Capital One vs Wells Fargo Pros and Cons of Online Banking

Online banking has simplified money management for many families. Being able to pay bills online and deposit checks without ever driving up to the bank makes it easier to handle financial tasks with minimal disruption to your day. But not all banks are created equally, and we’ve gone through the hundreds of Capital One reviews and Wells Fargo reviews to compare Capital One with Wells Fargo across several measures including:

• Customer service experience
• Product and service offering
• Retail partners
• Discounts and savings

Our Capital One vs Wells Fargo analysis is below.

Capital One vs Wells Fargo Customer Service Experience

Thanks to the hundreds of reviews left by banking customers on the PissedConsumer website, it is easy to compare Capital One with Wells Fargo. There are natural similarities in how the two banks do business, but there are also differences in how customers can access customer service representatives and how the companies handle customer needs.

In order to understand the effectiveness of Wells Fargo and Capital One customer service, we looked at Capital One reviews and Wells Fargo reviews left on our site. With the breakdown of Capital One vs. Wells Fargo it is easy to see through the numbers.

We used the Wells Fargo and Capital One complaints to find similarities and differences with the company. Also, we used the information about Capital One and Wells Fargo pros and cons.

Capital One complaints left on the PissedConsumer website created a total ranking of 1.6 stars out of a possible 5. This ranking including a single star for both Capital One customer service and product and service quality. In fact, the term “horrible customer service” was at the top of the list of Capital One complaints.

In his Capital One review, one customer explained what happened after he called the Capital One customer service number for problems with a newly activated credit card. He states “…I activated my new card a couple hours later. Used it 3 times locally for small amounts over a couple hour time period. Then got declined for a $3.98 transaction. Called Capital One and told I now have a fraud alert on my account...”

His Capital One review states that he “...faxed in all of the requested documentation yesterday. Told it takes 4 business days...”

His final thought in his Capital One review was “...This is unacceptable Capital One!..”

If you have a question about Capital One pros and cons or would like to speak to a company representative, you can reach customer service at Capital One headquarters by calling the Capital One phone number at (800) 955-7070.

Wells Fargo reviews on our site left the company with a rating of 1.5 out of a possible 5 stars. More than 1,600 reviews were compiled to create ratings in customer service, product and service quality, and website. In both customer service and product and service quality, Wells Fargo reviews left the company only one star out of a possible five.

In her Wells Fargo review, a customer explains her frustration with the company. After calling the Wells Fargo phone number she states “…I tried mobile deposit and got a message that amounts do not match. So I called customer service and they transferred me to a tech person. While on hold I was disconnected, so I called back and got another customer service agent with the same response and guess what, I was disconnected again...”

She continues “...So I called a third time and asked to speak with a supervisor. After being on hold for 5 minutes a customer service supervisor came on the line and gave me the same story about speaking with a tech person...”

Finally she “...gave up and told them I would find another bank that believed in customer service.”

If you have questions or concerns, you can call the company using the Wells Fargo phone number at (800) 869-3557.

Capital One vs Wells Fargo Product and Service Offering

The Capital One website offers many subsections designed for their various financial sectors. There is a section for Capital One credit cards, Capital One online banking, Auto Loans, Business banking with Capital One and Commercial services. There are also smaller sections dedicated to customer support and location finding services.

Through the Capital One website, you can apply for Capital One credit cards and open new bank accounts for checking or savings. You can research special offers and follow-up on pre-qualifications. You can also check your credit score through the Capital One CreditWise service.

The credit card section of the Capital One website shows featured cards along with various reviews and the breakdown of terms for each offer. You can also apply for a new Capital One credit card online through the website.

In the Capital One online banking section of the website, the company advertises that their checking and saving products “have no fees, no minimums to open, no bait and switch.” According to the site, you can open a new account “in about 5 minutes – from almost anywhere.”

The Capital One online banking page also includes the features that come with a Capital One account. These include online money management tools, Creditwise for monitoring your credit and Zelle tools which make it easy to send and receive money through bank accounts.

The auto loan section of the Capital One website offers you the tools to research cars, look into auto financing and refinancing, and follow-up on Capital One offers for auto loan pre-approval.

The Business section of the Capital One website is designed for small business owners. This section includes products like business saving and checking accounts as well as financial advice and credit cards for small business owners.

The commercial section of the Capital One website is designed for larger companies looking for broader financial services. This section of the website is designed for larger corporations and companies looking for services like commercial investments and treasury management. It does not offer services or products for the typical banking consumer.

The Wells Fargo website is broken into three primary categories: Personal, Small Business, and Commercial. Much like the Capital One website, the Commercial section of the Wells Fargo website is designed for larger companies looking for commercial services like investment banking and treasury management.

The Small Business section of the Wells Fargo website is designed for smaller companies and offers banking solutions for small businesses including checking and savings accounts, credit cards, and payroll services. The Small Business section also offers information and advice about small business loans and credit cycles for business owners.

The majority of the Wells Fargo website is dedicated to the Personal Services for the typical banking customer. These services include Wells Fargo online banking, credit card services, investment, and retirement planning as well as a rewards and benefits section.

In the Wells Fargo online banking section of the website, you are able to access your banking information, open a new account through the online banking system and also apply for or manage a credit card. The Wells Fargo online banking page also includes information about banking security and some financial planning advice as well as ways to open accounts, download the mobile app, and access existing accounts.

In the Wells Fargo loans section, you can explore and apply for a Wells Fargo mortgage or car loan as well as a personal loan, or a new credit card. Wells Fargo offers student loans as well, which were not included in the Capital One website offers.

The Rewards and Benefits section of the Wells Fargo website outlines the Go Far rewards program that is associated with a Wells Fargo credit card, but does not offer any additional promotions or special offers.

Capital One vs Wells Fargo Retail Partners

Capital One is a nationwide bank with many ATMs and services across the country. The company has partnered with several other companies to offer financial services inside those businesses. According to the location finder, you can access Capital One services like getting cash from your bank accounts or credit cards or making deposits inside CVS and Walgreens stores as well as Target and their own storefront café locations.

There are additional retail partnerships shown through the various Capital One credit card offers. For example, the Capital One Venture card is partnered with Hotels.com as part of a current Capital One rewards program.

Wells Fargo does not appear to have as many commercial partners as Capital One. None of the Wells Fargo credit cards feature commercial connections and the majority of Wells Fargo banking locations are stand-alone centers owned by the company.

There do appear to be Wells Fargo locations inside Staples stores, but unlike Capital One you will not find a partnering ATM location inside a nearby drug store or big box store. Wells Fargo does appear to have some locations within neighborhood grocery stores, but they do not advertise any sort of commercial connection to those stores but are listed as simply “within” the Wells Fargo address in the location services.

Capital One vs Wells Fargo Discounts and Savings

While there are not typically coupons or retail discounts for online banks, there are Capital One promo codes and special offers available for Capital One customers. According to the special promotions in the Capital One credit card section, there are several Capital One special promos happening now for customers. These Capital One promo codes include 8% cashback using your Savor card for the ticket purchase through Vivid Seats.

You can also get a free monthly membership for Postmates by using your Capital One card. You can earn additional travel points using a partnership between Hotels.com and Venture as well as a reimbursement for an application to Global Entry or TSA pre-check.

According to the Wells Fargo FAQ page, you can earn Wells Fargo rewards on certain credit cards. The Wells Fargo FAQ section about the Go Far Rewards program offers specifics about how to earn and use the Wells Fargo rewards earned through the card. According to the FAQ page, “you can redeem your Go Far Rewards in a range of ways, from unique travel experiences, to merchandise, and more. You can even get gift cards for family and friends, or redeem Go Far Rewards to an eligible Wells Fargo account.”

There are also Wells Fargo promotions on other credit cards. The current Wells Fargo promotions are featured on the website page dedicated to opening a Wells Fargo credit card. The current offers include 30,000 additional bonus points on the Propel American Express when you spend $3000 in the first three months. There are also Wells Fargo promotions that feature lower introductory APRs or bonus cash offers.

Your money is critically important, and it is just as important that you are able to trust your bank. Finding a bank you trust can be a challenge, but customer reviews can help you find out the truth behind advertising and websites. Reviews can tell you what happens when you call the Wells Fargo phone number for customer service. They can tell you if your problem will actually be resolved when you use the Capital One customer service phone number to reach out. Knowing what you can expect from your bank is reasonable and should be a significant consideration in how you handle your financial business.

*The company ratings on the PissedConsumer website are calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the company’s profile. The algorithm parameters are: users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company responses and more. The PissedConsumer algorithm is also subject to change in the future.