Home Travel And Adventure Comparing the personal Southwest cards: Which is best you for?

Travel And Adventure

Comparing the personal Southwest cards: Which is best you for?

amit.goel.ynr@gmail.com

August 1, 2025

Southwest Airlines is in the midst of a massive overhaul of its current operations, including adding bag fees, updating its boarding process and adding seat assignments.

Southwest’s three personal credit cards were also recently refreshed.

At first glance, you may not think there are many differences among the cards, especially since they all share the same welcome offer, but the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees) all have key differences.

The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

For a limited time, new applicants can earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 or more on purchases in the first five months from account opening. Based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, this offer is worth $1,400. This is the highest welcome offer we’ve seen on these cards that doesn’t include a Companion Pass.

We’ll analyze the details of each and help you decide which card is best for you, based on how often you fly Southwest and how many of these cards’ respective perks you can maximize.

Here’s what you need to know to choose the best option for you.

Southwest credit cards overview

	Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card	Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card	Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
Annual fee	$99	$149	$229
Anniversary points bonus	3,000 points	6,000 points	7,500 points
Earning rates	New: 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and grocery stores, on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per year 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases 2 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and rental car partners (ends Dec. 31) 2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including ride-hailing services (ends Dec. 31) 2 points per dollar spent on internet, cable and phone services and on select streaming services (ends Dec. 31) 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases	3 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases New: 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and restaurants, on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per year 2 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners (ends Dec. 31) 2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including ride-hailing services (ends Dec. 31) 2 points per dollar spent on internet, cable and phone services and with select streaming providers (ends Dec. 31) 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases	New: 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases New: 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants 2 points per dollar spent with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners (ends Dec. 31) 2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including ride-hailing apps (ends Dec. 31) 2 points per dollar spent on internet, cable and phone services and select streaming purchases (ends Dec. 31) 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Southwest perks	Free first checked bag: Receive a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation. Two EarlyBird Check-Ins annually (for flights operating in 2025; ends Dec. 31). Priority boarding: Receive Group 5 priority boarding (for flights in 2026 and beyond). If you have A-List status, you can board with an earlier group. Standard seat selection: Receive complimentary standard seat selection within 48 hours of departure for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation. Flight discount code: Cardholders receive one promotional 10% flight discount code each anniversary year (excluding Basic fares). 25% inflight savings: Receive 25% back (as a statement credit) after you use your card to purchase inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.	Free first checked bag: Receive a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation. Two EarlyBird Check-Ins annually (for flights operating in 2025; ends Dec. 31). Priority boarding: Receive Group 5 priority boarding (for flights in 2026 and beyond). If you have A-List status, you can board with an earlier group. Preferred seat selection: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select Preferred seating within 48 hours of departure. Flight discount code: Cardholders receive one promotional 15% flight discount code each anniversary year (excluding Basic fares). 25% inflight savings: Receive 25% back (as a statement credit) after you use your card to purchase inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.	Annual Southwest travel credit: During each cardholder year, you’ll receive a $75 travel credit that can be used on most Southwest purchases, including tickets (excluding upgraded boardings and inflight purchases; this credit will end Dec. 31). Free first checked bag: Receive a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation. Two EarlyBird Check-Ins annually (for flights operating in 2025; ends Dec. 31). Four upgraded boardings per year: For flights operating in 2025, you’ll have the ability to upgrade your boarding up to four times (ends Dec. 31). Priority boarding: Receive Group 5 priority boarding (for flights in 2026 and beyond). If you have A-List status, you can board with an earlier group. Preferred seat selection at booking: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select Preferred seating at the time of booking. Unlimited extra-legroom upgrades: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select extra-legroom seats within 48 hours prior to departure. 25% inflight savings: Receive 25% back (as a statement credit) after you use your card to purchase inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.
Tier qualifying points and Companion Pass qualifying points	A boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.	Earn 1,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $5,000 in spending per calendar year (with no cap). A boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.	Earn 2,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $5,000 in spending per calendar year (with no cap). A boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.
Travel and purchase protections		Extended warranty protection adds up to one year to eligible manufacturers’ warranties of three years or less Baggage delay insurance of up to $100 per day for up to three days for baggage delays of six hours or more Lost luggage reimbursement of up to $3,000 per passenger Purchase protection for up to $500 of damage or theft coverage for 120 days for eligible purchases you make on your card	Extended warranty protection adds up to one year to eligible manufacturers’ warranties of three years or less Baggage delay insurance of up to $100 per day for up to three days for baggage delays of six hours or more Lost luggage reimbursement of up to $3,000 per passenger Purchase protection for up to $500 of damage or theft coverage for 120 days for eligible purchases you make on your card
Foreign transaction fee	None	None	None

It’s important to note that current cardholders receive both new and existing earning rates and benefits until Dec. 31.

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Changes to Southwest cards

As mentioned earlier, all the Southwest cards were just refreshed. Every card saw an annual fee increase of at least 40%. Along with the annual fee increases, the cards will lose upgraded boardings, EarlyBird Check-Ins and some bonus-earning categories at the end of the year.

Despite these losses, there are some welcome additions that make the day-of-travel experience more pleasant when flying Southwest and can save you lots of money.

Perks when flying Southwest

All the cards now include a free checked bag, complimentary seat selection either within 48 hours of departure or at booking (depending on the card), and priority boarding (for flights operating in 2026 and beyond).

A standard first checked bag costs $35. On a round-trip itinerary, one standard checked bag each for a family of four would cost $280. The savings on this one trip would more than cover the annual fee of any of the cards.

Southwest air interior — SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

With paid seat assignments starting on flights operating in 2026, the Southwest card refresh added complimentary seat selection either at booking or within 48 hours of departure.

Modified earning rates

Additionally, all the Southwest cards have updated their earning structure.

The Southwest Plus will now earn 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and gas stations, on the first $5,000 in combined spending annually. The Southwest Premier earns at the same rate on up to $8,000 in combined spending annually.

The Southwest Priority now earns an elevated 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases and 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants.

But with these new earning rates, some will also be removed at the end of the year. All three Southwest cards will lose the following bonus categories:

Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
Internet, cable and phone services and select streaming purchases
Local transit and commuting

While it’s nice that the cards have added more everyday spending categories, with the increased annual fees, it was a letdown to see any bonus categories removed.

The two lower-priced cards, the Southwest Plus and Southwest Premier, will now receive one annual promotional flight discount code (excluding Basic fares). Depending on the cost of the flights, this promo code could help offset the annual fees even more.

Lastly, the Southwest Plus previously had a foreign transaction fee, but that has now been removed, making all three cards a viable option for purchases abroad.

Frequent Southwest flyer? Choose the Priority

The Southwest Priority makes a very compelling case for itself.

For frequent Southwest flyers, the Priority card makes the most sense, especially when you consider the changes happening at Southwest.

If you’re a frequent Southwest passenger, you’ll have no trouble using the $75 annual Southwest travel credit (ends Dec. 31), reducing your effective out-of-pocket cost for this card from $229 to $154 for new cardholders.

For current cardholders, it brings down your annual fee to effectively $124. Make sure to use this credit as it’s a use-or-lose-it and won’t be returning next year.

The card also now offers unlimited upgrades to extra-legroom seats within 48 hours of departure and Preferred seat selection at the time of booking, whereas the Premier card only offers Preferred seat selection within 48 hours of departure. This perk is typically only afforded to those with airline elite status, so seeing it provided by a credit card is a huge plus.

Additionally, if you’re a frequent Southwest flyer, you’re likely aiming to earn A-List elite status. You’ll earn 2,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 spent with the Priority card and 1,500 points for every $5,000 spent with the Premier card.

hands hold multiple Southwest Airlines credit cards — THE POINTS GUY

Furthermore, with the Southwest Priority card, you’ll earn 1 additional point per dollar spent on Southwest purchases (for a total of 4 points, compared to 3 with the Premier) and an uncapped 2 points per dollar spent on restaurants. Earning more points with the Priority card will help you get to the coveted Companion Pass quicker.

With the Southwest Priority, you will receive 7,500 bonus points on your cardholder anniversary, compared to 6,000 points with the Southwest Premier — worth $21 more based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations.

The biggest argument against the Southwest Priority is that it has a $229 annual fee. However, if you can use the above benefits, you can offset a majority or even all of that cost.

There’s a reason this card was named the Best Airline Cobranded Credit Card at the 2024 TPG Awards and should be in close contention for the crown again this year.

Want a lower annual fee? Choose the Premier, not the Plus

If you’re looking for a lower annual fee and can’t justify the Southwest Priority, we’d recommend the Southwest Premier, with its $149 annual fee, over the Southwest Plus and its $99 annual fee.

For an extra $50 per year, you’ll receive 6,000 anniversary points, double that of the Plus card. According to TPG’s July 2025 valuations, these anniversary bonus points are worth $84, which covers more than half of the annual fee.

Man and woman looking at a computer together — OSCAR WONG/GETTY IMAGES

With the Premier card, you can select Preferred seating within 48 hours of departure, whereas the Plus Card only offers standard seating within 48 hours of departure.

Both cards offer an annual flight promo discount code (excluding Basic fares): The Premier offers a 15% discount code and the Plus offers a 10% discount code.

If you’re aiming to earn A-List or A-List Preferred status, you’ll want to opt for the Southwest Premier, as you’ll earn 1,500 tier qualifying points per every $5,000 spent on purchases in a calendar year (with no cap). The Plus card doesn’t offer bonus TQPs for credit card spending.

The Premier Card also offers higher bonus points earnings on Southwest purchases and has a higher combined spending cap in the bonus category of gas stations and grocery stores than the Plus card.

All the added perks of the Premier card easily justify the extra $50 per year.

Eligibility rules for Southwest credit cards

Chase’s restrictions on credit card applications can be a roadblock for some people considering applying for a Southwest credit card.

Chase’s 5/24 rule applies to all three of these cards. This rule means that Chase will almost certainly reject new applicants if you’ve opened five or more credit cards (from any bank or issuer) in the last 24 months.

If you’re at (or over) 5/24, we recommend not wasting an application and a hard credit inquiry on these cards since you will most likely get declined. It’s also important to note that business cards from any issuer usually don’t count toward 5/24.

Southwest plane at gate — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

In addition to the 5/24 rule, Southwest has eligibility rules regarding the welcome bonus. The terms and conditions for the welcome bonus of each of these cards state:

“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.”

If you currently hold any of the Southwest personal credit cards or have received a bonus for one in the last 24 months, you will not receive a new welcome offer unless it has been 24 months since you last received one.

Which card should I choose?

The Southwest Plus is best for those who want the lowest annual fee possible. But if you fly Southwest one or twice per year, we’d skip the Southwest Plus and start with the Southwest Premier or Southwest Priority.

If you’re a frequent flyer, you should go for the Priority card, as it offers the most for those who board a Southwest aircraft often, including unlimited upgrades to extra-legroom seats within 48 hours of departure and Preferred seat selection at booking (for flights in 2026).

Meanwhile, if you want a modest annual fee and solid perks when flying Southwest, the Plus card is a good middle ground.

Bottom line

Southwest Airlines credit cards continue to be popular, and with all the current changes at the airline, it’s even more beneficial to have one in your wallet.

Anyone who flies Southwest, even if it’s just a handful of times per year, should have no problem maxing out the travel benefits that come with the Southwest Priority, which hands down will provide the most value for Southwest frequent flyers.

If the annual fee for the Southwest Priority is too steep for you, you’ll get better value from the Southwest Premier than the Southwest Plus.

To learn more, check out our full reviews of the Southwest Priority, Southwest Premier and Southwest Plus cards.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Learn more: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

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