There’s nothing quite as exciting as boarding a flight and knowing in a few short hours, you will land somewhere new.
It’s even more exciting when you’ve snagged a great deal on that flight — something Southwest Airlines is known for.
If you frequently book flights with Southwest, you may benefit from opening one of the airline’s credit cards. While there are three consumer cards to choose from, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is Southwest's top-tier card with the most rewards and perks.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 4x points on Southwest Airlines® purchases
- 2x points at gas stations and restaurants
- 1x points on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$229
Overview of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Out of all the Southwest credit cards, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card has the highest annual fee.
While it's not as high as the fees on other premium travel credit cards, it is still fairly hefty since this card lacks the broad travel benefits that those cards offer, like credits for TSA PreCheck® enrollment or swanky airport lounge access.
That said, if you are loyal to Southwest, you can earn points rapidly with this credit card, and you also get 25% back on in-flight purchases.
You'll also earn 7,500 points each year on your cardmember anniversary without having to spend any money at all.
Pros
- Free checked bags and seat upgrades (when available)
- Anniversary perk of 7,500 points
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- High annual fee
- Airline rewards are limited to Southwest bookings
- Limited redemption options
Card Benefits
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card comes with the following benefits:
- Free first checked bag for cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation
- Preferred seat selection at time of booking (when available)
- Unlimited free upgrades to an extra legroom seat within 48 hours of departure (when available)
- Priority Group 5 boarding for cardmembers and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation
- 7,500 points every year on your cardmember anniversary
- 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost annually
- 25% back on in-flight purchases
- 2,500 tier-qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent annually
- No foreign transaction fees
As you can see, unlike more premium travel credit cards that offer access to swanky airport lounges or give you credits for TSA PreCheck®, the Rapid Rewards Priority only offers travel perks that help you when you fly with Southwest.
Earning and Redeeming Rewards
While the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card has a lot of redemption options, those options are limited. For example, you can redeem points for hotel and flight bookings, but Southwest currently doesn't offer destinations outside of the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean.
You can also redeem points for event bookings, merchandise purchases, and gift cards, but these have lower redemption values, meaning you’re not getting the best bang for your buck.
Who Should Get the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card?
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is only a good fit for those who fly with Southwest Airlines frequently. Even if you love this airline, it needs to have enough routes flying in and out of your local airport and you need to travel often enough to balance the cost of the annual fee with perks and rewards.
Before you apply, take a good look at your upcoming travel plans for the year. Research how much you are likely to spend on potential flights with Southwest Airlines and then crunch the numbers on how many rewards points you will earn for booking with this airline.
Who Shouldn’t Get the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card?
If you love to travel, but don’t hold any allegiance to Southwest Airlines, you may find that a more flexible travel rewards credit card (one that isn’t linked to a single specific airline or hotel chain) is a better fit.
Even if you do fly Southwest often, there are other Southwest credit cards with smaller annual fees that may get the job done.
Alternatives to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Depending on your travel habits, you may find that one of Southwest's other credit cards suit you better — or a non-branded credit card that offers you more flexibility.
For a low annual fee
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Rewards Rate
- 2x points on Southwest Airlines® purchases
- 2x points at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- 1x points on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$99
If you fly Southwest Airlines frequently but want to avoid that high annual fee, you may find the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card better for your budget.
In exchange for a smaller annual fee, you don’t get as many of the perks. It has the same welcome bonus, but with lower reward rates and a smaller annual gift (3,000 points versus 7,500).
However, you do still get free first checked bags and Group 5 boarding for you and up to eight guests, and the Plus no longer charges foreign transaction fees.
For mid-tier Southwest benefits
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
All information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Erika.com. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is no longer available through Erika.com.
Rewards Rate
- 3x points on Southwest Airlines® purchases
- 2x points at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- 1x points on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$149
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card differs primarily in the rewards values, annual fee, and the anniversary bonus points (6,000 versus 7,500). The Premier also doesn't offer upgrades to extra legroom seats or preferred seat selection at booking, and gives you fewer TQPs each year.
However, that's where the differences mostly end. Both cards offer free first checked bags and Group 5 boarding for you and up to eight guests, as well as 25% off in-flight purchases and 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year.
If you don't care about more premium seats, but still want lots of Southwest perks, you may prefer the cheaper Premier.
For more flexibility
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rewards Rate
- 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries
- 2x on all other travel purchases
- 1x on all other purchases
Welcome Offer
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Even if you enjoy flying Southwest, paying an annual fee for a credit card that only rewards booking with that specific airline can be limiting. If you want more flexibility, you may want to consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
With this credit card, you can transfer any rewards points you earn to a handful of different airline and hotel partners — including Southwest Airlines.
The annual fee isn’t cheap, but it’s lower than the fee for the Rapid Rewards Priority.
The Bottom Line
If you're a loyal Southwest customer, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card can earn you hefty rewards on your Southwest purchases.
Plus, you get perks like free checked bags, preferred seat selection, 25% back on in-flight purchases, and upgrades to extra legroom seats.
The annual fee is a bit high, but if you frequently fly the skies with Southwest, it could balance out.
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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.
