Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0 · edited
Wells Fargo Rewards members have until September 25, 2026 to send points to another Wells Fargo cardholder. After that date, gifting rewards between customers ends, and so do automatic redemptions.
Frequent Miler republished its notice on September 18 to remind cardholders that transfers to other users stop on September 25. The changes first surfaced in cardholder statements in June, and Miles to Memories flagged the same cutoff on September 21, adding that only a few days remain. This is a household decision more than a card decision: if your points and a partner’s points need to end up in one account for a transfer or booking, the move has to happen this week.
- Deadline: September 25, 2026.
- Ending: gifting rewards to other Wells Fargo Rewards customers.
- Also ending: automatic redemption settings.
- Changing: each card shows its own rewards balance instead of one combined figure.
- Unclear: whether points can still move freely between your own cards; reports differ.
Gifting Ends for Good on September 25
Until the cutoff, a cardholder can gift Wells Fargo Rewards points to another Wells Fargo Rewards customer. Frequent Miler gives the example of a spouse with an Autograph card sending points to a partner who holds the Autograph Journey card, or the reverse. From September 25, that option is gone.
The loss matters most to households that earn on one person’s card and redeem from another’s. It also matters to anyone planning an airline or hotel transfer from a single account, because consolidating points first is often how a redemption reaches the required total.
If that is you, move the points before September 25 rather than on the day. None of the reports describe how long a gift takes to post, so leave margin.
Automatic Redemptions Switch to Manual
Miles to Memories reports that customers who have rewards redeemed automatically as statement credits, deposits or other options will need to switch to manual redemptions, because Wells Fargo is discontinuing automatic redemption settings on September 25.
For most points collectors this changes little. It does matter if you set a threshold years ago and forgot about it. After the cutoff, points will simply accumulate until you redeem them yourself, which is worth knowing before an annual fee or budget assumption relies on those credits.
Balances Split by Card, With Conflicting Reports
The part that is not settled is what happens between your own cards. Doctor of Credit reported in June that rewards accounts would no longer be combined, and Miles to Memories says rewards will remain tied to the individual card that earned them.
Frequent Miler says it received clarification that cardholders can still combine rewards from their own accounts, including moving cash back to points within their own card collection. Upgraded Points reported in August that the change is largely one of presentation: from September 25 you will see a separate balance for each eligible card, your total will not change, and you will still be able to move points between card accounts.
Deep Arrival could not find a public Wells Fargo page that settles the difference, and the notices went to cardholders through statements and email. Treat moving points between your own cards after September 25 as likely but unconfirmed, and if a planned redemption depends on it, consolidate before the deadline or confirm with Wells Fargo first.
Timing a Transfer Partner Redemption
Wells Fargo Rewards has added airline and hotel transfer partners in recent years, and Upgraded Points counts 11 of them. That is the reason pooling matters now: transferable points are most useful when they sit in one place.
If you already know the award you want, the cleanest sequence is to gift or combine the points first, confirm the new balance, and only then transfer to the partner. Do not transfer speculatively just to beat the deadline; the deadline applies to gifting between people, not to partner transfers.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Pool points with a partner’s Wells Fargo card | Gift the points before September 25. |
| Have automatic redemptions switched on | Expect them to stop; redeem manually from September 25. |
| Hold several of your own Wells Fargo cards | Consolidate now if a redemption depends on one balance; reports conflict on later moves. |
| Plan an airline or hotel transfer | Combine first, confirm the balance, then transfer. |
| Only hold one card and redeem manually | Little changes for you. |
September 25 is the cutoff for gifting points to another person.
Automatic redemptions end the same day.
Own card moves are unconfirmed. Consolidate early if it matters.
When does Wells Fargo Rewards gifting end?
September 25, 2026, according to cardholder notices reported by Frequent Miler and Miles to Memories.
Can I still move points between my own Wells Fargo cards?
Frequent Miler and Upgraded Points say yes; Doctor of Credit and Miles to Memories describe rewards as tied to each card. Deep Arrival found no public Wells Fargo page confirming either way.
What happens to automatic redemptions?
They are discontinued on September 25, 2026, so redemptions become manual.
Will my points balance change?
No report says the total changes. Upgraded Points says balances will display per card instead of as one figure.
Does the deadline affect airline and hotel transfers?
No. The cutoff applies to gifting between customers and to automatic redemptions.
