Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card Review: Top-Tier Perks for Frequent Fliers 

Southwest Airlines is known for its affordable fares, flexible change policy, and of course, the unparalleled Companion Pass.

For many travelers, it’s their preferred airline. If that’s you, a Southwest rewards credit card is an obvious choice.

Plus, if you’re both a Southwest fan and a business owner, you may be interested in the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, which offers a high rewards rate for Southwest purchases, along with benefits like upgraded boarding and TSA PreCheck®. 

Overview of the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is a solid rewards card for business owners who want travel perks. The benefits of the card are most valuable when you fly often on Southwest Airlines and are either seeking A-List status or a Companion Pass. 

There is an annual fee, but it is easily paid back in the form of welcome points, reimbursement for TSA PreCheck®, and other perks. Just keep in mind that you need to fly quite a bit on Southwest to maximize the benefits. 

Card Benefits

In July 2025, Southwest announced big changes to the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (as well as its other cards). The changes brought in some great benefits, but also phase out some old perks and rewards rates, effective December 31, 2025.

Here's what the card now offers:

• First checked bag free plus for up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation
• Preferred seat selection at booking (when available)
• Unlimited free upgrades to extra legroom seats within 48 hours of departure (when available)
• Group 5 boarding for you and up to 8 guests on the same reservation
• 9,000 bonus points every year on your cardmember anniversary
• 25% back on in-flight purchases
• 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year
• 2,500 tier-qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status per $5,000 spent annually
• Statement credit to help with the cost of TSA PreCheck®, Global Entry, or NEXUS application fee
• No foreign transaction fees

The card continues to have the following insurance and protections:

• Primary auto rental coverage, up to $60,000
• Purchase protection for 120 days, up to $10,000 per item
• Lost luggage protection up to $3,000 per covered traveler
• Travel and emergency services assistance
• Roadside dispatch (fees for services apply)
• Extended warranty of one year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less
• Baggage delay insurance up to $100 per day for 3 days when baggage is delayed over 6 hours
• Travel accident insurance for death and dismemberment, up to $500,000

Expiring December 31, 2025

The following bonus rates and perks are in place for the rest of 2025 but will be removed from the Rapid Rewards benefits at the end of the year:

• 3x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners 
• 2x points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services
• 4 upgraded boardings per year
• $500 fee credit annually for points transfers
• Up to 365 in-flight wifi credits annually

Redeeming Rewards 

You can redeem Rapid Rewards points for Southwest flights to get the greatest value from them. Southwest offers flights to over 100 destinations in the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean.  

Taxes and fees aren’t redeemable with points, however. You also can’t purchase military or government fares with points. 

Other redemption options include hotels, car rentals, merchandise, gift cards, curated travel experiences, and exclusive events. There’s also the option of statement credits, although those aren’t nearly as exciting as redeeming points for travel. 

READ MORE: How To Maximize Credit Card Rewards

Earning the Southwest Companion Pass

One of the biggest draws of Southwest credit cards is that purchases can qualify you for the coveted Companion Pass. That’s a major perk for frequent Southwest flyers: secure a Companion Pass, and you can designate one person to fly with you basically for free (other than fees and taxes).

Timing is key to maximizing the value of a Companion Pass. It’s valid for the remainder of the calendar year during which you earned it, plus the entire full calendar year after that. In other words, if you’ve accumulated 135,000 points by January, you’ll enjoy nearly two full years of free Companion flights. 

With the Performance card, you'll receive 10,000 points toward the Companion Pass on each card anniversary. 

What We Like About the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Perhaps the greatest feature of the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is that your regular business purchases go towards earning the Southwest Companion Pass, which can save you serious cash if you regularly travel with a companion on your work trips.

We also like how much it can help you make the most of your Southwest flights, with free checked bags, upgraded seating, and in-flight discounts. If you fly Southwest a lot, those perks can make your trips much more enjoyable and affordable.

Plus, we like that the card comes with some important protections, like baggage delay insurance, an auto rental collision waiver, and a one-year extended warranty on purchases. 

What We Dislike About the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

The main downside of the Southwest business credit card is that it’s not as flexible as some other cards for transferring points to other loyalty programs. While this is fairly normal for an airline-branded card, it also means you need to be extremely loyal to that one airline to get the most out of your rewards.

It’s also disappointing that there's no trip delay, interruption, or cancellation insurance with this card, which some other airline credit cards do offer.

Who Should Get the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card?

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card offers plenty of benefits, but is, unsurprisingly, best for business owners who fly exclusively or primarily on Southwest.

If you’re not near a Southwest hub or need to do a lot of international travel, a general travel credit card may be a better option, so you can pick routes and fare prices that best suit your travel plans. 

Alternatives to the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Depending on your travel habits, you may find that Southwest's other business credit card suits you better — or maybe a non-branded credit card that offers more flexibility.

For a cheaper annual fee

If you've got your heart set on a Southwest credit card but don't like the fee of the Rapid Rewards Performance, its more affordable sister card, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card, may be a better option.

It comes with many of the same perks as the Performance, including free checked bags, 25% off in-flight purchases, seat selection, and annual points bonuses, but at a lower value.

For example, you'll only receive a bonus of 6,000 points per year with the Premier, versus 9,000 with the Performance. And preferred seat selection is only 48 hours prior to departure, whereas the Performance offers it at the time of booking. You also won't get a statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

However, if those extra benefits don't matter to you or you don't think you'd get enough from the card to cancel out the fee, you may prefer the Premier.

For United perks

The United℠ Business Card offers many of the same benefits as the Southwest business credit card, but for a lower annual fee.

Benefits include a 5,000-mile anniversary bonus (if you also have a Chase United® personal card), a $125 United travel credit after purchasing five United flights of $100 or more each anniversary year, 25% off in-flight purchases, priority boarding, a free checked bag, and two United Club one-time passes each year. 

Like with the Southwest card, you'll receive points for referrals: 20,000 each up to 100,000 per year. 

However, travel protection is more robust with the United card: insurance for trip cancellation, interruptions, and delays is included, while Southwest’s business card doesn’t include this. 

For general travel rewards

Another fantastic business card for those who are loyal to Southwest is the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

With a lower annual fee, significant rewards on travel and business spending categories, and the option to transfer points to travel partners, including Southwest Rapid Rewards, you’ll get most of the same benefits but with greater flexibility. 

Where the Ink Business Preferred stands out is that your points transfer equally to Southwest Rapid Rewards, as well as to 10 other airline partners. You can also transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to hotel partners IHG® One Rewards Club, Marriott Bonvoy®, and World of Hyatt. So your rewards are much more flexible.

The travel insurance coverage is also more comprehensive, covering things like trip cancellation. 

One reason you might still prefer using the Southwest business credit card is if you’re going after the Companion Pass. If your business earns that, you’ll get nearly two years of free companion flights, which can increase your card benefits exponentially. 

FAQs

The Bottom Line

If you frequently fly Southwest for business, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is worth considering.

In addition to perks like free checked bags and upgraded seating, you can also earn the Southwest Companion Pass, which can come in very handy if there’s someone who regularly travels with you.

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Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.