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The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees) is one of three personal Southwest credit cards offered by Chase. Despite charging the lowest annual fee in the Southwest card lineup, the card typically offers a sign-up bonus comparable to that of more expensive cards.
Currently, the sign-up bonus on all three personal Southwest cards offers a Companion Pass through February 2027 — in addition to bonus points. Cardholders of the Southwest Plus Card can also receive anniversary bonus points each account anniversary, in-flight purchase discounts, and no foreign transaction fees.
While the cards keep costs low, it lacks some of the richer perks found on higher-tier Southwest cards — such as anniversary tier-qualifying points boosts — so it’s smart to compare features before applying.
Let's take a closer look at the Southwest Plus Card to help you determine if it is the right fit for you.
- Earn Companion Pass through 2/28/27 and 20,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 3,000 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines® purchases
- Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation can check their first bag at no additional cost.
- Select a Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available.
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
- 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
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Southwest Plus Card Pros
- Receive 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year.
- Get 3,000 anniversary points each year.
- 25% back on in-flight purchases, including Wi-Fi.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Southwest Plus Card Cons
- $99 annual fee.
- Only 1X base earning rate.
- 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
New Southwest Plus Card applicants can earn a Companion Pass through 2/28/27 plus 20,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Southwest redemptions roughly equate to the cash cost of the flight — 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 points from Southwest Plus Card‘s welcome offer are worth around $304 toward travel on Southwest.
Historically, Southwest credit card offers that bundle points with a Companion Pass tend to appear only once a year, making it smart to jump on them while they’re available. They provide a rare opportunity to fast-track your way to this coveted travel benefit.
Southwest Plus Card Benefits
Cardholders enjoy a coveted suite of benefits, including:
Companion Pass Boost
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.
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 Southwest Airlines purchases, you'll get 25% back as a statement credit. Note that this doesn't apply to other Southwest purchases like airfare, EarlyBird Check-In, or excess luggage.
10% Flight Discount
In addition to a inflight discount, cardmembers can also get a a 10% promo code each year on your cardmember anniversary (note that this code excludes basic fare). Higher-tier cards might have larger promo codes (e.g., 15%), but this benefit is still one of the advantages of the Southwest Plus.
Priority Boarding
While it doesn't offer a vast array of upgrade boarding benefits, the Southwest Plus Card offers earlier boarding for the cardmember and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation, with access to Group 5.
Seat Selection Benefits
Select a Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure for the cardmember and up to eight passengers on the same reservation. When available, this benefit is valued, on average, at $50 round trip.
First Free Checked Bag
First checked bag free is also available for the cardmember and up to eight passengers on the same reservation at no additional cost, a save up of at least $70 round trip.
Purchase and travel protections
Using your Southwest Plus Card for purchases can give you extra security through the following benefits:
- 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.
Southwest Plus Card Earning Rates
The Southwest Plus Card‘s earning structure breaks down as follows:
- 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
One of the downsides of the Southwest Plus Card is that 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.
Despite these increased earning rates, there may be better ways to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points.
For example, 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 partner airlines (including Southwest). Even better, you can earn up to 8x 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 your points to all of Chase's 14 transfer partners, including 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, anniversary bonus points, and the card's other unique perks.
Application Restrictions and Strategy
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 $149 annual fee but provides 6,000 anniversary bonus points, TQPs toward A-List and A-List Preferred through credit card spending. 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.
- If you want to max out your perks on Southwest, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees) is the top choice. This card has a $229 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, 4X points on Southwest purchases, a 25% in-flight purchase discount, and earn TQPs from spending.
- 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 5X when booking travel through Chase Travel. We consider this card to be the best beginner's travel rewards card.
$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
$95Rates & Fees
- 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
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 discount on in-flight purchases to stay connected in the air. But if you're a more frequent Southwest flyer and value earning Tier Qualifying Points toward elite status, you might find more value in another Southwest Rapid Rewards card that carries a higher annual fee.
- Earn Companion Pass through 2/28/27 and 20,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 3,000 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines® purchases
- Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation can check their first bag at no additional cost.
- Select a Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available.
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
- 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
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees)
