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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. Here are our picks for the best Southwest credit cards.
The Rapid Rewards Plus charges a low annual fee of $69 but still offers the perks that come with the more expensive Southwest credit cards. This makes it a relatively low-risk card option.
Pros
Signup bonus. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months of account opening.
Rewards. Earn 2x points on Southwest Airlines purchases, 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares, 2x points on internet, cable, phone and select streaming services, and 1x points on all other purchases. You can redeem points for flights, car rentals, hotel stays, gift cards, merchandise and experiences. All points earned count toward earning a Companion Pass.
3,000 points each card year. You’ll receive these points after your card anniversary. According to our valuation, they’re worth an average of $48.
EarlyBird Check-In passes. Each card anniversary you can take advantage of 2 EarlyBird Check-In passes. These allow you to automatically check in to your flight ahead of the standard check in and are valued at up to $25 each.
Cons
Signup bonus eligibility. You may not be eligible for the signup bonus if you already own a Southwest credit card or if you’ve received a new Southwest card signup bonus within the last 24 months. This doesn’t apply if you own a business card or an employee card.
No intro APR period. You won’t get a 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers.
No priority boarding. Card membership won’t help you board your plane sooner. If this is a perk you value, consider the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card instead.
Annual fee
$69
Purchase APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
Balance transfer APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
Welcome Offer
75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Signup bonus. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months of account opening.
Rewards. Earn 2x points on Southwest Airlines purchases, 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares, 2x points on internet, cable, phone and select streaming services, and 1x points on all other purchases. You can redeem points for flights, car rentals, hotel stays, gift cards, merchandise and experiences. All points earned count toward earning a Companion Pass.
3,000 points each card year. You’ll receive these points after your card anniversary. According to our valuation, they’re worth an average of $48.
EarlyBird Check-In passes. Each card anniversary you can take advantage of 2 EarlyBird Check-In passes. These allow you to automatically check in to your flight ahead of the standard check in and are valued at up to $25 each.
Cons
Signup bonus eligibility. You may not be eligible for the signup bonus if you already own a Southwest credit card or if you’ve received a new Southwest card signup bonus within the last 24 months. This doesn’t apply if you own a business card or an employee card.
No intro APR period. You won’t get a 0% intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers.
No priority boarding. Card membership won’t help you board your plane sooner. If this is a perk you value, consider the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card instead.
Annual fee
$69
Purchase APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
Balance transfer APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
Welcome Offer
75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
This card costs $99, which is $30 more than the entry-level card. However, you get 3,000 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.
Pros
Signup bonus. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months of account opening.
Rewards. On Southwest Airlines purchases, you’ll earn 3x points. Earn 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares, and 2x points on internet, cable, phone and streaming services. Earn 1x points on everything else. Redeem points for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, merchandise, experiences, gift cards and more. All points earned count toward earning a Companion Pass.
Anniversary point bonus. Each year after your anniversary, you’ll earn 6,000 points.
EarlyBird Check-In passes. Each anniversary year you can use 2 EarlyBird Check-In passes, which automatically checks you in for a flight. This is up to $50 in value and helps cover the full cost of the card’s annual fee when combined with the card’s anniversary points.
Cons
Chase 5/24 rule. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. This means your credit card application will be automatically denied if you have opened five or more credit cards in the past 24 months.
You can have only one Southwest credit card. If you already have a Southwest personal credit card, you won’t be eligible to get the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card. Even if you had a Southwest card and you closed it to open a new one, you still won’t be eligible if you earned a Southwest credit card signup bonus in the past 24 months.
Annual fee
$99
Purchase APR
16.74% to 23.74% variable
Balance transfer APR
16.74% to 23.74% variable
Welcome Offer
75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Signup bonus. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months of account opening.
Rewards. On Southwest Airlines purchases, you’ll earn 3x points. Earn 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares, and 2x points on internet, cable, phone and streaming services. Earn 1x points on everything else. Redeem points for flights, hotel stays, car rentals, merchandise, experiences, gift cards and more. All points earned count toward earning a Companion Pass.
Anniversary point bonus. Each year after your anniversary, you’ll earn 6,000 points.
EarlyBird Check-In passes. Each anniversary year you can use 2 EarlyBird Check-In passes, which automatically checks you in for a flight. This is up to $50 in value and helps cover the full cost of the card’s annual fee when combined with the card’s anniversary points.
Cons
Chase 5/24 rule. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. This means your credit card application will be automatically denied if you have opened five or more credit cards in the past 24 months.
You can have only one Southwest credit card. If you already have a Southwest personal credit card, you won’t be eligible to get the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card. Even if you had a Southwest card and you closed it to open a new one, you still won’t be eligible if you earned a Southwest credit card signup bonus in the past 24 months.
Annual fee
$99
Purchase APR
16.74% to 23.74% variable
Balance transfer APR
16.74% to 23.74% variable
Welcome Offer
75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
This card has an annual fee of $149, which is higher than the other two personal credit cards. But you get 50,000 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.
Pros
Signup bonus. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months of account opening.
Southwest points. Earn 3x points on Southwest purchases, 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare services. You'll also earn 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming.
Anniversary points. Every year on your card anniversary you'll get 50,000 points.
Annual travel credit. Get $75 Southwest travel credit every year. You'll also get four upgraded boardings per year when available.
Cons
Annual fee. The card costs $149 annually, but the annual travel credit perk and the anniversary points are enough to pay for the card.
Annual fee
$149
Purchase APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
Balance transfer APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
Welcome Offer
75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Signup bonus. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months of account opening.
Southwest points. Earn 3x points on Southwest purchases, 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare services. You'll also earn 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming.
Anniversary points. Every year on your card anniversary you'll get 50,000 points.
Annual travel credit. Get $75 Southwest travel credit every year. You'll also get four upgraded boardings per year when available.
Cons
Annual fee. The card costs $149 annually, but the annual travel credit perk and the anniversary points are enough to pay for the card.
Annual fee
$149
Purchase APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
Balance transfer APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
Welcome Offer
75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
With this card, you basically get the same perks as the personal Southwest credit cards, except you get to earn a higher signup bonus and access to additional employee cards at no cost.
Pros
Signup bonus. 60,000 bonus points. When you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open, you’ll earn 60,000 bonus points.
Rewards. 3x points on Southwest purchases as well as hotels and rental cards when you book with Rapid Rewards. You’ll earn 2x Rapid Rewards points for each dollar you spend on Southwest Airlines purchases. You’ll also earn 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, and 2x points on rideshares. For all other purchases, you’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent. When you redeem them for flights, Rapid Rewards points are quite valuable — they’re typically worth around 1.5 cents apiece.
Anniversary points. Receive 6,000 bonus points after each account anniversary. As long as your account remains open and in good standing, you’ll receive 6,000 points every card year. With Rapid Rewards, 6,000 points are worth about $90.
0% foreign transaction fees. You won’t incur fees when you use your card abroad or make purchases through foreign websites. Typically, providers charge a 3% fee each time you use your card for an international transaction.
Cons
Annual fee. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card comes with a $99 annual fee. It’s largely offset by the 6,000 bonus points you’ll earn each card year — but only if you redeem those points.
Penalty APR. Chase may raise your purchase, balance transfer or cash advance APR as high as 29.99% if you make a late or returned payment.
Annual fee
$99
Purchase APR
16.74% to 23.74% variable
Balance transfer APR
16.74% to 23.74% variable
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Rewards
4x points
Pros
Signup bonus. 60,000 bonus points. When you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open, you’ll earn 60,000 bonus points.
Rewards. 3x points on Southwest purchases as well as hotels and rental cards when you book with Rapid Rewards. You’ll earn 2x Rapid Rewards points for each dollar you spend on Southwest Airlines purchases. You’ll also earn 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, and 2x points on rideshares. For all other purchases, you’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent. When you redeem them for flights, Rapid Rewards points are quite valuable — they’re typically worth around 1.5 cents apiece.
Anniversary points. Receive 6,000 bonus points after each account anniversary. As long as your account remains open and in good standing, you’ll receive 6,000 points every card year. With Rapid Rewards, 6,000 points are worth about $90.
0% foreign transaction fees. You won’t incur fees when you use your card abroad or make purchases through foreign websites. Typically, providers charge a 3% fee each time you use your card for an international transaction.
Cons
Annual fee. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card comes with a $99 annual fee. It’s largely offset by the 6,000 bonus points you’ll earn each card year — but only if you redeem those points.
Penalty APR. Chase may raise your purchase, balance transfer or cash advance APR as high as 29.99% if you make a late or returned payment.
Annual fee
$99
Purchase APR
16.74% to 23.74% variable
Balance transfer APR
16.74% to 23.74% variable
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
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 annual points, statement credits and other perks this card offers. It also offers an accelerated 2x points spent on social media, internet, cable, phone and search engine services, which you won't find on the other Southwest cards.
Pros
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 4x points on Southwest purchases, 3x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, 2x points on rideshares, 2x points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable and phone services, 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.
Cons
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.
Annual fee
$199
Purchase APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
Balance transfer APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
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
4x points
Pros
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 4x points on Southwest purchases, 3x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, 2x points on rideshares, 2x points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable and phone services, 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.
Cons
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.
Annual fee
$199
Purchase APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
Balance transfer APR
17.49% to 24.49% variable
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.
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.
Should I get a Southwest credit card?
It depends. If you’re itching to take advantage of these Southwest specific perks, or you want help earning a Southwest companion pass, picking up one of these cards could be a good idea. Note entry-level, mid-level and high-end Southwest cards all possess comparable perks and rewards, only slightly differing in a few features like anniversary points and travel credits.
If you’re looking for a card with greater long-term earning potential, you’ll want to check out one of Chase’s other cards, particularly the newly updated Freedom cards. The Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® both earn 5x Ultimate Rewards points when you book travel through the Chase travel portal.
Since you can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest Airlines at a 1:1 value, you’ll be earning a much higher rate than the 2x points offered by the Southwest cards. And of course, the Freedom cards earn accelerated points in other categories as well, making them terrifically strong picks.
Alternatives to Southwest credit cards
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.
These cards are a great option if you don’t fly exclusively with Southwest, as you can transfer your points to a variety of partner airlines. What’s more, general travel cards such as those listed above tend to earn reward points on a greater variety of categories than you’d find in a cobranded card.
How to choose a Southwest credit card
Since the Southwest credit cards are so similar, your choice ultimately comes down to a few key factors. Ask yourself the following questions when deciding:
Do you need a personal card or a business card? This helps narrow down your options, as you have three choices for personal Southwest cards and two choices for business cards.
Are you concerned about the annual fee? All of the Southwest credit cards feature some form of annual fee. Unlike some other cobranded cards out there, the differences you’ll find for the price increase are relatively minor. The Priority and Performance cards being the exceptions, offering a few additional perks for the price over the lower-tier cards.
Do you plan on flying abroad? If so, stay away from the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus. This is the only card in the lineup to feature foreign transaction fees.
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
3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
1x points on all other purchases
3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
1x points on all other purchases
Signup bonus
Earn 75,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months.
Earn 75,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months.
Earn 75,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months.
Anniversary points
50,000
50,000
50,000
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
3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
1x points on all other purchases
4x 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 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months.
Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 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
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. Here are the features you can expect:
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 point bonus with all Southwest credit card offers. But for a limited time, you can also earn a companion pass that lasts through 2/28/2022 when you meet the spending requirements. The potential value you can wring out of this is phenomenal and possibly the best on the market when it comes to signup bonuses..
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. Your credit card can help you meet the qualifying points bonus.
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.
How much are Southwest points worth?
The value of Southwest points largely depends on how you redeem them through the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. 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 out to 1.1 cents per mile.
How can I earn Rapid Rewards points?
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.
How to redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards points for best value
To find the best deal you have to do the math yourself. Here’s how it works:
Find the flight on the Southwest website.
Find out how many miles you need to redeem.
Find out how much the flight costs in cash.
Divide the cash amount with the miles: $190/16,500 = 0.011, or 1.1 cents per mile.
The higher the number you get, the higher the value for your miles. Check out our full Rapid Rewards redemption guide for more information.
Southwest Airlines guides and resources
If you need more information on the perks and features available on Southwest Airlines, here are a few quick descriptions along with a link to our full guides:
Southwest companion pass. The coveted Southwest companion pass allows you to bring one companion along with you on a booked flight for an entire year, just for the price of fees and taxes. Because of this marked generosity, the Southwest companion pass is one of the most sought after companion passes on the market — and one of the more difficult to obtain.
Priority boarding. As the name suggests, Southwest priority boarding allows you to board your flight ahead of those without this feature, giving you ample time to choose your favorite seat.
Free checked bags. Southwest is one of the few airlines out there to offer up to two free checked bags per flight for all travelers.
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.
How does the Southwest Airlines shopping program work? 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.
Does Southwest Airlines reward program have elite tiers? Yes, you can earn either an A-List or an A-List preferred elite tier.
Can I earn the signup bonus if I’ve already had this card? No. 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.
Credit card ratings
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Our team evaluates credit cards to determine their value against similar cards on the market.
We rank card types — travel, cash back, business — on a set of factors that are most relevant to that type of card. We create these rankings to help you narrow down a credit card that best suits your spending and budget.
Kliment Dukovski is a cryptocurrency and investments writer who has written over 700 articles to help readers find and compare the best financial options. Kliment has also written on money transfers, home loans and more. Previously, he ghostwrote guides and articles on foreign exchange and stock market trading.
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