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If you fly often within the U.S. or to Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean, you’re probably familiar with Southwest Airlines. Known for its affordability and customer service, it also boasts a popular loyalty program — Southwest Rapid Rewards.
You can sign up for free and earn rewards by flying Southwest or booking with eligible hotel and rental car partners. You can also use the Rapid Rewards shopping portal and dining program.
But if you want to earn points for every dollar you spend, as well as a welcome bonus and other perks, a co-branded credit card from Southwest and Chase is the way to go.
Top cards for Southwest Airlines
Best for entry-level travelers
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Even with the lowest annual fee of $99, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card offers the same welcome bonus as other Southwest cards.
Plus, you get a 3,000-point anniversary bonus; 2X points on Southwest purchases, 2X points on gas station and grocery store purchases (on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per year) and Group 5 boarding.
The card is a decent option if you fly Southwest once or twice a year. If you start flying more often, you’ll get more value out of a higher-tier Southwest card.
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Pros
- The welcome bonus could be worth $1,500 based on Bankrate’s valuations, which could cover multiple flights or one long-distance international flight.
- After the first year, the estimated $45 worth of anniversary points covers more than half of the annual fee.
Cons
- The card doesn’t have high rewards-earning potential for everyday spending.
- The annual fee has gone up, but there aren’t many new perks or benefits, except that it now has no foreign transaction fee.
Best for frequent flyers on a budget
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By upping the annual fee to $149, you get the same welcome bonus as other Southwest cards plus a 6,000-point anniversary bonus, 3X points on Southwest purchases and no foreign transaction fees.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is a handy card to rack up Southwest points and use those EarlyBird Check-Ins (for 2025 flights) while paying around the same fee as other mid-tier travel cards.
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Pros
- The first checked bag is free for cardmembers and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation, which can save a significant amount of money (ex., a family of four could save up to $280 round-trip with a checked bag valued at $35).
- Work your way toward A-List status by earning 1,500 tier-qualifying points (TQPs) for every $5,000 spent annually, a perk not offered by the lower-tier Southwest card.
Cons
- The redemption options for your rewards aren’t as flexible as comparable general travel cards.
Best for Southwest loyalists
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If you fly with Southwest so often that you have a favorite seat and notice when they change snack brands, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is for you. Even for the highest annual fee of $229, you’ll get the most bang for your buck in bonus points, credits and upgraded boardings.
Although it offers the same welcome bonus and rewards earning as the mid-tier version, the generous anniversary points and upgraded boardings (for 2025 flights) credit make the card soar in value.
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Pros
- Access four upgraded boarding per year, handy for those long or full flights.
- Big spenders may be able to qualify for A-List status or a Companion Pass, especially with the annual points boosts.
Cons
- The card doesn’t offer the flexible redemption options or perks — like lounge access or TSA PreCheck or Global Entry reimbursement — that other general travel cards do.
Best for casual business travel
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Small businesses that want to cash in on rewards while flying Southwest for work may enjoy the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card. For a $149 annual fee, it’s comparable to the personal version of the card, but with the ability to add free employee cards.
You’ll still get two EarlyBird Check-Ins (for 2025 flights) and an anniversary bonus worth $90 according to Bankrate’s valuation, justifying the annual fee.
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Pros
- Earn 3X points on Southwest purchases you might be making anyway for your business.
- By adding employee cards at no cost, your team can earn more points and even reach A-List status more quickly.
Cons
- You don’t get the business-specific perks of the higher-tier card, like rewards for business expenses and in-flight WiFi credit.
Best for travel perks
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The other of Southwest’s two business cards, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card caters to businesses who can afford the $299 annual fee and want travel perks like four upgraded boardings per year, in-flight Wi-Fi credits and Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS credit.
Plus, you’ll earn a generous 4X points on Southwest purchases, as well as 2X points on gas stations, restaurants, hotel accommodations (when booked directly with the hotel) and local transit and commuting.
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Pros
- The estimated $1,200 value of the welcome bonus and $135 value of the anniversary bonus go a long way toward covering the annual fee.
- After your first year, you can tap into the upgraded boardings and offered credits to justify the fee.
- The rewards rate on Southwest purchases is higher than all the other Southwest cards’ rewards.
Cons
- If you don’t maximize the card’s rewards and perks, the annual fee may not be worth it.
Comparing the best cards for Southwest Airlines
| Card name | Annual fee | Rapid Rewards rate and perks | Bankrate score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card* | $99 |
• 3,000 anniversary points |
4.3 |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card* | $149 |
• 6,000 anniversary points |
4.0 |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card* | $229 |
• 7,5000 anniversary points |
4.2 |
| Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card | $149 |
• 6,000 anniversary points |
4.5 |
| Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card | $299 |
• 9,000 anniversary points |
4.7 |
How to choose the best card for Southwest Airlines
- Consider how often you fly with Southwest. You don’t have to fly with the airline every time you travel to justify having a co-branded Southwest card. But if you only choose Southwest every now and then, a general travel card may let you use your points or miles more flexibly while earning rewards at the same rate. Frequent Southwest fliers might enjoy the airline-specific perks that come with the co-branded cards above.
- Compare fees and features. If you’d like to keep the annual fee down, a lower-tier card can offer enough points through the welcome bonus, anniversary bonus and rewards to use for a few flights while covering the fee. But if you’re willing to pay more — while still keeping it under $200, unlike top-tier travel cards — then a higher-tier card like the Rapid Rewards Priority offers more value for the annual fee in bonuses, credits and rewards potential.
- Decide whether you need a personal or business card. If you’re not a business owner and fly Southwest solely for pleasure, you’d want to apply for a personal card. But if you have a business or side hustle and make those expenses on a personal card, your transaction records can get complicated. Plus, you may want to add employees to the account. In that case, you could apply for a business card.
How to earn tier status with Southwest
If you’re aiming for an A-List status — with priority boarding and even free drinks and Wi-Fi for A-List Preferred — or Companion Pass, a Southwest card can help you get there.
To qualify for A-List, you need to fly 20 one-way Southwest flights or earn 35,000 tier qualifying points (TQPs) per year. You earn TQPs by buying Southwest flights, but you can get even more with a credit card. Other than the Rapid Rewards Plus card, Southwest cards offer 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) for every $5,000 you spend in a year.
That way, you can get to A-List with a combination of purchasing Southwest flights and spending on a Southwest card. A-List Preferred status requires 40 flights or 70,000 TQPs.
A Companion Pass is another high-value benefit that lets you bring a free companion on every flight. To earn a Companion Pass, you need to fly 100 one-way flights or accrue 135,000 TQPs in a year. You can earn TQPs by buying Southwest flights and earning Rapid Rewards with your credit card.
Southwest cards also offer 10,000 TQPs toward your Companion Pass each year. Get strategic about securing a Southwest Companion Pass by applying for a card and timing the welcome bonus to hit at the beginning of the year, leaving you with plenty of time to rack up the remaining points by December.
| Tier status | How to earn it | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| A-List |
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| A-List Preferred |
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| Companion Pass |
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What’s next?
The bottom line
If you’re looking to earn points on Southwest flights while tapping into perks like upgraded boardings and a potential Companion Pass, one of these Southwest cards might be right for you.
The card you choose depends on how often you fly Southwest and how much you’re willing to pay for an annual fee. As soon as you apply and snag that welcome bonus, you could be joking with flight attendants and enjoying free snacks in no time.
Frequently asked questions
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Yes, you can use a Southwest card for any purchase, like a typical credit card. You’ll earn at least 1X point per dollar to put toward future Southwest bookings.
But other credit cards offer better rewards for everyday spending like groceries and gas, so you could pair a Southwest card with another rewards card to maximize your strategy.
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To qualify for a Southwest credit card, you’ll likely need between a good credit score and an excellent credit score, so a FICO Score above 670. You can get prequalified for a card to know your odds before applying and getting a hard inquiry on your credit score.
If you don’t have good credit yet, you can apply for a credit-building card and practice using it responsibly.
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Southwest points are valued at 1.5 cents per point, according to Bankrate’s valuations. For example, a stash of 50,000 points is worth $750 in flights.
One-way Southwest flights can range from around 6,000 points to above 30,000 points, based on the destination, day of the week and time of year. If you’ve got points to spend, consider checking out Southwest’s low fare calendar for affordable flights to your dream destination.
*Information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
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