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The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offers a great starter card to those looking to earn cash back rewards without much hassle. The Active Cash card earns 2% cash rewards on purchases. The card also offers a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months and a 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 18.74%, 23.74%, or 28.74% variable APR applies. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a fee of up to 5%, with a minimum of $5 applies. Applicants may need a good to excellent credit score to qualify for the Active Cash card.
Featured Partner Offer
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Unlimited 2% Rewards Rate
Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Welcome Bonus
$200 Cash Rewards
Regular APR
18.74%, 23.74%, or 28.74% variable APR
Credit Score
Excellent, Good (700 - 749)
Editorial Review
The Wells Fargo Active Cash offers an unlimited 2% cash rewards rate on purchases and charges no annual fee. This puts it in competition with the best flat-rate cash back cards on the market.
Pros & Cons
- Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
- $0 annual fee
- Cell phone protection benefit
- There’s a balance transfer fee
- There’s a foreign transaction fee
- No travel transfer partners
Card Details
- Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
- Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
- 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 18.74%, 23.74%, or 28.74% variable APR; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3% then a BT fee of up to 5%, min: $5
- $0 annual fee
- No categories to track or remember and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open
- Enjoy a premium collection of benefits at a selection of the world’s most intriguing and prestigious hotel properties with Visa Signature Concierge
- Get up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your eligible Wells Fargo card. (subject to a $25 deductible).
- Select “Apply Now” to learn more about the product features, terms and conditions
Wells Fargo Active Cash Credit Score Requirements
Wells Fargo doesn’t clarify what credit score is recommended to qualify for the Active Cash card, but we expect that applicants likely need a good credit score of at least 670 on the FICO 8 scoring model to qualify.
The FICO 8 score model considers factors like repeat late payments (instead of one-off mistakes) and individual credit card utilization (meaning how close the balance is to the limit on each specific card). Wells Fargo may use a different scoring model to make its credit decision.
The better your credit, the more appealing you’ll be to a card issuer as an applicant. You may be able to improve your credit using a variety of techniques, but your payment history and credit utilization rate are generally the top factors in evaluating your creditworthiness. No credit score guaranteed approval for any card.
What Credit Bureau Does Wells Fargo Pull From?
Wells Fargo currently offers customers a credit monitoring tool called Credit CloseUp. Cardholders can easily keep track of their FICO score from the Wells Fargo app using the tool and these provided scores are pulled from Experian. This score is purely for educational purposes and may not be the same or only score Wells Fargo uses to make credit decisions.
It’s especially important to unfreeze your credit report with Experian or any other bureau if you’ve locked it up for anti-fraud purposes. Wells Fargo can’t approve applications immediately if applicants have a frozen credit report, making the application process take a few days longer. You can temporarily unfreeze your credit until the Active Cash card application is submitted and a decision has been made if you’d like to avoid any obstacles to the approval process.
Wells Fargo Active Cash Pre-Approval
Pre-approval tools can help cardholders determine whether they qualify for a new credit card before filling out a formal application. Card issuers usually pull a soft credit check to assess pre-approval, which does not affect credit scores in the way a hard credit inquiry does.
Wells Fargo offers a pre-selection tool, which differs slightly from pre-approval. The pre-selection tool allows you to see if Wells Fargo has already screened you for a credit card offer based on information provided by credit bureaus. This does not perform a soft credit check as pre-approval tools do. (Note: you may have a better chance of being pre-selected if you’re currently a Wells Fargo customer, as the company can access your internal banking or credit history and already has your contact info).
If you receive an offer in the mail for the Active Cash card, you can respond on Wells Fargo’s website. Follow the instructions in the mailed offer and fill in the reservation number. Make sure to read the fine print for any credit card offer before submitting a formal application.
What To Do If Your Application Is Rejected
Don’t stress if your credit card application is rejected. Wells Fargo is required by law to provide applicants with a formal notice listing the reasons for rejection. This list of reasons can provide hints as to how you’ll need to improve your credit or other factors in order to qualify.
Common reasons for rejection might include a low credit score, a high revolving balance (and high credit utilization) or too many recent credit inquiries.
The best course of action when you receive a card application rejection is to improve your standing by taking steps to address each reason listed by the rejecting issuer. If your credit utilization is too high, start paying down balances. If you have too many missed payments, make it a goal to pay on time for the next six months. Whatever you do, don’t apply for another credit card right away; too many inquiries on your credit report can hurt your score, making approval even more difficult.
Wait at least six months to re-apply for the Active Cash card and you see improvements to the issues Wells Fargo detailed in its rejection. Check your credit report regularly through an existing credit card account or by accessing reports from a major credit bureau.
Bottom Line
The Wells Fargo Active Cash card can be a great option for earning unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with restrictions. Applicants should try to maintain at least a good credit score of 670 before applying, but it may be possible to see approval with a lower score if an applicant has high income or can make another case for creditworthiness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What credit score do I need to qualify for the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card?
Wells Fargo doesn’t provide a recommended credit score, but anecdotal reports suggest a score of at least 670 could be sufficient. Remember your credit history is just as important as your score when seeking approval for a credit card.
Can I get pre-approved for the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card?
Wells Fargo may send you a pre-selected offer for the Active Cash card. You can redeem an offer on the Wells Fargo website. Pre-selection is different from pre-approval and neither guarantees approval for an account.
What do I do if my application is rejected?
Card issuers are required to tell applicants why an application was rejected. Be proactive about improving your credit before re-applying for a credit card.