First-year winner
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
$573 Year 1 edge
$1,271 vs $698
Compare Cards
Stack up the better credit card
Compare two cards side by side with your real spend, credits, fees, and rewards.
Card A
Card B
Monthly spend
Start with spending categories
Monthly Total
$2,430/mo
Reward assumptions
Credits & benefits
Count the credits and perks you actually expect to use. Credit rows start with conservative default values; edit them for your own merchant, timing, or travel friction.
Card A
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
Cellular Telephone Protection
Cell Phone · No listed cash value
Can provide coverage for eligible cell phone damage or theft when the monthly wireless bill is paid with the card.
Perk
Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
Rental Car · No listed cash value
Can provide coverage for eligible rental car damage or theft on qualifying rentals.
Perk
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
Travel Insurance · No listed cash value
Access to referrals and coordination support while traveling away from home.
Perk
Roadside Dispatch
Other · No listed cash value
Access to a pay-per-use roadside assistance dispatch service.
Perk
Visa Signature Concierge
Concierge · No listed cash value
Eligible cardholders can request concierge assistance for travel, dining, and event planning needs.
Perk
Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection
Travel Credits · No listed cash value
Eligible bookings can include space-available upgrades and on-property hotel benefits.
Card B
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Counted benefits
$30
Credits
$30
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Credit
$50 Annual Hotel Credit
Travel Credits · Listed $50/yr
Receive up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for eligible hotel stays booked through Chase Travel.
Perk
DashPass Membership
Other · No listed cash value
Cardholders can receive a complimentary DashPass membership window with DoorDash benefits.
Perk
DoorDash Monthly Promo
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible cardholders can receive a monthly DoorDash promotional benefit during the active program window.
Perk
10% Anniversary Points Boost
Other · No listed cash value
Each account anniversary, you can receive bonus points equal to 10% of the total purchases made during the prior year.
Perk
Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
Travel Insurance · No listed cash value
Can reimburse covered prepaid travel expenses when a qualifying trip is canceled or interrupted for a covered reason.
Perk
Trip Delay Reimbursement
Travel Insurance · No listed cash value
Can reimburse eligible out-of-pocket expenses when a covered trip is delayed beyond the issuer's threshold.
Perk
Baggage Delay Insurance
Travel Insurance · No listed cash value
Can reimburse essential purchases when baggage is delayed on a covered trip.
Perk
Primary Auto Rental Coverage
Rental Car · No listed cash value
Can provide primary coverage for theft and collision damage on eligible rental cars.
Perk
Purchase Protection
Purchase Protection · No listed cash value
Can help protect eligible new purchases against damage or theft for a limited period after purchase.
Perk
Extended Warranty Protection
Extended Warranty · No listed cash value
Can extend the original U.S. manufacturer's warranty on eligible purchases.
Verdict
Chase Sapphire Preferred wins year 1 and long term.
Winner after year 1
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
$23 ongoing edge
$521 vs $498
Long-term breakeven: the higher-reward option needs roughly $21,637 per year in this spend mix to overcome the fee and benefit gap.
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
Year One
$698
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$498
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$498
1.71% effective return
Welcome Offer
$200
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$1,000
3 mo window · $333/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Chase
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Year One
$1,271
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$521
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$586
2.01% effective return
Welcome Offer
$750
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
$30
$30 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$5,000
3 mo window · $1,667/mo pace · Doable
Why it wins
- • Still delivers meaningful first-year upside from the welcome offer.
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The annual fee is harder to justify if you do not use the credits and perks consistently.
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Spend Mix Math
Where the value actually comes from
Category returns are based on the spend mix you entered, your point-value assumption, and the benefits you chose to count.
Dining
3x
$5,400
Wells Fargo Autograph
$162
3.00%
Chase Sapphire Preferred
$162
3.00%
Groceries
1x
$7,800
Wells Fargo Autograph
$78
1.00%
Chase Sapphire Preferred
$234
3.00%
Travel
3x
$3,000
Wells Fargo Autograph
$90
3.00%
Chase Sapphire Preferred
$60
2.00%
Gas
3x
$1,920
Wells Fargo Autograph
$58
3.00%
Chase Sapphire Preferred
$19
1.00%
General
1x
$11,040
Wells Fargo Autograph
$110
1.00%
Chase Sapphire Preferred
$110
1.00%
Total annual spend
$29,160 across this mix
Wells Fargo Autograph$498
Chase Sapphire Preferred$586
Raw Breakdown
Full side-by-side details
Use the spec table below when you want the literal field-by-field differences in rewards, benefits, transfer partners, fees, and approval profile.
| Metric | Wells Fargo Autograph Card | Chase Sapphire Preferred Card |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | ||
| Annual fee | Free | $95 |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Rewards | ||
| Dining rewards | 3x | 3x 3X points on dining at restaurants, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. |
| Gas rewards | 3x | — |
| Groceries rewards | — | 3x 3X points on select online grocery purchases, excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs. |
| Streaming rewards | 3x | 3x 3X points on select streaming services. |
| Travel rewards | 3x | 5x 5X total points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit. |
| Utilities rewards | 3x Transit and select phone plans represented under utilities category. | — |
| All rewards | 1x | 1x |
| Offer | ||
| Welcome offer | 20,000 pts Spend $1,000 in 3 mo | 75,000 bonus points Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. |
| Benefits | ||
| Estimated benefits | 6 listed | ~$50/yr |
| Benefit highlights | Cellular Telephone Protection · Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver · Travel and Emergency Assistance Services · +3 more | $50 Annual Hotel Credit · DashPass Membership · DoorDash Monthly Promo · +7 more |
| Profile | ||
| Credit needed | Good | Good |
| Network | visa | visa |
| Reward type | Points | Points |
Costs
Annual fee
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
Free
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
$95
Foreign transaction fee
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
None
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
None
Rewards
Dining rewards
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
3x
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
3x
3X points on dining at restaurants, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out.
Gas rewards
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
3x
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
—
Groceries rewards
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
—
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
3x
3X points on select online grocery purchases, excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs.
Streaming rewards
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
3x
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
3x
3X points on select streaming services.
Travel rewards
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
3x
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
5x
5X total points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit.
Utilities rewards
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
3x
Transit and select phone plans represented under utilities category.
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
—
All rewards
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
1x
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
1x
Offer
Welcome offer
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
20,000 pts
Spend $1,000 in 3 mo
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
75,000 bonus points
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Benefits
Estimated benefits
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
6 listed
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
~$50/yr
Benefit highlights
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
Cellular Telephone Protection · Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver · Travel and Emergency Assistance Services · +3 more
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
$50 Annual Hotel Credit · DashPass Membership · DoorDash Monthly Promo · +7 more
Profile
Credit needed
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
Good
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Good
Network
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
visa
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
visa
Reward type
Wells Fargo Autograph Card
Points
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Points