Compare the Features and Benefits of Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and
Bank of America® Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Southwest Plus Card charges the lowest annual fee of any Southwest credit card, making it a tempting option for travelers that enjoy flying Southwest.

In exchange for the modest $99 annual fee, cardholders will get 25% back on inflight purchases on Southwest Airlines, plus get 3,000 bonus points each card anniversary as well as free checked bags for the cardholder and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation who can check their first bag at no additional cost.

For a family of 4 this would be a savings of up to $280 roundtrip ($35 per bag per trip).

Cardholders earn 2 Southwest points per dollar spent in spending categories including Southwest purchases (including inflight purchases) as well as 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year.

Points earned count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. However, Southwest Plus Credit cardholders won’t get Tier Qualifying Points toward earning A-List Status. If you want to earn Tier Qualifying Points, you’ll need to get the Southwest Priority or Premier Credit Card instead.

There are no longer any foreign transaction fees on this card.

Frequent Southwest flyers should consider the Southwest Priority Credit Card instead. Although it charges the highest annual fee of any Southwest credit card, the card offers 2,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually, 4 points for every $1 you spend on Southwest Airlines^®purchases, and a 7,500-point anniversary bonus. That card also gives you a complimentary Preferred seat at booking, when available, and unlimited upgrades to an Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to departure, at no additional charge, when available.

Lastly, this card is great for getting a large piece of the to a Southwest Companion Pass with the bonus offer, since the points earned from the signup bonus count. Read our guide on earning a Southwest Companion Pass for up to two years via new account bonuses.

With over 3,800 branches, Bank of America is a retail banking giant. It offers its Unlimited Cash Rewards Credit Card to customers who are looking to earn strong rates of cash back on all purchases, but don’t want to pay an annual fee.

Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases

This card offers 1.5% cash back per dollar spent on all purchases, with no limits. This is very competitive for a card with no annual fee. This high rate of return comes at the expense of bonus categories, as this card doesn’t have any, like other cards do for things like travel and dining purchases.

Cash back rewards can be deposited into a Bank of America savings account, redeemed as a statement credit, or applied to an eligible Merrill account.

And unlike a Bank of America Travel Rewards card, you don’t get any statement credits towards baggage fees, or the purchase of vacation packages, just cash rewards.

However, Bank of America Preferred Rewards members can earn a 25%, 50% or 75% bonus on their rewards, depending on which tier they are in. And these are simple cash rewards, so you don’t have to redeem points to be rewarded.

Many cardholders will find this simple formula better than earning bonuses on some purchases, but a mere 1% on other purchases.

And your cash back rewards never expire so long as your account remains open and in good standing.

But what makes this card exceptional is the ability for Bank of America Preferred Rewards customers to earn as much as 2.625% cash back. That’s what you’ll get if you’re in one of the higher tiers of their program and earn a 75% bonus on your rewards earned. Others will earn a 25% or 50% bonus, which is still enough to take this card from competitive to remarkable.

Otherwise, this simple card is also one that’s light on benefits. There’s very little to no travel insurance or purchase protection policies, but you do get a free credit score, which most cards offer these days. One notable benefit is Bank of America’s Museums on Us program, which offers free access to hundreds of museums on the first full weekend of the month. This unique benefit can offer significant value to families, parents and other museum lovers.

There’s no annual fee for this card, but there is a 3% foreign transaction fee imposed on purchases processed outside of the United States. That leaves this card as a solid choice for those looking for a competitive, but basic cash back card rather than a travel rewards credit card.

However, if you also happen to be a Bank of America Premier Rewards member, then using this could be the most rewarding card that you could ever use.