One Key Card Review: Hits the Sweet Spot Between Rewards and Reality

One Key Card Benefits

The One Key Card blends practical perks with no annual fee, ideal for travelers who want rewards without the hassle of premium cards. Here’s what stands out.

No Annual Fee

You won’t pay an annual fee, so there’s no pressure to justify keeping the card. It’s a low-risk way to start earning travel rewards or add a backup card to your wallet.

Strong Welcome Bonus

The card offers a solid $400 OneKeyCash bonus after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months. That’s a great jump-start achieved with a reasonable amount of spend, especially for a no-annual-fee card.

Simple Earning and Redeeming

Earning 3% back on most Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo bookings — along with gas stations, grocery stores and dining — is straightforward. Then, you can earn 1.5% back on your other purchases. Plus, you can redeem rewards across those platforms with no minimum threshold in many categories, making rewards easy to use without hoops.

The ease of OneKeyCash is my favorite thing about the program. I like to earn my points on Vrbo, then use them to book tours on Expedia. Last year, I used points earned from a vacation rental over spring break to Oaxaca in December on a Marseille food tour.

One Key Silver Status

When you open the One Key Card, you automatically get Silver status in the Expedia One Key rewards program. Silver offers discounts of about 15% or more on thousands of hotels worldwide. Silver members also receive priority traveler support and a 50% bonus on OneKeyCash earned when staying at select VIP Access properties. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the actual value of One Key status, which I expected to be a throwaway benefit. The hotel discounts are real and can add up over longer stays.

It’s easy to move up tiers with either spending or travel “elements,” which means a single night of a car, hotel or other booking. If you spend $15,000 in a year on the card, you can move up to Gold status, which offers bigger discounts and perks like potential room upgrades and additional VIP benefits such as a welcome amenity. This tiered system provides some extra value without any extra effort beyond normal spending.

Travel Protections That Count

You get decent benefits such as trip cancellation (up to $5,000 per covered traveler per trip) and rental car insurance, along with cell phone protection, which adds peace of mind when you’re on the go — even without an annual fee.

Surprisingly, for a card with no annual fee, the rental car insurance is primary, not secondary. That means that if something goes wrong with your rental car, you don’t have to go to your insurance company first. That could save you a ton of hassle should you get into a fender-bender in your rental car.

One Key Card Drawbacks

No card is perfect, and the One Key Card is no exception. Here’s what you need to watch out for.

Limited Redemption Choices

The OneKeyCash rewards only work within Expedia’s family of sites, so you can’t redeem for cash back, transfers or statement credits. And not every single purchase is eligible for OneKeyCash redemption; most notably, hotel reservations that aren’t prepaid are excluded.

Everyday Spend Returns Could Be Better

Earning 1.5% back on regular purchases isn’t bad, but many flat-rate cash back cards offer more. If you want a versatile, all-around rewards credit card, this might feel a bit tight.

No Hotel Loyalty Perks

Using this card won’t earn you loyalty points or elite status in hotel chains — booking through Expedia sites would be considered third-party. If you’re chasing upgrades or elite benefits, look elsewhere.

Who Is the One Key Card Best For?

The Wells Fargo One Key Card works well for travelers who mostly book through Expedia, Hotels.com or Vrbo and who want a simple rewards card with no annual fee. It suits casual travelers who want to earn rewards on everyday spending like gas, groceries and dining without dealing with complicated programs or points transfers. If you don’t spend enough on one hotel chain to care about elite status, this card can offer some perks without extra fuss.

At the same time, this card isn’t a great fit if you want flexible ways to use your points, such as converting them to cash or airline miles. If you’re serious about earning hotel loyalty benefits or elite status, this card won’t help with that. It’s best for people who value simplicity and who are mainly using Expedia-family sites for travel booking.

Is It the Right Card for You?

The One Key Card is a good fit for you if:

• You mainly book travel through Expedia, Hotels.com or Vrbo
• You want a no-annual-fee travel rewards card that rewards both travel and everyday purchases
• You want a companion card to a flat-rate cash-back card that will help you travel
• You prefer a straightforward rewards program without complicated transfers
• You don’t prioritize hotel chain loyalty programs or elite status

Alternatives to the One Key Card

• Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card: This card is a favorite for its simple, flat rewards structure — earning 1.5 points per dollar on every purchase, with no annual fee and the ability to redeem for statement credit on a wide range of travel expenses (not just one platform). Unlike the One Key Card, you aren’t tied to Expedia family sites, so you have more flexibility if your plans change or you want more diverse redemption options.
• Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card: If you want easy rewards and broad redemption choices, the VentureOne Card offers 1.25 Capital One miles per dollar on all purchases (5 miles per dollar for hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel) and allows you to transfer points to several airline and hotel partners. While the earnings rate is lower than the One Key Card, the ability to transfer points to Capital One’s partners could offer outsized value.

If you like the idea of the One Key Card and travel more frequently, consider its higher-end sibling, the One Key+™ Card. It charges a $99 annual fee, but you get a higher welcome bonus: $600 OneKeyCash after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. It offers 2% back on everyday purchases, automatic Gold elite status, and extras like an annual $100 OneKeyCash renewal credit and up to $120 in credit toward the TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee every four years. If you’re an Expedia loyalist who will spend the OneKeyCash renewal credit, the annual fee could be well worth it.