Meet the Contenders
Strongest in flights at 5% (up to $500,000/yr).
5X on flights and prepaid hotels through Amex Travel. Global Lounge Collection access.
Annual fee: $895
Sign-up bonus: 175,000 points after $12,000 spend in 6 months
Foreign fees: 0%
Perfect if: You book through the issuer's own site and want premium perks to offset the fee.
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Strongest in hotels at 5%.
5x on hotels, 4x on airlines, 3x on restaurants and other travel.
Annual fee: $95
Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in 3 months
Foreign fees: 0%
Perfect if: You want a strong rewards rate with no spending caps to worry about.
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The Verdict
Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card wins on
dining.
The $800/year fee difference means
The Platinum Card from American Express needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.
The Platinum Card from American Express carries $1,174/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings), while Wells Fargo Autograph Journey Card carries $50/year in credits (mostly unlocked by everyday bonus-category spending).
Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.
Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math. The calculator ranks purely on rewards minus the full annual fee, so credits and perks are yours to judge.