Updated
2023-07-13T20:47:03Z
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Southwest is smaller than the “big three” US airlines (American, Delta, and United), but it remains a great choice for many travelers thanks to customer-friendly policies like two free checked bags per passenger and no change fees. Plus, Southwest points never expire — so even if you’re not traveling right now, you don’t have to worry about losing your hard-earned rewards.
Chase and Southwest offer some of the best airline credit cards on the market. Here’s what to know to help you decide on the best Southwest credit card for you.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Best Southwest Credit Cards of 2023
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
3.55/5
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Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
3.55/5
A five pointed star
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Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Details
Rewards
Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
21.24% – 28.24% Variable
Pros & Cons
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Earns Southwest points on every purchase
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You get 3,000 points every year after your cardmember anniversary
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Charges foreign transaction fees
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Very limited benefits
Highlights
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Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
3,000 anniversary points each year.
Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases.
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Member FDIC
Additional Reading
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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
3.65/5
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Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
3.65/5
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Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Details
Rewards
Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
21.24% – 28.24% Variable
Pros & Cons
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You get 6,000 points each year after anniversary
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You can earn Tier-Qualifying Points toward Southwest elite status for spending on the card
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Annual fee
Highlights
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Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
6,000 anniversary points each year.
Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases.
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
No foreign transaction fees.
Member FDIC
Additional Reading
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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
3.75/5
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Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
3.75/5
A five pointed star
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Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Rewards
Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Details
Rewards
Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Intro offer
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
21.24% – 28.24% Variable
Pros & Cons
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Generous annual benefits, including a Southwest travel credit and 7,500 points, plus upgraded boardings and in-flight discounts
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
If you fly Southwest several times a year, the benefits easily outweigh the annual fee
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Annual fee is low compared to other premium airline credit cards
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Highest annual fee among Southwest consumer cards
Highlights
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Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
7,500 anniversary points each year.
Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases.
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
$75 Southwest® travel credit each year.
No foreign transaction fees.
Member FDIC
Additional Reading
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Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
3.75/5
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Intro offer
60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus earn an additional 60,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first nine months
Rewards
Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
3.75/5
A five pointed star
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Intro offer
60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus earn an additional 60,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first nine months
Rewards
Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Details
Rewards
Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Intro offer
60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus earn an additional 60,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first nine months
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
20.99% – 27.99% Variable
Pros & Cons
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Awards you 6,000 points each year after your account anniversary
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Earns 3x Southwest points per dollar on your Southwest purchases
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No bonus points on non-Southwest purchases
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Relatively light benefits compared to other airline credit cards
Highlights
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Earn up to 120,000 bonus points.
6,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases.
Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
Earn 2X points on rideshare.
1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
Member FDIC
Additional Reading
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Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
4/5
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Intro offer
80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Rewards
Earn 4X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners. Earn 2X points on rideshare. Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services and 1X points on all other purchases.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
4/5
A five pointed star
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Intro offer
80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Rewards
Earn 4X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners. Earn 2X points on rideshare. Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services and 1X points on all other purchases.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Details
Rewards
Earn 4X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners. Earn 2X points on rideshare. Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services and 1X points on all other purchases.
Intro offer
80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Recommended Credit
Good to Excellent
Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
20.99% – 27.99% Variable
Pros & Cons
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4x bonus points on Southwest purchases
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A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction.
Valuable Southwest perks including four upgraded boardings per year, in-flight Wi-Fi credits, and 9,000 points each year on your anniversary
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$199 annual fee is on the high side
Highlights
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Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
9,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
Earn 4X points on Southwest® purchases.
Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners.
Earn 2X points on rideshare.
Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services and 1X points on all other purchases.
4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Fee Credit.
Additional Reading
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Methodology: How We Chose the Best Southwest Credit Cards
We looked at all of the Southwest Airlines credit cards available to new applicants and considered these criteria:
Travel benefits — Does the card come with benefits that can save you money, like Early Bird Check-In, inflight discounts, or other credits? Earning potential — Do the card’s bonus categories (outside of Southwest purchases) appeal to a wide range of travelers? Are any of the categories capped?Annual fee — All Southwest credit cards charge an annual fee. Is it worth it?Cards for various types of travelers — We evaluated the cards on their appeal to different types of Southwest flyers, including occasional leisure travelers, road warriors, and small-business owners.
You can learn more about how we rate and review credit cards at Insider.
Find the right Southwest credit card for you
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
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Best for occasional Southwest flyers
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Best Southwest card with a sub-$100 annual fee
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Best for frequent Southwest flyers
50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening
Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Best Southwest card for small-business owners
60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus earn an additional 60,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first nine months
Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Best Southwest card for premium perks
80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Earn 4X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners. Earn 2X points on rideshare. Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services and 1X points on all other purchases.
Southwest Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You’re eligible to apply for a personal Southwest credit card if you don’t currently have any of the personal Southwest cards open. And you can’t open a new personal Southwest card if you’ve earned a welcome bonus on any personal Southwest card within the last 24 months.
Additionally, all of the Southwest cards are subject to the Chase 5/24 rule, which means you won’t get approved if you’ve opened five or more cards (from any bank, with the exception of certain small-business cards) in the past 24 months.
You can only have one personal Southwest card at a time — you won’t be approved for a second. However, it is possible to have a personal and business Southwest card open at the same time.
It’s worth it to open a Southwest credit card if you fly Southwest Airlines at least a couple of times a year. They’re most useful for frequent flyers who can take advantage of benefits like free EarlyBird Check-Ins, upgraded boarding, Tier-Qualifying Points for spending, and inflight discounts.
However, if you fly Southwest rarely (but still want the option to earn Southwest points on your spending), a Chase card that earns transferable Ultimate Rewards points is a better bet, since you can transfer points to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio.
Southwest Credit Card Offers
If you fly Southwest, a co-branded credit card can be a great way to earn extra Rapid Rewards points to use for free flights, and the points you earn from these cards can also help you earn the Southwest Companion Pass. When you have a Companion Pass, your designated companion can fly with you for almost free (just pay taxes and fees) on paid and award tickets.
You now need to earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in a year to earn the Companion Pass instead of 125,000 points like in previous years. But if you have a Southwest credit card, you’ll receive a “boost” of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year (only one boost per member, regardless of how many Southwest cards you have).
Currently, Southwest credit cards are offering the following welcome bonuses:
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account openingSouthwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account openingSouthwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account openingSouthwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus earn an additional 60,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first nine monthsSouthwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Southwest Personal Credit Cards
Southwest has three Rapid Rewards personal cards: the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.
The first major difference you’ll notice between these three cards is in their annual fees. The Plus card charges a $69 annual fee, while the Premier and Priority cards charge $99 and $149, respectively.
The anniversary bonuses are also different for each card:
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: 3,000 anniversary bonus pointsSouthwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: 6,000 anniversary bonus pointsSouthwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: 7,500 anniversary bonus points
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card now offer two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year (which normally costs $15 to $25 and allows you to automatically check-in 36 hours prior to departure) and 25% back on inflight purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card holders get a few extra perks (but don’t receive the EarlyBird Check-In benefit):
$75 Southwest annual travel creditFour upgraded boardings per year when available25% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi
Both the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card do not charge a foreign transaction fee, and both cards can earn you Tier-Qualifying Points (TQPs) toward Southwest A-List status. You’ll earn 1,500 TQPs for every $10,000 you spend on the cards in a calendar year, and there’s no limit to the number of TQPs you can earn.
A-List status requires 35,000 TQPs earned in a calendar year, and gets you benefits like priority boarding and a 25% points bonus on paid flights.
Each card also earns bonus points on:
Southwest and Rapid Rewards purchasesLocal transit and commuting (including rideshare)Internet, cable, and phone servicesSelect streaming
You’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.
How the Southwest personal credit cards compare
Southwest Business Credit Cards
Southwest has two co-branded small-business credit cards: the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card charges a $99 annual fee, while the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is more expensive, at $199. However, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card has a better anniversary bonus, giving 9,000 points on each cardmember anniversary compared to the 6,000 points you’ll get each year with the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card.
The biggest difference between these two cards is their ongoing earnings potential. While you’ll earn 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases and 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners with the Premier Business Card, you’ll earn 4 points per dollar and 3 points per dollar in these categories, respectively, with the Performance Business card.
And with the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on the following business expenses as well:
Social media and search engine advertisingInternet, cable, and phone services
Both cards also earn 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, and offer up to $500 in fee credits for points transfers (for example, to other members) each year.
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card also gives cardholders up to $100 for a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit, four upgraded boardings per year (when available), and inflight Wi-Fi credits. It has a welcome bonus offer of 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
As with the personal Southwest credit cards, the points you earn from the Southwest small-business cards count toward the Companion Pass.
If your business spends a lot of money each year on social media advertising or internet, cable, and phone services, you’ll definitely want to go with the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card. You may also want to choose the Performance Business card if you fly four or more times each year. In that case, you could take full advantage of the four upgraded boardings per year and some of the other inflight perks.
However, if you don’t spend a lot of money on the bonus categories, your earnings potential will drop. And if you only fly once or twice a year, you may not get the most value out of the additional day-of-flight benefits.
If you decide the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card don’t make sense for you, you may want to consider one of the consumer Southwest credit cards discussed above.
Or, because you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest and Chase airline and hotel partners when you have Chase travel credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, one of these cards could be a better pick if you value flexibility. However, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transferred to Southwest will not count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass.
How the Southwest business credit cards compare
How to Choose the Best Southwest Credit Card for You
If your main goal for getting a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card is to earn a welcome bonus offer, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card could be a great choice. It offers the same intro bonus as the other two cards and a similar earnings rate, and it has the lowest annual fee.
But if you plan to use your Rapids Rewards card for multiple years, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card cards offer better value. Both offer anniversary bonuses that are double or more than what you’ll get with the Plus card. And the two more expensive cards are better for international travelers because they don’t charge foreign transaction fees.
When comparing the Premier and Priority cards, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card easily comes out on top. Its higher annual fee is easily reduced by $75 in annual Southwest travel credit. It also has a better anniversary bonus and offers additional inflight perks and discounts.
In short, if you’re looking for an airline card to earn free flights in the short term, you may want to choose the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. Otherwise, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers the best long-term deal.
Clint Proctor is a freelance writer and founder of WalletWiseGuy.com, where he writes about how students and millennials can win with money. When he’s away from his keyboard, he enjoys drinking coffee, traveling, obsessing over the Green Bay Packers, and spending time with his wife and two boys.
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Jasmin Baron is an editor at Insider, responsible for credit card coverage on Personal Finance Insider. She is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF).Before joining the Insider team, she was a senior editor at The Points Guy and Million Mile Secrets, covering credit cards, points and miles, and loyalty programs. Her expertise in maximizing travel rewards grew from over two decades of experience in the aviation industry, including 18 years working as a pilot and flight instructor in her native Canada.You can reach Jasmin at jbaron@insider.com.
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