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United Explorer vs Wells Fargo Autograph Journey: Which Is Better In 2025?
July 1, 2025
Editor's Picks
- The United℠ Explorer Card is a must-have for loyal United Airlines flyers looking to maximize perks like free checked bags and priority boarding.
- The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card is perfect for travelers who want to rack up points on hotels, flights, and dining without paying a hefty annual fee.
United Explorer Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Here’s a closer look at why the United℠ Explorer Card stands out in a crowded field of travel cards.
- It comes loaded with valuable travel perks like a free first checked bag for you and a companion on United flights, priority boarding, and two annual United Club℠ passes.
- Cardholders also get a statement credit for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® and primary auto rental insurance, a rare perk for a mid-tier card.
- The free checked bag benefit alone can offset the annual fee with just one round-trip flight for two people (publisher-formulated estimate).
Pros
- A strong lineup of United-centric benefits, including a free checked bag for you and a companion, priority boarding privileges, and annual passes to the United Club℠.
- Robust travel protections and credits, such as primary rental car insurance, trip delay reimbursement, and a statement credit for expedited security programs like TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry.
Cons
- Its benefits are heavily skewed toward United flyers, making it less valuable for those who aren't loyal to the airline, especially considering its annual fee.
- The rewards structure is less competitive on general purchases outside of its bonus categories compared to other travel cards.
- Accessing key perks like lounge passes and free checked bags comes with significant limitations and restrictions.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Here’s a closer look at what makes the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey a compelling choice for travelers.
- The card offers strong rewards on travel and dining without needing to book through a specific portal.
- It comes with valuable travel and cell phone protections that add a layer of security to your purchases.
- The card's $50 annual airline credit effectively reduces the $95 annual fee to just $45 (publisher-formulated estimate).
Pros
- Earn bonus points across broad travel and dining categories without having to track spending caps or rotating categories.
- Points can be redeemed flexibly for travel, cash back, or transferred to a selection of airline loyalty programs.
- Includes valuable travel insurance and cell phone protection against damage or theft.
Cons
- Charges an annual fee.
- The selection of travel transfer partners is limited and lacks a major U.S. airline.
- It doesn't offer premium perks like airport lounge access or free checked bags.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey vs United Explorer
Categories
Deciding which is better, United Explorer or Wells Fargo Autograph Journey, depends entirely on your travel habits and loyalty. Each card caters to a different type of traveler, offering unique benefits tailored to specific needs.
- United℠ Explorer Card: This card is designed for frequent United Airlines flyers. Its benefits are most valuable to those who regularly travel with the airline and want to enhance their experience with airline-specific perks.
- Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card: This card is best for frequent travelers who want to earn rewards quickly across various travel categories without committing to a single airline. It offers premium-like travel perks on a more modest budget.
Redemption
United℠ Explorer Card: Points are redeemed within the United MileagePlus program, primarily for award flights, upgrades, and other United-related travel purchases. This system is built to reward loyalty and enhance your travel experiences specifically with United Airlines.
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card: This card provides flexible redemption, allowing you to use points for cash back, gift cards, or booking travel through the issuer's portal. You can also transfer points to a variety of airline and hotel partners, offering broad utility beyond a single brand.
Travel Perks
- Foreign Transaction Fees: Both the United℠ Explorer Card and the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card are ideal for international travel, as neither charges a foreign transaction fee.
- Lounge Access: The United℠ Explorer Card includes two one-time passes to the United Club℠ each year. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card does not come with lounge access benefits.
- Airline-Specific Perks: As a co-branded card, the United℠ Explorer Card offers a free first checked bag for the cardmember and a companion on the same reservation, priority boarding, and a discount on in-flight United purchases. The Autograph Journey card, being a general travel card, does not provide these airline-specific perks.
- Travel Credits: The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card provides an annual statement credit for airfare. The United℠ Explorer Card offers a statement credit for the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck®, or NEXUS.
- Travel Portal and Ecosystem: The United℠ Explorer Card operates within the United MileagePlus program, where points are redeemed for flights and upgrades. In contrast, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card offers a more flexible ecosystem, allowing you to book travel through the Wells Fargo portal or transfer points to various airline and hotel partners.
Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos
To make an informed decision, you can use a tool like Kudos to compare top-rated cards based on your own spending.
- “Test drive” a credit card using your real spending data to see personalized earnings projections before you apply.
- Receive a detailed analysis of your approval odds for new cards based on your credit report.
- Get a welcome offer guarantee, ensuring that if you find a better offer within three months, Kudos will match it.
- Unlock a $100 Kudos Kickstart+ reward when you add certain approved cards to your digital wallet.
- Automatically fill in the best card at checkout to maximize rewards on every purchase.
Who Should Choose the United Explorer?
The United℠ Explorer Card is an excellent choice for frequent United Airlines flyers who can maximize benefits like priority boarding and free checked bags for themselves and a companion. It also appeals to travelers who want to expedite their airport experience using the statement credit for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®. Additionally, international travelers will appreciate the lack of foreign transaction fees, while budget-conscious consumers can easily offset the annual fee through the card's various perks.
Who Should Choose the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey?
The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card is designed for frequent travelers who dine out regularly and want to earn a high rate of rewards without paying a premium annual fee. It's particularly well-suited for those who value flexibility in how they redeem their points and appreciate practical benefits like travel protections and cell phone insurance. Essentially, it's a strong mid-tier option for travelers, especially millennials and Gen Z, who want to maximize points on their adventures, as detailed in a full card review.
Alternatives to Consider
If the choice between the United Explorer's airline loyalty perks and the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey's broader travel rewards doesn't suit your needs, several other excellent travel cards are worth considering.
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Tips for Application Success
Before You Apply
- Check Your Credit Score - Most premium travel cards require a good to excellent credit history for approval.
- Review Issuer Rules - Some issuers have restrictions, like limits on how many cards you can open in a certain period.
- Understand Benefit Activation - Be aware that some perks may require enrollment or specific actions to take effect.
Application Strategy
- Create a spending plan to naturally meet any welcome offer requirements.
- Research the rewards program to ensure it aligns with your travel patterns.
- Time your application before a large, planned purchase to help meet the minimum spend.
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 someone who flies United Airlines exclusively?
The United Explorer Card is specifically designed for United flyers, offering benefits like a free first checked bag and priority boarding on United flights. These direct perks often make it the superior choice for loyal United customers.
Can I transfer points from the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey to United MileagePlus?
While the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card has several airline transfer partners, United MileagePlus is not currently one of them. You can, however, transfer points to other Star Alliance partners to book United flights indirectly.
What are the differences in the annual fees for these two cards?
The United Explorer Card has a $95 annual fee that is waived for the first year. The Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card also carries a $95 annual fee, but it is not typically waived.
Do both cards offer credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck?
Yes, both the United Explorer Card and the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card offer a statement credit to cover the application fee for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. This benefit is typically available once every four years.
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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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