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The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is a great option for loyal Southwest flyers. Not only is it Chase's highest-earning Southwest co-brand card, but this card also gives Rapid Rewards members a second business card option alongside the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card.
But is the Southwest Performance Business Card right for your business? If you value bonus points, elevated earnings on Southwest purchases, and early boarding, it might be a valuable wallet companion. Let's take a closer look to see.
- Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 9,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
- Earn 4X pts on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
- Earn 2X points on rideshare.
- Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services and 1X points on all other purchases.
- 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners
- 2X points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable and phone services
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Page Contents
- Southwest Performance Business Card Pros
- Southwest Performance Business Card Cons
- Southwest Performance Business Card Welcome Offer
- Southwest Performance Business Card Benefits
- Southwest Performance Business Card Earning Rates
- Redeeming Points With the Southwest Performance Business Card
- Southwest Performance Business Card Application Restrictions
- Cards That Compete With the Southwest Performance Business Card
- Bottom Line
Southwest Performance Business Card Pros
- Earn 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases.
- 9,000-point anniversary bonus.
- Four Upgraded Boardings per year.
- Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
Southwest Performance Business Card Cons
- $199 annual fee.
- Earn 1X point per $1 spent on all other, non-bonused purchases.
- Subject to Chase's 5/24 rule.
Southwest Performance Business Card Welcome Offer
New applicants for the Southwest Performance Business Card can earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
To put this bonus into context, the value of Southwest Rapid Rewards points is tied directly to the price of airfare, which typically works out to between 1.25¢ and 1.54¢ per point. But on average, AwardWallet users redeem Southwest points for 1.52¢ apiece, which makes the 80,000-point bonus worth approximately $1,216 toward award travel on Southwest.
Related: The Best Small Business Credit Card Offers Currently Available
Southwest Performance Business Card Benefits
The Southwest Performance Business Card is packed with Southwest perks to justify its $199 annual fee and a powerful earning structure that should make it worth holding onto for the long term if you or your employees regularly fly Southwest.
Let's take a look at what the Southwest Performance Business Card offers each year:
9,000 anniversary Rapid Rewards points each year
You’ll receive 9,000 Rapid Rewards points each year on your account anniversary with the Southwest Performance Business Card. Based on the AwardWallet user redemption average, these bonus points are worth about $136.
Four complimentary Upgraded Boardings per year
Cardholders will be reimbursed for up to four Upgraded Boardings each year, guaranteeing a boarding position between A1 and A15. Depending on your itinerary, each upgrade costs between $30 and $50. Upgraded Boardings are available in the app or online from 24 hours to 30 minutes before departure.
Note that Upgraded Boarding differs from EarlyBird Check-In, which will get you access to a higher boarding position by checking you in just before the window of opportunity opens up for other passengers. There are two benefits of Upgraded Boardings:
- Upgraded Boardings are valid for positions A1 to A15, which puts you ahead of the EarlyBird Check-In folks.
- Thus, you don’t need to remember to check in exactly 24 hours before your flight or risk a C group boarding position.
A caveat is that we don't know how Southwest's upcoming switch to assigned seating in 2025 will affect this benefit.
Complimentary Wi-Fi on every Southwest flight
Southwest charges $8 per device per flight for Wi-Fi access. However, with the Southwest Performance Business Card, you practically get a Wi-Fi subscription for the year. You'll get an $8 statement credit back on every Southwest Wi-Fi purchase — up to 365 times per year!
Although most folks aren't flying every day, the fact that you can add authorized users to your account without paying an additional fee means that you can extend this benefit to employees and get even more value. To use this benefit, simply use your card to pay for Wi-Fi onboard.
In practice, we haven't found a limit on how many passes you can use on a particular flight or day. Thus, it is practically an unlimited Wi-Fi subscription.
Security program fee credit
Cardholders can get an application fee credit of up to $120 for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS. $120 is the maximum benefit, but you'll be reimbursed for the first program application fee that hits your account. You can enjoy this statement credit once every four years.
Spending toward A-List and A-List Preferred
Cardholders receive 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQP) for every $5,000 spent on the card, with no cap on the total TQPs you can earn. TQPs count toward qualification for A-List and A-List Preferred status with Southwest. TQPs are based on a calendar year rather than an account year. If you acquire the card mid-year, your TQP will be calculated up until your December statement before the count resets for the new year.
Insurance protections
You'll also enjoy several types of travel and purchase protections courtesy of your Southwest Performance Business Card. Here's an overview:
- Auto rental coverage
- Baggage delay insurance
- Extended warranty protection
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Purchase protection
- Roadside assistance
- Travel accident insurance
- Travel and emergency assistance
For policy particulars and location-specific restrictions, please refer to the card's Guide to Benefits.
Other perks
In addition to the benefits listed above, the card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees — a nice bonus if you use it overseas.
You'll also receive a bonus of 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points in your account each year to help you earn the Southwest Companion Pass at 135,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points. Multiple Southwest credit cards offer this perk; unfortunately, you'll receive the boost just once per year, no matter how many Southwest cards you hold.
Lastly, you can be reimbursed for up to $500 in transfer fees per year when you transfer points to another member or an eligible charity.
Southwest Performance Business Card Earning Rates
The Southwest Performance Business Card was the first Southwest card to earn more than 2X points on Southwest purchases. The Southwest Performance Business Card currently earns:
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners
- 2X points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable and phone services
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Outside of earning 4X on Southwest purchases, this earning structure doesn’t change the fact that the best way to earn Rapid Rewards points on most business purchases is with Ultimate Rewards-earning credit cards — with some important exceptions noted below. Since Southwest is a 1:1 Ultimate Rewards transfer partner, you can earn the equivalent of:
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year with the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees). Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
- 5X points on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable, and phone services each account anniversary year (1x thereafter) with the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Rates & Fees).
- 1.5X on non-bonused expenses using the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (Rates & Fees).
The Ink Cash and Ink Unlimited deliver rewards as cash back. But if you have an Ultimate Rewards-earning card offering access to transfer partners, you can then combine your Ultimate Rewards points and make 1:1 transfers to Southwest.
Points count toward the Southwest Companion Pass
While you can earn more Southwest Rapid Rewards points via earning Chase Ultimate Rewards in many cases, there's a big caveat: If you transfer Ultimate Rewards to Southwest, they will not count toward Companion Pass qualification.
However, points earned with spending on the Southwest Performance Business Card will count toward the Companion Pass requirement of 135,000 points earned in a calendar year. If buy-one-get-one-free Southwest flights are your goal, this card's higher earning rates could be a game-changer.
It’s worth reiterating that both the welcome bonus and base points earned from everyday spending count toward the Southwest Companion Pass. The current offer of 80,000 bonus points puts one of the most coveted benefits in domestic travel within reach.
Redeeming Points With the Southwest Performance Business Card
Redeeming points with the Southwest Performance Business Card is fairly straightforward. Because Southwest Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based rewards program, there aren't any award charts to worry about. Simply find the flight you want to book and then book it with your Rapid Rewards points.
To redeem points, search for a flight as you normally would. Before submitting, click on the “points” option. But if you forgot, Southwest makes it easy. Once your flight options are displayed, you'll have the option in the top right corner to switch from cash to points as your payment method.
From here, you'll see the price for your flight options, such as the ones below from Phoenix (PHX) to Las Vegas (LAS). If a seat is available, you can book it with points — there are no blackout dates here.
There are a few other ways to use your Southwest Rapid Rewards points, but they generally provide poor value. The best use of your Rapid Rewards points is almost always booking Southwest flights.
Southwest Performance Business Card Application Restrictions
Unlike Southwest's personal credit cards, Chase doesn't have any complex application restrictions to the Southwest Performance Business Card. Instead, you'll see these terms on the application page:
“This new Cardmember bonus offer is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of this business credit card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of this business credit card who received a new Cardmember bonus for this business credit card within the last 24 months.”
Thus, as long as you don't currently have this card and haven't earned a bonus on it in the past 24 months, you should be eligible — so long as you meet Chase's other requirements. But holding another Southwest card or earning a bonus on those other cards won't impact your eligibility for the Southwest Performance Business Card.
As the Southwest Performance Business Card is issued by Chase, Chase’s 5/24 policy applies, meaning you're unlikely to be approved for this card if five or more new credit cards are showing on your credit report from the past 24 months.
Lastly, Chase doesn't tend to approve applicants for more than one business card in a 90-day period.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Southwest Performance Business Card
Not sure if the Southwest Performance Business Card is right for your business? Here are a few additional options to consider:
- If you want a Southwest Airlines business card with a lower annual fee, consider the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card. For a $99 annual fee, you'll enjoy 3X earnings on Southwest purchases, 6,000-point anniversary bonus points each year, and two EarlyBird check-ins each year. Plus, you'll still receive 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points and the ability to spend toward A-List or A-List Preferred status. For more details, check out our Southwest Premier Business Card review.
- If you want to earn points you can use with Southwest and other travel partners, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card might be right for you. It has a $95 annual fee and earns 3X points on the first $150,000 of annual spending in bonus categories (then 1X), which include travel and popular business expenses. You'll be able to use your points with Chase's 14 transfer partners, including Southwest, United, Hyatt, Marriott, and more; you also can redeem points in the travel portal for up to 1.75¢ per point, depending on the specific redemption. Our Ink Preferred review has more details.
- If you want travel rewards but aren't eligible for a Chase card, look into the Capital One Spark Miles for Business. The annual fee is waived during the first year, and it's $95 in years two and beyond. You'll earn unlimited 2X miles on all spending, but you'll earn 5X on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. You can transfer these miles to 19 airline and hotel partners, redeem them in the travel portal at 1¢ each, or use miles to reimburse yourself for recent travel purchases on your card. More details are in our Spark Miles review.
- 3X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and communting, including rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
- 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Related: How To Choose the Right Southwest Airlines Credit Card
Bottom Line
Southwest and Chase offer a bevy of Southwest credit cards, easily enabling flyers to earn Rapid Rewards points while on the ground. The perks offered on the Southwest Performance Business Card are a definite positive evolution of benefits offered on other Southwest cards, adding tangible value for Rapid Rewards members. And the 80,000-point welcome bonus is a fantastic way to increase the balance of your Southwest account.
If you can make use of all the card's benefits, the $199 can be justified quite easily. But if you can't make use of all the benefits, you're better off looking for a lower-annual-fee option.
- Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 9,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
- Earn 4X pts on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
- Earn 2X points on rideshare.
- Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services and 1X points on all other purchases.
- 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners
- 2X points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable and phone services
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 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® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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