In contrast to many travel credit cards out there that feature a wide swath of high-end benefits, the benefits tied to Southwest’s credit cards are quite specific to Southwest.
With that in mind, Southwest co-branded cards are generally most sensible for travelers who frequently fly Southwest, whether out of loyalty, price considerations or proximity to an airport where the airline has a significant presence.
Southwest has three consumer cards: the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.
All three earn Rapid Rewards points for spending charged to the card. Members can also earn multiple points per dollar for certain categories like commuting and rideshare services, as well as cable, phone bills, select streaming services and of course Southwest expenses.
In addition to earning points, members can also enjoy perks such as priority boarding a few times each year, travel credits and, depending on the card, progress toward elite status. Plus, access to Southwest’s valuable Companion Pass, which will be discussed below.
Each card also offers a one-time welcome bonus for new members.
Here’s a rundown of the consumer card benefits.
| Benefit | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $69 | $99 | $149 |
| Welcome Bonus | 30,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening plus a Companion Pass® good through 2/28/25 | 30,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening plus a Companion Pass® good through 2/28/25 | 30,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening plus a Companion Pass® good through 2/28/25 |
| Card Anniversary Bonus | 3,000 Rapid Rewards points | 6,000 Rapid Rewards points | 7,500 Rapid Rewards points |
| Rewards | 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases, Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, local transit and commuting, including rideshare and on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases | 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases, 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming, 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases | 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases, 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental purchases, 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming and 1 point per dollar on other purchases |
| Elite Status Qualifying Boost | None | 1,500 tier-qualifying points per $5,000 spent | 1,500 tier-qualifying points per $5,000 spent |
| Companion Pass Qualifying Boost | 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying boost annually | 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying boost annually | 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying boost annually |
| Boarding/Check-In Benefits | 2 Early Bird check ins per year | 2 Early Bird check ins per year | 4 upgraded boardings per year when available |
| Annual Travel Credit | None | None | $75 each year, to be used on Southwest |
| 25% Back on Inflight Purchases | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars | $0 | $0 |
Southwest Business Card Benefits
In addition to its consumer cards, the airline offers two business cards: the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.
These cards are tailored to help business owners earn more points and travel with convenience. Fees start a bit higher, but also potentially carry higher welcome bonuses for members who meet the spending threshold.
| Benefit | Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card | Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $99 | $199 |
| Welcome Bonus | 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening | 80,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening |
| Card Anniversary Bonus | 6,000 points | 9,000 points |
| Rewards | 3 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases, 2 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners and local transit and commuting. Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases | 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases, 3 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, 2 points per dollar spent on local transit, including rideshares, commuting, social media, search engine advertising, internet, cable and phone services. Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases |
| Boarding/Check-In Benefits | 2 Early Bird check-ins per year | 4 upgraded boardings per year when available |
| Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS Credit | No | Statement credit of up to $100 every four years |
| Complimentary In-Flight Wi-Fi | No | Yes, up to 365 inflight wi-fi credits per year |
| Elite Status Qualifying Boost | 1,500 Tier qualifying points per $5,000 spent | 1,500 Tier qualifying points per $5,000 spent |
| $500 Fee Credit for Points Transfers | Yes | Yes |
| 25% Discount on Inflight Purchases | Yes | No |
Pathway to Status
One of the best benefits of carrying airline co-branded credit cards is expedited access to elite status.
Certain Rapid Rewards cardholders can use their card spending to help them reach the program’s elite status tiers: A-List and A-List Preferred.
Rapid Rewards elite members enjoy a variety of perks, from same-day flight changes to priority customer service and check-in access.
A top perk for Southwest elite status, though: priority boarding. Since the airline has open seating—meaning, you pick your seat on a first-come-first-serve basis—boarding early is incredibly helpful.
Elite status members’ boarding positions are set 36 hours ahead of flight time, well ahead of when most passengers get their spot in the boarding order.
Here’s what it takes to qualify for elite status per calendar year:
| Status Level | A-List | A-List Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement | 20 one-way flights or 35,000 Tier-qualifying points | 40 one-way flights or 70,000 tier-qualifying points |
This is where having a Southwest credit card can help. Premier, Priority and business cardholders earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points per $5,000 charged to their card. This allows Rapid Rewards members to make progress toward elite status with everyday spending, not just flying.
Companion Pass
Rapid Rewards members carrying a consumer card can make progress toward earning the coveted pass, which allows you to choose one person to fly with you, free of airline charges (excluding taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way) every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight.
Flyers carrying the Rapid Rewards Plus, Premier and Priority cards will earn an annual 10,000-point boost in Companion Pass Qualifying Points.
It takes 100 one-way flights or 135,000 Companion Pass Qualifying Points within the calendar year to earn the Companion Pass for the remainder of the year you earned it and the following year.
Travel Perks
A key benefit of many other airline credit cards is helping to eliminate add-on charges like checked bag fees. But Southwest already allows each passenger two free bags, and has relatively few extra fees compared with other carriers.
However, Cardholders can still tap into potential savings with a Southwest card. Consumer cardholders get 25% back on inflight purchases. Performance Business cardholders get up to 365 Wi-Fi credits to enjoy free internet access inflight. Southwest normally charges an $8 flat fee, per device, per flight for internet access.
Additionally, Rapid Rewards Performance Business cardholders receive an annual $100 credit that can be used to cover the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. The programs offer expedited passport control (Global Entry) and airport security screening (both).
Priority cardholders receive a $75 annual travel credit to be used with Southwest, and no foreign transaction fees.
Plus and Premier cardholders get two complimentary Early Bird check-ins per year, which solidifies passengers’ spot in the boarding order before standard check-in. This is valuable due to Southwest’s first come first serve seating policy. If you’re one of the last on board, you’ll have to settle for whatever is left.
Priority cardholders get four annual upgraded boardings which, when available, get passengers one of the first 15 spots in the boarding order.
Those services typically start at $15 and $30 per flight, respectively.
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