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Wells Fargo Active Cash Card review: Enjoy unlimited 2% cash back
If you want to earn rewards on your routine purchases without the hassle of keeping track of bonus rewards categories, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is a standout credit card option. It has a higher-than-usual flat rewards rate of 2% on all purchases, and it doesn't have an annual fee.
Read more about the best cash-back credit cards available now
Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Card overview
- Annual fee$0
- Welcome offerEarn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 within the first 3 months
- Card type(s)Cash-back
- Introductory APR0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months, after which the standard APR applies
- Purchase APR20.24% - 29.99% variable
- Rewards rate2% cash rewards on purchases
- Benefits
- Get up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft
- 0% introductory APR is useful to finance large purchases or transfer a balance from another card
Additional benefits
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Cell phone protection: Use the card to pay your cell phone bill and you’ll automatically receive cell phone protection. This benefit reimburses you up to $600 — subject to a $25 deductible — if your phone is stolen or damaged. You’re limited to a maximum of two paid claims per 12-month period.
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Concierge: The Visa Signature concierge benefit can help you secure dining reservations and event tickets.
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Luxury Hotel Collection: As a Wells Fargo Active Cash cardholder, you get access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection. When you use your card to book stays at eligible hotels, you'll get benefits like automatic room upgrades, complimentary WiFi, complimentary breakfast, and late check-out (when available).
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Auto rental collision damage waiver: When you rent a vehicle on vacation, use your card to pay for the rental and you can get coverage against qualifying damages or theft.
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Travel and emergency assistance: When you’re traveling, unexpected emergencies may pop up, like an illness or stolen passport. The travel and emergency assistance hotline can help you handle it with medical and legal referrals, passport services, and more. However, you’re responsible for paying the fees for any services provided.
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Roadside dispatch: With your card, you can contact roadside dispatch for help with a flat tire, dead battery or tow 24/7. You’re responsible for paying for any services provided.
Related: How credit card travel insurance works
How to earn rewards
With its simple rewards structure and higher-than-usual rewards rate, the Wells Fargo Active Cash card is a good credit card for routine purchases. From groceries and gas to online shopping, dining out, and more, you’ll earn 2% cash back and rack up rewards.
Some transactions won’t count towards rewards, though. These include cash advances and balance transfers, casino chips, wire transfers, lottery tickets, credit card fees, and more.
Related: 9 weird ways to use a credit card and max out your rewards
How to redeem rewards
You can redeem your Wells Fargo Active Cash rewards in the following ways:
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Purchases: You can redeem rewards to pay for recent purchases you made with your credit card via statement credit. You can use your rewards to cover purchase amounts as low as $1.
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Deposit to checking account: You can request your rewards be deposited into your checking account.
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Debt payments: If you have a Wells Fargo credit card or mortgage, you can redeem your rewards for payments toward those accounts.
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Redeem for ATM cash: If you accumulate at least $20 in rewards, you can redeem them for cash with a Wells Fargo debit or ATM card.
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Gift cards: Purchase gift cards in $25 increments from major retailers and restaurants.
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Travel: You have the option of redeeming your rewards for travel accommodations or airfare.
Typically, Wells Fargo Active Cash rewards are worth one cent each. But some redemption methods, such as gift cards or travel, may have fluctuating values.
Who is the Wells Fargo Active Cash card best for?
The no annual fee Wells Fargo Active Cash card is best for individuals who are new to credit card rewards and those who simply want a basic rewards card for everyday purchases. You don’t have to keep track of special bonus categories or rotating calendars and you’ll earn a flat cash back rate on every purchase. Plus, the card has some generous added perks and benefits, like cell phone protection, making it even more appealing.
However, the card requires you to have good to excellent credit. If you don’t have an established credit history or are in the process of rebuilding your credit, you may not be eligible.
Wells Fargo Active Cash card benefits
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Higher-than-usual cash back rate: There are other rewards cards that offer a flat cash back rate, but they tend to offer 1.25% to 1.5% cash back. The Wells Fargo Active Cash card’s 2% cash back rate is relatively high.
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No annual fee: The Wells Fargo Active Cash card doesn’t have an annual fee. Assuming you always pay your statement balance in full every month, you can earn rewards without paying added fees or interest.
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Robust benefits: Other cards that offer perks like cell phone protection or auto rental coverage tend to have high annual fees, so the Wells Fargo Active Cash card’s benefits are surprisingly robust for a card without an annual fee.
Wells Fargo Active Cash card potential drawbacks
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Foreign transaction fees: If you love to travel internationally, you may need another credit card. The Wells Fargo Active Cash charges foreign transaction fees, so you’ll pay a 3% fee for every transaction you make outside of the U.S.
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Poor customer service reviews: Wells Fargo doesn’t have the best reputation as a bank or credit card issuer; J.D. Power ranked Wells Fargo lower than the industry average in customer satisfaction in its 2023 Credit Card Satisfaction Study.
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Good-to-excellent credit required: Not everyone will qualify for the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card. For the best chances of getting approved, you’ll need a credit score of 670 or higher.
Read more: How to use credit cards to build your credit score
How to make a Wells Fargo Active Cash card payment
Payments for the Wells Fargo Active Cash card can be made online, through the Wells Fargo mobile app or by calling customer support:
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Phone: Use the number on the back of your credit card
You can also make payments at Wells Fargo ATM locations nationwide.
Wells Fargo Active Cash card customer service info
Wells Fargo has a 24/7 customer support line for account management and to report lost or stolen cards. You can reach customer support by phone, or you can make an appointment with a local branch.
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Customer service availability info: 24/7
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Phone number: 1-800-642-4720
Alternative cards to consider
If you spend a significant amount of money in certain spending categories, such as restaurant meals or fuel for your card, you may be better off with another rewards card that offers a higher rewards rate for that category.
Read about more of the best rewards credit cards
- Annual fee$0
- Welcome offerEarn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 within the first 6 months
- Card type(s)Cash-back
- Introductory Purchases APR0% on purchases for 15 months
- Ongoing Purchases APR18.49%-29.49% Variable
- Introductory Balance Transfer APR0% on balance transfers for 15 months
- Ongoing Balance Transfer APR18.49%-29.49% Variable
- Rewards rate
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or on Amazon.com at checkout
- Benefits
- Generous intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Get a $7 monthly statement credit after spending $9.99 or more on a streaming subscription to the Disney Bundle, plus earn up to $15 in monthly statement credits after purchasing a Home Chef subscription
Why we like it: Like the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card, the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express has no annual fee (see rates & fees). But rather than a flat cash-back rate, you can earn 3% cash back* at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retail purchases, and U.S. gas stations (on the first $6,000 spent in each category per year, then 1%). On all other purchases, you'll earn 1% cash back.
*Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
Read our full review of the Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express
- Annual fee$0
- Welcome offerEarn a $200 cash bonus after spending $500 within the first 3 months
- Card type(s)Cash-back
- Introductory APR0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then variable 19.74% - 29.74% APR
- Purchase APR19.74% - 29.74% variable
- Rewards rate
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
- Benefits
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
- No foreign transaction fees
Why we like it: The Quicksilver Cash Rewards card from Capital One doesn't have an annual fee, and you'll earn a flat 1.5% cash-back rate on all purchases. That rewards rate is lower than the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card's 2% cash back, but the Quicksilver Cash Rewards card has other advantages. For one, you can earn a boosted 5% cash back when you book hotels and rental cars through Capital One Travel. It also doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, so it may be a good choice when traveling outside the country, and it offers perks like extended warranty protection and travel accident insurance.
Read our full Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card review
- Annual fee$95
- Welcome offerEarn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months — that's worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
- Card type(s)Travel
- Ongoing Purchases APR20.99% - 27.99% Variable
- Rewards rate
- 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
- 2x points on all other travel purchases
- 1x points on all other purchases
- Benefits
- Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel
- Earn up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel
- On every account anniversary, earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year
Why we like it: For those looking to maximize travel rewards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card may be a useful choice. Although it has a $95 annual fee, it has a more flexible rewards program; you can earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2x on all other travel; and 1x points on everything else. Plus, you'll get 25% more value when you redeem your rewards for travel through Chase Travel.
Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
This article was edited by Kendall Little
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
