

We value Wells Fargo Rewards points at about 1.5 cents each and Capital One miles at about 1.8 cents each, due to the available options at redemption time.

Bottom Line:

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card has 5 airline transfer partners and the Choice Privileges hotel loyalty program. The Capital One Venture card offers transfers to 15 airline partners and 3 hotel partners.

Travel Protections and Benefits

Protections can provide needed assistance should something go wrong during your travels. Travel benefits can save you money on select travel-related purchases or provide perks you can enjoy during your journey.

Here are the travel protections and benefits you’ll find on the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and Capital One Venture card and those unique to the individual cards:

• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver/MasterRental Insurance — The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card offers an auto rental collision damage waiver, while the Capital One Venture card offers MasterRental Insurance. Reserve and pay for your rental with your card, and decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW insurance to review coverage for damage and theft. Both cards offer secondary coverage within the U.S. and primary coverage internationally. Terms, exclusions, and conditions apply.
• Baggage Insurance — The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card offers lost luggage reimbursement, which reimburses you up to $3,000 per trip, and the Capital One Venture card offers lost or damaged luggage insurance, which covers $1,500 per person per trip. Limits apply.
• Roadside Dispatch — The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card offers roadside dispatch, and the Capital One Venture card offers Master RoadAssist. This coverage provides a roadside service call 24/7. Services include limited towing, jumpstarting, lockout service, tire-changing, emergency fuel delivery, and standard winching.
• Travel Assistance Services — Receive access 24/7 for help when traveling. Services include medical/legal referrals, translation services, arranging emergency transportation, and more.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees — A typical foreign transaction fee can cost you 3% of the transaction. No worries with our featured cards, as neither card charges these fees (rates & fees of the Capital One Venture card).

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card

• $50 Airline Statement Credit — Use your card to purchase $50 or more with the airline and receive a statement credit for $50.
• Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance — If your trip needs to be canceled or is disrupted for a covered reason, you could receive up to $15,000 per person, per trip, up to a maximum of $20,000 every 12 months per account.
• Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection Benefits — Use your card to book your stay and receive benefits that include a best-rate guarantee, room upgrade on arrival (when available), and a $25 food/beverage credit. Complimentary breakfast for 2, free Wi-Fi, VIP guest status, and late checkout (on request and when available) are also included.

Capital One Venture Card

• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee Reimbursement — Pay your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application or renewal fee with your card and receive reimbursement, up to $100, as a statement credit.
• Capital One Lifestyle Collection Hotel Benefits — Enjoy a $50 experience credit to use on-site, room upgrades (when available), complimentary Wi-Fi, and early check-in/late checkout (when available).

Bottom Line:

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and Capital One Venture card have key travel protections and benefits, including car rental insurance, baggage insurance, roadside dispatch, hotel program benefits, and no foreign transaction fees.

Shopping Protections and Benefits

Shopping protections are an added benefit for qualifying items purchased with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card or Capital One Venture card.

Our featured cards can also offer shopping benefits that can save you money on select purchases or provide access to exclusive events.

Here are the shopping protections and benefits that are included with each card:

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card

• Cell Phone Protection — Pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card to receive protection for theft or damage. This valuable benefit provides up to $1,000 per claim, a maximum of 2 claims in 12 months, up to $2,000 total. There is a $25 deductible per claim.
• My Wells Fargo Deals — You’ll find shopping offers from select merchants and service providers in your online card account. Add the offer to your card, and complete the required purchase to receive a cash-back statement credit.
• Autograph Exclusives — Enjoy access to exclusive events and the opportunity to purchase up to 6 tickets per event.

Capital One Venture Card

• Purchase Assurance — With Purchase Assurance protection, eligible items purchased with your card receive coverage for damage or theft within the first 90 days after purchase.
• Extended Warranty — An extra year will be added to the manufacturer’s warranty for eligible items purchased with your card.
• Capital One Offers — Find Capital One Offers in your online card account, make the required purchase with the merchant, and receive a cash-back reward as a statement credit.

Bottom Line:

The most valuable shopping benefit of the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card is its cell phone protection. The Capital One Venture card has purchase protection that can provide coverage for damage or theft of eligible items. Both cards have shopping portals with deals that give you cash-back on associated purchases.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

Any fees associated with card membership should be considered when selecting a rewards card.

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card has an annual fee of $95. The Capital One Venture card has an annual fee of $95 (rates & fees).

Authorized users can help you earn more rewards faster. Additional users can be added to our featured cards for no additional fee (rates & fees of the Capital One Venture card).

Final Thoughts

When we compare the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card and Capital One Venture card for earnings, both have strong potential.

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card earns well on a wide range of travel categories, and dining. The Capital One Venture card will fare better for those with heavy expenses in non-bonus categories, yet the card still provides 2x earnings on travel/dining.

The better card for earning rewards overall will, of course, depend on your spending mix.

At redemption time, the Capital One Venture card has the edge. You’ll have many more airline transfer partners than with the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card.

Finally, while overall protections and benefits are similar, you may find value in the cell phone protection on the Wells Fargo Autograph card.

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For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa^® or Mastercard^® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.