Update 11/3/22: The rule is now one Wells Fargo card each 6 months rather than the previous 15-month rule. This is one per 6 months across all personal Wells Fargo cards. (“You may not qualify for an additional Wells Fargo credit card if you have opened a Wells Fargo credit card in the last 6 months.”) The Hotels.com card still shows the 15 month rule from when you got your last Hotels.com card.
Update 10/5/19: Terms now say ‘may not’ rather than ‘will not’. Not sure if this is really a change or just a lawyer verbiage change for no real reason. Hat tip to reader JC
Update 01/30/18: It looks like the use 15 month language in both places now, so this is really a 15 month rule.
Some time ago Wells Fargo added exclusionary language to their credit card applications. Under the terms and conditions you can find the following:
If you opened a Wells Fargo credit card within the last 16 months, you will not qualify for the introductory rate(s), fees and bonus offers.
It goes into a bit more detail here:
Eligibility for introductory rate(s), fees, and bonus rewards offersIf you opened a Wells Fargo credit card account during the last 15 months from the date of this application you will not be eligible for the introductory APR(s) or bonus rewards offers until the 1st day of the calendar month after the 15 month anniversary.
Contents
Is This Actually Enforced?
I’m not 100% sure why but I was under the impression that this rule is not actually enforced. This is incorrect, as many readers have pointed out and it is enforced. If anybody knows the exact dates that this type of language was added, let us know in the comments.
Bypass The Rule?
One person was able to get around this by signing up for two cards on the same day. Another reader was unsuccesful in doing this and they were told that their second application was marked as a duplicate.
F.A.Q’s
Does this apply across all cards or is it card specific?
All Wells Fargo cards have this language in the fine print. In addition if you sign up for the Wells Fargo Visa Signature then you’d need to wait 15/16 months to get the Wells Fargo Propel world for example.
Final Thoughts
We will add this to our list of churnable credit cards.
Source: doctorofcredit.com