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Our pick for a Southwest card: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
40,000-point
Signup bonus after spending $1,000 in first 3 months
Weekly tips sent straight to your inbox
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.
Select your credit score range in the table below and compare Southwest Airlines 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 |
| 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 | | |
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.
★★★★★
| Annual Fee | $69 |
|---|---|
| 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 |
★★★★★
| 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 |
★★★★★
| 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 |
★★★★★
| Annual Fee | $99 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 15.99% to 22.99% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | 15.99% to 22.99% variable |
| Welcome offer | 60,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months and 6,000 points after your card anniversary |
| Rewards | 2x points on Southwest Airlines and 1x points on all other purchases |
★★★★★
| 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 |
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.
You don’t have to get a Southwest Airlines credit card to earn Southwest points. For example, both the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® let you earn accelerated points on travel and dining purchases, which you can later transfer to Southwest points in a 1:1 ratio.
This largely depends on what your goals are. For example, travelers who want to earn as many points as possible should consider the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This way, you’ll earn Chase Sapphire Reserve®x points all travel purchases — including Southwest flights — instead of the 2x points you earn with a Southwest card.
But those who want to get the best value should consider the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card. That’s because the card basically pays itself with its perks, plus you get to earn points on Southwest flights. And with the generous signup bonus, you can earn the Southwest companion pass with half the required spending. This is one of the most valuable perks you can get.
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:
The value of Southwest points largely depends on how you redeem them. Redeeming points for Southwest flights has the highest redemption value, which comes at 1.3 cents per mile on average.
For example, a roundtrip flight between the two Southwest hubs Los Angeles (LAX) and Chicago (MDW) can cost you as low as 16,500 points or $190 on Wanna Get Away fare. That comes as 1.1 cents per mile.
To find the best deal you have to do the math yourself. Here’s how it works:
The higher the number you get, the higher the value for your miles.
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.
