Wells Fargo Launches One Key Credit Cards Tied to Expedia Group

Wells Fargo is issuing two new co-branded credit cards for One Key, Expedia Group’s loyalty program. The One Key Card and One Key+ Card earn rewards in the form of OneKeyCash, which cardholders can use on Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo to book hotels, flights, rental cars and vacation rentals.

One Key was created in July 2023, combining three loyalty programs into one. For example, you can earn rewards on a Hotels.com booking and later redeem them toward a vacation rental through Vrbo, or a flight through Expedia.

Citibank previously issued two Expedia credit cards, but those were closed to new applicants in 2022, and existing cardholders were eventually moved to different Citi products. Similarly, applications for the Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card, issued by Wells Fargo, were paused in 2023. Current holders of that card will receive a One Key Card in September 2024. In the meantime, they can still use their existing card.

Reaching the Silver and Gold tiers gets you extra earnings when you book VIP Access properties through Hotels.com or Expedia. This combines with the 3% rewards rate you earn with either One Key card.

Both tiers also offer priority traveler support and discounted pricing on Hotels.com and Expedia. The Gold tier includes room upgrades at VIP Access properties, plus price drop protection on eligible flights booked through the Expedia app, which refunds you for price decreases in the form of additional OneKeyCash.

The One Key cards are certainly improvements over at least one of their predecessors — the aforementioned Hotels.com® Rewards Visa® Credit Card, which featured one of the most baffling rewards systems on the market. For those who routinely use Hotels.com, Vrbo or Expedia to book travel, these new cards offer a straightforward way to boost rewards earnings, especially with the accelerated path to status.

Plus, the ability to earn points for purchases on one site that you can later apply to purchases on a different site gives you flexibility, at least within the Expedia Group ecosystem.

But flexibility is in the eye of the beholder. If you tend to book travel in other ways, such as directly with the airline or hotel, you can earn status (and points or miles) within those specific travel programs, which may be more valuable to you. And if you want even more perks — like airport lounge access and the ability to transfer points to travel partners — other travel credit cards will be a better fit for you.