The Wells Fargo Propel World American Express is a rewards credit card which targets frequent travelers by offering bonuses on spending at airlines and hotels. There is also a relationship bonus feature which allows Wells Fargo banking customers to earn generous loyalty rewards in additional to the regular rewards that are offered to everyone who is approved for this card.
New card members have the opportunity to earn 40,000 bonus points upon approval. To qualify for these points, you must make at least $3,000 in net purchases (total amount of new transactions minus any returns or credits) on the card. These transactions must post to your account no later than three months from the date your account is opened. Bonus rewards points will be available to redeem within 1-2 billing periods after they are earned. Note: balance transfers and cash advances do not count as purchases towards the spending threshold and may limit the credit line available to earn the bonus.
New account holders currently receive a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months that your account is active. After this promotional period expires, your specific APR will be between 13.99% and 21.99%, based on your credit history and other factors at the time you are approved. The same APR will apply to both purchases and balance transfers. For the first 12 months, there is an introductory balance transfer fee of $5 or 3% of the transfer amount (whichever is greater). After this time, the standard fee of 5% or $5 (whichever is greater) will apply.
Members earn points at the following rates with the Wells Fargo Propel World American Express Card:
- 3X points on all qualifying airline transactions
- 2X points on all qualifying hotel transactions
- 1X point on all other net purchases (total amount minus credits and returns)
Card members who are existing Wells Fargo banking customers earn an annual relationship bonus on rewards points earned on net purchases made with the card. This bonus is calculated on the type of qualifying deposit account you own as described below:
- A Wells Fargo consumer Checking or Savings account (not including time accounts (CDs) or health savings accounts) will earn a 10% Relationship Bonus.
- A checking account with a Wells Fargo PMA Package (checking, savings, and brokerage) will earn a 25% Relationship Bonus.
- A Wells Fargo PMA Package with a balance of more than $250,000 will earn a 50% Relationship Bonus.
- Any customer designated as being in the Wells Fargo Private Bank will earn a 50% Relationship Bonus.
The Relationship Bonus is calculated monthly and is given in the form of rewards points. The accumulated points will post to your account 13 months after your credit card was opened and will post annually on this date going forward.
There is no cap on the amount of points you can earn and your points do not expire.
Card members can redeem points in the following ways:
- For merchandise, gift cards, travel, and digital rewards
- Cash redemption options are only available in 2,500 point increments and may be applied to a Wells Fargo checking or savings account or by requesting a paper check
Points are worth roughly $0.01 (fairly standard value) when they are used for gift cards, cash back, or travel. The Wells Fargo Propel World American Express Card simply divides the cost of the airplane ticket by 0.01 to determine how many points are needed. When redeemed for merchandise, the value drops below $0.01. Here are some examples:
| Reward | Points Required | Value | Cent/Point |
| Amazon Gift Card | 2,500 | $25 | One cent/point |
| Cash Back | 10,000 | $100 | One cent/point |
| Airline ticket | 40,000 | $400 | One cent/point |
| 32 GB iPad Air w/case | 100,794 | $639 | 0.6 cent/point |
| Mongoose Men’s Mountain Bike – 26” | 59,657 | $184 | 0.3 cent/point |
The actual rewards rate depends on your qualifying credit card purchases. The high end will be 3% but the lower end can be 0.3%.
Members receive solid travel benefits with the card such as:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Up to $100 per year in statement credits towards incidental airline charges
- Complimentary room upgrades (when available) from the Luxury Hotel Program
- Chip Technology
- Car Rental discounts and promotions
The annual fee for the card is $175 which is waived for the first year of membership.
The Facts
Below we have broken down the specific details of the Wells Fargo Propel World American Express Card to help you determine if it’s the right card for you.
The Good:
Significant signup bonus:
New account holders have the opportunity to earn 40,000 bonus points upon approval. To be eligible, $3,000 in net purchases must post to your account within three months from the date your account is opened. Net purchases are the total amount of new transactions minus any credits or returns. Balance transfers and cash advances do not qualify as purchases and do not earn points.
Introductory APR:
New members receive a 0% introductory APR on both purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 billing cycles. After this time, your actual APR will vary between 13.99% and 21.99%, depending on your creditworthiness at the time of approval.
Solid rewards points program:
Members earn points at the following rates:
- 3X points on all qualifying airline transactions
- 2X points on all qualifying hotel transactions
- 1X point on all other net purchases (total amount minus credits and returns)
Easy to redeem:
Card members can redeem points in the following ways:
- For merchandise, gift cards, travel, and digital rewards
- Cash redemption options are only available in 2,500 point increments and may be applied to a Wells Fargo checking or savings account or by requesting a paper check
No cap on points:
There is no limit on the amount of points you can earn with the card.
Points never expire:
As long as your account remains in good standing, your points do not expire.
Numerous travel benefits:
Members receive travel benefits with the card including:
- No foreign transaction fees
- Up to $100 per year in statement credits towards incidental airline charges
- Complimentary room upgrades (when available) from the Luxury Hotel Program
- Chip Technology
- Car Rental discounts and promotions
The Bad:
Annual fee:
The annual fee for this card is $175 (which is waived for the first year).
Not all travel spending earns triple points:
Only hotel and airline transactions earn 3X points per dollar. Other types of travel expenditures such as cruises, trains, taxis and limos only earn the basic 1X rate.
Discount travel sites usually don’t qualify for 3X points:
Cardholders only earn 3X points on flights and 2X points on hotels with travel booked through companies that American Express categorizes as an airline or hotel. Travel sites such as Kayak, Expedia, and Travelocity normally do not qualify.
Not everyone will be approved:
This card generally requires an excellent credit score (740+FICO) in order to be approved.
The Ugly:
Relationship bonus heavily favors Wells Fargo banking customers:
This card offers Wells Fargo banking customers a Relationship Bonus reward which can be an additional 10%, 25%, or 50% added on to the total number of reward points earned throughout the year. The bonus percentage you receive is based on what type(s) of Wells Fargo accounts you have. This bonus reward initially posts to your account 13 months after your credit card account is opened and annually after that. If you are not an existing Wells Fargo customer, you will have to determine if it’s worth moving your banking relationship just to earn these extra reward points.