The Best Southwest Credit Cards Review: [50k Points!]

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Southwest Airlines remains a popular choice for numerous travelers due to its budget-friendly fares, extensive destination offerings, flexible seating arrangements, and complimentary allowance of two checked bags per passenger. For those who frequently fly with Southwest Airlines, now is an ideal opportunity to consider applying for one of the Southwest Airlines credit cards.

New Southwest Airlines (consumer) credit cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The three consumer Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards that come with the enhanced bonus are:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
• The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Earning the bonus gets you closer to earning the coveted Southwest Rapid Rewards Companion Pass®, which allows you to bring a guest to fly with you for nearly free. All they have to pay is $5.60 each way for taxes and fees. 

It’s no wonder this airline is often the first choice for many. These are some of the best credit cards for air miles as well. Let’s talk about what each Southwest card has to offer to find the one that best works for you.

Best Chase Southwest Credit Cards in 2023

We will be highlighting the perks of three consumer Southwest Airlines credit cards:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: 7,500 Annual Bonus Points
• The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: 6,000 Annual Bonus Points
• And the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: 3,000 Annual Bonus Points

These three personal Southwest credit cards might have plenty of similarities, yet they still have their differences. Let’s break each card down, starting with the option that comes with the most perks.

What is the 80,000 Points Offer on Southwest Credit Card?

There currently isn’t an 80,000-point offer on the Southwest Credit Cards. But with the current 50,000 point bonus after meeting the minimum spending requirement can get you on your way.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card: 7,500 Annual Bonus Points

New Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Southwest credit card holders earn unlimited:

• 3x points on Southwest® purchases
• 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
• 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases

Additionally, you will earn 7,500 points after your card member anniversary each year.

The Priority card also comes with an annual travel credit of $75 plus you can upgrade up to 4 boardings annually (subject to availability). Another travel perk? If you use your Priority card on in-flight purchases (drinks and Wi-Fi), you’ll get 25% back.

This card has an annual fee of $149. However, with the $75 travel credit, the annual fee is offset to $74. There are no foreign transaction fees with this card.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card: 6,000 Annual Bonus Points

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is similar to the Priority card in a few ways. This card also earns

• 3x points on Southwest® purchases
• 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
• 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases

Additionally, cardholders get 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.

As long as your card account is open, you can earn unlimited points that do not expire.

However, with this card, you’ll only earn 6,000 bonus points after your card member anniversary. Redeem your points for flights, hotel stays, gift cards, access to events, and more.

Additionally, with the Premier credit card, you won’t have to worry about blackout dates or seat restrictions. Plus, with Southwest, your first two bags fly free. 

New Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

The annual fee for this card is $99. There are no foreign transaction fees with this card.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card: 3,000 Annual Bonus Points

Like the Premier card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is offering the same bonus. New Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

As described with the other cards mentioned above, you’ll also earn unlimited:

• 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
• 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases

However, you’ll only earn 2x points on Southwest® purchases with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. Earn 1x point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

Again, your points will not expire as long as your account is open. Additionally, there is no limit to how many points you can earn. 

Cardholders can also enjoy 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.

You’ll also receive 3,000 bonus points after your card member anniversary. You can also redeem your points for flights, hotel stays, gift cards, access to events, and more.

Similar to the Premier credit card, there are no blackout dates or seat restrictions. Your first two bags will fly for free. However, there is a foreign transaction fee with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars). The annual fee is $69.

Similarities and Differences Between the Southwest Rapid Rewards Consumer Credit Cards

The following benefits are the same for all 3 personal credit cards:

• 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
• 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases
• Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• 25% back on inflight purchases

Cardholders can also earn unlimited points that don’t expire as long as their card account is open.

New Southwest Airlines (consumer) credit cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

As always, you never have to worry about blackout dates when redeeming your points.

You’ll never pay change fees, and your first two bags fly free.

The differences in the consumer cards are the annual fees and the annual bonus points.

However, if you want to get more out of your card, go for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card. It comes with an annual $75 Southwest travel credit, 4 free Upgraded Bookings (when available), a 7,500-point anniversary bonus (instead of 3,000 or 6,000 points), and 25% back on drinks and Wi-Fi. Plus, get 3x points on Southwest purchases, 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2x points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. And enjoy 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year.

Here’s the credit score you’ll need for a Southwest credit card. 

1:1 Chase Ultimate Rewards® Point Transfers

Southwest Airlines continues to be a 1:1 point transfer partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Although your transferred Ultimate Rewards points don’t count toward the Southwest Companion Pass® requirement, they can top off your current Rapid Rewards balance to book your next award flight sooner rather than later.

By using a Chase Sapphire card for your non-Southwest travel purchases, you can always earn double points when you travel.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Credit Cards

Southwest offers two business credit cards—the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card. Both cards offer benefits for business owners who want to earn Rapid Rewards points. 

Let’s take a look at what each card has to offer. 

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

New Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card cardholders can earn 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months the account is open.

Earning the bonus on this business card will get you pretty close to getting the Southwest Companion Pass®.

Additional benefits include 6,000 bonus points annually after each card member’s anniversary, no blackout dates when redeeming points, and no foreign transaction fees.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card earns:

• 3x points on Southwest Airlines® purchases
• 2x points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners
• 2x points on rideshares
• 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Cardholders also get access to 2 EarlyBird Check-In® abilities each year, plus they can earn unlimited tier qualifying points towards A-List status.

All points earned count towards Companion Pass®.

Because this is a business card, you will earn points on employee spending. Plus, employee cards are free. Two bags still fly free, and there are no change fees to worry about. It also comes with a $99 annual fee, which is decent for a business card.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card 

Alternatively, you can sign up for the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, which has a signup bonus of earning 80k points!

New Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card card members can earn 80,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card earns:

• 4x points on Southwest® purchases
• 3x points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners
• 2x points on rideshares
• 2x points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services
• 1x points on all other purchases

It also comes with 4 upgraded boardings per year (when available) and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit. Along with earning an extra point for Southwest purchases, cardholders get inflight WiFi credits.

Employee cards are also free. Plus, you will earn points on employee spending.

However, unless you live near a Southwest hub and are constantly flying Southwest, there may be better Chase Business credit card options to choose from. 

The annual fee is $199. 

Southwest Rapid Rewards Companion Pass

For many, the Southwest Rapid Rewards program is all about the Southwest Companion Pass®. The pass lets you bring a passenger for nearly free on any revenue or award flight. Every time you fly, they fly free of airline charges, excluding the taxes and fees, from $5.60 one-way. That means that your companion can fly with you roundtrip for a total of $11.20! Not bad. Not bad at all.

You have to make 100 one-way qualifying flights (or 50 round-trip qualifying flights) or 135,000 qualifying points.

Once you earn the pass, it is valid for one whole calendar year (January-December) after you meet the requirements plus the remainder of the calendar year in which you earned it. The sooner you earn the pass, the more you can maximize the benefits.

Note that Chase Ultimate Rewards® points transferred to Southwest don’t count towards the Southwest Companion Pass®. Additionally, points transferred from hotel loyalty programs no longer count towards the Pass.

Use the cards for all your spending and the points will start adding up. But if you’ve opened five or more Chase credit card accounts in two years, there’s a chance your application will get declined due to the 5/24 rule.

Southwest Airlines Credit Cards

If you are a frequent flyer and are near a Southwest hub, consider one of these Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards. You may earn a few free flights or even a Southwest Companion Pass® for your travel buddy. With more flights being added, including ones to Hawaii, now is the perfect time to start earning. 

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: 7,500 Annual Bonus Points
• The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: 6,000 Annual Bonus Points
• And the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: 3,000 Annual Bonus Points

8 Reasons Why Getting a Southwest Credit Card Makes Sense

One of the most popular airline credit cards at the moment is Southwest Airlines, thanks to the exciting credit card offer it comes with (more below).

Maybe you want to make up for the recent travel slowdown or simply love flying on Southwest. This is an attractive offer to consider for several reasons.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Bonus Offer

New Southwest Airlines (consumer) credit cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

 Here are the cards with the bonus offer as well as the standard anniversary bonus offer that comes with the card:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: 7,500 points anniversary bonus
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: 6,000 points anniversary bonus
• The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: 3,000 points anniversary bonus

Additionally, all three cards get 25% back on inflight purchases.

Below are several reasons why you should pursue this bonus.

1. You Qualify for the Southwest Card Signup Bonus

Some prior planning for the best Southwest Airlines credit cards is needed in order to qualify. First, this offer isn’t available if you currently have a personal Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards credit card or closed and received a Rapid Rewards bonus in the last 24 months.

Also, these Southwest credit cards are subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. If you have five or more new credit cards open 24 months or less, Chase will most likely deny your application. Chase counts the cards where you’re a primary or secondary user.

2. You Live Near a Southwest Airlines Hub

If your primary airport is a Southwest Airlines hub, it can make sense to earn Rapid Rewards. Many regard Southwest Airlines as a “discount airline” as its cash prices and award ticket prices can be lower than legacy carriers for the same routes.

As the various domestic airlines have been reducing their flight schedules, Southwest may have more attractive options than before. Being able to pay with bonus points means fewer out-of-pocket expenses.

Related: Best Miles Credit Cards

3. Most Southwest Airlines Destinations are Open

Most Southwest Airlines routes are open to tourists across the United States and Caribbean islands. 

Sure, you can also fly a legacy carrier to many of these same places. However, your award flight might cost more than Southwest. For instance, a one-way flight from Phoenix to Dallas costs 8,424 Rapid Rewards points in mid-September. The same flight on American Airlines costs 15,000 AAdvantage miles plus fees and taxes.

4. Fewer Incidental Fees

Southwest Airlines is a popular airline because it charges fewer incidental fees than legacy carriers. While the major airlines are temporarily waiving change fees and award miles reinstatement charges, Southwest continues to be more fee-friendly.

As always, your first two checked bags fly for free. As storing your carry-on bags can be more of a hassle these days, checking a bag can be the more convenient option.

Also, Southwest Airlines doesn’t charge change fees when you cancel up to 10 minutes before your flight’s scheduled departure. Your Southwest flight credit expires up to 12 months from your original ticket purchase date in most cases.

5. It’s Easier to Get the Southwest Companion Pass

One reason frequent Southwest Airlines flyers wait for limited-time Southwest credit card offers is to get the Southwest Companion Pass®. Your signup bonus counts toward the annual points requirement plus your credit card purchase rewards and the points you earn from the fare price.

6. You Can Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest

Southwest Rapid Rewards is a 1:1 transfer partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can transfer points when you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, or Ink Business Preferred® credit card.

Point transfers don’t count toward the annual point requirement for the Southwest Companion Pass®. However, you can quickly book more Southwest Airlines award flights.

You might recall that Southwest Airlines flights are not available on third-party booking sites, including the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. If you want to book a Southwest award flight with Ultimate Rewards, your only option is to transfer them to your Rapid Rewards account in 1,000-point increments.

7. Enjoy Ongoing Southwest Airlines Credit Card Benefits

The three Southwest credit cards have varying annual fees and card benefits. All three cards offer an anniversary point bonus.

Southwest consumer cardholders earn unlimited:

• 3x points on Southwest® purchases (2x points on Southwest® purchases with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card)
• 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
• 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card cardholders also get 2 EarlyBird Check-In® abilities each year.

The most luxurious of your three consumer card options is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card:

• 7,500-anniversary points each year
• Annual $75 Southwest travel credit
• 4 Upgraded Bookings per year
• No foreign transaction fees
• $149 annual fee

8. Southwest Rapid Rewards Don’t Expire

The best time to book travel this year can be at the last minute to avoid last-minute rebooking and cancellations due to the ever-changing travel restrictions.

Southwest Rapid Rewards don’t expire, so you can bank this bonus and redeem it in 2021 or later when a great award trip comes up.

FAQs

Is the Southwest credit card a good deal?

Getting a Southwest Airlines credit card is a good option if you want to earn Rapid Rewards on purchases and redeem them for award flights. Any co-brand airline credit card is good only if you use that airline often and you can easily redeem your miles. Otherwise, you may lose your miles if they expire before you can use them.

As there are three personal Southwest credit cards and two small business options, compare your options. Choose the card with the best annual fee and travel benefits for your travel habits.

Is there a free Southwest credit card?

No, the lowest annual fee for a Southwest Airlines credit card is $69. This honor goes to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. You do get a 3,000-point anniversary bonus with each card renewal that can indirectly offset the annual fee when you book your next award flight.

Is the Southwest credit card worth the annual fee?

The Southwest credit card can be worth the annual fee when the purchase rewards and additional card benefits are worth more than the annual fee. For example, if you can earn enough points each year to book at least one one-way flight, your earnings are probably worth more than the fee.

Each Southwest credit card has an annual fee. Earning the signup bonus lets you easily earn enough points to offset the annual fee for your first year and second year. Remember that most credit cards with an annual fee require you to keep the card for at least 12 months or you might forfeit the signup bonus you earned.

Related Articles:

• Best Credit Cards for Family Travel
• Which Southwest Credit Card Is Easiest to Get?
• Earn Airline Elite Status Through Credit Card Spending

Best Credit Cards For Southwest Flyers For Flights And Perks

There are plenty of reasons to fly Southwest Airlines. Free checked bags, no change fees, and even flights to Hawaii are three of the best. If you consider yourself one of the many happy Southwest flyers, these credit cards will help you earn more Rapid Rewards points and enjoy other loyalty benefits.

If you like banking up your points for award flights, your best option will be one of the branded Southwest credit cards. A second option is choosing one that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® you can transfer to your Rapid Rewards account. At the moment, Chase is Southwest’s only credit card transfer partner.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is the most luxurious of the branded Southwest Airlines credit cards. Since Southwest already waives the baggage fees, you might be wondering what this card offers instead. After all, one of the main reasons you have a legacy carrier’s airline credit card is to avoid baggage fees, right?

You get these Southwest Airlines benefits:

• $75 annual Southwest travel credit
• 4 Upgraded Bookings per year (when available)
• 7,500 Rapid Rewards points card anniversary bonus

Additionally, get 25% back on inflight purchases.

Cardholders earn unlimited:

• 3x points on Southwest® purchases
• 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
• 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases

New Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

This is the best credit card for frequent Southwest flyers. If you’re unfamiliar with this pass, you only pay fees and taxes for one travel companion’s seat when you fly with them.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card

Business-minded Southwest flyers will appreciate the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card. These benefits can easily be worth the $199 annual fee:

• 4 Upgraded Bookings per year (when available)
• In-flight WiFi credits
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• 9,000 Rapid Rewards anniversary bonus

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card earns:

• 4x points on Southwest® purchases
• 3x points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners
• 2x points on rideshares
• 2x points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services
• 1x points on all other purchases

Cardholders also get unlimited tier qualifying points (TQPs) that can be earned toward A-List status. There is also a $500 annual fee credit for Rapid Rewards points transfers.

New Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card card members can earn 80,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

An indirect way to earn Rapid Rewards points on every purchase is with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. You earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

As you can only book Southwest flights directly from the Southwest Airlines website, you can’t use the Sapphire Reserve 50% travel redemption bonus for Southwest flights. Instead, you have to transfer your points on a 1:1 basis to Southwest.

Point transfers require an extra step. However, you can earn bonus points on any travel and dining purchase, not Southwest purchases alone. And you can also redeem your points on other airlines when Southwest doesn’t fly to your destination.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve perks also include these air travel benefits:

• $300 annual travel credit
• Priority Pass Select lounge access
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

New Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

This card’s annual fee is $550. Frequent flyers can easily cover this fee by using the card benefits and booking award flights regularly.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card lets you transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio. This Sapphire card only has a $95 annual fee.

Also, enjoy Chase Sapphire benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x points on dining, and 2x points on all other travel purchases, plus more.

You also get trip cancellation and interruption coverage up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. And you get primary car rental collision damage waiver protection up to the car’s actual cash value. Plus, like the Wells Fargo metal card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is also made of metal.

New Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Member FDIC

Comparison: Decide if you should get the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Southwest credit card first.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

A few non-Chase credit cards are a good fit for Southwest flyers too. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns unlimited 2 miles per $1 on purchases.

However, if you want to earn a few more miles on travel, the good news—earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 

You can redeem Capital One miles as a travel statement credit for travel purchases including Southwest flights. Every point is worth 1 cent. There isn’t a minimum redemption amount.

This card also offers you Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit as well. There is a $95 annual fee but you don’t have to worry about foreign transaction fees.

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel, with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

Periodic Southwest flyers may appreciate the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card.

It focuses solely on earning Rapid Rewards points and doesn’t offer additional benefits like Upgraded Bookings. As a result, its annual fee is only $99 instead of the benefit-rich Priority Card’s $149 annual fee. Redeem your points for flights, hotel stays, gift cards, access to events, and more.

You also earn unlimited:

• 3x points on Southwest® purchases
• 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
• 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases

Additionally, get 25% back on inflight purchases.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card cardholders also get 2 EarlyBird Check-In® abilities each year.

Your annual card anniversary bonus is 6,000 points which can be enough to book one short-haul flight (perhaps to Hawaii?).

New Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Southwest Credit Card Application Rules

There are a few Chase credit card application rules that may influence your choice. The Chase Sapphire, Ink Business, and co-brand Southwest credit cards fall under the so-called Chase 5/24 rule. In a nutshell, if you are the primary or authorized user of at least 5 credit cards opened in the last 24 months, Chase will most likely decline your application for having too many new accounts.

Southwest Credit Card Signup Bonus

In regards to the co-brand personal Southwest credit cards, you can only earn one bonus every 24 months. Plus, you must not currently own another personal Southwest credit card. There are three personal Southwest credit cards at the moment, so it will take you 6 years to earn all three bonuses under the current guidelines.

If you currently own a business or corporate Southwest credit card, those accounts do not disqualify you.

You will need to decide if you want to earn Rapid Rewards on every purchase or use a flexible travel rewards card where Southwest Airlines is one of many redemption options. Don’t forget that playing your cards right means you can qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass® or enjoy other in-flight Southwest benefits.

Say Hello To The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card

Southwest Airlines is a fan-favorite because of its competitive pricing, easy-going crew, and its first two-bags fly free allowance. That’s why frequent Southwest patrons and those who sometimes opt for Southwest’s Anytime fare class will enjoy the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card. With a suite of Rapid Rewards benefits, there’s a lot to offer.

Southwest Airlines and Chase already offer two personal co-brand credit cards. Let’s review some of the perks of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card in comparison to the other cards available.

Southwest Card’s Annual Fee

The annual fee is $149, but you can enjoy several exclusive benefits that are easily worth more.

Your annual fee for the other Southwest credit cards is either $69 or $99 plus you don’t have as many perks. Even though you pay less for these other two cards, you can save more money long-term with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card. For instance, with a single $75 Southwest travel credit, your annual fee immediately reduces to $74. You’ll still have more benefits (that are outlined below) for a comparable annual fee.

Southwest Airlines Card Signup Bonus

New Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

7,500 Points Anniversary Bonus

Each anniversary year, you will get a 7,500-point anniversary bonus. The other two personal Southwest credit cards offer annual bonuses of 3,000 points and 6,000 points.

With one-way award flights for as low as 3,600 points, this bonus can easily help you book a roundtrip short-haul flight when you don’t want to pay cash.

$75 Annual Southwest Travel Credit

You will also get a $75 annual travel credit on Southwest Airlines each year. This credit essentially reduces the annual fee to $74.

Up To 4 Free Upgraded Boardings Each Year

Another benefit that elevates the Priority card above the other Rapid Rewards cards is the opportunity to have four free upgraded boardings each year. Upgraded boarding normally costs between $30 and $50 per flight and gets you a secured spot in the A1-A15 boarding group on a space-available basis.

If you want to save $200, this benefit alone recoups the $175 annual fee. Plus, you don’t have to fight for that last window seat!

25% In-Flight Savings

You will also receive a 25% statement credit on the following in-flight purchases:

• Drink
• Wi-Fi

Each purchase can cost up to $8. With the credit, you essentially get a free in-flight purchase for every five paid purchases. Plus, you earn two points for every dollar spent on Southwest purchases.

Shared Benefits With the Other Southwest Credit Cards

So far, you’ll enjoy these exclusive benefits by owning the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card:

• $75 Southwest travel credit
• Four free Upgraded Bookings
• 7,500-point anniversary bonus (instead of 3,000 or 6,000 points)
• 25% back on in-flight purchases

The following benefits are the same as the other current consumer Southwest credit cards:

• 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
• 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases
• Earn tier qualifying points for A-List and A-List Preferred Status

New Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

As always, your points never expire as long as you own a Southwest credit card. And, you never have to worry about blackout dates when redeeming your points. You’ll never pay change fees and your first two bags always fly free.

1:1 Chase Ultimate Rewards Point Transfers

Southwest Airlines continues to be a 1:1 point transfer partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards. Although your transferred Ultimate Rewards points don’t count toward the Southwest Companion Pass® requirement, they can top off your current Rapid Rewards balance to book your next award flight sooner rather than later.

By using a Chase Sapphire for your non-Southwest travel purchases, you can always earn double points when you travel.

When to Try for a Southwest Card

With three different personal Southwest Airlines rewards cards to choose from, the choice might be difficult to make at first glance.

You should go for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card when:

• Can use the $75 annual travel credit
• Periodically purchase Upgraded Boardings (Potentially saving $200 every year!)
• Make regular in-flight purchases and want 25% back
• Want the 7,500-point anniversary bonus instead of 6,000 points

As long as you fly Southwest a few times a year, the Priority Card pays for itself with the $75 travel credit, 25% in-flight purchase discount, and the 7,500 bonus points every card anniversary. You might even find yourself flying Southwest more because of these card benefits.

If you are considering using this card for business, you may want to check out the Southwest business credit card.

If you are more focused on earning purchase rewards and won’t use the additional Priority Card benefits, one of the other two Southwest options is better. You can save a few dollars and your point balance will never expire. 

Tips To Getting the Chase Southwest Companion Pass

Signup bonuses for the credit cards count toward the 135,000 qualifying points necessary to earn the Southwest Companion Pass®, which allows you to designate a companion to travel with you on any Southwest flight (purchased with cash or with points) for only the cost of taxes and fees, as long as there’s a seat available.

If timed properly (sign up for the cards in November or December and complete the minimum spending in January), you could get a Southwest Companion Pass® that is valid for almost two entire calendar years! A savvy couple could even take turns doing this every couple of years to make sure they kept a pass in the family (almost) perpetually. 

Note that you will not be able to open a new Southwest personal credit card if you currently have any personal Southwest card or have received a signup bonus for a Southwest personal card in the past 24 months.

Chase 5/24 Rule For Chase Southwest

The bigger problem for many people is that all of the Chase Southwest cards (personal and business) are subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. This means that you can’t get approved for any Southwest credit card if you’ve opened 5 or more credit cards (of any kind, at any bank) in the past 24 months.

Bottom Line on Getting the Southwest Airlines Cards

Southwest is easily a fan favorite for a number of reasons, including free checked bags, open seating, an easy-going crew, and the ability to earn the Southwest Companion Pass®. They also have low fares and fly to many destinations across the United States as well as several international destinations.

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• The Best Credit Card Offers
• Chase Sapphire Preferred or Southwest Rapid Rewards Card?
• The Best Miles Credit Cards for Travel