Wells Fargo Active Cash vs. Synchrony Premier World Mastercard®

Welcome Bonus

At this time, the Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® is not offering a bonus.

Wells Fargo Active Cash Card offers a $200 cash rewards bonus when you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.

With an easy-to-earn welcome bonus, the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card wins this round.

Cash Back Rewards

Both cards offer 2% cash back on every purchase without having to choose categories. Neither card has any limits or caps on the amount of cash back you can earn.

Here are the rewards details for each card:

Wells Fargo Active Cash Card 

Rewards:

Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® 

Rewards: 

Rates and Fees

The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card offers a 0% introductory rate on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months. After that, your rate will be a variable APR of 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24%.

Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® does not offer a 0% introductory APR at this time. Your rate will be a variable APR of 16.24%, 22.24%, or 29.24%, depending on creditworthiness.

Neither card has an annual fee, but both have foreign transaction fees. Foreign transaction fees won't affect you if you're not traveling internationally, but if you are, they can add up.

Who the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card is Best For

The Wells Fargo card offers a signup bonus and a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers and purchases for the first 15 months. This makes this card an excellent choice if you're planning a large purchase or want to pay off higher-interest cards. The fact that you get an easy signup bonus sweetens the deal.

Another great feature is that you get cell phone protection for up to $600. You have to pay your cell phone bill with your Wells Fargo card, and the policy only kicks in after other insurance policies are exhausted (i.e. your homeowners or renters insurance), but still, it's a nice feature.

Wells Fargo would like for you to have a checking account to redeem your rewards, but if you don't, they can mail you a check or give you a statement credit. Rewards must be in $25 increments.

Who the Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® is Best For

The Synchrony card doesn't offer a signup bonus or an 0% introductory rate; this card is only a good choice if you don't have any other 2% cash back cards. There are not a lot of extra features, but you can earn 2% cash back on every purchase with no annual fee. Cash back is automatically applied as a statement credit within two billing periods after an eligible purchase is made. This is great if you prefer not to do extra work to redeem your rewards. However, if you prefer to redeem your cash back in other ways, this card isn't best for you.

Does it make sense to get both cards?

There's no annual fee for either card, you could apply for both, but there isn't an advantage to doing that. Both cards have unlimited cash back rewards, so you can't max out your rewards. The only reason to get both is if you need more credit.

Approval Odds

The credit score data provided for some of the cards listed below comes from publicly available information in several forums. The accuracy of the information cannot be verified. Keep in mind that credit card issuers consider more than an applicant’s credit score and that underwriting standards change over time.

Approval Odds for the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card 

Approval Odds for the Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® 

The Wells Fargo card seems to offer higher credit limits than Synchrony. On the other hand, Synchrony seems like they may consider lower credit scores for approval. The clear winner of this comparison is the Wells Fargo Active Cash Card. However, if you can't get approved for that one, the Synchrony Premier World Mastercard® is a decent second choice.