Earn 3X on Southwest flights booked directly; otherwise earn 1X
Only when booked via the Rapid Rewards portal; Otherwise earn 1X.
Only when booked via the Rapid Rewards portal; Otherwise earn 1X.
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Small business owners that occasionally fly Southwest should consider getting the Southwest Premier Business Credit Card. You’ll get a solid earning rate on Southwest Airlines purchases and select travel purchases, a statement credit for two EarlyBird Check-Ins each card membership year, plus 25% back on inflight purchases.
In addition to the bonus points earned after account opening, cardholders earn points at a rate of 3x Rapid Rewards points on Southwest purchases, 2x points on Southwest Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, local transit, commuting, and ride-hailing services, and 1x Rapid Rewards points on all other purchases.
When you earn points through the Southwest Premier Business Credit Card, they count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. Plus you’ll earn 1,500 Tier-Qualifying Points toward A-List status for every $10,000 spent on the card in a calendar year.
You can boost your point earnings by adding employee cards at no additional cost. If you want a unique way to reward your employees, the Southwest Premier Business Card reimburses up to $500 in fees for points transfers.
When you go to redeem points, Southwest offers a simple rewards structure. You’ll pay between 81 and 83 Rapid Rewards points per dollar of base fare on Southwest flights, valuing the points around 1.4 cents each. While there are no blackout dates, that also means there’s no way of getting more value from your Rapid Rewards points.
Although the Southwest Premier Business Card is a solid card, Southwest frequent travelers should strongly consider getting the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card instead. For a $199 annual fee, you’ll earn higher rewards in several rewards categories: 4x bonus points on Southwest purchases, 3x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, 2x points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services, and 1x on other purchases. Plus, you’ll get four Upgraded Boardings each year and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit.
Lastly, this card is great for getting halfway to a Southwest Companion Pass with the bonus offer. Read our guide on earning a Southwest Companion Pass for up to two years via new account bonuses.
Applies only to tickets purchased directly from Southwest. Other airfare earns 1X.
Limited-time offer: Earn Companion Pass® good through 2/28/26 plus 30,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.
Although the Southwest Priority Card charges the highest annual fee of any of the personal Southwest credit cards, we argue that it should be the go-to card for frequent Southwest flyers. That’s because the perks of this Southwest credit card easily justify the $149 annual fee.
Cardholders get four Upgraded Boardings each year, a $75 Southwest annual travel credit, 7,500 bonus points every cardmember anniversary (worth $105), and 25% back on inflight purchases. If you fly Southwest just a couple of times per year, these perks should easily save more than the $149 annual fee.
In addition to the sign-up bonus, cardholders earn 3x points on Southwest purchases and 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, local transit, commuting, and rideshare. In addition to those travel purchases, cardholders also earn 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services. All other purchases earn 1x points.
All points earned count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. Plus, cardholders will earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List and A-List Preferred Status for every $5,000 spent per year and there is no limit on the amount of TQPs you can earn. And you don’t need to worry about foreign transaction fees with the Southwest Priority Card.
The only downside to Southwest Airlines credit cards is that Rapid Rewards points are only valuable for flying Southwest. If you want to earn flexible points, consider a credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to the Southwest Rapid Rewards program, so you’ll still be able to top off your Rapid Rewards account when you need points for your next redemption, but you can also transfer them to any of Chase’s other airline or hotel transfer partners.
Lastly, this card is great for getting a good chunk of the way to a Southwest Companion Pass with the bonus offer. Read our guide on earning a Southwest Companion Pass for up to two years via new account bonuses.