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Offers for the Southwest
Southwest may look different these days, but it still offers compelling reasons to fly. Rapid Rewards points remain easy to redeem; you can book any available seat with points; and Southwest doesn't charge cancellation fees on Rapid Rewards redemptions. Travelers also get a free carry-on bag, while the Companion Pass remains one of the most valuable perks in domestic travel.
Southwest
Here’s what each Southwest credit card offers — and how to decide whether one deserves a place in your wallet.
- Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 7,500 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines® purchases, including flights, inflight, and Southwest gift cards.
- Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and restaurants
- First checked bag free for Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.
- Select a Preferred seat at booking, at no additional charge, when available.
- Cardmembers and up to 8 passengers in the same reservation will board with Group 5 giving them earlier access to overhead bins.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
- 4X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Southwest Airlines Credit Card Welcome Offers
Southwest offers five travel
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees): Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees): Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
$99Rates & Fees
- 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$149
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$229Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees): Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees): Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
$299Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 2X points per $1 on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$149Rates & Fees
- 3X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per year
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: Why Southwest Rapid Rewards Is the Easiest Airline
Anniversary Bonus Points
All five Southwest cards provide bonus points on your account anniversary. This helps offset the cost of holding the card over the long term. Southwest points have historically been worth around 1.52¢ each. That means you can get around $15 in flight savings for every 1,000 points.
Here's the anniversary bonus you get with each card and its approximate value:
- Southwest Plus Card: 3,000 points ($45)
- Southwest Premier Card: 6,000 points ($90)
- Southwest Priority Card: 7,500 points ($113)
- Southwest Premier Business Card: 6,000 points ($90)
- Southwest Performance Business Card: 9,000 points ($135)
There are no yearly spending minimums or other requirements to earn these extra points — just keep your card open and pay its annual fee. Since Rapid Rewards points don't expire, most Southwest flyers should count these bonus points at close to face value. They'll be safe in your frequent flyer account until you're ready to convert them into travel savings.
This anniversary bonus offsets a significant portion of the cost of keeping the card.
How Many Rapid Rewards Points Will I Earn?
The Southwest Performance Business Card earns the most points for purchases from the airline, with 4x earnings on Southwest purchases and 2x on hotel accommodations booked directly. It also offers extra points for popular small-business spending categories.
Here's a by-card breakdown of how many Rapid Rewards points you'll earn on your spending, plus a preview of some of their headline benefits:
| CARD | EARNING RATE |
|---|---|
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card | Receive 3,000 anniversary points each year. Enjoy benefits including 2X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases, first checked bag free, and more. |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card | Receive 6,000 anniversary points each year. Enjoy benefits including 3X points on Southwest® purchases, 2X at grocery stores and restaurants (on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year), 2 Early Bird Check-In® each year, 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year, and more. |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card | Receive 7,500 anniversary points each year. Enjoy benefits including 4X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases, 2X points at gas stations and restaurants, first checked bag free, and more. |
| Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card | Earn 3X on Southwest® purchases, 2X at gas stations and restaurants (on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per year), and 1X on all other eligible purchases. |
| Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card | Earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on gas station and restaurant purchases. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. |
Use These Cards To Qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass
The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most sought-after perks in award travel. It allows the passholder to take a companion on every Southwest flight for at least one year for just the mandatory taxes and fees. This pass is good for revenue tickets and award flights paid with Rapid Rewards points.
For now, any points earned on your Southwest co-brand credit cards — including the sign-up bonus — count towards your Companion Pass qualification. Unfortunately, that's changing in 2027.
However, if you are approved for a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card on or before December 2, 2026, the sign-up will count toward earning the Companion Pass — even if you earn the bonus in 2027.
Say you sign up for a new Southwest card now and earn the bonus in January 2027. That bonus will count toward earning the Companion Pass in 2027. If you earn enough points by March 2027, you'll keep the pass for the rest of 2027 and all the way through December 31, 2028.
Easy Redemption Process
Redeeming your Rapid Rewards points with Southwest Airlines is easy. Book your flights and opt to use your points during the reservation process. There are no blackout dates, and as long as there's a seat available on the flight, it’s yours if you have the points. Other travel rewards programs have significant limitations on when and how to use the points, so this is a breath of fresh air.
Annual Fees
Annual fees on the Southwest cards will set you back:
- $99 on the Southwest Plus Card
- $149 on the Southwest Premier Card
- $229 on the Southwest Priority Card
- $149 on the Southwest Premier Business Card
- $299 on the Southwest Performance Business Card
Bottom Line
While the Southwest Rapid Rewards travel rewards credit cards are straightforward and attractive to passengers who travel Southwest Airlines, there are few high-end perks to look forward to. There are no travel partners you can creatively combine points with to get even more flexibility and value out of your points, but you can get your money’s worth out of the cards if you are a frequent Southwest traveler and want to keep things as simple as possible.
You can earn a lot of points, and redeeming them is fairly simple. It can also be very valuable if you earn the Southwest Companion Pass; these cards are now the fastest way to get there.
$99Rates & Fees
- 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$229Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
$299Rates & Fees
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 2X points per $1 on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
- 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® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
