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Key takeaways
- If paying down high-interest credit card debt is your goal, the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card’s long intro APR offer is hard to beat.
- If you want to earn a high rate of flat cash rewards on purchases, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card is one of the best flat cash rewards cards on the market.
- Both cards also come with cell phone protection against damage or theft, along with standard credit card benefits like zero fraud liability and pay-per-use roadside assistance.
The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card and the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offer consumers many advantages. One card offers one of the longest introductory APR periods for purchases and qualifying balance transfers on the market. The other offers a flat-rate cash rewards program that’s so flexible and easy to use, it’s what other cash rewards programs should aspire to.
To find out which card might be better for you, we’ll compare the Wells Fargo Reflect vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash side by side.
Main details
| Cards | Wells Fargo Reflect Card | Wells Fargo Active Cash Card |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | N/A | Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 within the first 3 months of account opening |
| Rewards rate | N/A | Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases |
| Intro APR |
|
|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 |
| Foreign transaction fee | 3% | 3% |
Wells Fargo Active Cash vs. Wells Fargo Reflect highlights
Both the Wells Fargo Reflect and the Wells Fargo Active Cash have strong benefits, although there are major differences between them. We’ll compare some of the major features below.
Welcome bonus winner
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The Wells Fargo Reflect doesn’t offer a welcome bonus, but Wells Fargo Active Cash users can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 within 3 months of account opening. This is a fairly standard welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card.
Rewards rate winner
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The Wells Fargo Active Cash card offers unlimited 2 percent cash rewards on purchases. There are no rotating or bonus categories to remember or keep up with. On the other hand, the Wells Fargo Reflect does not offer any type of rewards. If you’re looking for cash rewards, the Wells Fargo Active Cash is the better option.
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The Wells Fargo Reflect includes a generous 0 percent intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then a variable APR of 18.24 percent, 24.74 percent or 29.99 percent, based on your creditworthiness). Additionally, balance transfers must be made within 120 days of account opening to qualify for the intro offer and a 5 percent balance transfer fee (minimum $5) applies.
Compared to other top 0 percent intro APR cards, this is a significant amount of time on its own — one of the longest intro periods currently offered. This gives you even more time and flexibility to pay for large purchases over time or pay down debt without incurring hefty interest charges.
The Wells Fargo Reflect wins in this category, but the Wells Fargo Active Cash’s intro APR offer should not be overlooked. With this card, you’ll receive a 0 percent intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for the first 15 months from account opening — which is still helpful for paying off large purchases or paying down credit card debt. Remember, however, that the APR adjusts to a variable 20.24 percent, 25.24 percent or 29.99 percent once the introductory period ends.
Also, with the Wells Fargo Active Cash, note that balance transfers must be made within 120 days of account opening to qualify for the intro APR offer. An intro balance transfer fee of 3 percent (minimum $5) also applies during the first 120 days, then a balance transfer fee of 5 percent (minimum $5) applies.
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Neither card charges an annual fee, so they’re both affordable options.
Foreign transaction fee winner
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Neither card wins here since both charge a 3 percent foreign currency conversion fee on purchases made while traveling overseas.
Which card earns more?
We’ll take a look at an example of how one might use either card to make $1,000 in purchases.
Spending example
The Wells Fargo Reflect does not offer any cash rewards, so when you make $1,000 in purchases on your card, you won’t earn anything on those purchases.
With the Wells Fargo Active Cash, the same $1,000 in purchases will earn a flat 2 percent cash rewards back, which is equal to $20 in cash rewards. If you make at least $500 worth of purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, you’ll also earn the $200 cash rewards welcome offer.
Why should you get the Wells Fargo Reflect?
An extra-long intro APR offer on purchases and qualifying balance transfers is enough to garner serious attention. However, the Wells Fargo Reflect has a few other benefits worth noting.
Additional benefits
- Competitive regular APR: After the intro APR offer ends, the variable interest rate is currently 18.24 percent, 24.74 percent or 29.99 percent — which may be lower than or fairly competitive with average credit card interest rates nationwide.
- Cellphone protection: If you pay your cellphone bill with your Wells Fargo Reflect card, you will receive cellphone coverage for eligible theft and damage claims. You’ll receive coverage of up to $600 per claim and the ability to file a maximum of 2 claims per year. A $25 deductible applies.
- My Wells Fargo Deals: You can earn cash rewards by activating limited-time offers with merchants that participate in this program.
- Visa benefits: Visa Traditional benefits are included with this card, which means you’ll have access to standard benefits like emergency card replacement and 24/7 pay-per-use roadside assistance.
Redemption options
Since there is no rewards program in place, there are currently no redemption options available with this card.
Recommended credit score
A good to excellent credit score (670 to 850) is recommended for the Wells Fargo Reflect.
Why should you get the Wells Fargo Active Cash?
A flat cash rewards rate is enticing — there are no confusing promotional periods, category activations or varying rewards rates for different categories. Since the Wells Fargo Active Cash is one of the best flat rate cash back cards on the market, that could be enough to justify signing up. However, there are other reasons this card may be a smart choice for you.
Additional benefits
Many of the Wells Fargo Reflect’s perks also extend to Wells Fargo Active Cash cardholders, too. You’ll get the same perks like cellphone protection coverage and access to My Wells Fargo Deals. You’ll also get Visa Signature benefits, which include the Visa Traditional benefits, plus access to Visa Signature® concierge services, Luxury Hotel Collection properties and more.
The Wells Fargo Active Cash’s regular variable APR is 20.24 percent, 25.24 percent or 29.99 percent. That’s not quite as good as the Wells Fargo Reflect’s variable APR, but it’s still competitive for the market.
Redemption options
Another Wells Fargo Active Cash perk is its variety of redemption options. Once you earn cash back rewards, you’ll have multiple ways to redeem your them, including:
- Statement credits
- Cash (in $20 increments) at Wells Fargo ATMs
- Direct deposits to a Wells Fargo checking or savings account
- Gift cards
- Travel via Wells Fargo Rewards
- Credit toward principal balance on a qualifying Wells Fargo mortgage
Recommended credit score
As with the Wells Fargo Reflect, you’ll need a good to excellent credit score (670 to 850) to qualify.
The bottom line
If paying down high-interest credit card debt is your goal, or if you know you need to make a large purchase and pay over time, the Wells Fargo Reflect is hard to beat. Paying down debt can be a game changer for your finances. You may not earn cash rewards or points, but the card could help with your long-term financial goals.
The Wells Fargo Active Cash, however, is worth considering for its flat cash rewards program. Few rewards programs are as straightforward and as flexible as this one. If you like the idea of using your credit card for everyday purchases without having to keep track of bonus or rotating categories, you can earn a high rate of flat cash rewards on all of the purchases you make. Just be sure to pay your balance in full each month to truly reap the benefits of any cash rewards you earn.
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