Wells Fargo Rewards Transfer Partners: A Guide to Redeeming Your Points

The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (see rates and fees) offers a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 within the first three months. This card sits at the mid-tier level of the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card (see rates and fees), which includes extra benefits such as a $50 annual statement credit for airfare purchases (with a minimum purchase of $50) and bonus points on travel and dining expenditures.

Previously, Wells Fargo Rewards points earned from Wells Fargo credit cards could only be redeemed through Wells Fargo Rewards at a value of 1 cent each, making this bonus worth $600. However, Wells Fargo has since introduced several travel transfer partners, enabling you to use your hard-earned rewards points with seven airline and hotel partners.

Here’s everything you need to know about Wells Fargo’s transfer partners.

What are the Wells Fargo Transfer Partners?

You can now transfer Wells Fargo points to the following programs at a 1:1 ratio:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• Avianca LifeMiles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Iberia Plus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club/Virgin Red
• Choice Privileges (transfers at a 1:2 ratio)

While this appears to be an impressive roster of transfer partners, keep in mind that Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia all utilize Avios as their program currency. Avios can be transferred between any of these programs (including Finnair Plus and Qatar Airways Privilege Club) in either direction at a 1:1 rate. Thus, even if only one of these three programs was a Wells Fargo transfer partner, you could still seamlessly transfer the Avios to all three programs, as well as to Finnair Plus and Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

Likewise, you can connect your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Virgin Red accounts to transfer points between them. If you're looking to book Virgin Atlantic flights, the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is the way to go. On the other hand, Virgin Red allows members to redeem rewards for various travel experiences such as food tours, excursions, and hotel accommodations.

How do I transfer Wells Fargo points to partners?

Once you’ve earned Wells Fargo points from an Autograph card at the end of each billing cycle, those points will be available in your Wells Fargo account. You can choose to redeem them through the Wells Fargo Rewards portal at a value of 1 cent each, or transfer them to one of the partner programs mentioned earlier at a 1:1 ratio (except for Choice Privileges, which transfers at 1:2). For instance, 1 Wells Fargo Rewards point could be converted into 1 Flying Blue mile.

To start, you need to link any transfer partners within your Wells Fargo account by entering your membership number, making it easier to transfer to travel partners.

Fortunately, unlike many other transferable currencies, there’s no minimum transfer amount, and you aren’t restricted to specific increments. You can even transfer just a single point if necessary. This flexibility lets you transfer precisely the number you need for your redemption, avoiding the hassle of rounding up to the next multiple of 1,000, which often leaves you with unused points or miles in your loyalty account.

Transfers are irreversible, so ensure you truly want to proceed with the transfer before you do it.

What are the top Wells Fargo transfer partners?

According to TPG's September 2024 valuations, here’s how they currently assess the Wells Fargo transfer partners:

• Avios: 1.5
• Virgin: 1.4
• Flying Blue: 1.3
• LifeMiles: 1.6
• Choice: 0.6

Keep in mind that transferring 1 Wells Fargo Rewards point earns you 2 Choice Privileges points, valuing them at 1.2 cents each.

There are excellent strategies to enhance the value of Wells Fargo transfer partners. Here are some of our top picks:

• For flights up to 650 miles within North America, British Airways Executive Club charges 12,000 Avios on all dates for American Airlines and Alaska Airlines partner flights. For longer Zone 2 flights, the cost is 16,000 Avios. This means you can fly from any New York airport to Miami International Airport (MIA) or from Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) for 16,000 Avios in American Airlines economy class. Since American utilizes dynamic pricing, using Avios could be much cheaper and a more effective use of your rewards, but always confirm details before transferring and redeeming your points.
• Each month, Air France-KLM Flying Blue offers Promo Rewards for significantly discounted award tickets, available only during the month they are released. This can lead to excellent deals for tickets to Europe and beyond, like transatlantic business class fares for under 40,000 miles.
• For off-peak flights from London to destinations up to 650 miles, British Airways Executive Club charges only 4,750 Avios each way (5,250 Avios during peak times). This includes routes to Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, France, Germany, Austria, and Italy.
• Iberia Plus business class tickets to Europe are available for just 34,000 Avios (plus reasonable taxes and fees) each way on off-peak dates for routes like Boston Logan (BOS) or New York JFK to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas (MAD); BOS or JFK to Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat (BCN); and Dulles International (IAD) near Washington, D.C., to MAD.

• Avianca LifeMiles is one of the best options for booking Lufthansa first class using miles. Award rates to Europe start at just 87,000 miles each way with minimal taxes and fees, significantly lower than United MileagePlus, which charges about 121,000 miles, and Air Canada Aeroplan, which asks for 100,000 points.
• Flying Blue's award pricing is dynamic, but the program now features standardized saver-level pricing for all one-way flights between the U.S. and Europe, allowing free connections for 20,000 miles in economy, 35,000 in premium economy, or 50,000 in business class.
• While Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has high surcharges on award tickets, you can score great deals, such as a flight from the East Coast to the U.K. during off-peak times for only 15,000 points (and even as low as 10,000 points for economy). If you book a partner award redemption, like a main cabin Delta flight from the U.S. to Europe (excluding the U.K.), you’ll pay much lower surcharges. Although it may cost more Virgin points, it can be worth it if Delta SkyMiles prices that same flight significantly higher through its program.
• Choice Privileges boasts conveniently located properties in Europe and Japan for 12,000 points or fewer per night. Choice points also offer great value in the U.S., especially at hotels near national parks and in major cities. For ideas, check out the hotels highlighted as Choice Hotels' Sweet Spot Rewards.

Keep in mind that transfers are final, so be sure to verify airline and hotel availability before making the transfer.

What are the ways to accumulate Wells Fargo points?

You can earn Wells Fargo points through these credit cards:

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

Current welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first three months. This card includes a $50 annual statement credit for airfare purchases (with a $50 minimum) and offers attractive earning rates on travel and dining expenditures. It comes with a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees).

Point earning rates:

• Receive 5 points for every dollar spent at hotels.
• Receive 4 points for each dollar spent on airline tickets.
• Receive 3 points for every dollar spent on other travel and dining expenses.
• Receive 1 point for every dollar spent on all other purchases.

While some cards require you to book travel through the issuer's portal to earn bonus points, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card lets you earn bonus points when booking directly with airlines or hotels, ensuring you never miss out on earning points and accessing elite status benefits.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Current welcome offer: Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 or more on purchases within the first three months of account opening. This card has no annual fee (see rates and fees).

Point earning rates:

• Receive 3 points for every dollar spent on restaurant purchases, takeout, catering, food delivery services, travel, gas, transit, eligible streaming subscriptions, and phone plans.
• Receive 1 point for every dollar spent on all other purchases.

Additionally, you can benefit from up to $600 in cellular phone protection against damage or theft when you use the card to pay your monthly bill (subject to a $25 deductible).

In summary

While the list of Wells Fargo transfer partners might be limited, it offers some fantastic redemption choices. Moreover, the flexibility to transfer points in any amount provides an advantage that many other credit card rewards do not. We hope to see this list expand as the product continues to develop.