The Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ credit card has many attractive features, including no annual fee, 0% APR for 15 months, unlimited 2% cash back, and a generous welcome bonus. However, you’ll need good to excellent credit to qualify for this card.
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Quick Review
The Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ credit card is a great card for good credit holders. It offers a flat rate of 2% cash back on all purchases, a $200 cash bonus upon spending $1,000 in the first three months of account ownership, a long 0% APR period, and unique benefits packages.
However, the card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee, making it less than ideal for frequent international travelers. Additionally, you may be offered a relatively high APR, as your APR offer will depend on creditworthiness and can range from 18.74%–28.74% (variable).
Overall, this is still a great borrowing option for those who can qualify. In fact, it’s among our lists of best 0% APR credit cards, best no-annual-fee credit cards, and best gaming credit cards.
Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card Important Details
Basic Card Details
- APR: 18.74%–28.74% (variable)
- Annual fee: $0
- Credit card issuer: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
- Rewards rate: 2%
- Minimum credit limit: $1000
- Welcome bonus: $200 cash rewards when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months
Additional Information
- Up to $600 cell phone protection against damage or theft when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your Wells Fargo card
- Advanced security features like voice verification and 2-step verification at sign-on
- Wells Fargo Mobile® app
- Zero liability protection
- Contactless payment
- 24/7 concierge service
- Access to Wells Fargo luxury hotel deals
Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card Feature Breakdown
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Introductory balance transfer fee: $5 or 3% (whichever is greater) for 120 days from account opening
- Balance transfer fee: Up to 5% for each balance transfer, with a minimum of $5
- Cash advance fee: $10 or 5% (whichever is greater)
- Foreign transaction fee: 3% of each transaction
- Late payment fee: up to $40
Note that this card charges the standard Wells Fargo foreign transaction fee of 3%. If you plan to use your credit card abroad, consider finding another option with no foreign transaction fees.
Interest Rates
- Purchase APR: 18.74%–28.74% (variable)
- Introductory APR: 0% for 15 months from account opening
- Introductory balance transfer APR: 0% introductory APR for 15 months from date of account opening.
- Balance transfer APR: 18.74%–28.74% (variable)
- Cash advance and overdraft protection APR: 26.74%
- Minimum interest charge: $1
The Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ card offers a 0% introductory APR for 15 months from the date of account opening for both purchase and balance transfers. Keep in mind that the balance transfer request must be made within 120 days from account opening to qualify for the introductory APR.
After the introductory 0% APR period, this card has an APR of 18.74%–28.74% (variable) based on your creditworthiness. Unfortunately, this means that the APR may be quite high if your credit history is less than ideal.
Rewards
The Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ card has an unlimited rewards program for all purchases. For those who don’t want to bother tracking rewards categories, this flat rate cashback program is a great deal.
You earn 2% cashback rewards on all purchases you make, without caps or limits. Bonus rewards can be obtained by shopping in-store and online through the Earn More Mall site.
Additionally, you’ll get a $200 cash rewards bonus when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months of getting the card.
You can redeem your Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ rewards in several ways:
- Redeem for purchases
- Redeem to a Wells Fargo credit card, checking, or mortgage account
- Redeem for cash at an ATM
- Redeem for gift cards
- Pay with your rewards through PayPal
Cell Phone Protection
This card offers up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ card (subject to a $25 deductible).
Visa Signature Privileges
This card comes with additional Visa benefits, including access to complimentary 24/7 concierge service for travel assistance (including dining and entertainment needs) and premium benefits at a selection of hotels through the Visa Signature Hotel Collection.
Features and Benefits
The Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ card offers standard credit card benefits, including:
- Zero liability protection, which ensures that you won’t be held responsible for any unauthorized transactions as long as they’re reported promptly.
- Voice verification and 2-step verification security features to help keep your account information secure.
- Contactless payment so you can tap your card at checkout.
- The Wells Fargo Mobile® app, which allows you to pay credit card bills and check account activity from anywhere.
Cash Advances
The Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ card allows credit card cash advances, i.e., the ability to get cash from your credit card at an ATM or bank.
Cash advances do not qualify for the 0% introductory APR, so money borrowed through a cash advance will start accumulating interest immediately at the cash advance rate of 26.74%.
Additionally, there’s a cash advance fee of $10 or 5%, making cash advances fairly expensive. Only use your credit card for a cash advance in an emergency, as they can end up costing a pretty penny in fees and interest.
Credit Reporting
To help cardholders build credit, Wells Fargo reports to credit bureaus each month. This means your credit report will be updated with information about how responsibly you borrow (i.e., pay your bills) on your Wells Fargo card.
Should You Get the Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card?
FinanceJar verdict
The Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ card is an excellent card for those who are able to qualify. It boasts no annual fee, a straightforward and unlimited 2% rewards program, and an introductory 0% interest rate for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers.
If you’re a frequent traveler, however, this may not be the right rewards card for you. First, it charges a fee of 3% of each foreign transaction. Second, there are cards that offer better travel rewards for the same credit score range that can qualify for the Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ card.
However, if you’re not a frequent flier and looking for an easy and generous rewards card, the Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ is a great option.
Who is this card for?
- People who want straightforward rewards: Some credit card rewards programs are complicated, with earning limits and rotating categories. This card offers a flat-rate rewards program with unlimited rewards of 2% back on all purchases. Additionally, the rewards can be easily redeemed in a variety of ways, and don’t need to reach a certain threshold before redemption.
- Anyone who needs to do a balance transfer: Because this card offers a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers, it’s a good choice for anyone looking to consolidate debts. Many balance-transfer cards come with annual fees, or only offer introductory APR on balance transfers, but not new purchases. As this card has 0% APR for purchases and balance transfer, no annual fee, and allows 120 days to request the balance transfer, it’s among the best cards for moving a balance.
Comparable Cards
Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card vs. Wells Fargo Reflect℠ Card
The Wells Fargo Reflect℠ card is similar to the Active Cash℠ card. Both cards have no annual fee and similar interest rates, although the lowest rate offered for the Reflect℠ card is 16.74%–28.74% (variable)
Both cards offer a 0% introductory APR, but the Reflect℠ card has an introductory period of 18 months with the option to extend another 3 months. This gives the card a potential 21-month 0% APR period—among the longest available on the market.
The Active Cash℠ card arguably offers a better rewards program, as you get unlimited rewards for all purchases. The Reflect℠ card only offers rewards on select purchases and you must activate a deal to get the rewards.
Both cards offer additional benefits, including cell phone protection and concierge services. Which credit card is better for you will depend on your needs—do you need a longer 0% APR period for balance transfers, or more stable rewards?
Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card vs. Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card and the Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ card both offer 15-month 0% APR periods, and come at no annual fee.
They also both offer a $200 cash welcome bonus, although the Chase card only requires you to spend $500 in the first year to earn it. Chase also offers an additional bonus of 5% cash back on gas station purchases for up to $6,000 spent in the first year.
The biggest difference in the cards is the way that the rewards program is structured. Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ has a simple structure of unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. The Chase Unlimited® has a more complex system of:
- 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3% back on dining or takeout at restaurants
- 3% back on drugstore purchases
- 1.5% back on all other purchases
If you spend a lot on travel, dining, and drugstore purchases, then the Chase Unlimited® card may be a better choice. However, if you’re looking for no-fuss rewards, the Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ is the way to go.
Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card vs. Citi® Double Cash
Once again, both these cards have no annual fee and offer cashback rewards.
The Citi® Double Cash card has a similar rewards program to the Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ card. You earn unlimited 2% rewards on all purchases. However, you earn 1% when you make the purchase and the other 1% when you pay it off.
One of the main differences between the cards is that the introductory 0% APR period for the Citi Double Cash℠ card is only for balance transfers and does not include purchases. So if you plan to carry a balance on purchases made after getting the new credit card, the Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ is a better choice, as new purchases won’t accrue interest for 15 months.
