【2022.11 Update】WF credit cards now have a new 6-month restriction: if you applied for another Wells Fargo credit card within the past 6 months, you will not be approved for a new one. There also appears to be an overall limit on the total number of WF cards you can have, although the terms do not specify the number. I checked and found that Active Cash, Reflect, and AugoGraph have all added this restriction. However, it is still unclear whether this will be strictly enforced in practice.

You may not qualify for an additional Wells Fargo credit card if you have opened a Wells Fargo credit card in the last 6 months. We may also limit the total number of open Wells Fargo credit card accounts you have.

In addition, the 15-month restriction on welcome bonuses no longer seems to appear in the terms. Only the co-branded hotels.com card still has a 15-month restriction.

You agree that we may consider you for a Visa Signature credit card if you qualify. If you opened a Hotels.com Rewards Credit Card within the last 15 months, you may not be eligible for an introductory bonus rewards offer. See important exclusions below.

Business cards still have a 12-month restriction.

Overview

Wells Fargo has not been especially active in the credit card space. Most of its cards have no annual fee, and the welcome bonuses are generally not very high. The application requirements are also relatively strict: you need to be a US citizen or a green card holder to apply, otherwise you may be automatically denied (there have been rumors that this restriction may be removed, but there is no new update for now). That said, each of its cards offers complimentary cell phone protection of up to $600, which is quite decent for a no-annual-fee card. There have also been reports that its card lineup will be revamped, including the upcoming Active card earning 2% cash back on all purchases. Hopefully Wells Fargo will become more competitive and launch more strong cards, giving us more opportunities for rewards.

Applying

1. Wells Fargo does not have a total-card limit, and you need an SSN and must be a US citizen or green card holder to apply. As long as your credit profile meets the requirements, you can get approved, though approval may get harder the more cards you have. Based on currently known application data points, if you are not a green card holder or a citizen, you may be identified during the online application and denied immediately even if you have an SSN.

2. Having a Wells Fargo checking account or other related accounts can significantly help with a credit card application.

3. Wells Fargo has a minimum credit limit when approving credit cards. For example, Cash Wise states, "The minimum credit limit, provided you meet the terms and conditions of this offer, is $1, 000. 00". While that is not very high, if your credit profile is too weak to qualify even for a $1,000 limit, then it is probably not worth trying.

4. Wells Fargo personal credit cards have either a 6-month or 15-month restriction. Personal cards such as Active Cash, Reflect, and AugoGraph all have the 6-month restriction. If you have another WF card within the past 6 months, you may be automatically denied. The Hotels card has a 15-month restriction: if you received a WF welcome bonus or low APR within the past 15 months, you will not be eligible for the new card's welcome bonus or low APR, and closing the old card does not help.

5. Wells Fargo business credit card welcome bonuses can be earned more than once, but there is a 12-month restriction. If your business already has a WF business card (generally under the same EIN), or if you opened or closed a business card within the past 12 months, you will not be eligible for the welcome bonus, low APR, and similar benefits. "This offer is not available if the business already has a Wells Fargo business credit card or had a Wells Fargo business credit card opened or closed in the immediately preceding 12 months"

6. After applying for a Wells Fargo credit card, you can call the reconsideration line (1-866-412-5956) to speed up the review or ask a specialist to review a denied application again. After calling, you will need to verify your identity and address. The specialist may review your application on the spot and ask about items on your credit report. They may also let you move credit limits around to approve the new card. Detailed discussion: Introduction to reconsideration for credit card applications

7. If you apply for two Wells Fargo credit cards on the same day, the resulting HPs may be combined.

Using the Card

8. The spending period for the welcome bonus starts on the day your application is approved. Based on online DPs, it is generally 95 days, but it is strongly recommended not to cut it too close.

9. Annual fees, interest, cash advance fees, etc. do not count toward the minimum spending requirement, and they also do not earn points/cash back. Be sure to exclude these fees when calculating your spending. In addition, it is best not to count reimbursed travel expenses either.

10. Moving credit limits between cards requires a Hard Pull; requesting a credit limit increase on a single card may prompt whether it will be an HP. See also: What you need to know about credit limits

Closing / Product Changes

11. Wells Fargo credit cards cannot be product changed. Even if you submit a product change request, they will close the old card and open a new one instead. The card number and account history will also change, so it will not help preserve account age.

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