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Koh Sze Kiat/Getty Images September 16, 2022 Checkmark Bankrate logo How is this page expert verified? At Bankrate, we take the accuracy of our content seriously. "Expert verified" means that our Financial Review Board thoroughly evaluated the article for accuracy and clarity. The Review Board comprises a panel of financial experts whose objective is to ensure that our content is always objective and balanced. Their reviews hold us accountable for publishing high-quality and trustworthy content. Sara Coleman is an insurance contributor at Bankrate. She has a couple of years of experience in writing for insurance domains such as The Simple Dollar, Reviews.com, Coverage.com and numerous other personal finance sites. She writes about insurance products such as auto, homeowners, renters and disability. Liz Bingler is an Associate Editor for CreditCards.com and Bankrate, where she focuses on product news and reviews. As an editor, her goal is to produce content that will help people to make informed financial decisions. Brady Porche is an editorial director for Bankrate Credit Cards and CreditCards.com. He has two decades of professional experience as a writer and editor. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Bankrate logo The Bankrate promise
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You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. The Wells Fargo Reflect℠ and the Wells Fargo Active Cash offer consumers many advantages. One card offers one of the longest periods for purchases and balance transfers on the market. The other offers a that’s so flexible and easy to use it’s what other cash back programs should aspire to. To find out which card might be better for you, we’ll compare the Wells Fargo Reflect vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash side by side. Main details
Cards Wells Fargo Reflect Wells Fargo Active Cash Welcome bonus N/A $200 cash bonus after spending $1,000 within the first 3 months Rewards rate N/A Unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases Intro APR 0% for 18 months (up to 21 months with on-time minimum payments during the intro period) on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then a variable APR of 15.24% to 27.24%) 0% for 15 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then a variable APR of 17.24%, 22.24% or 27.24%) Annual fee $0 $0 Wells Fargo Reflect vs Wells Fargo Active Cash highlights
Both the and the have strong benefits, although there are major differences between them. We’ll compare some of the major features below. Welcome bonus winner Wells Fargo Active Cash
The Reflect doesn’t offer a welcome bonus, but Active Cash users can earn a $200 cash bonus after spending $1,000 within three months of account opening. This is a fairly standard welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card. Rewards rate winner Wells Fargo Active Cash
The Active Cash card offers an unlimited, flat on all purchases. There are no to remember or keep up with. On the other hand, the Reflect does not offer any type of rewards. If you’re , the Wells Fargo Active Cash is the better option. Annual fee winner Tie
Neither card charges an annual fee, so they’re both affordable options. Foreign transaction fee winner Tie
Neither card wins here since both charge a 3 percent on purchases made while traveling overseas. Intro APR winner Wells Fargo Reflect
The Reflect includes a generous 0 percent intro APR for 18 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then a variable APR of 15.24 percent to 27.24 percent). Compared to other , this is a significant amount of time on its own. But if you make on-time minimum payments during the intro period, your 0 percent intro APR will be extended to 21 months — one of the longest intro periods currently offered. This gives you even more time and flexibility to pay for large purchases over time or pay down debt without incurring hefty interest charges. The Reflect wins in this category, but the Active Cash’s introductory offer . With this card, you’ll receive a 0 percent intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for the first 15 months after account opening (then a variable APR of 17.24 percent, 22.24 percent or 27.24 percent), which is still helpful for paying off large purchases or . Which card earns more
When comparing credit cards, it helps to consider your personal spending needs. We’ll take a look at an example of how one might use either card to make a $1,000 purchase within the first month of account opening. Wells Fargo Reflect vs Wells Fargo Active Cash spending example
The Reflect does not offer any rewards, but when you make a $1,000 purchase within the first month, you’ll have up to 21 months to pay off the purchase without incurring interest charges (after that, you’ll pay a variable APR of 15.24 percent to 27.24 percent). In this scenario, you could break up the payment into much smaller increments of around $48 per month. With the Active Cash, the same $1,000 purchase will earn a flat 2 percent cash back, which is equal to $20 in rewards. Plus, since the purchase was within the first three months of account opening, you’ll earn the $200 welcome offer. You’ll also still have a generous 0 percent intro APR period for 15 months that you can take advantage of. After that 15 months is up, any remaining balance will be subject to a variable APR of 17.24 percent, 22.24 percent or 27.24 percent. Why should you get the Wells Fargo Reflect
A 0 percent intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers for up to 21 months is enough to garner serious attention. However, the Reflect has a worth noting. Additional benefits
Competitive regular APR. After the , the variable interest rate is currently 15.24 percent to 27.24 percent, potentially making it a low-interest option if you have . Cellphone protection. If you with your Reflect card, all phones tied to your bill will receive cellphone coverage for eligible theft and damage. You’ll receive coverage of up to $600 per claim and the ability to file a maximum of two claims per year. My Wells Fargo Deals. You can earn cash back by activating limited-time offers with select merchants. For example, you could earn 10 percent cash back at a business like Starbucks by using your Reflect card to pay for your purchase. Visa benefits. are included with this card, which means you’ll have access to emergency cash disbursement, card replacement and travel and emergency assistance services. You’ll also get 24/7 pay-per-use roadside assistance. Redemption options
Since there is no rewards program in place, there are currently no redemption options available with this card. Recommended credit score
A good to excellent (670 to 850) is recommended to qualify for approval. Why should you get the Wells Fargo Active Cash
A — there are no confusing promotional periods, category activations or varying rewards rates for different categories. That could be enough to justify signing up, but there are other reasons the Wells Fargo Active Cash may be a smart choice for you. Additional benefits
Many of the perks offered by the Reflect , too. You’ll get the same cellphone protection coverage and access to My Wells Fargo Deals. You’ll also get , which include all of the Visa Traditional benefits, plus access to the Visa Signature Concierge Service, perks at Luxury Hotel Collection properties, extended warranty coverage and more. The Active Cash’s regular variable APR is 17.24 percent, 22.24 percent or 27.24 percent. That’s as the Reflect’s variable APR, but it’s still competitive for the market. Redemption options
Another Active Cash perk is its variety of redemption options. Once you earn cash back, you’ll have multiple ways to redeem your rewards, including: Statement credits Cash (in $20 increments) at Wells Fargo ATMs Direct deposits to a Wells Fargo checking or savings account Gift cards Travel (including flights, car rentals and hotel stays) via Recommended credit score
As with the Reflect, you’ll need a good to excellent credit score (670 to 850) to be considered for approval. The bottom line
If paying down high-interest credit card debt is your goal, or if you know you need to make a large purchase and pay over time, the is hard to beat. Paying interest-free for up to 21 months can be a . You may not earn cash back or points, but the card could help with your long-term financial goals. The , however, is for its flat cash back rewards program. Few rewards programs are as straightforward and flexible as this one. If you like the idea of using your credit card for everyday purchases, you can earn a high rate of flat cash back on all of it. Just be sure to pay your balance in full each month to truly reap any rewards you earn. SHARE: Sara Coleman is an insurance contributor at Bankrate. She has a couple of years of experience in writing for insurance domains such as The Simple Dollar, Reviews.com, Coverage.com and numerous other personal finance sites. She writes about insurance products such as auto, homeowners, renters and disability. Liz Bingler is an Associate Editor for CreditCards.com and Bankrate, where she focuses on product news and reviews. As an editor, her goal is to produce content that will help people to make informed financial decisions. Brady Porche is an editorial director for Bankrate Credit Cards and CreditCards.com. He has two decades of professional experience as a writer and editor.