Wells Fargo Reflect Card compared
| Wells Fargo Reflect Card | Union Bank® Platinum™ Visa® Credit Card | Citi® Double Cash Card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| APR promo | 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18-21 months + 3% transfer fee | 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months (no transfer fee) | 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months + 3% transfer fee (min. $5) |
| Cash back/rewards rates | N/A | N/A | 1% cash back on purchases + 1% for paying off purchases (unlimited) |
| Other notable features | Cell phone protection; pay-per-use emergency roadside assistance | Purchase security | N/A |
Union Bank® Platinum™ Visa® Credit Card
The APR promo offered by the Union Bank® Platinum™ Visa® Credit Card might seem inferior to the Wells Fargo Reflect Card’s at first glance, and the Reflect Card’s deal is definitely better for those looking for low purchase interest. But keep in mind that the Reflect Card charges a 3% fee for balance transfers, which can be a big chunk of change depending on your transfer amount — a $10k balance transfer would result in a $300 fee with the Reflect Card.
The Union Bank® Platinum™ Visa® Credit Card doesn’t charge a transfer fee for balance transfers made in the first 60 days of opening the account. If you’re primarily looking for a good balance transfer deal, it’s generally best to go with the lowest transfer fee (or better yet, no transfer fee at all) so that you can minimize up-front costs.
You can always transfer your balance to another card (like the Reflect card) if the Union Bank card’s 15 months aren’t long enough to pay off your transferred balance in full.
See card details/apply for the Union Bank® Platinum™ Visa® Credit Card.
Read more: Balance transfer calculator — How much can you save?
The Citi® Double Cash Card’s balance transfer promotion is comparable to the offer from the Wells Fargo Reflect Card, though it doesn’t include 0% APR on purchases (only balance transfers). Where the Citi® Double Cash Card outshines the Reflect is in its ability to earn cash back.
After you’ve paid off your transferred balance you can use the Citi® Double Cash Card to earn 2% cash back on everything — 1% when you initially make a purchase, and another 1% when you pay the purchase off later. If you think you can pay off your balance transfer within 18 months and you’d like to earn cash back afterward, go with the Citi® Double Cash Card over the Wells Fargo Reflect Card.
See card details/apply for the Citi® Double Cash Card.
Who should get the Wells Fargo Reflect Card?
The Wells Fargo Reflect card is ideal for those who fit the following use cases:
Making a big purchase
If you’ve encountered an expensive emergency or you intend to make a must-have big purchase, and you don’t have an emergency fund to cover it, the Wells Fargo Reflect card is a great option. 21 months of 0% intro APR buys you a lot of time to pay off your bill without incurring interest charges. Just make your minimum payments on time and the 0% interest rate is almost equivalent to having paid for your expense in cash.
Consolidating credit card debt
Signing up for the Wells Fargo Reflect card may also be a good move if you have one or more high-interest credit cards you’d like to pay off, and you’ve already exhausted better balance transfer promos that might be on the market. If you’ve already transferred your balance to a card like the Union Bank® Platinum™ Visa® Credit Card and you weren’t able to pay the balance off in time before its promo ended, you could potentially surf your balance onto the Wells Fargo Reflect card to give you more time to pay it off.
All you have to worry about is the 3% balance transfer fee, which will end up being less than what you would pay in APR in most circumstances.
Who should avoid the Wells Fargo Reflect card?
The Wells Fargo Reflect might not be a good fit for you if you nod to any of the below:
- You need a card to use while traveling abroad (foreign transaction fees really hurt)
- You’re looking for a card with guaranteed cash back or rewards points for your purchases
- You’re looking to make a balance transfer and haven’t explored other options out there
Summary
If you want a card that offers a low purchase interest rate for an extended period of time, it’s really hard to beat the Wells Fargo Reflect Card.
But if you’re on the hunt for a great balance transfer deal, or if you want to earn rewards for your purchases, you should probably look at alternative options.
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