Our credit card articles, reviews and ratings maintain strict editorial integrity; however we may be compensated when you click on or are approved for offers (terms apply) from our partners. How we make money.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Earn a $150 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 16.74-25.49%.
- 3% intro balance transfer fee when you transfer a balance during the first 60 days your account is open, with a minimum of $5
- No annual fee
- Free credit score, updated weekly with Credit Journey℠
- No minimum to redeem for cash back
- Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months.
- NEW 6% Cash Back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions.
- NEW 3% Cash Back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more.
- 6% Cash Back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). 3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations. 1% Cash Back on other purchases.
- Over 3 million more places in the U.S. started accepting American Express® Cards in 2017 and 2018.
- Low intro APR: 0% for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate, currently 14.74% to 25.74%
- $95 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
Best Credit Cards
What Wells Fargo says about this card
- Earn a $150 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in the first 3 months
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash rewards on purchases
- Enjoy 1.8% cash rewards on qualified digital wallet purchases, like Apple Pay® or Google Pay™, during the first 12 months from account opening
- No category restrictions or sign ups and cash rewards don't expire as long as your account remains open
- Get up to $600 protection on your cell phone (subject to $25 deductible) against covered damage or theft when you pay your monthly cellular telephone bill with your Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card
- $0 Annual Fee
- Select "Apply Now" to learn more about the product features, terms and conditions
By Brooklyn Lowery Site Editor Updated Oct 13, 2019
Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card Essentials
Launched in June 2016, the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card jumped into the popular flat-rate cash-back credit card market with its offer of unlimited 1.5% cash back on all your purchases (See Rates and Fees).
But this card from Wells Fargo, the bank known for its stagecoach logo, offered something a bit different to set it apart from the other flat-rate cards on the market: Cardholders can earn 1.8% cash back on their qualified digital wallet purchases, like Google Pay™ or Apple Pay®, made during the first 12 months from account opening. Plus, new cardholders can earn a $150 cash-rewards bonus after spending $500 on the card within the first three months.
The Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card comes with no annual fee, making it an easy card to carry even if you aren't a heavy credit card user. You have nothing to lose in that there's no annual fee to offset by earning maximum rewards. And who doesn't appreciate getting something for nothing?
Additionally, you can take advantage of a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (fees apply), then a 15.74%-27.74% Variable APR; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee. So the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card could be worth checking out if you have credit card debt you'd like to consolidate or a large purchase you'd like to make in the near future.
CardRatings Editor's Analysis: Pros & Cons
- New cardholders earn an introductory cash-back bonus of $150 after spending $500 in the first three months, and new card members also enjoy a reward rate of 1.8% cash back for the first 12 months when making qualifying digital wallet purchases, otherwise it's 1.5% on all purchases. Redeem your cash rewards in a variety of ways, including directly from a Wells Fargo ATM.
- Pay your cellular bill with your card and get up to $600 of protection on your cell phone (subject to a $25 deductible) against covered damage and theft.
- At 15 months, the 0% APR intro period for purchases and qualifying balance transfers is a great feature (then, 15.74%-27.74% Variable). Remember that fees apply and transfers must be made within 120 days.
- While it does offer a reward percentage boost for making qualifying digital wallet purchases such as those with Google Pay™ or Apple Pay® in the first 12 months, there are cards out there that offer higher ongoing rewards than the 1.5%.
According to Wells Fargo, the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card was launched for the nearly 60% of consumers who charge almost everything they buy in order to earn rewards and the 36% who say cash rewards are their favorite.
And it goes above and beyond in terms of offering those customers plenty of flexibility in how they can redeem their rewards for cash.
With the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card, cash rewards can be redeemed:
- At any Wells Fargo ATM using your Wells Fargo debit or ATM card
- Via direct deposit into a Wells Fargo checking or savings account
- As a payment to the principal balance of a Wells Fargo line of credit or loan
- As a statement credit
- As a paper check
The Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card also gives cardholders an easy way to manage their cash-back rewards. Through Cash Track, a new feature available exclusively to Cash Wise cardholders through Wells Fargo's Online Banking, cardholders can view cash rewards, set a cash rewards goal, track progress, view lifetime cash rewards earnings and redeem rewards.
There is lots to like about the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card, especially for credit card users who seek simplicity when it comes to rewards. With the flat 1.5% cash back, you don't have to think about rotating categories or purchasing caps. Plus, there's that unique offer of an even higher introductory rewards opportunity of 1.8% for the first 12 months for cardholders who are tech-savvy and like to pay with their qualified digital wallet, such as Google Pay™ or Apple Pay®.
There's also a neat little perk of getting up to $600 protection on your cellphone against damage or theft, of course subject to a $25 deductible, whenever you use your Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card to make your monthly cellphone payments.
And, just for good measure, you can take advantage of a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (fees apply), then a 15.74%-27.74% Variable APR; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee.
Between the intro APR offers, the easy-to-understand rewards and great flexibility in how you can redeem your cash back rewards, the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card is an excellent option for cardholders in the market for a new cash-back credit card.
Potential Downsides of the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card
This is a flat-rate rewards card, which means you'll accrue steady rewards, but not necessarily write-home-about rewards. If you know you have the organizational prowess and determination to use a rotating categories cash-back card, you'll likely earn greater rewards going that route.
Additionally, this probably isn't the card you'll want to use when you travel abroad as there is a 3% foreign transaction fee charged on each purchase made outside the United States.
Lastly, if you plan to take advantage of the 0% APR intro on qualifying balance transfers (then, 15.74%-27.74% Variable), be aware that you'll pay balance transfer fees and transfers must be made within 120 to qualify.
Top Features
| Cash Back on Gas | Cash Back on Groceries | Cash Back on Other |
| 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.8% cash rewards on qualified digital wallet purchases, like Apple Pay® or Google Pay™, during the first 12 months from account opening |
How Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card Compares to Other Cash-back Cards
Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card vs. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Unlike the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express (American Express is a CardRatings advertiser) features cash-back rewards in tiered categories, so your earning potential could be greater with the Amex card if you spend often in the bonus categories. You'll earn 6% back on purchases at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases annually, then 1% after that) and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions; 3% at U.S. gas stations and on transit like bus fares, rideshares, parking and more; and 1% back on all other purchases (Terms apply).
The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express does come with a $95 annual fee, but also offers a welcome offer of $250 cash back after you spend $1,000 in the first three months. Terms apply. See Rates and Fees
Who Should Get the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card
Credit card customers looking for an affordable credit card that offers easy-to-understand cash-back rewards should take a close look at the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card. With no annual fee and a generous intro APR 0% offer on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 15 months (then, 15.74%-27.74% Variable); balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee, the Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card is a decent choice.
Its reward rate is competitive with other flat-rate cards at 1.5% and the added boost to 1.8% for a year for customers who like to pay with qualifying digital wallet options is a nice touch. If you like your credit card rewards simple and unlimited, this is a good card to check out.
See Rates and Fees for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
