Erika’s Picks for Best Southwest Credit Cards
- Best for beginners:
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card - Best for frequent fliers:
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card - Best for budget travelers:
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card - Best for business travelers:
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Southwest Airlines is one of the most popular airlines for domestic travelers in the U.S., with a very loyal fan base.
If you’re one of those fans, then having a Southwest credit card in your wallet can help you score points for future flights. Plus, earning a Southwest Companion Pass allows anyone of your choice — a spouse, partner, child, or close friend — to fly with you on your next flight for just the cost of taxes and fees.
Best for Beginners
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 2x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
- 2x points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental purchases
- 2x points on local transit, rideshare, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming
- 1x points on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$69
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is an ideal card for beginners who want to earn Southwest points and access travel perks, but without the cost commitment of a premium travel card. The card does come with an annual fee, but it’s the lowest fee of all the Southwest cards.
In addition to earning points on Southwest purchases, you also get boosted points on local transit, commuting, select streaming services, and bookings with Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Your points never expire.
Other benefits include:
- 3,000 anniversary points
- 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost
- Two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year
- 25% statement credit on in-flight purchases
- No blackout dates
- One checked bag credit
All Southwest consumer credit cards also come with the following protections:
- Lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000 per traveler)
- Delayed baggage coverage (up to $100 a day for up to 3 days when baggage is delayed over 6 hours)
- Auto rental coverage
- Roadside assistance
- Travel and emergency assistance
- Travel accident insurance (up to $500,000)
- Purchase protection (120 days from date of purchase; up to $500 per item)
- Extended warranty for an additional year
While the card is great for beginners, it does have some drawbacks. There’s a 3% foreign transaction fee, and perks like upgrades and priority boarding aren’t available on this card.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card has the lowest annual fee of all Southwest cards, making it a good option for beginners who don’t necessarily need premium perks.
If you fly a lot on Southwest, the EarlyBird Check-In, checked bag credit, and 25% discount on in-flight purchases could make it well worth it. Plus, the reward structure is simple, making it a practical way for first-time cardholders to start earning Southwest flights.
Best for Frequent Fliers
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
- 2x points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental purchases
- 2x points on local transit, rideshare, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming
- 1x points on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$149
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is a good option for travelers who fly Southwest frequently.
You’ll earn the most points on Southwest purchases, as well as boosted rewards on local transit, commuting, select streaming services, and bookings with Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
The card comes with a moderate annual fee, but it can be offset thanks to a $75 travel credit.
Other perks include:
- 7,500 anniversary points
- 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost
- Four upgraded boardings per year
- 1,500 tier qualifying points towards A-List status for every $5,000 spent annually
- 25% statement credit on in-flight purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- No blackout dates
- One checked bag credit
All Southwest consumer credit cards also come with the following protections:
- Lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000 per traveler)
- Delayed baggage coverage (up to $100 a day for up to 3 days when baggage is delayed over 6 hours)
- Auto rental coverage
- Roadside assistance
- Travel and emergency assistance
- Travel accident insurance (up to $500,000)
- Purchase protection (120 days from date of purchase; up to $500 per item)
- Extended warranty for an additional year
Southwest only offers three consumer credit cards, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is the top of all three, offering the most perks. While it also comes with the highest annual fee, it’s still a moderate fee compared to some other airlines’ premium cards.
If you travel enough with Southwest to justify the fee, having this card can make your flights much more pleasant, with upgraded boardings and the ability to work towards A-List status.
But keep in mind that while Southwest is well-regarded for domestic travel, it has limited international flights. If you want to put points toward free international travel, you might be better off with a general travel credit card.
Best for Budget Travelers
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
- 2x points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental purchases
- 2x points on local transit, rideshare, internet, cable, phone, and select streaming
- 1x points on everything else
Welcome Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$99
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is a mid-tier card for budget-minded travelers who still want to earn rewards with Southwest but want a cheaper annual fee.
You’ll earn the most on Southwest purchases, as well as boosted points on local transit, commuting, select streaming services, and bookings with Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
Here are some benefits that can help offset the cost of the annual fee:
- 6,000 anniversary points
- 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost
- Two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year
- 1,500 tier qualifying points towards A-List status for every $5,000 spent annually
- 25% statement credit on in-flight purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
- No blackout dates
- One checked bag credit
All Southwest consumer credit cards also come with the following protections:
- Lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000 per traveler)
- Delayed baggage coverage (up to $100 a day for up to 3 days when baggage is delayed over 6 hours)
- Auto rental coverage
- Roadside assistance
- Travel and emergency assistance
- Travel accident insurance (up to $500,000)
- Purchase protection (120 days from date of purchase; up to $500 per item)
- Extended warranty for an additional year
Unlike the Priority card, the Premier doesn’t come with upgraded boardings. And while the fee is lower, it is comparable to other general travel cards that offer more flexibility.
All information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is a good pick for budget travelers who want similar rewards to the Priority card but at a lower fee. In exchange for the chaper fee, you won’t get upgraded boardings and fewer anniversary points, but otherwise, it’s nearly identical to the pricier Priority card.
If you fly a lot with Southwest but aren’t concerned about upgraded boardings, the Premier is a good midpoint in the Southwest card lineup.
All information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Best for Business Travelers
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 4x points on Southwest® purchases (including flights, inflight purchases, and Southwest gift cards)
- 3x points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners
- 2x points on local transit and commuting, social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone service
- 1x points for all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$199
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is designed for business owners who travel often with Southwest.
You’ll earn the most on Southwest purchases and with Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners, as well as boosted points on local transit, ridesharing, social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services.
The card comes with an annual fee but includes benefits that can help you get your business off the ground:
- 9,000 anniversary points
- 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost
- Four upgraded boardings per year
- Global Entry or TSA Precheck® credit
- Up to 365 in-flight internet credits per year
- 1,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent
- $500 point transfer credit per year
- No foreign transaction fees
- Employee cards
- One checked bag credit
The card also comes with the following protections:
- Lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000 per traveler)
- Delayed baggage coverage (up to $100 a day for up to 3 days when baggage is delayed over 6 hours)
- Auto rental coverage
- Roadside assistance
- Travel and emergency assistance
- Travel accident insurance (up to $500,000)
- Purchase protection (120 days from date of purchase; up to $10,000 per item)
- Extended warranty for an additional year
While this card is a good option for Southwest customers, remember that it’s limited to Southwest. You can transfer points to Rapid Rewards® partners, but you may not get status or lounge access if you do.
Southwest offers two business credit cards — of them, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is the more premium, with better perks and a higher rewards rate.
While the fee is higher than the Premier business card, it’s still fairly affordable compared to some other airlines’ premium business cards.
All in all, it offers good rewards and nice perks if you’re a business traveler who frequently flies with Southwest.
How To Choose a Southwest Credit Card
When you’re choosing a new credit card, it’s important to consider how much value it can give you. This is especially true of airline credit cards, which are only valuable if you’re a loyal traveler on that airline.
Annual fee
One of the biggest factors in choosing a Southwest credit card is the annual fee. All Southwest cards come with one, so you’ll want to evaluate the costs and benefits of the card before forking over the cash to keep it in your wallet.
The two cards with the lowest annual fees are the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card. Both offer the same sign-on bonus, and both come with similar Southwest benefits, like checking in a bag for free.
The Premier card gives you a higher anniversary bonus and the ability to earn points towards getting A-List status with Southwest. If you’ll benefit from these added perks, it could be worth the extra cost.
A-list status
A-List members get access to priority boarding, free same-day change/standby, and express check-in and security. A-List Preferred members get those perks, plus extras like in-flight internet and two complimentary drinks.
To access A-List, you typically need 20 qualifying one-way flights or 35,000 tier-qualifying points per calendar year. (For A-List Preferred, it’s 40 qualifying one-way flights or 70,000 tier-qualifying points per calendar year.)
All of Southwest’s credit cards, except for the Rapid Rewards® Plus, let you earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points for every $5,000 spent. So if you’re seeking status, you’ll want to consider that when choosing your card.
Perks and benefits
Aside from determining whether or not the points are worth the annual fee, you’ll also want to see if you will use the benefits. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, for example, has a higher annual fee and comes with upgraded boardings each year.
If you don’t plan to use those — or if that isn’t important to you — you might be better off choosing a card with a lower annual fee.
Your travel habits and plans
One last factor to consider before choosing a Southwest card is your access to destinations where Southwest flies. Southwest offers flights in South and Central America but you won’t find flights across the pond.
If international travel is part of your itinerary, you might want to consider a general travel rewards card that has flexible options.
How To Earn the Southwest Companion Pass
Southwest’s Companion Pass is great if you travel with friends or family since it allows you to travel with someone else for just the cost of taxes and fees. If you travel frequently, the savings can add up fast.
While some travelers aspire to earn status on their preferred airline, Southwest flyers aim to earn the Companion Pass. To qualify, you’ll need to rack up 135,000 Rapid Rewards® points or book 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. Each card comes with 10,000 points you can put toward the Companion Pass when you open a new account.
After you earn it, it’s good for the rest of the year that you apply and the full following year. If you’re eyeing the Companion Pass, be strategic about when you apply for a Southwest card. For example, if you earn the Companion Pass in January 2024, you’ll have it for nearly all of 2024 and all of 2025. But if you earn it in June 2024, you’ll only get half of 2024 and all of 2025.
READ MORE: Ultimate Guide to the Southwest Companion Pass
Pros and Cons of Southwest Credit Cards
Before selecting a Southwest credit card, evaluate the benefits to make sure it’s the right card for your wallet.
Pros
- Companion Pass: You won’t find this perk with any other airline. The Companion Pass allows you to bring a guest on your trip for just the cost of taxes and fees.
- Family-friendly seating: Southwest offers Family Boarding for adults traveling with children under the age of six.
- Anniversary points: All cards come with anniversary points that you can put toward future flights.
Cons
- Limited destinations: Southwest is great if you want to fly domestically, but it isn’t a good option for international travel.
- Annual fees: There isn’t a no-fee Southwest credit card. Expect to pay in the first billing cycle to keep a Southwest card in your wallet.
- No lounges: Lounge access is a major perk for most airline credit cards, but you won’t get lounge access if you fly Southwest.
- Transfer fees and value loss: The good news is that if you want to transfer Southwest points to family members or travel partners, you can. The bad news is it isn’t always worth it. Southwest will charge you a fee for points you transfer to family and friends. And if you opt to transfer points to a travel partner, they might depreciate in value.
Bottom Line: Should You Get a Southwest Credit Card?
Southwest credit cards are designed for frequent flyers who do a lot of domestic travel. The rewards program awards the highest points for travel booked with Southwest and points are only redeemable on Southwest flights. It’s also good for couples or families who could benefit from the savings offered by the Companion Pass.
But if you prefer international travel over domestic, and like the flexibility to pick and choose different airlines, then you may benefit from a general travel credit card instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Southwest does not offer a credit card without an annual fee. The cheapest card you can get is the Rapid Reward Plus card, which costs $69 per year.
There isn’t a standard value for points and the redemption value can vary based on when you travel and where you travel. Typically, Southwest points come out to around 1.5 cents each.
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