| Balance Transfer Rating: | 4.2 / 5 |
| Introductory Offer: | 5.0 |
| Rates & Fees: | 3.3 |
| Features: | 1.5 |
| Issuer Customer Experience: | 2.0 |
In a Nutshell:
Boasting one of the longest intro APR periods on the market, the Wells Fargo Reflect card could be a life-saver if you’re ready to chip away at high-interest debt.
0% Introductory Period |  |
Transfer Fee 5% for each balance transfer, minimum $5 | |
Introductory Purchase APR | |
Regular APR |  |
Annual Fee | |
Wells Fargo Customer Service Ratings
|  |
Other notable features: Up to $600 cell phone protection against damage or theft ($25 deductible), zero fraud liability, My Wells Fargo Deals card-linked offer program
Whether you’re looking to chip away at credit card debt with a balance transfer card or just need a little wiggle room to pay off a big purchase, the Wells Fargo Reflect Card should be a terrific fit. Boasting one of the longest intro APR periods on the market, the card is one of your best bets if you prioritize having as much time as possible to pay down your balance.
But since it carries no rewards program and comes with few noteworthy perks, the Reflect card is far from your most versatile balance transfer or flexible financing option. In fact, once you pay off your balance, the card likely won’t offer much ongoing value at all.
Though you’ll generally need to sacrifice a few months’ worth of promotional APR, you may be better off opting for a card that offers both an intro APR and rewards to ensure your card is worth keeping even after you’ve paid off your balance.
See related: How to transfer a credit card balance
Why you might want the Wells Fargo Reflect Card
If a long intro APR period is at the top of your credit card wish list, the Reflect Card will not disappoint. It also aims to save you money with relatively low ongoing APR. Here are some details on the biggest advantages the card offers and what may make the card a good fit for you.
One of the longest balance transfer periods out there
The Reflect card’s introductory APR offer on qualifying balance transfers should blow many competing offers out of the water.
The card’s offer can get you 21 months’ worth of 0% intro APR breathing room as you pay down your transferred balance: You’ll enjoy 21 months from account opening of 0% intro APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (18.24%, 24.74%, or 29.99% variable APR after that). Transfers must be made within the first 120 days to qualify for the introductory APR.
This is one of the longest intro APR periods on the market and makes the card an ideal fit if you’re laser-focused on paying off your balance and simply need the time and space to do so. Of course, you should create a debt payoff plan before you get started and will need to pay more than the minimum if you want to clear your balance before the end of the introductory period.
Using our balance transfer calculator to get a sense of just how valuable such a long intro APR period can be if you have significant debt hanging over you, let’s say you had a $4,000 balance on one of your credit cards with a 21% APR. If you chipped away at this debt with a $200 monthly payment, it would take you 25 months and cost you $966 in interest to pay off. If you transferred that qualifying balance to the Wells Fargo Reflect card instead, you could pay off your balance in 21 months and would only be out the card’s 5% balance transfer fee of $200. That’s four fewer stress-filled months and a savings of nearly $800.
See related: Balance transfer calculator
Tip: While it can’t quite match the 21 months of 0% intro APR offered by the Reflect card, the U.S. Bank Visa® Platinum Card comes close, offering all qualifying cardholders a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 billing cycles, followed by a 19.74% to 29.74% variable APR.
Great for financing large purchases or carrying a balance short term
Along with its generous intro APR offer on qualifying balance transfers, the card features a matching intro APR offer on new purchases: 0% intro APR for 21 months from account opening (18.24%, 24.74%, or 29.99% variable APR thereafter).
If you have some big expenses on the horizon and would rather spread out payments over time, the Reflect card could be a solid alternative to a personal loan or the sort of deferred interest promotion you may be offered at a store. As long as you pay off your balance in full by the end of the promotional period, you won’t be charged any interest – and even if you don’t quite clear your balance, you’ll only pay interest on the amount that remains at the end of the promotional period.
Like the card’s balance transfer offer, this intro purchase APR offer is one of the longest on the market. And while some cash back credit cards and rewards credit cards feature an intro APR on new purchases, few carry a promotional rate on both balance transfers and new purchases like the Reflect card.
That said, if you don’t need to transfer a balance and can make do with a shorter intro purchase APR period, you should be able to find a cash back or rewards card that not only gives you an intro purchase APR but also offers rewards on your purchases, saving you even more.
See related: How to choose a 0% APR credit card
Why you might want a different card
Despite its generous introductory APR offers and relatively low fees, the Reflect card falls short when it comes to long-term value and cardholder perks. While it may be a lifesaver if you’re looking for as much breathing room as possible while you tackle debt, the card will likely end up collecting dust once your intro period ends.
You can find better value overall
Since the Reflect card carries no rewards program, you won’t have much incentive to keep using it after you take advantage of its introductory APR offers. In contrast, several cash back and rewards cards offer an intro APR on balance transfers or purchases in addition to ongoing rewards, allowing you to save not only on interest but also on most or all of your everyday spending.
And though these cards will almost certainly feature a shorter promotional APR period, the value offered by a rewards program could easily outweigh the savings you’d get from a few extra months of 0% APR.
That’s doubly true considering the card carries a high balance transfer fee of 5% (minimum of $5), which is tacked onto your total balance owed. Though a 5% transfer fee is common among balance transfer cards, several only charge 3%. This could make the Reflect card a pricier debt consolidation method even than a card with a shorter intro APR offer.
For example, the Citi Double Cash® Card earns up to 2% back on all qualifying purchases (1% when you buy and 1% when you pay off your purchase) and offers a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for the first 18 months (19.24% to 29.24% variable APR thereafter), with an 3% (minimum $5) intro balance transfer fee on balance transfers completed within the first 4 months from account opening. Let’s say you wanted to pay off a $4,000 balance in no more than 21 months, contributing around $200 per month to your transferred debt. Meanwhile, you used your card to pay for $285 in staples like groceries and gas each month (and paid charges off in full). In this scenario, the Double Cash would offer better savings despite its shorter intro APR period and regardless of the APR assigned.
Check out this breakdown via the CreditCards.com balance transfer calculator, which uses the Double Cash card’s minimum and maximum variable APRs to demonstrate this:
| Card | Payoff plan ($4,000 transferred balance) | Total estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo Reflect Card | $200 per month for 21 months | $200 balance transfer fee |
| Citi Double Cash | $200 per month for 21 months (18 months at 0% APR, 3 months at 19.24% variable APR on remaining $400 balance) | ~$120 in cash back – $120 balance transfer fee – $9.88 in interest charges = $9.88 total cost |
| Citi Double Cash | $200 per month for 21 months (18 months at 0% APR, 3 months at 29.24% variable APR on remaining $400 balance) | ~$120 in cash back – $120 balance transfer fee – $15.22 in interest charges = $15.22 total cost |
As you can see, while your savings will vary considerably based on the size of your balance and your monthly contribution, you don’t need to get a dedicated balance transfer card to come out on top.
Unimpressive cardholder perks
Other than its card-linked offer program, My Wells Fargo Deals, and generous cellphone protection perk – which gets you up to $600 in cell phone protection against damage or theft when you pay your cellphone bill with the card (subject to a $25 deductible) – the Wells Fargo Reflect card offers little in the way of cardholder benefits.
While you’ll need to shell out an annual fee to enjoy the best credit card perks, some no-annual-fee rewards or cash back cards come with intro APR offers as well as useful extras like complimentary food delivery subscriptions, streaming service or ride-share credits and more. Such benefits shouldn’t be your top priority when your focus is paying off debt, but they can certainly help a card keep its value longer.
High credit score threshold
Like most cards that carry a balance transfer offer, the Wells Fargo Reflect card requires a good to excellent credit score for approval (a FICO score of 670 or higher). That will put the card out of reach if you are hoping to do a balance transfer with poor credit.
You can see if you prequalify via the issuer’s site or try the CreditCards.com Approval Odds tool to get a better sense of how likely you are to be approved. You can also check CardMatch™ to see if you have any personalized offers based on your credit profile. This only requires a soft pull of your credit report and has no impact on your credit score until you submit a formal application. Keep in mind, however, that getting approved for the card does not mean you’ll be able to transfer all of the debt you want to the card. Whether and how much debt you’re able to transfer will depend on your credit profile and assigned limit.
See related: What to do if you’re denied a balance transfer card
How does the Wells Fargo Reflect Card compare to other balance transfer cards?
The Reflect card features one of the longest intro APR offers on the market, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best balance transfer card for you. If you’re willing to trade a few months’ worth of intro APR for perks like a rewards program or a one-time cash bonus, you may save money in both the short and long term. Here are a few alternatives worth considering:
 | 
|  Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card |
Rewards rate
| Rewards rate None | Rewards rate
|
| Introductory period (balance transfers) 18 months | Introductory period (balance transfers) 21 billing cycles on balance transfers made within the first 60 days | Introductory period (balance transfers) 15 months from account opening (for qualifying balance transfers made within the first 120 days) |
| Introductory period (new purchases) 6 months | Introductory period (new purchases) 21 billing cycles | Introductory period (new purchases) 15 months from account opening |
| Regular APR 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR | Regular APR 16.24% - 26.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers | Regular APR 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR |
Other things to know
| Other things to know
| Other things to know
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Wells Fargo Reflect Card vs. Discover it Balance Transfer
The Discover it Balance Transfer has long been considered one of the best balance transfer cards on the market thanks to its lengthy intro APR and top-notch cash back rewards program. Not only will you earn outsized rewards in a wide variety of quarterly rotating categories, but you’ll also get all the cash back you’ve earned matched at the end of your first year. While you’ll want to focus on paying down debt initially, this card’s versatility could make it a smarter long-term option than the Reflect card, especially for people who get a kick out of strategizing over when and where to buy to maximize their savings.
Wells Fargo Reflect Card vs. BankAmericard
If you want one of the longest intro APR offers on the market, you don’t have to look farther than the BankAmericard. You can get a 0% intro APR for 21 billing cycles on both new purchases and balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 16.24% to 26.24% variable APR after). However, its long-term value drops drastically after the intro APR period ends and the fees it includes, such as foreign transaction fees, can cut into its overall worth. Still, it’s a good option for those looking to pay off debt from another card without the distraction of other perks.
Wells Fargo Reflect Card vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
One of the best flat-rate cash back cards on the market, the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card offers tremendous short- and long-term value thanks to its ongoing rewards rate and welcome bonus, as well as an intro APR on both purchases and qualifying balance transfers made within the first 120 days. Though Active Cash card’s promotional period is much shorter than the Reflect card’s, the value offered by its welcome bonus and rewards on everyday spending could easily outweigh the savings you’d enjoy with a few extra months of an intro APR offer.
Who should get WF Reflect?
- Cardholders who need to finance a large project
- Those who have high debt on another card and need a long balance transfer period
- Consumers looking for relatively low interest rates
- Users who want to pay down debt without being tempted by other card perks
- Consumers who want cellphone protection
How should you use WF Reflect?
- Transfer a card qualifying balance within the first 120 days
- Make a plan to pay off debt within 21 months
- Use the card only for a large purchase that can be paid off in 21 months
- Pay cellphone bill with this card to be eligible for up to $600 of cell phone theft and damage protection (with $25 deductible)
Is the Wells Fargo Reflect Card right for you?
Though it’s far from the flashiest or most lucrative balance transfer card out there, the Wells Fargo Reflect Card scores major points where it counts: its introductory APR offer. You‘ll enjoy one of the longest promotional periods on the market and get plenty of breathing room as you tackle debt or finance purchases.
That said, if you think you can manage with a slightly shorter promotional period or make do with only a long intro APR on balance transfers or new purchases – not both – you will likely get more long-term use and squeeze greater savings overall out of a no annual fee rewards card.
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