Southwest Credit Cards: Which One Is Best For You?

Anyone loyal to Southwest Airlines will want to consider applying for one of Chase's co-branded Southwest credit cards. These cards offer great Southwest perks and benefits; plus, if you rack up 135,000 points, you can earn a Companion Pass®. A Companion Pass® allows a guest to fly with you for the cost of taxes and fees (as low as $5.60 per flight) every time you fly. The question is, which Southwest credit card should you go for?

Card	Type of Card	Welcome Bonus	Annual Fee
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card	Personal	Earn 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	$69
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card	Personal	Earn 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	$149
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card	Personal	Earn 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	$99
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card	Business	Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.	$199
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card	Business	Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.	$99

Southwest Consumer Credit Cards

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Best for a low annual fee

For a reasonable annual fee, you'll be well on your way to earning a Companion Pass® with Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. You'll get an additional 3,000 points on your cardmember anniversary, plus a 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year. If you only fly Southwest once in a while and just want a few perks, this card is a good choice. This is the only Southwest card to charge foreign transaction fees, so if you travel internationally, a different Southwest card would be a better fit.

Rewards:

2x points

Hotels

Earn 2x on Rapid Rewards hotel partners.

2x points

Rental Cars

Earn 2x on Rapid Rewards car rental partners.

2x points

Southwest Purchases

Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases.

2x points

Streaming services

Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.

2x points

Transit

Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.

1x points

On all other purchases

Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual Fee: $69

Foreign Transaction Fee: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Approval Odds:

The following credit score data are based on publicly available information we have collected from various forums. We have no way to confirm the accuracy of this data. In addition, keep in mind that credit card issuers use a number of factors in their underwriting process, and these factors can change at any time.

App Status	Date	Credit Score	Bureau	Credit Limit
Approved	02/11/2022	715	Not Provided	$20,000
Approved	08/06/2022	680	Experian	$9,600
Approved	05/22/2022	802	Experian	$12,800
Approved	02/24/2022	760	Equifax	$10,700

Read our Review

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Best Southwest Credit Card overall

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card gets our vote for the best Southwest card overall. It appeals to Southwest loyalists, even people who only fly Southwest a few times a year. You get a $75 travel credit, which effectively cuts the annual fee in half, plus you get 7,500 anniversary points each year. Your first two bags are always free on Southwest, but this card gets you four upgraded boardings a year (when available) and 25% off inflight purchases. Southwest doesn't have airport lounges, so if that's important to you, you'll have to fly a different airline.

Rewards:

3x points

Southwest Purchases

Earn 3X points on Southwest(R) purchases.

2x points

Streaming services

Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.

2x points

Transit

Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.

1x points

On all other purchases

Earn 1x point for each $1 spent on all other purchases.

Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual Fee: $149

Foreign Transaction Fee: $0

Approval Odds:

App Status	Date	Credit Score	Bureau	Credit Limit
Approved	02/24/2022	781	Not Provided	---
Approved	05/01/2019	762	Equifax	$4,500
Approved	03/20/2020	715	Equifax	---
Approved	05/01/2019	767	Experian	$4,500
Denied	03/16/2022	701	Experian	---

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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Best mid-tier Southwest card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is between the Priority and the Plus. You get 6,000 anniversary points a year, plus a 10,000 Companion Pass® points boost. The spend to earn the welcome bonus is modest and achievable for most people. And you get two Early Bird Check-In® a year as well. And you get a one-year complimentary membership to DashPass, which gets you free delivery on eligible DoorDash orders.

Rewards:

3x points

Southwest Purchases

Earn 3x points on Southwest® purchases.

2x points

Streaming services

Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.

2x points

Transit

Earn 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.

1x points

On all other purchases

Earn 1x point on everyday purchases.

Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual Fee: $99

Foreign Transaction Fee: $0

Approval Odds:

App Status	Date	Credit Score	Bureau	Credit Limit
Approved	11/19/2019	707	Experian	$6,900
Approved	11/19/2019	705	TransUnion	$6,900
Approved	11/19/2019	724	Equifax	$6,900
Approved	08/06/2022	680	Experian	$9,600

Read our Review

Southwest Business Credit Cards

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Best for Business Owners

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is a great card for business owners who prefer to fly Southwest. You get a great welcome bonus and 9,000 points on your cardmember anniversary, plus rewards that business owners spend money on, like social media and search engine advertising. And you get a $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit every four years.

Rewards:

4x points

Southwest Purchases

Earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases, including flight, inflight, and Southwest gift cards.

3x points

Hotels

Earn 3 points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards hotel partners.

3x points

Rental Cars

Earn 3 points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards car rental partners.

2x points

Select Categories

Earn 2 points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising.

2x points

Streaming services

Earn 2 points per $1 spent on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming.

2x points

Transit

Earn 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting purchases, including rideshare, passenger trains, buses, taxis, tolls, and parking lots and garages.

1x points

On all other purchases

Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases made with your card.

Welcome Bonus: Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

Annual Fee: $199

Foreign Transaction Fee: $0

Read our Review

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

Best for Business Owners on a Budget

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is a great card if you only fly Southwest once or twice a year and don't want to spring for the annual fee of the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card. You get 6,000 anniversary points each year, two Early Bird Check-In® and 25% off inflight purchases. Two checked bags are always free on Southwest.

Rewards:

3x points

Southwest Purchases

Earn 3x points on Southwest Airlines® purchases.

2x points

Hotels

Earn 2x points on Rapid Rewards® hotel partner purchases

2x points

Hotels

Earn 2x points on Rapid Rewards® hotel partners.

2x points

Rental Cars

Earn 2x points on Rapid Rewards® car rental partners.

2x points

Transit

Earn 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare services.

1x points

On all other purchases

Earn 1 point per $1 spent on everyday purchases.

Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Annual Fee: $99

Foreign Transaction Fee: $0

Learn More

Final Thoughts

Southwest Airlines is a great airline, and Chase offers five co-branded Southwest cards to choose from, both personal and business. Generous welcome bonuses can help you earn a coveted Companion Pass®, which is like a buy one, get one free deal. If you are not a huge Southwest fan, consider a more general rewards card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Happy Travels!