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The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is one of three personal Southwest credit cards offered by Chase. Despite the Southwest Plus Card charging the lowest annual fee in Southwest's card lineup, it typically provides the same sign-up bonus as the more costly cards. Importantly, points earned with this card can help you earn the Southwest Companion Pass.
While the Southwest Plus Card has the lowest annual fee of the bunch, it's still worth crunching the numbers to see if it's the best fit for you. The card offers bonus points on each account anniversary and EarlyBird check-in privileges. But it might be worth getting another Southwest card that offers even more perks.
Let's take a closer look at the Southwest Plus Card to help you determine if its the right fit for you.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 3,000 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 2X 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.
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 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
Page Contents
Southwest Plus Card Pros
- Get 3,000 anniversary points each year.
- 25% back on in-flight purchases, including Wi-Fi.
- Two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year.
- Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points every year.
Southwest Plus Card Cons
- $69 annual fee.
- Only 1X base earning rate.
- Foreign transaction fees of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
- It's the only Southwest card that doesn't earn Tier Qualifying Points toward elite status through credit card spending.
Southwest Plus Card Welcome Offer
For a limited time, new Southwest Plus Card applicants can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Southwest generally fixes the value of its points within a defined range — typically between 1.25 and 1.54 cents per point. AwardWallet users are pretty savvy, typically redeeming Rapid Rewards points for 1.52¢ apiece.
Based on the average redemption, the additional points from Southwest Plus Card‘s welcome offer are worth around $760 toward travel on Southwest.
Related: The Best Credit Card Welcome Offers Currently Available
Southwest Plus Card Benefits
Those with the Southwest Plus Card can enjoy a reasonable suite of benefits, including:
3,000 bonus points each year
The Southwest Plus Card offers 3,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points each year you keep your card and pay the annual fee. Based on AwardWallet user redemptions, these points are worth about $45 — covering a good chunk of the card's annual fee. And, yes, that's enough for a free flight on select routes during Southwest fare sales.
25% discount on in-flight purchases
If you use your Southwest Plus Card to pay for in-flight purchases with Southwest, you'll get 25% back as a statement credit. Since Southwest offers Wi-Fi at an $8 price per flight, you'll only pay $6 with the card. Note that this doesn't apply to other Southwest purchases like airfare, EarlyBird Check-In, or excess luggage.
10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points per year
If you plan to earn Southwest's iconic Companion Pass, the Southwest Plus Card can help you get there. Just for carrying the card, you'll gain 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year. These points are deposited into your account up to 30 days after opening your account — and by January 31st of each calendar year thereafter.
Two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year
Until things officially change, Southwest has an open seating model. Getting two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year (and using them) can help you secure a better boarding position without having to check in right at 24 hours before departure.
Purchase and travel protections
Using your Southwest Plus Card for purchases can add peace of mind through the following:
- Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 per passenger when luggage is lost or damaged by the carrier.
- Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 per day for up to three days when purchasing essentials while waiting for bags that are delayed by 6+ hours.
- Extended warranty protection: Adds a year to a U.S. manufacturer's warranty of three years or less.
- Purchase protection: Covers eligible new purchases for 120 days from the date of purchase against damage or theft up to $500 per item.
Downsides of the Southwest Plus Card
You'll pay extra whenever you use your Southwest Plus Card on an overseas purchase. There's a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars, so this isn't the best card to use on your international trips.
Additionally, you can't earn Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) toward A-List or A-List Preferred status through spending on this card, despite the ability to do so with other Southwest credit cards.
Southwest Plus Card Earning Rates
The Southwest Plus Card‘s earning structure breaks down as follows:
- 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
Despite these increased earning rates, there may be better ways to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points.
Alternative ways to earn Rapid Rewards points via credit cards
Chase Ultimate Rewards Points transfer to Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. This means you could earn the equivalent of 4x Rapid Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines (including Southwest) and 3X on dining using the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees). Even better, you can earn up to 8x points on travel by booking it through the Chase Travel℠ portal. Thankfully, Southwest was added to the Chase Travel portal in 2023.
Then, you could transfer those Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest for future award redemptions. Plus, you have the flexibility to transfer your points to all of Chase's 14 transfer partners, including not just Southwest but also United Airlines, Air Canada, World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, and more.
The downside: Points transferred to Rapid Rewards from other programs do not count towards the Companion Pass. That means it can still make sense to get the Southwest Plus Card when chasing the Companion Pass — or if you want the 25% discount on in-flight purchases, Early-Bird Check-In, anniversary bonus points, and the card's other unique perks.
Redeeming Points With the Southwest Plus Card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards program is revenue-based, so you don't have to worry about any award charts when redeeming points with the Southwest Plus Card. Just look for any flight online, and you should also be able to book it with Rapid Rewards points if there's a seat available. Plus, in 2024, you're now able to book Southwest flights with a combination of cash and points (instead of having to choose one or the other).
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.
Southwest offers an easy search functionality when deciding whether to use points or cash. By clicking the “Points” button on the start page or after your results display with cash costs, you can clearly see the lowest fare across each flight in 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.
And when you're looking at flights for a particular date, Southwest tags the cheapest flights with a “Low fare” button to help you quickly identify the cheapest fares.
Related: Lots to Love: 6 Reasons Why Southwest Rapid Rewards Is the Easiest Airline Loyalty Program
Application Restrictions
As with all of Chase’s Southwest cards, the Southwest Plus Card is subject to Chase's 5/24 policy. This policy generally prevents new cardholders from getting a new Chase card if they've opened five or more credit card accounts (based on what's visible on your credit report) in the previous 24 months.
Also, you're ineligible for the welcome offer if you currently have another personal 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 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.”
Luckily, this restriction doesn't apply if you have one of the small business Southwest cards, as small business credit cards typically don't show up on a personal credit report.
Another rule to note: Chase doesn't generally approve applicants 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 Plus Card
Unsure if the Southwest Plus Card is right for you? Here are three more options to consider:
- If you're a more frequent flyer of Southwest, consider the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card. It has a $99 annual fee but provides 6,000 anniversary bonus points, TQPs toward A-List and A-List Preferred through credit card spending, and two EarlyBird check-ins each year. Plus, you'll still enjoy 25% back on in-flight purchases and 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in your account each year as a cardholder. More details are in our full Southwest Premier Card review.
- If you want to max out your perks on Southwest, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is the top choice. This card has a $149 annual fee, but those who can use the benefits may find the card is essentially paying them to hold it year after year. You'll get 7,500 anniversary bonus points, 3X points on Southwest purchases, four Upgraded Boardings annually, and a $75 Southwest travel credit each year. Plus, you'll still enjoy the 25% in-flight purchase discount and earning TQPs from spending. Our Southwest Priority Card review has more information.
- If you want points you can use with Southwest and other travel programs, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees). is a solid option. It levies a $95 annual fee but offers great bonus category spending and 10X when booking travel through Chase Travel. We consider this card to be the best beginner's travel rewards card. See our Sapphire Preferred review to learn more.
- 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
- 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
Bottom Line
The Southwest Plus Card is a great entry-level card for the infrequent Southwest flyer. While it won't help you earn your way toward A-List status, you'll get several built-in travel protections, anniversary bonus points, and a 25% discount on in-flight purchases to stay connected in the air. But if you're a more frequent Southwest flyer, you might find more value in another Southwest card that carries a higher annual fee.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 3,000 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 2X 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.
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 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
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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