Credit Card News
Wells Fargo Rewards Adds Wyndham as Transfer Partner
A major bank is adding a new travel transfer partner to its roster — and at a surprisingly strong rate.
About Wells Fargo Rewards Partnering with Wyndham:
Today, Wells Fargo announced that it had added Wyndham Rewards as a transfer partner. Notably, the hotel brand joins with a transfer ratio of 1:2. This means that cardholders can transfer 1,000 Wells Fargo Points to earn 2,000 Wyndham Rewards points. Moreover, there is no minimum transfer requirement, nor is there a waiting period to redeem points.
For context, bank rewards programs with Wyndham transfers include Capital One, Citi, Chase, and, most recently, Bilt. However, all of these offer transfer ratios of 1:1.
Wells Fargo transferable points are available on cards such as Autograph and Autograph Journey. With the Autograph card, cardholders can earn 3x at restaurants, 3x at gas stations, 3x on transit, 3x on streaming services and phone plans, and 3x on travel (airfare, hotels, car rentals, and cruises) for no annual fee. Meanwhile, the Autograph Journey offers 5x on hotels, 4x on airfare, 3x at restaurants, and 3x on other travel. That card does carry a $95 annual fee.
The full list of current Wells Fargo Rewards transfer partners includes (all 1:1 unless otherwise noted):
- Aer Lingus Aerclub Avios
- Avianva LifeMiles
- Choice Hotels (1:2)
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- Iberia Club Avios
- British Airways Avios
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Virgin Red/Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Wyndham Rewards (1:2)
What They’re Saying:
In a statement announcing this new partnership, Wells Fargo’s Head of Loyalty and Rewards Lisa Giordanella said, “Adding Wyndham Rewards as a Wells Fargo Rewards Points Transfer partner is another way we’re continuing to give our customers more flexibility in how they use their rewards. Whether customers are planning a weekend getaway or a longer vacation, this partnership makes it easier for them to turn everyday spending into meaningful travel experiences.”
My Thoughts:
I doubt that this news really has anything to do with Bilt… but I do think this is hilarious one-upsmanship if it does. Recently, Bilt added Wyndham as a transfer partner, but at a 1:1 rate. So, the fact that former Bilt issuer Wells Fargo is now adding the same program but at double the value is, to say the least, surprising. Not to mention the fact that many Bilt 1.0 cardholders may still have Wells Fargo Autograph cards (if they didn’t choose to cancel).
Of course, just because this rate is a lot better than most others doesn’t mean it’s still the best use of Wells Fargo points overall. Nevertheless, I suspect cardholders will be able to find some pretty good redemption cases with this impressive transfer rate.