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Southwest Airlines offers three personal Rapid Rewards credit cards with varying benefits and annual fees. Topping the list is the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, with the greatest array of benefits. But it comes at a price. Its $149 annual fee might sound intimidating, but we'll show how the Southwest Priority Card‘s benefits are well worth its cost.
Its benefits come in several forms, including bonus points in your account each year, an annual travel credit, upgraded boardings, and even the ability to spend your way toward Southwest elite status. Taking advantage of just a portion of the card's annual perks can offset the annual fee year after year.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 7,500 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
- Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
- $75 Southwest® travel credit each year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on all Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Page Contents
- Southwest Priority Card Pros
- Southwest Priority Card Cons
- Southwest Priority Card Welcome Offer
- Southwest Priority Card Benefits
- Southwest Priority Card Earning Rates
- Redeeming Points With the Southwest Priority Card
- Southwest Priority Card Application Restrictions
- Cards That Compete With The Southwest Priority Card
- The Bottom Line
Southwest Priority Card Pros
- 7,500 anniversary points each year
- $75 annual Southwest travel credit
- Four upgraded boardings per year
- 25% back on inflight purchases
- Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year
Southwest Priority Card Cons
- $149 annual fee
- Earns 1x points per dollar on non-bonused purchases
- Subject to Chase's 5/24 rule
Southwest Priority Card Welcome Offer
New applicants for the Southwest Priority Card can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
How much is this bonus worth? Consider that AwardWallet users typically redeem Southwest points at 1.52¢ apiece. Thus, this welcome offer is worth $760 toward award travel on Southwest.
Related: The Best Credit Card Offers Available This Month
Southwest Priority Card Benefits
That Southwest Priority Card provides a few key benefits for regular Southwest fliers. These can easily make it worth holding for the long term.
7,500 anniversary Rapid Rewards points each year
Cardholders receive 7,500 Rapid Rewards points on their account anniversary each year. The Southwest Rapid Rewards program is revenue-based, and award costs are tied directly to revenue fares. However, the silver lining is that you can always use points to book flights whenever a seat is available — no blackout dates for redemptions here.
Using that same 1.52¢ per point number AwardWallet users obtain on redemptions, these bonus points are worth over $100 annually — well over half the annual fee.
Related: How Much Are Southwest Points Worth?
$75 annual Southwest travel credit
You’ll receive an annual $75 Southwest travel credit each account year. This credit can be used on most Southwest purchases — including airfare. However, this credit specifically excludes Upgraded Boardings and inflight purchases.
However, the fact that you can use it on airfare makes it easy to use, and this valuable perk effectively cuts the annual fee in half. If you don’t spend at least $75 per year on Southwest tickets, you probably shouldn't get a Southwest credit card.
Considering both the 7,500 anniversary points received each year and the $75 travel credit, you should already be able to come out ahead in terms of annual value. So, you can view all other perks from the Southwest Priority Card as a net positive value. Also, you'll do better with this card than holding the lower annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card year-over-year.
Four Upgraded Boardings per year
In addition to the annual bonus points and credit, if you hold the Southwest Priority Card, you’ll be reimbursed for buying up to four Upgraded Boardings (positions A1 through A15) each account year.
You can purchase the Upgraded Boarding at the ticket counter or departure gate only on the day of departure. Upgraded Boardings are subject to availability, and the cost depends on your itinerary, so your exact savings will vary.
25% back on inflight purchases
When you use the Southwest Priority Card for inflight purchases, you’ll receive 25% back as a statement credit. This applies to drinks and Wi-Fi.
Spend toward elite status
Cardholders receive 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) for every $5,000 spent on the card annually. TQPs count toward qualification for A-List and A-List Preferred status with Rapid Rewards.
Note that TQPs are calculated annually rather than by account year. So, if you acquire the card mid-year, your TQPs will be calculated until your December statement before the count resets for the new year.
Additionally, all points earned from Southwest cards count toward the Southwest Companion Pass. So, you can earn both TQPs and towards the highly valuable Companion Pass simultaneously.
Travel and purchase protections
When using your card to make purchases, you can enjoy the following protections:
- Extended warranty protection: Adds an extra year to a U.S. manufacturer's warranty of three years or less.
- Purchase protection: Protects your purchases against damage or theft for up to 90 days from purchase, up to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per account.
- Baggage delay insurance: Reimburses you for essentials while waiting for your delayed bags, applicable after a delay of six or more hours and up to $100 per day for a maximum of three days.
- Lost luggage reimbursement: Provides reimbursement for lost or damaged luggage, up to a maximum of $3,000 per passenger.
Note that there are limitations for New York residents: lost luggage reimbursement is limited to $2,000 per bag and $10,000 for all passengers; purchase protection is limited to 90 days from the date of purchase. For policy particulars, please refer to your Guide to Benefits.
Other benefits
In addition to the benefits listed above, the card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees, which can save you significant money on purchases made abroad.
Plus, cardholders can enroll for one year of complimentary DoorDash DashPass, available for enrollment through December 31, 2027. This provides waived delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders.
Southwest Priority Card Earning Rates
The Southwest Priority Card ‘s earning structure breaks down as follows:
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on all Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Despite these increased earning rates, there may be better ways to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points.
Chase Ultimate Rewards Points transfer to Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. This means you could earn the equivalent of 3x Rapid Rewards points on all travel (including Southwest flights) and dining using the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Even better, you can earn up to 10x points on travel by booking it through the Chase Travel℠ portal.
Then, you could transfer those Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest for future award redemptions. Plus, you have the flexibility to transfer to other frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs.
That being said, spending on the Southwest Priority Card can accrue Companion Pass qualifying points as well as TQPs. So, make sure you factor this into your overall strategy when comparing it to the earning rates of other cards.
Redeeming Points With the Southwest Priority Card
Redeeming points with the Southwest Priority Card is fairly straightforward. Southwest Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based rewards program, so you don't have to worry about any award charts. Any flight you could book with cash should be available with points. For added flexibility, you can also combine cash and points.
Besides Southwest air travel, there are a few other ways that you can use your Southwest Rapid Rewards points, but they generally provide less value. The best value of your Rapid Rewards points will almost always be using them to book Southwest flights.
When you search for a flight, toggling the “Points” selection on the start page or after your results display with cash costs will let you easily see fares priced in Southwest points. Southwest also makes it easy to view a calendar of dates. If your travel plans are flexible, clicking on the “Low Fare Calendar” at the top of the page will let you see a calendar like the one above, helping you hunt for the best prices.
Related: Lots to Love: 6 Reasons Why Southwest Rapid Rewards Is the Easiest Airline Loyalty Program
Southwest Priority Card Application Restrictions
As with all of Chase’s Southwest cards, the Southwest Priority Card is subject to Chase's 5/24 policy. This policy generally prevents applicants from getting a new Chase credit card if they've opened five or more credit card accounts (based on what's seen on your credit report) in the previous 24 months.
Also, you're ineligible for the welcome offer if you currently have another Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card. Additionally, you aren't eligible for this sign-up bonus if you have received a new card bonus on a Southwest card within the past 24 months. The application terms have the following restrictions:
“The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. This does not apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Card and Employee Credit Card products.”
Lastly, note that Chase generally doesn't approve anyone for more than two credit cards in a 30-day period.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With The Southwest Priority Card
- If you want a Southwest card with the lowest annual fee possible, you'll find that in the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. For a $69 annual fee, you'll get 3,000 anniversary bonus points, 25% back on inflight purchases, two Early Bird check-ins each year, and a welcome offer that's generally the same as that offered by the other Southwest cards. However, this card does charge a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars. More details are in our Southwest Plus Card review.
- If you want a few more perks with Southwest, the middle option is the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card. Its $99 annual fee provides perks like 6,000 anniversary bonus points, no foreign transaction fees, and two Early Bird check-ins annually. Our Southwest Premier Card review has additional details.
- If you want a card that earns points transferrable to Southwest or other loyalty programs, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card could be right for you. It levies a $95 annual fee and provides up to $50 in annual hotel credits for bookings through the Chase portal. Plus, you'll earn Ultimate Rewards points that you can use with 14 airline and hotel programs, including Southwest, United, Hyatt, and more. You'll earn up to 5X on travel bookings with Chase, 3X on dining, streaming services, and online grocery orders, and 2X on travel not booked with Chase. Learn more in our Sapphire Preferred review.
- 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases and Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on all Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Related: How To Choose the Right Southwest Airlines Credit Card
The Bottom Line
The Southwest Priority Card is well worth it — even for those who only fly occasionally with Southwest Airlines. Two key card benefits — the 7,500-point anniversary bonus (worth over $100) and the $75 travel credit — more than make up for the card's $149 annual fee. Based on these perks alone, the card could be well worth keeping year after year. But the card also offers additional benefits, increasing its annual value.
That said, the benefits only provide value if you use them. If you'll make use of what the card offers, this could be the right Southwest card for your wallet. It's easily the best of the bunch.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 7,500 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
- Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
- $75 Southwest® travel credit each year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on all Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
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