Credit One Bank Wander Card Review 2024

The Credit One Bank Wander® Card earns 10 points per dollar on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner, 5 points per dollar on eligible travel, dining and gas and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Rewards can be redeemed as statement credits at a rate of $0.01 per point. Other redemption options exist, though rates may vary.

Wanderlust-worthy? Perhaps, but there’s at least one major catch. The card charges a $95 annual fee. Also, those who plan to wander off and forget about due dates or paying in full and on time should stay put, as the card’s 29.74% Variable APR on purchases will make carrying a balance costly.

One strong advantage of this card is its advertised minimum credit requirement of average. Many cards offering excellent reward rates limit offerings to those with good or better credit, so for some, the $95 annual fee may be worth paying to unlock early access to enhanced rewards on the journey toward building or rebuilding better credit.

For those with subprime credit, we advise taking care not to be fooled by big rewards. If a cardholder isn’t ready to practice responsible spending habits—including paying bills on time, every time—the interest charges associated with carrying a balance will wipe out any rewards.

• $95 annual fee
• Earn 10 points per dollar on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner, 5 points per dollar on eligible travel, dining and gas and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
• This card does not offer a welcome bonus.
• Convenience benefits and customization
• Average minimum credit rating requirement

Earning Rewards

The Credit One Bank Wander® Card earns 10 points per dollar on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner, 5 points per dollar on eligible travel, dining and gas and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Reward points do not expire as long as the account remains open and in good standing. Points are forfeited 90 days after the closure of an account. There are no limits to how many points you can earn.

Hotels and rental cars booked as a package only earn 5 points per dollar instead of the higher rate.

Redeeming Rewards

Reward points earned with the Credit One Bank Wander® Card may be redeemed for cash back in the form of a statement credit, merchandise, gift cards or travel.

Redemption by statement credit must be done in increments of 1,000 points. When redeemed for cash back in the form of a statement credit, points are worth $0.01 each, meaning a 1,000-point redemption is worth a $10 statement credit. Statement credit redemptions do not count as payments of any kind and may not be substituted for a minimum payment requirement.

Other redemption values vary and may be calculated at the time of redemption, as they’re subject to change.

Rewards Potential

To determine the rewards potential of the Credit One Bank Wander® Card, we consider what an American household might spend on a credit card each year. Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine both baseline income and spending averages across multiple categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $116,000 annually, and we base spending on that number.

Forbes Advisor estimates that this sample household has $36,177 in annual expenses that can be reasonably charged to a credit card.

Credit One Bank Wander® Card Rewards Potential
Category	Earning Rate	Estimated Annual Spend	Estimated Annual Earnings
Hotels	10X	$2,015	20,150
Car rentals	10X	$793	7,930
Airfare	5X	$2,443	12,215
Dining	5X	$3,856	$19,280
Gas	5X	$2,479	$12,395
All other purchases	1X	$24,591	$24,591
			Total: 96,561 points

See MoreSee Less

As this chart illustrates, the household could earn an estimated 96,561 points a year using the Credit One Bank Wander® Card.

• Custom due dates. Pick your own monthly due date.
• Credit score access. Get no-extra-charge access to your credit score.
• Mobile and online banking. Convenience with a click for alerts and account monitoring via phone or computer.
• Tap to pay. Cardholders can use chip-enabled cards to avoid inserting or swiping at the register.
• Zero liability protection. Cardholders aren’t responsible for unauthorized purchases.
• Travel accident insurance. Coverage for accidents connected to eligible travel purchases made with the card.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 29.74% Variable
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $95
• Balance transfer fee: See Terms
• Foreign transaction fee: N/A

Credit One Bank Wander® Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card*

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card* ranks among the best cards for travel, and for good reason: Not only does the card earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases, it also offers a mountain of extra benefits. Among them are primary auto collision damage waiver, purchase protection, extended warranty protection and baggage delay insurance. The Sapphire Preferred charges a $95 annual fee.

Remember, Chase Ultimate Rewards® have a more varied redemption value in part thanks to the ability to transfer rewards to Chase travel partners and the 25% boost in point value Sapphire Preferred cardholders receive if they use their points to book eligible travel through Chase.

Credit One Bank Wander® Card vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns 2% cash rewards on purchases. The card’s flat-rate cash rewards means no tracking categories and no extra hassle when it comes to remembering which card to use.

For those who don’t travel or who maintain varied purchasing patterns, the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card can act as a catch-all to ensure a decent reward rate on all purchases. But the Credit One Bank Wander® Card is a better choice for anyone spending enough in its bonus categories each year—even with its annual fee. Evaluate your own spending to determine which structure makes more sense for you.

Credit One Bank Wander® Card vs. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is known in the credit card space as one of the premium credit cards for travel rewards, and for good reason. It offers similar elevated travel rewards of 2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel. But instead of the Credit One Bank Wander® Card’s $95 annual fee, the Venture X charges a $395 annual fee (rates & fees). Note that this can be partially offset by the card’s $300 annual credit for travel booked through Capital One.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers a long list of travel and purchase benefits that can easily make the annual fee worthwhile for many. The Credit One Bank Wander® Card, meanwhile, offers a lower annual fee with similar travel rewards but none of those extra benefits.

Capital One Rewards are more valuable in terms of flexibility, redemption values and more. The major advantage the Credit One Bank Wander® Card has on the Venture X is its lower credit rating requirement. While the Wander Card advertises itself as being accessible to those with average credit, the Venture X requires excellent credit.

Whether your credit score is below the excellent range or you simply don’t want to pay the high annual fee many top travel cards charge, there’s finally a destination. The Credit One Bank Wander® Card earns fantastic travel, dining and gas rewards at a fraction of the cost and without the complexity of a major travel rewards program. Its average minimum credit rating requirement makes this card a true contender among the best travel rewards cards.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points or miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards