Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph: Which is Best?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card are popular options for individuals looking to dip their toes in the credit card rewards game.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee.

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card offers elevated rewards on everyday purchases including restaurants, travel, gas stations, and streaming services. The card provides solid travel and shopping protections including cell phone coverage, making it a practical choice for daily spending with no annual fee.

This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.

Full Reviews: Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card.

Overview: Sapphire Preferred vs Autograph Card

Welcome Bonus

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently offers the following welcome bonus:

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

Wells Fargo Autograph:

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card currently offers the following welcome bonus:

Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.

Winner:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a much more valuable welcome bonus than the Autograph card.

Earning Points

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points and offers bonus points on spending in several categories:

• 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase travel portal;
• 5 points per dollar on Lyft purchases (through March 2025);
• 5 points per dollar on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $250 or more (through March 2025, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points);
• 3 points per dollar on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out;
• 3 points per dollar on online grocery store purchases (excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs);
• 3 points per dollar on select streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, Youtube TV, Pandora, Apple Music, SiriusXM, Sling, Vudu, Fubo TV, Hulu, and ESPN+;
• 2 points per dollar on all travel not booked through the Chase travel portal; and
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible spending.

Wells Fargo Autograph:

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card earns points at the following rates:

• 3 points per dollar on restaurants, including take-out, catering, and delivery;
• 3 points per dollar on travel, including airfare, hotels, car rental, and cruises;
• 3 points per dollar at gas stations;
• 3 points per dollar at EV charging stations;
• 3 points per dollar on transit, including subways, ride shares, parking, tolls, and more;
• 3 points per dollar on popular streaming websites;
• 3 points per dollar on cell phone and landline providers; and
• 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

Winner:

Tie. Although the Autograph card earns “3 points per dollar” in more categories than the Sapphire Preferred, the Autograph’s points are only worth 1.0 cents per point, but we value Chase Ultimate Rewards at about 1.7 cents per point.

Card Benefits

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The  Chase Sapphire Preferred offers nice benefits, including:

• Receive 25% more value on points redeemed for travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal.
• $50 annual credit on hotel stays purchased through Ultimate Rewards.
• 10% Points Bonus for each Cardmember anniversary.
• A complimentary one-year subscription to DashPass by DoorDash when you enroll by December 31, 2024.
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance (up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip).
• Primary car rental insurance.
• Lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000 per passenger)
• Baggage delay insurance (up to $100 per day for five days).
• Trip delay insurance (up to $500 per ticket for a delay longer than 12 hours or overnight).
• Extended warranty.
• 120 days purchase protection (up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per year).
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Free 6-month membership to Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024).

Wells Fargo Autograph:

The Wells Fargo Autograph Card offers the following benefits for its cardholders:

• 0% Intro APR for 12 months. After that, either a 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% APR applies.
• Cellphone insurance
• Secondary car rental insurance
• No foreign transaction fees

Winner:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers better travel and purchase protections over the Autograph Card. Plus, it offers a $50 hotel credit, 10% points bonus, and benefits with several partners.

Value of the Annual Fee

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with an annual fee of $95.

While some users might be initially deterred by this cost, it’s important to consider the value and benefits that come with the card.

The rewards points, travel benefits, and purchase protections can help offset the cost of the annual fee for frequent travelers.

Wells Fargo Autograph:

One of the best aspects of the Wells Fargo Autograph Card is that it has no annual fee.

Winner:

Wells Fargo Autograph Card since it has no annual fee.

Redeeming Points

Chase Sapphire Preferred:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points, one of the most flexible points currencies.

You can use your points to book flights, hotel stays, and even rent a car through Chase Travel — all at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents per point. For example, 100,000 points are equivalent to $1,250 towards travel.

You can unlock even more value than 1.25 cents per point by transferring rewards to Chase airline and hotel partners.

Wells Fargo Autograph:

With the Wells Fargo Autograph Card, you can redeem your reward points for one cent per point for several options, including:

• Cashback as a statement credit
• Travel and vacation, such as flights, car rentals, and hotel stays (cash + rewards payment is allowed)
• Gift cards
• Merchandise from participating merchants

Winner:

The Sapphire Preferred offers a higher redemption value, especially for travel redemptions. Plus, Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to several hotel and airline partners across different airline alliances.

The Verdict

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card is the better overall card than the Wells Fargo Autograph.

Despite its higher annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred has a better welcome bonus, travel and purchase protections, card benefits, and the ability to travel the world in style using your points.

Which card are you going to choose?