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Amex Gold vs Wells Fargo Autograph: Which Is Better In 2025?
July 1, 2025
Editor's Picks
- The American Express® Gold Card is ideal for those who spend heavily on dining at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and flights.
- The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card is a great no-annual-fee option for earning bonus points across a wide variety of common spending categories, including restaurants, travel, gas, and streaming services.
American Express® Gold Card Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Let's dive into the specific benefits and features that make the American Express® Gold Card (See Rates & Fees) a standout option.
- The card offers a top-tier rewards rate on spending at restaurants across the globe and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Annual credits for popular dining and rideshare services help offset the card's cost.
- It's a strong choice for travelers, thanks to bonus rewards on flights and no fees on foreign transactions.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Pros
- Generous rewards on spending at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets.
- Annual statement credits for select dining and Uber usage.
- Bonus rewards on eligible flights and no foreign transaction fees.
Cons
- A high annual fee.
- Annual credits are distributed in monthly increments, and some benefits require enrollment.
- Not as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard.
Wells Fargo Autograph Breakdown
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Why We Like It
With a generous rewards structure and no annual fee, the Wells Fargo Autograph card offers a lot to love.
- It earns bonus points across a wide range of everyday spending categories, from restaurants and travel to gas and streaming services.
- You have flexible options for your rewards, including redeeming them for travel or transferring them to airline and hotel partners.
- The card includes cell phone protection against damage or theft, a valuable benefit not often found on cards without an annual fee.
Pros
- No annual fee.
- Earns unlimited bonus points across a broad range of popular spending categories.
- Includes valuable travel-friendly features and protections, such as no foreign transaction fees and cell phone protection.
Cons
- Lacks premium travel perks like airport lounge access or statement credits for expedited security screening programs.
- You’ll need to keep track of bonus categories to maximize your rewards.
- Requires good to excellent credit for approval.
Wells Fargo Autograph vs American Express® Gold Card
Categories
When deciding which is better, Amex Gold or Wells Fargo Autograph, it's important to compare where each card excels in earning rewards. Each card is designed to benefit different types of spenders.
- American Express® Gold Card is ideal for foodies and travelers, offering its highest rewards on purchases at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. It also provides strong rewards for flights booked directly with airlines or through the Amex travel portal.
- Wells Fargo Autograph® Card casts a wider net, rewarding a broad range of common expenses. It's best for spending on restaurants, travel and transit, gas stations, popular streaming services, and select phone plans.
Redemption
American Express® Gold Card: Membership Rewards points offer great flexibility, especially for travel, as they can be transferred to a variety of airline and hotel partners. You can also redeem points for statement credits, gift cards, or merchandise.
Wells Fargo Autograph® Card: Rewards are simple to redeem for cash back, travel through the Wells Fargo portal, or gift cards. This provides a direct and easy way to get value from your spending.
Travel Perks
- American Express® Gold Card: This card provides access to the robust American Express travel ecosystem. You can book travel through the AmexTravel.com portal and get significant value by transferring points to numerous airline and hotel loyalty programs. While it doesn't include airport lounge access, it offers other travel-related credits. It also has no foreign transaction fees.
- Wells Fargo Autograph® Card: The travel benefits for this card are more direct. Cardholders can redeem rewards for travel through the Wells Fargo portal. A significant advantage is that it charges no foreign transaction fees, making it a solid option for international spending. It does not offer premium perks like airport lounge access or the ability to transfer points to travel partners.
Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos
To simplify the decision-making process, a tool like Kudos can help you compare top-rated cards based on your own spending habits.
- Use the 'Test Drive' feature to simulate your potential earnings with a new card using your actual spending data, all before you apply.
- Receive personalized card recommendations that match your spending history to maximize your rewards.
- Get a detailed analysis of your approval odds for different cards based on your credit report.
- Unlock rewards like the $100 Kudos Kickstart+ and a welcome offer guarantee on select cards.
- Monitor your transactions, spending habits, and credit score all in one place.
- Track your progress toward earning credit card sign-up bonuses for free.
Who Should Choose the American Express® Gold Card?
The American Express® Gold Card is tailor-made for foodies and frequent travelers who want to maximize rewards on their everyday spending. Cardholders earn an impressive 4X points at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases (then 1X), making it a powerhouse for both dining out and cooking at home. Additionally, with up to $120 in annual dining credits and up to $120 in Uber Cash annually, plus 3X points on flights, the card's benefits can easily justify its annual fee for those who take full advantage of them (Terms Apply).
Who Should Choose the Wells Fargo Autograph?
The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card is an excellent choice for consumers who want to earn valuable travel rewards on everyday spending without committing to an annual fee. It's particularly well-suited for those who frequently spend on dining, travel, gas, transit, streaming services, and phone plans, as it offers a high, uncapped rewards rate in these common areas. This makes it a strong "front-of-wallet" card for those new to travel points who value straightforward rewards over premium perks like airport lounge access.
Alternatives to Consider
If our Amex Gold vs Wells Fargo Autograph comparison has left you feeling that neither card is the perfect match, don't worry. Several other excellent rewards cards might be a better fit for your wallet.
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Tips for Application Success
Before You Apply
- Check your credit score - Most rewards cards require good to excellent credit for the best approval odds.
- Plan your spending - Make sure you can comfortably meet the welcome offer's spending requirement with your normal purchases.
- Understand the benefits - Review the card’s credits and perks to ensure they align with your lifestyle.
Application Strategy
- Time your application - Align your application with large planned expenses to help meet any spending requirements for a welcome offer.
- Consider alternatives - If a card's spending requirement is unrealistic, consider alternatives like the American Express® Gold Card or the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph® Card.
- Find the best offer - Explore different application channels, as the value of a welcome offer can vary.
Our Methodology
We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.
Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which card is better for dining and travel rewards?
The American Express® Gold Card offers high reward rates for dining worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 in purchases per year, then 1x. The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card provides broad bonus categories including restaurants, travel, gas stations, and popular streaming services.
Is the Amex Gold card's annual fee worth it compared to the Autograph card?
Whether the American Express® Gold Card's annual fee is justified depends on your ability to maximize its monthly statement credits for dining and Uber Cash; Terms apply. The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card has no annual fee, making it a straightforward choice for those who want to avoid fees entirely.
How do the travel transfer partners compare between the two cards?
The American Express® Gold Card allows you to transfer points to an extensive list of airline and hotel partners, often providing high value for international travel. While the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card also offers transfers to travel partners, its partner list is generally less comprehensive than the Amex Membership Rewards program.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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