Compare the Features and Benefits of Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

The Southwest Premier credit card is Southwest’s mid-tier personal card. It balances offering some perks while still charging less than a $150 annual fee.

Cardholders get access to (starting in 2026) boarding with group 5 and access to select both Standard and Preferred seats for themselves and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation 48 hours before the flight, when available.

Points earned count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. Plus, primary cardholders earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List Preferred Status for every $5,000 spent on the card each year.

The Southwest Premier Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Add in the higher earning rate on Southwest purchases, higher anniversary bonus, and ability to earn Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List Preferred Status (which the Plus doesn’t offer), and the Premier Card easily justifies its slightly higher annual fee, although, in our opinion, the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card has the best value of the three cards.

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

The American Express Blue Business Cash business credit card is a great card for those who are both not interested in points (prefer cash back) and do not want to keep track of bonus categories.

With a simple 2% cash back on all eligible purchases until you reach $50,000 in spend in a calendar year, it’s a perfectly suitable cash back card for those that spend under $50,000 in a calendar year for their business. Though the rate will drop to 1% on eligible purchases after you spend $50,000 in a calendar year, there is no limit to the amount of cash back that you can earn.

If you prefer American Express Membership Rewards points instead of cash, there is a nearly identical version of this credit card, called the American Express Blue Business Plus™ Card, which earns Membership Rewards points instead of cash at the same rate.

Keep in mind that this no-annual fee card does charge a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, so please make sure you have a separate credit card with no foreign transaction fees for your trips abroad.

If you spend more than $50,000 a year, however, and want straight cash back and expanded buying power, you should consider these two alternative business credit cards:

• The Chase Ink Business Premier, which is a charge card with no preset limit and earns 2% cash back on everything and even earns 2.5% cash back on purchases over $5,000.
• The Capital One Spark Cash Plus, which is a charge card with no preset limit that earns 2% on all purchases.

If you would like to have separate Blue Business Cash cards for your employees, you can do so with no fee.

Rates and Fees for the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card