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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.
Our pick for a Southwest credit card
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 |
|
|
|
| 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 |
|
|
| 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.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
- Get this card if you occasionally fly Southwest Airlines and mostly fly within the US.
You’ll get to pay a low annual fee of $69 and still get the perks that come with the more expensive Southwest credit cards.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
- Get this card if you occasionally fly Southwest Airlines but don’t want to pay foreign transaction fees.
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.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
- Get this card if you frequently fly Southwest Airlines and want the highest value.
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.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
- Get this card if you frequently fly Southwest Airlines but don’t want to burn a hole in your company pockets.
With this card, you basically get the same perks as the personal Southwest credit cards, except you get to earn a higher signup bonus.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
- Get this card if you frequently fly Southwest Airlines and want to earn more reward points on your purchases.
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. For example:
- 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.
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.
But if you prefer other airlines, compare airline credit cards or general travel credit cards until you find a card that works for you.
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