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Southwest credit cards: Which Rapid Rewards card is best for you?
If youâre looking to boost your earnings on the Southwest Rapid Rewards membership program, youâve come to the right place. One of the best ways to earn additional points and miles toward free travel is by acquiring one or more of the Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards: The personal and business credit cards all offer fantastic benefits, value and protection for a reasonable annual fee.
But which do you choose? Are there any differences between the cards? Should you sign up for multiple cards? Selecting the right Southwest Airlines credit card for your needs can take a little bit of homework and research, because the differences between the cards â especially the Plus and Premier credit cards â are subtle.
This guide is designed to help you assess those benefits one by one, so you can make your own evaluation and choose the best credit card to suit your needs.
Southwest credit cards
| Rewards rate | Sign-up bonus | Annual fee | |
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card |
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$69 |
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card |
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$99 |
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card |
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$149 |
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card |
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$99 |
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card |
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$199 |
Why get a Southwest credit card?
So why do people consider Southwest credit cards? Here are some of the main reasons:
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Generous sign-up bonus
: Southwest credit cards offer generous sign-up bonuses, including 30,000 to 100,000 Rapid Rewards points. Since we value Rapid Rewards points at 1.6 cents per point, we estimate that the sign-up bonuses alone are worth between $480 and $1,600 in travel value each. - Companion pass qualification:Â The sign-up bonus that you earn with a Southwest credit card counts toward the points that you need to earn the Southwest Companion Pass, which allows you to bring a companion with you for free on every flight that you take with Southwest for up to two years. (For more information, see our post on earning the Companion Pass). Until March 10, 2021, cardholders who sign up for Southwest co-branded credit cards (excluding business credit cards) can earn the Companion Pass after spending $5,000 in purchases within the first three months. Companion Passes earned as part of a sign-up bonus last through Feb. 28, 2022.
- Anniversary bonus: Depending on which cards you sign up for, youâll receive between 3,000 and 9,000 Rapid Rewards points each year to celebrate your account anniversary. The value of these points typically offset the annual fee, depending on how they are redeemed.
See Related: What are Southwest points worth?
Now, letâs take a look at each of the individual cards mentioned above.
The basic card: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
The most basic Southwest card offers several key benefits for its very reasonable $69 annual fee:
- Sign-up bonus: Right now you can earn the Companion Pass, plus 30,000 Rapid Rewards points as a sign-up bonus after spending $5,000 in the first three months.
- Points on balance transfers: Within the first 90 days of your account opening date, you can also earn one point per dollar on the first $10,000 of balance transfers you make to this card.
- Double points on Southwest and travel partner purchases: Every dollar you spend on the card will earn you additional points toward future travel: Youâll score double points on all Southwest Airlines purchases, all of which count toward helping you earn the valuable Southwest Companion Pass. This doesnât necessarily mean that you have to spend on Southwest flights in order to earn double points â every dollar spent with Southwestâs 10 hotel partners, eight rental car partners or four gift card partners counts toward double points as well. Every other purchase will earn 1 point per dollar.
- Anniversary bonus: Youâll also earn a bonus of 3,000 Rapid Rewards points each year on your card anniversary, which will help offset the cost of the $69 annual fee.
Unfortunately, the Personal Plus card also includes some drawbacks: If you go overseas with this credit card, you will be charged a 3% fee on each transaction. Furthermore, while the Rapid Rewards points you earn will qualify for award flight redemptions, none of your spend on this credit card will earn you tier-qualifying points toward A-List or A-List Preferred status.
The midtier card: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
Formerly known as the premium credit card from Southwest, the Personal Premier credit card now is just the mid-range offering from Southwestâs Chase co-branded credit card family. The next level up from the Plus, the Personal Premier card offers a robust array of benefits for the $99 annual fee:
- Sign-up bonus: Right now you can earn the Companion Pass, plus 30,000 Rapid Rewards points as a sign-up bonus after spending $5,000 in the first three months.
- Points on balance transfers: If you make a balance transfer within the first 90 days of your account opening date, you will also earn one Rapid Rewards point for each dollar, up to $15,000.
- Double points on Southwest and travel partner purchases: As with the Plus card, every dollar you spend on the Personal Premier will earn you additional points toward future travel. You earn double points on all Southwest Airlines purchases, all of which count toward helping you earn the valuable Southwest Companion Pass. Again, all additional purchases will earn one point per dollar.
- Anniversary bonus: Youâll also earn a bonus of 6,000 Rapid Rewards points each year on your card anniversary, double the bonus amount on the Personal Plus card.
- No foreign transaction fee: When it comes to overseas travel, the Personal Premier card begins to shine: This card does not charge foreign transaction fees.
- Tier-qualifying points: Furthermore, you will earn 1,500 Rapid Rewards tier-qualifying points toward A-List or A-List Preferred status for every $10,000 you spend on the card, up to $100,000 or 15,000 tier-qualifying points per calendar year.
The premium card: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
The Southwest Personal Priority credit card is as close to an elite credit card as the airline gets. This offering includes most of the benefits of the Personal Premier card but includes some additional benefits all its own to offset the higher $149 annual fee:
- $75 annual Southwest travel credit: This credit can be utilized on most Southwest purchases, including tickets, although it cannot be used toward upgrades or inflight purchases such as Wi-Fi or drinks. If you frequently buy tickets on Southwest, this $75 credit effectively offsets your annual fee by 50%.
- Discount on inflight purchases: You get a 20% discount on all inflight drinks, Wi-Fi, messaging and movies purchased with the Rapid Rewards Personal Priority card.
- Four upgraded boardings per year: This perk allows you to use your Personal Priority card to pay for a priority boarding spot at the Southwest ticket counter or gate, which will be reimbursed to your card later on. Depending on the route you fly, upgrades cost between $30 to $50, so this perk alone will offset the cost of the annual fee for frequent Southwest travelers.
The rest of the Personal Priority card perks mirror that of the Premier card:
- Sign-up bonus: You can earn the Companion Pass, plus 30,000 Rapid Rewards points as a sign-up bonus after spending $5,000 in the first three months.
- Double points on Southwest and travel partner purchases: As with the Plus and Premier cards, you earn double points on all Southwest Airlines, hotel and car rental partner purchases, all of which count toward the valuable Southwest Companion Pass. Again, all additional purchases earn 1 point per dollar.
- Annual bonus: You will also earn a bonus of 7,500 Rapid Rewards points each year on your card anniversary.
- No foreign transaction fees: The Personal Priority credit card does not charge cardholders any foreign transaction fees, making it an ideal card to keep in the wallet for international travel.
- Tier-qualifying points: Furthermore, cardholders will earn 1,500 Rapid Rewards tier-qualifying points toward A-List or A-List Preferred status for every $10,000 they spend on the card, up to $100,000 or 15,000 tier-qualifying points per calendar year.
Do note that Southwestâs newest Priority card is only available to credit card customers who do not currently hold a Southwest co-branded personal card and who have not received a customer sign-up bonus within the last 24 months.
The best card for Southwest flyers
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card | |
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Why should you get it? The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card is by far the best value for a frequent Southwest flyer, thanks to its $75 travel credit and 7,500-point annual bonus. Learn more |
More things to know:
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The affordable business card: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business credit card offers cardholders pretty much the same benefits as the personal Premier credit card with the same $99 annual fee. However, the business version of the Premier card offers some additional benefits for small business owners:
- Large sign-up bonus: You have the opportunity to score 60,000 Rapid Rewards points if you can hit the $3,000 spending requirement within the first three months. If you have a large upcoming business expense, or if you know that you can reach the spending requirement easily, now is a great time to sign up if you want to boost your points balance for an upcoming award redemption or earn your way toward that coveted Companion Pass.
- Tier-qualifying points: If youâre trying to earn A-List or A-List Preferred elite status with Southwest, the Premier Business credit card can earn you tier-qualifying points once you meet certain spending thresholds.
The rest of the Premier Business cardâs perks match the personal Premier card:
- Double points on Southwest and travel partner purchases: You earn double points on all Southwest Airlines, travel and hotel partner purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
- Anniversary bonus: You earn 6,000 Rapid Rewards points each year on your card anniversary.
- No foreign transaction fee: The card doesnât charge a foreign transaction fee.
- Tier-qualifying points: You earn 1,500 Rapid Rewards tier-qualifying points toward A-List or A-List Preferred status for every $10,000 you spend on the card, up to $100,000 or 15,000 tier-qualifying points per calendar year.
The premium business card: Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card is the most expensive Southwest card available, but it also offers the best earning rate. It charges a steep $199 annual fee, but cardholders can enjoy a higher rewards rate on Southwest purchases as well as bonus points for social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable and phone services. The card boasts similar benefits for small business owners to the Premier business card:
- Large sign-up bonus: You have the opportunity to score 70,000 Rapid Rewards points if you spend $5,000 within the first three months, plus you can earn an additional 30,000 points after you spend $25,000 on purchases in the first six months. Though the spend requirement is a little high, this card’s bonus can get you more than three-quarters of the way to the Southwest Companion Pass.
- Employee cards at no additional costs so you can rack up rewards on employee spending.
The Performance business card’s perks and earning scheme differ a bit from other Southwest cards:
- Triple points on Southwest and travel partner purchases: You can earn 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases.
- Double points on common business purchases including social media and search engine advertising, internet and cable and phone services. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar.
- Anniversary bonus: You earn a hefty 9,000 Rapid Rewards points each year on your account anniversary
- Credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck application when you pay your application fee with your card. You’ll receive a statement credit of either $85 (for TSA Precheck) or $100 (for Global Entry) to cover the cost.
Note that, while you are only allowed to own one Rapid Rewards personal card, Chase does allow you to hold both a personal card and a business card, and to earn the sign-up bonuses for both cards within the same year. This is a great strategy for quickly earning all the points that you need for the Companion Pass. Furthermore, you may assume that you need a business with an actual office or storefront to qualify for the Premier business or Performance business card, but that isnât so â if you own a side business for which you report income, you may be eligible to apply.
Which Rapid Rewards card should you choose?
When it comes down to it, the three personal Southwest Rapid Rewards cards offer relatively similar perks, especially compared to other co-branded credit card families such as the Delta suite or the Hilton suite of credit cards. Itâs up to you to decide if the $80 total difference between annual fees is worth the enhanced earning potential for Rapid Rewards points, as well as the additional benefits toward earning elite status and enjoying free upgrades.
Source: creditcards.com