Everyday drivers and broad spenders who want 3x points across six categories — gas and EV charging, travel, dining, tran
Key specs
Annual fee
$0
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months
Ongoing APR
18.49% – 28.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Pros
Everyday drivers and broad spenders who want 3x points across six categories — gas and EV charging, travel, dining, transit, streaming, and phone plans — at a $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fee.
Trade-offs
People who want cash simplicity or a single dominant category — a 5% rotating or category-specific card can out-earn 3x where your spend concentrates, and the points ecosystem is less deep than Chase UR or Amex MR for transfer-partner redemptions.
The catch
The strength is category breadth, not depth — 3x across six everyday categories is generous, but Wells Fargo's transfer-partner program is thinner than Chase or Amex, so most people will redeem points closer to 1 cpp rather than optimizing transfers.
0% on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months
Ongoing APR
19.49% – 28.49% variable
Foreign transaction fee
2.7%
Balance transfer fee
$5 or 3%
Late payment fee
Up to $40
Pros
Family households that spend $3,000+ a year at U.S. supermarkets and $1,200+ on streaming. The 6% on groceries (up to $6,000/yr) and 6% on streaming is industry-best cashback if you actually use both.
Trade-offs
Low-grocery households (the $95 AF doesn't pencil out under ~$1,600/yr in supermarket spend) and anyone with a Costco-heavy grocery routine — Costco doesn't count as a supermarket.
The catch
The 6% grocery is capped at $6,000 of spend per calendar year, then drops to 1%. A family that hits the cap by August is earning $360 at 6% + 1% on everything after — track the cap or set up a backup grocery card for Q4.
Fair-credit applicants (roughly 580-669) who eat out and stream a lot — 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular s
Key specs
Annual fee
$39
Ongoing APR
28.99% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the transfer APR; 4% of each transferred balance at a promo APR
Pros
Fair-credit applicants (roughly 580-669) who eat out and stream a lot — 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming, and grocery stores, plus 8% on Capital One Entertainment purchases and 5% on hotels/rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, for a $39 annual fee and no foreign transaction fee.
Trade-offs
Readers with excellent credit — Capital One's own fee-free Savor covers the same 3% dining/entertainment/streaming/grocery ground without the $39 fee — and warehouse-club grocery shoppers, since the 3% rate excludes superstores like Walmart and Target.
The catch
Capital One relaunched SavorOne in October 2024 as the fair-credit entry in the Savor lineup, replacing what used to be a $0-annual-fee card with a $39 one and no welcome bonus. You need roughly $1,300/yr in bonus-category spend just to clear the fee — confirm you clear that before choosing this over the now-fee-free Savor.
Occasional Marriott guests who want complimentary Silver Elite status and 3x on Marriott stays plus 2x on groceries, str
Key specs
Annual fee
$0
Ongoing APR
19.24% – 29.99% variable
Foreign transaction fee
None
Balance transfer fee
$5 or 5%
Late payment fee
Up to $40
Pros
Occasional Marriott guests who want complimentary Silver Elite status and 3x on Marriott stays plus 2x on groceries, streaming, and rideshare — all at a $0 annual fee, the free entry point into the Bonvoy ecosystem.
Trade-offs
Frequent Marriott guests who'd clear more value from Boundless's free-night certificate (worth well over its $95 AF for a 5+-night/yr traveler), and travelers who prefer Hyatt's stronger redemption math.
The catch
Silver Elite is Marriott's lowest tier — no guaranteed late checkout, no room upgrades, no lounge access. It's a real status floor, not a meaningful travel perk on its own; the card's actual value is the 3x/2x earning, not the 'elite status' headline.
