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Compare Southwest Airlines credit cards
Earn points on credit card purchases and redeem them for rewards flights.
If you frequently fly Southwest Airlines, you might want to consider a cobranded credit card. That way, you can quickly rack up rewards points on purchases, which can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, gift cards and more.
But what’s especially cool about Southwest credit cards is that you can usually offset the annual fee with the anniversary bonus points you receive each year along with the cards’ perks.
Compare Southwest Airlines credit cards
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Quick look at Southwest Airlines cards
Personal credit cards
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Annual fee
$69
$99
$149
Reward points
2x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
1x points on all other purchases
2x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
1x points on all other purchases
2x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
1x points on all other purchases
Signup bonus
40,000 points after spending $1,000 in your first 3 months.
40,000 points after spending $1,000 in your first 3 months.
40,000 points after spending $1,000 in your first 3 months.
Anniversary points
3,000
6,000
7,500
Foreign transaction fee
3%
0%
0%
Priority boarding
4 per year when available
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit
Southwest annual travel credit
$75
Business credit cards
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Annual fee
$99
$199
Reward points
2x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
1x points on all other purchases
3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
2x points on social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable, and phone services
1x points on all other purchases
Signup bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus points once you spend $3,000 within your first 3 months of card membership
Earn 70,000 bonus points once you spend $5,000 within your first 3 months of card membership. Plus, earn an additional 30,000 points after you spend $25,000 on purchases in the first 6 months.
Anniversary points
6,000
9,000
Foreign transaction fee
0%
0%
Priority boarding
4 per year when available
TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit
Up to $100 once every 4 years
Southwest annual travel credit
Which Southwest Airlines credit card should I get?
Making the right credit card choice often depends on how frequently you fly with the airline. But you should also consider if the card’s value is enough to make up for its annual fee.
This card costs $99, which is $30 more than the entry-level card. However, you get 6,000 more anniversary bonus points worth around $30, effectively canceling out the annual fee difference. And since the card has no foreign transaction fees, you can easily carry it with you on your international travels.
Get this card if you occasionally fly Southwest Airlines but don't want to pay foreign transaction fees.
Annual Fee
$99
Purchase APR
15.99% to 22.99% variable
Balance transfer APR
15.99% to 22.99% variable
Welcome offer
40,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months.
Rewards
2x points on Southwest Airlines and 1x points on all other purchases
This card has an annual fee of $149, which is higher than the other two personal credit cards. But you get 7,500 anniversary bonus points each year plus a $75 annual Southwest travel credit. The combined value of these two perks is $150, which offsets the annual fee. In addition, you get reimbursement for four upgraded boardings every year that could otherwise cost you between $30 and $50 on its own.
Get this card if you frequently fly Southwest Airlines and want the highest value.
Annual Fee
$149
Purchase APR
15.99% to 22.99% variable
Balance transfer APR
15.99% to 22.99% variable
Welcome offer
40,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
Rewards
2x points on Southwest and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rentals and 1x points on all other purchases
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
With an annual fee of $199, this card has the highest upfront cost compared to all Southwest credit cards. However, you can easily offset the annual fee with the perks you get.
Get this card if you frequently fly Southwest Airlines and want to earn more reward points on your purchases.
You get up to $100 in statement credit to cover for your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
You get 9,000 anniversary points worth $90.
These two perks already come with a value of around $190 which is enough to offset the annual fee and make all other perks an extra bonus to your account.
Annual Fee
$199
Purchase APR
15.99% to 22.99% variable
Balance transfer APR
15.99% to 22.99% variable
Welcome offer
70,000 points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus 30,000 points after spending $25,000 in the first 6 months
Rewards
3x points on Southwest Airlines, 2x points on social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable, and phone services and 1x points on all other purchases
Note: You aren’t eligible for the signup bonus if you already own a Southwest credit card or if you have earned a Southwest signup bonus in the past 24 months.
Tip: You can combine signup bonuses between a personal and a business Southwest credit card. Also, if you want to quickly earn a massive batch of points, you can get a Chase Sapphire card, earn a signup bonus and transfer your Chase reward points to Southwest points at a 1:1 ratio.
Typical features of a Southwest Airlines credit card
The cool thing about all Southwest credit cards is that you get the same perks and features, even with entry-level cards. These features are:
Earn reward points. All credit cards except the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card earn 2x points on Southwest purchases and 1x points on everything else you buy.
Signup bonus. You get to earn a generous signup bonus with all Southwest credit cards. The personal credit cards offer the same signup bonus, while the business cards offer a slightly higher bonus.
First and second checked bag free. You don’t actually need a Southwest credit card for this perk. But if you plan on bringing additional bags, expect to pay $75 per bag.
Earn companion certificate. You can earn a Southwest companion pass by making 100 one-way flights or earning 110,000 qualifying points in a calendar year.
Lost luggage reimbursement. If something happens to your checked or carry-on bags, either being damaged or lost by the carrier, you’re covered up to $3,000 per passenger.
Baggage delay insurance. Whenever your bags are delayed for more than six hours by your carrier, you can get reimbursement for toiletries and clothing purchases up to $100 a day for three days.
Bottom line
Southwest credit cards can be an excellent addition to your wallet if you frequently fly with the airline. You get to earn the same signup bonus and reward points with all personal credit cards, and the perks often offset the annual fee.
Aside from using a Southwest credit card to make purchases, you can earn Southwest points with the airline’s dining and shopping programs, with stays at partner hotels and with car rentals from partner companies.
You have to visit the Southwest Airlines shopping portal and start making purchases. That way you can earn up to 30x points on popular stores like Apple, Adidas, Nike or Walmart.
Kliment Dukovski is a credit cards writer. He's written over 600 articles to help readers find and compare the best credit cards. Kliment has also written on money transfers, home loans and more. Previously, he ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange, stock market trading and cryptocurrencies.
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