What is the transfer time for Wells Fargo Rewards points?

Earlier this year, Wells Fargo made significant enhancements to its travel rewards program by introducing transfer partners. This means that if you have a card that earns Wells Fargo Rewards points, you can now move those points to several airlines and hotels, often yielding greater value than redeeming them directly through Wells Fargo's platform.

If you choose to utilize Wells Fargo's transfer partners, how quickly can you expect your points to be transferred?

Fortunately, based on our experiences, the transfer time is quite short.

Transfer Times for Wells Fargo Rewards Points

For some programs, transferring points to specific partners can take several days or even weeks. This delay might create issues if you’re trying to book a redemption and the award availability changes before your points are credited to your frequent flyer or hotel rewards account.

Thankfully, with Wells Fargo, our findings indicate that point transfers are nearly instantaneous when sent to any of the six available partners.

These times reflect our personal experiences and should be viewed as general guidelines rather than strict rules. Your transfer times may vary, but these estimates can help you plan your redemptions effectively.

Guidelines for Transferring Wells Fargo Rewards Points

While many rewards programs require transfers in increments of 1,000 points, Wells Fargo lets you transfer even a single point. This flexibility is particularly useful when you’re just shy of the points needed for an airline or hotel redemption.

As is common with most transferable points currencies, once you transfer points from Wells Fargo to any partner, the process is irreversible. It’s wise to have a specific redemption in mind and verify award availability at your chosen airline or hotel before proceeding with the transfer of your valuable points.

A few airlines permit you to place award tickets on hold, with Air France-KLM Flying Blue being the only one among Wells Fargo's partners. If you intend to redeem Wells Fargo points for a Flying Blue award, consider placing your ticket on hold before initiating the transfer.

Is it possible to transfer Wells Fargo Rewards points to another person's account?

Wells Fargo specifies that when moving points to travel partners, the loyalty program account must match the name on your credit card. Therefore, points can only be transferred to your own airline and hotel loyalty accounts.

You can indeed transfer Wells Fargo Rewards points to someone else's Wells Fargo account if they hold a card that earns these points. Just select the 'Gift to Others' redemption option in your Wells Fargo account.

On the following screen, select 'Transfer Rewards as a Gift' to send points directly to someone else. You can transfer as few as 1 point this way, allowing your recipient to then move their new points to their own airline and hotel accounts.

TPG has verified that transfers between cardholders occur instantly, similar to those to Wells Fargo's airline and hotel partners.

Are there any fees associated with transferring Wells Fargo Rewards points?

Good news: There are no transfer fees or excise tax offset fees from Wells Fargo. However, when you transfer points to airlines for booking an award flight, be aware that you will likely still need to cover taxes and fees on your ticket.

Which credit cards allow you to earn Wells Fargo Rewards points?

Wells Fargo has a variety of credit cards, including those that offer cash-back rewards, but currently, transferable Wells Fargo Rewards points can only be earned with the following cards:

• Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card (view rates and fees)
• Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card (view rates and fees)

In summary

Wells Fargo's transfer partners create a range of new redemption options for cardholders, enhancing its competitiveness with points programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Bilt Rewards. While Wells Fargo's list of transfer partners is still relatively limited (and many partners are also affiliated with other issuers), the quick transfer times and lack of minimum transfer requirements make it convenient to redeem rewards with these partners — and we anticipate more partners will be added in the future.