Credit Cards No Annual Fee Credit Cards

Wells Fargo Reflect^® Card vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card [2024]: Which One is Better?

Though both the Wells Fargo Reflect and Wells Fargo Active Cash have benefits, the Active Cash offers more value.

By Ben Walker, CEPF, CFEI®
and Erin Gobler

Edited by Michael Kurko

Updated Dec. 17, 2024

4.9

0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, then 17.49%, 23.99%, or 29.24% Variable APR
Up to $600 Cell phone protection when you pay for the cell phone with your card (subject to a $25 deductible)
$0 annual fee
The ongoing APR may still be competitive compared to other cards

5.0

Our view

Our view:

The Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card(Rates and fees) is our winner between these two cards, thanks to its generous cash rewards that allows you to earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, not to mention its welcome bonus and added protections.

The Wells Fargo Reflect^® Card(Rates and fees) has an impressive 0% introductory APR for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers (then 17.49%, 23.99%, or 29.24% Variable), making it a great option for anyone trying to tackle their credit card debt. But because it doesn’t offer any spending rewards, it’s not the best option for an everyday card.

Our view:

How we evaluate products

The Wells Fargo Reflect and Wells Fargo Active Cash are two of this bank’s most popular credit cards. Though each one has a clear benefit, the Active Cash is a better everyday card for most people. Of course, because each person’s needs are different, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each card to choose the one that’s best for your financial situation.

Let’s take a look at the top features of each card and how they stack up to each other.

	Wells Fargo Reflect^® Card	Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card
Card type	Balance transfer	Cash back
FinanceBuzz star ratings	4.9 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	5.0 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
FinanceBuzz value calculation¹ <p class="">These values are based on the <a href="https://financebuzz.com/financebuzz-credit-card-valuation">FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model</a>, which takes a look at rewards earned via spending, the welcome offer, and the annual fee. We used a valuation of 1 cent/point unless otherwise stated above. These are estimated values - your actual earnings will depend on how much you spend and in what categories.<br></p>	Year one earnings: $0 Year two earnings: $0	Year one earnings: $950 Year two earnings: $750
Annual fee	$0	$0
Welcome bonus	Benefit from a long introductory APR period on purchases and qualifying balance transfers	$200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months
Earning rate	None	Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Redemption methods	None	Statement credits, ATM cash withdrawal (with eligible Wells Fargo ATM or debit card), Gift cards, PayPal checkout, Charitable donations, Merchandise, Travel
Intro APR	0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, then 17.49%, 23.99%, or 29.24% Variable APR 0% intro APR on purchases for 21 months from account opening, then 17.49%, 23.99%, or 29.24% Variable APR	0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR
Travel perks	Roadside dispatch	Roadside dispatch Visa Signature Hotel Collection 24/7 Visa Signature Concierge
Other benefits	Cell phone protection (subject to a $25 deductible)	Cell phone protection (subject to a $25 deductible)
Foreign transaction fee	3%	3%
Credit needed	Excellent, Good	Excellent, Good
	Learn more	Learn more

When to go with the Wells Fargo Reflect

The Wells Fargo Reflect is a no-annual-fee card that may be the right choice in two specific situations:

You’re paying off credit card debt
You’re planning a large purchase

Let’s look a bit more closely at why this card is a good choice in these situations:

You’re paying off credit card debt

The most likely reason someone would opt for the Wells Fargo Reflect is if they’re trying to pay down credit card debt and want to do a balance transfer.

The Wells Fargo Reflect offers:

0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers (then 17.49%, 23.99%, or 29.24% Variable)
0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on purchases (then 17.49%, 23.99%, or 29.24% Variable)

These introductory periods are some of the most generous on the market. Plenty of cards offer 0% intro APR for periods ranging from six months to 18 months, but few others offer 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers.

Why is this so important? Let’s say you have $5,000 of credit card debt at a 24% interest rate, and you pay $150 per month. You request a balance transfer within 120 days of opening the account and pay a 5% balance transfer fee totaling $250.

Assuming you continue making $150 payments, you’d still have a balance of $2,100 after the 21 months, but you would have saved a significant amount in interest. And if you paid an extra $100 per month, you’d pay your entire balance off within 21 months and pay no interest at all.

I’ve been in the position of looking at my credit card bill and realizing just how much of my money was going toward interest each month and how long it would take to become debt-free if something didn’t change. Having personally taken advantage of a long 0% APR intro period like the Wells Fargo Reflect offers, I can tell you it can make a world of difference on your debt payoff journey.

You’re planning a large purchase

In addition to being useful for balance transfers, the Wells Fargo Reflect could also be a good option for large purchases. The lengthy introductory APR applies to both purchases and qualifying balance transfers, allowing you to spread a large purchase out over a longer period.

Using a card with a long 0% intro APR can be a good option whether you’re making a planned purchase or covering an emergency expense. Just make sure you run the numbers to figure out how much you’ll have to pay each month to pay it off before the intro period ends.

It’s worth noting that the Wells Fargo Active Cash also offers a 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases (then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable). For someone paying off a lot of debt or making a large purchase, the extra nine months the Wells Fargo Reflect offers will make a big difference.

For more details, check out our Wells Fargo Reflect Card review.

When to go with the Wells Fargo Active Cash

Now that we’ve talked about when the Wells Fargo Reflect is a good choice, let’s talk about a few situations where you should choose the Wells Fargo Active Cash:

You want an everyday spending card
You want a welcome bonus
You want a card with extra protections

Let’s talk about why the Wells Fargo Active Cash is a good choice in these situations.

You want an everyday spending card

The Wells Fargo Active Cash is the clear winner if you want a credit card that rewards you for your spending. This card allows you to earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash has a simpler rewards structure than a lot of cards. It doesn’t offer bonus categories where you can earn elevated rewards. On the other hand, the flat rate is more generous than the 1% many cards offer on spending in non-bonus categories.

How does that stack up over time? Let’s say you charge $3,000 to your credit card each month and pay it off in full each month. You’d earn $60 per month in cash rewards, which adds up to $720 per year.

Redemption options for cash rewards on the Active Cash Card include:

Statement credits
ATM cash withdrawal in $20 increments using a Wells Fargo ATM or debit card
Physical or electronic gift cards
Making purchases with PayPal checkout
Charitable donations
Merchandise
Travel

Compare that cash back with the Wells Fargo Reflect, which doesn’t offer any spending rewards, and it’s easy to see why this card wins.

You want a welcome bonus

The Wells Fargo Active Cash is also the better option between these two cards if you want a welcome bonus. Welcome bonuses are commonly found on rewards cards and allow new cardholders to earn bonus rewards after spending a certain amount of money over a certain time period.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card offers $200 in cash rewards after you spend $500 in the first 3 months. The Wells Fargo Reflect Card, however, doesn’t offer a welcome bonus.

In addition to beating out the Wells Fargo Reflect, the Wells Fargo Active Cash’s welcome bonus is on par with some of the other top no-annual-fee rewards cards.

You want a card with extra protections

Both of these Wells Fargo cards offer a couple of extra benefits, including cell phone protection (subject to a $25 deductible), roadside dispatch, and access to My Wells Fargo Deals.

However, the Wells Fargo Active Cash offers a couple of extra perks that help it stand out from the Wells Fargo Reflect. You’ll also get access to auto rental insurance and travel emergency assistance when traveling anywhere in the world.

With the Wells Fargo Active Cash, you’ll also get Visa Signature privileges, including Visa Signature Concierge services and Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection access.

Overall, the Active Cash beats out the Reflect for its included benefits.

For more details, check out our Wells Fargo Active Cash Card review.

What both cards excel at

The Wells Fargo Reflect is considered a balance transfer card because of its generous intro APR offers, whereas the Active Cash falls into the cashback credit card category.

But despite these different categories, both cards have many similarities:

No annual fee: The Wells Fargo Reflect Card has a $0 annual fee, and the Active Cash Card has a $0 annual fee.
Intro APR on balance transfers: The Reflect Card offers 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, then 17.49%, 23.99%, or 29.24% Variable APR. The Active Cash Card offers 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers, then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR. These are intro APR offers that compete with the best 0% intro APR credit cards.
Intro APR on purchases: Both cards also have intro APR offers on purchases. Reflect offers 0% intro APR on purchases for 21 months from account opening and then 17.49%, 23.99%, or 29.24% Variable APR. Active Cash offers 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening, then 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable APR.
Cell phone protection: Both cards offer cell phone protection if you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card. This benefit covers up to two claims per year at a maximum of $600 per claim, with a $25 deductible.
Roadside dispatch: A pay-per-use roadside assistance program is available from the Reflect and Active Cash cards. You don’t need to pay for a membership, but you will pay a set price for the offered services. This includes towing, tire changes, jump-starts, lockout service, fuel delivery, and more.
Visa: Because both cards use the Visa network to process payments, they’ll work just about anywhere credit cards are accepted — that’s over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Just keep in mind that making purchases abroad would likely incur foreign transaction fees. These fees are 3% with Reflect and 3% with Active Cash.
My Wells Fargo Deals: These are offers from Wells Fargo in partnership with merchants and vendors to offer discounts or deals on certain purchases. Most Wells Fargo cards — including debit cards — offer these deals. Available offers can be found in eligible debit or credit card accounts.

It’s worth noting that despite having a couple of travel benefits, neither of these Wells Fargo cards is really a travel credit card. Both come with foreign transaction fees and lack some of the perks other travel cards offer. Check out our list of the best travel credit cards for better cards with travel benefits.

Which card should you choose?

The Wells Fargo Reflect and Wells Fargo Active Cash cards have some similarities, but they’re ultimately very different cards. And the good news is it’s actually pretty easy to choose between them.

While both offer introductory APR periods, the Wells Fargo Reflect card offers more time than the Wells Fargo Active Cash, making it the best choice for balance transfers and large purchases. On the other hand, unlike the Reflect, the Active Cash lets you earn and redeem rewards. This makes it the clear winner for everyday spending.

There’s also nothing that says you can’t have both cards in your wallet. If you want to make a large purchase or do a balance transfer while also having a great everyday rewards card, having both the Wells Fargo Reflect and Active Cash might make sense for you.

In my personal experience, you’ll have the most success having a few different cards, each of which is best for a specific situation, versus having just one card that’s okay at a few different things.

FAQ

What credit score is needed for Wells Fargo Reflect?

You typically need a good or excellent credit score to qualify for the Wells Fargo Reflect. A good FICO score starts at 670, whereas an excellent score is 800 or more.

What is the card limit for Wells Fargo Reflect?

Wells Fargo doesn’t publish the maximum card limit for the Wells Fargo Reflect, but the minimum limit is $1,000. It’s common for card issuers to consider your credit score, income, and overall creditworthiness when determining your card limit.

You also have the option to move your credit between multiple cards with Wells Fargo or request a credit line increase by calling 1-800-642-4720.

What credit score is needed for Wells Fargo Active Cash?

You typically need a good or excellent credit score to qualify for the Wells Fargo Active Cash. Here’s how credit scores range on the FICO scoring model:

Good: 670 to 739
Very good: 740 to 799
Excellent: 800 to 850

What is the card limit for Wells Fargo Active Cash?

Wells Fargo doesn’t publish the maximum card limit for the Wells Fargo Active Cash, but the minimum limit is $1,000. Most major card issuers use your credit score, income, and other factors to determine your credit card limit.

Extra Long Intro APR on Purchases & Qualifying Balance Transfers