Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card: Get ultimate rewards flexibility

Smiling woman drinking cocktail and using credit card outdoors.Image: Smiling woman drinking cocktail and using credit card outdoors.
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This offer is no longer available on our site: Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card

The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card is no longer available. For other options, check out our list of the best cash back credit cards with no annual fee.


What you should know about the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card

This card is a solid option for frequent flyers and cash back connoisseurs alike. Here are some of its highlights.

20,000 sign-up bonus points

When you first get the card, you can earn 20,000 bonus rewards points after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of your account opening. You can redeem that for a cash value of $200.

While this Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card offer could be a great way to boost your earnings with your new card, we don’t recommend spending more than you can afford — on any card offer — just to earn a sign-up bonus.

Earn 3x points in some stand-out categories

You’ll earn rewards points for your purchases in several spending categories.

  • Three points for every $1 you spend on purchases at restaurants (both dining out and ordering in)
  • Three points for every $1 you spend on gas stations, rideshares and transit
  • Three points for every $1 you spend on flights, hotels, homestays and car rentals
  • Three points for every $1 you spend on select streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify Premium and Apple Music
  • One point per $1 on all other purchases

That low rewards rate outside of your spending categories can be a bummer if you don’t spend a lot in the three-point categories. If that’s the case, there may be other rewards cards out there that are a better fit for you.

Flexible redemption options

If you’re not sure whether you want a travel or a cash back credit card, the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card is a good compromise. Its flexibility allows cardholders to redeem their points for …

  • Cash back
  • Charitable donations
  • Digital rewards (music, e-books, games, audiobooks)
  • Merchandise
  • Physical and electronic gift cards
  • Travel

A drawback of opting for the cash redemption option is that you can only redeem in $20 increments at Wells Fargo ATMs or in $25 increments online or over the phone. So if you have, say, $35 worth of rewards, you can’t access the full amount all at once.

Also, it’s a good idea to check the redemption value for each option to make sure you’re getting the most value out of your points.

Intro APR

If you’re looking to pay for a vacation or other large purchase, or you need to pay off some high-interest credit card debt, this card has your back.

You’ll get an intro 0% APR on both purchases and qualifying balance transfers for 12 months from account opening. But there are a few things to keep in mind.

  • After the intro offer period, the regular variable purchase and balance transfer APR will be somewhere in the range of 14.49% - 24.99%.
  • In order to take advantage of the intro APR for balance transfers, you’ll need to complete your transfer during the first 120 days that your account is open.
  • There’s a balance transfer fee of 3% intro for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5% (minimum $5).

Be sure to pay off your transferred balance in full before the intro APR promotion is over. And pay any purchase balance in full and on time each month. Because regardless of which variable APR you qualify for after the intro period has ended, being charged interest can cancel out the value of the rewards you’ll get with the card.

International use

The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee, but that may not be a huge benefit overall since American Express credit cards aren’t as widely accepted overseas as other credit card networks. If you’re traveling abroad, consider bringing a Visa or Mastercard credit card as a backup in case you can’t use this one.

Other benefits

  • Cellphone protection: You can get reimbursed if your phone is damaged or stolen when you pay your cellphone bill with your Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card.
  • Lost-luggage reimbursement: This is a benefit you typically see on much more expensive cards.
  • Car rental loss and damage insurance: If this is a feature that stands out to you, learn more about how to get car rental insurance from your credit card.
  • Roadside assistance: 24-hour help covering cars, motorcycles and even RVs.

Who this card is good for

The Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card offers an incredible rewards rate on a number of bonus categories, which include both travel-related and everyday purchases. If you spend a lot on the rewards categories, it won’t take long to rack up points with this card.

This card is also a great choice for someone who wants flexible rewards with a single card. It offers both travel and cash back redemptions, among other options, giving you a wide selection to choose from.

And since there’s a $0 annual fee, you don’t have to worry about whether you’re spending enough to make the card worth it.

But with that said, the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card isn’t a great option for people who want special travel perks, like airport lounge access, airline and hotel transfer partners or travel expense credits.



About the author: Ben Luthi is a personal finance freelance writer and credit cards expert. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and finance from Brigham Young University. In addition to Credit Karma, you can find his wo… Read more.