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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card review
A card with a lot to offer small- and mid-sized businesses.
finder.com’s rating: 4.5 / 5
★★★★★
- You want a luxury-esque business card under the Southwest umbrella.
- You want a lower annual fee or different earning categories.
- Apply with a good to an excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
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80,000
Points as welcome offer
Up to 4x
Points
$199
Annual fee
17.49% to 24.49%
Purchase APR (variable)
Details
| Annual fee | $199 |
|---|---|
| Welcome offer | Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months months. 9,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary. |
| 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. |
| Purchase APR | 17.49% to 24.49% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | 17.49% to 24.49% variable |
| Minimum Credit Score | 670 |
Review by
Steven Dashiell
steven.dashiell@finder.comSteven Dashiell is Senior Writer, Personal Finance at Finder specializing in all things credit cards. With more than 300 articles under his belt, he aims to help readers embrace credit cards and maximize their rewards. Steve is studying to become a Certified Educator in Personal Finance, and is a frequent face on Finder’s YouTube channel, offering the latest in credit card hacks and advice. His expertise has been featured on numerous outlets, including U.S. News & World Report, NASDAQ, Time, CBS, Fox Business, Lifehacker, Martha Stewart Living and more.
Expert review
Business owners who fly Southwest will be hard-pressed to find a card with a better pound-for-pound value. This card rocks a 80,000 signup bonus, earns up to 4x points on eligible Southwest purchases, provides a $100 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry statement credit and more.
Right off the bat, the sizable welcome offer will catapult you most of the way toward earning a Southwest Companion Pass. Earning categories on this card also sport larger rates than the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card. The earning categories are also tailored to categories helpful to small and mid-sized businesses. And of course, the host of flight perks, such as complimentary flight upgrades and the ability to earn tier qualifying points, makes this card especially valuable for businesses on the go.
The main tradeoff for these gains is the larger annual fee compared to Chase’s other Southwest business offerings and the lack of an intro purchase APR. However, using this card’s perks just a few times along with the anniversary bonus points help take the sting out of the high price. For growing or mid-sized businesses, this card is a great choice to supplement your business and travel needs.
How to apply for the Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
- Go to Chase.com and click on the drop-down menu at the top left of the page. The drop-down menu looks like three horizontal lines.
- Click on Credit cards from the drop-down menu.
- At the new page, click on Business under the Filter card by: heading.
- At the Business Credit Card page, scroll down until you see the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.
- Click on Learn more and then Sign in to apply to start the process.
What credit score do I need?
You should apply with at least a good credit score of 670 or higher.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card benefits
- Signup bonus. Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 in your first 3 months of account opening.
- Anniversary points. Earn 9,000 points each year on your card member anniversary.
- Rewards. You’ll earn 2x points on Southwest purchases, 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, x points on rideshares, 2x points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable and phone serices, and 1x points on all other purchases. When you redeem them for flights, Rapid Rewards points are quite valuable — they’re typically worth around 1.5 cents apiece. That’s higher than the industry average of 1 cent for 1 point. But take care when redeeming your points for other rewards like gift cards and merchandise — they can be worth a lot less.
- Travel credits. Enjoy a Global Entry or TSA Precheck fee credit as a statement credit up to $100 every four years. You’ll also enjoy in-flight WiFi credits.
- Flight upgrades. You’ll receive 4 upgraded boardings per year when available. These upgrades are worth up to $50 each.
- Early check ins. You’ll receive 2 EarlyBird CheckIns each year.
- Earn tier qualifying points. For each you spend with your card you’ll earn 9,000 tier qualifying points, up to $100,000 in purchases total
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card drawbacks
- Annual fee. You’ll pay a $199 annual fee to use this card. This is the highest annual fee among Chase’s Southwest Airlines offerings.
- No intro APR for purchases. If you were hoping to use your card to help kickstart your new business, this might not be the best choice.
- Might not be eligible for balance transfers. According to Chase’s site, this card might not be eligible for balance transfers. Unfortunately, further information isn’t provided on the Chase site, so call ahead if your were interested in balance transfers.
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Bottom line
With a huge signup bonus, improved bonus point earning rates and a host of travel perks, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is the new go-to card if you’re a Southwest loyalist – even with the increased annual fee.
If you don’t travel enough to offset the increased annual fee or you prefer other earning categories, compare other travel credit card options to find one that suits your business and spending needs.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: What’s changed?
| 10/19/2021 | Old: Earn 3x points on Southwest purchases. | New: Earn 4x points on Southwest purchases. | Added: Earn 2x points on rideshare |
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