Key facts
Annual Fee:
$199Min. Credit Score for Approval:
670-739 * GoodOngoing APR:
21.49%-28.49% VariableBalance transfer fees
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater.Foreign Transaction Fee:
0%The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card offers a wide selection of benefits for Southwest small business travelers. Diverse spending bonus categories reward small business spending on the ground. Plus, you’ll get four Upgraded Boardings and virtually unlimited free Wi-Fi when flying Southwest. Add in the 9,000 points cardholders get every cardmember anniversary and the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card easily justifies its $199 annual fee.
Reward multipliers
Cardholders of the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card earn 4 Rapid Rewards points on Southwest purchases; 3x Rapid Rewards points on hotel and car rental partner purchases; 2x Rapid Rewards points on local transit, commuting, ride-hailing, social media and search engine advertising, internet cable and phone services; and 1x points on all other eligible purchases.
Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
Four Upgraded Boarding Passes per Year
Using these gives you the best A1-A15 boarding position available.
9,000 Bonus Rapid Rewards Points Every Account Anniversary Year
We value this at about $126 worth of points.
Up to 365 In-flight WiFi credits per account anniversary year
This will save you $8 per flight. You could fly every single day of the year and never pay for Wi-Fi! (Although we hope you don’t have to do that…)
$500 Fee Credit for Points Transfers Between Southwest Rapid Rewards Accounts
If you use your Performance Card to transfer points to another Rapid Rewards Member, the fees associated with the transfer will be reimbursed as statement credits – up to $500 per anniversary year.
Get a Boost Towards A-List Status with Your Spending
Cardholders will earn 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent on purchases annually.
Primary Car Rental CDW Waiver
Get primary coverage when renting for business purposes. This protection provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad.
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Reimbursement
Get a statement credit reimbursing the application fee for NEXUS, Global Entry, or TSA PreCheck. Just use your Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card to pay the application fee.
Cardholders get one statement credit of up to $100 every four years. That’s more than enough considering Global Entry or TSA PreCheck memberships are valid for five years.
Annual Statement Credits
Get up to $500 statement credit each account anniversary year to reimburse points transfers.
You can use this to share Rapid Rewards points earned through the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card with employees.
Extended Warranty
Provides extended warranty protection extending the time period of the U.S. manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less.
Purchase Protection
Covers new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Trip Protections
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card provides lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, and travel accident insurance protections.
Roadside Assistance
Get 24/7 roadside assistance by calling 1-800-847-2869. Operators will dispatch help to provide anything from a tow or jumpstart to a tire change, lockout service, winching, or gas delivery. Roadside service fees will be provided when you call and will be billed to your card.
Free Checked Bags
This isn’t a benefit of this card, but a reminder that Southwest doesn’t charge checked bag fees for up to two standard size and standard weight bags.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
The Chase Benefit Administrator can refer you to legal and medical services or provide other travel and emergency assistance.
Does Not Report Credit Line to Personal Credit Profile
Getting a Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card won’t affect your personal credit profile or increase your Chase 5/24 score.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
No Fees for Authorized Users
Add employee cards at no additional cost to be rewarded for employee spending.
Earn more rewards by combining credit cards
Pros & cons
- Four Upgraded Boardings each card membership year
- Generous spending rewards categories
- 9,000 bonus points on every cardmember anniversary
- The high annual fee will be hard to justify for infrequent travelers
- Rapid Rewards points only provide a good value for Southwest flights
Our review
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card should be the go-to card for Southwest frequent travelers that own a small business. Don’t let the $199 annual fee scare you off. This card comes packed with perks that can easily justify that fee.
Southwest-specific perks include four Upgraded Boardings each year, virtually unlimited inflight WiFi passes, and the ability to spend toward A-List status. Plus cardholders get premium travel perks like a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit.
Cardholders earn 4x Rapid Rewards points on Southwest Airlines purchases. That’s a higher rewards earning rate on Southwest purchases than you’ll find on any other Southwest credit card. Plus you’ll earn 3x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.
However, this card doesn’t just reward travel purchases. Cardholders earn 2x Southwest Rapid Rewards points on a wide range of purchases, including social media and search engine advertising; internet, cable, and phone services; transit and commuting, including ride-hailing services. Earn points on all other purchases at a rate of 1 Rapid Rewards point per dollar spent.
Cardholders will earn 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent on purchases annually. While you probably don’t want to put that much spending on the card, you can conceivably spend all the way to A-List Preferred status by spending $470,000 on the card in a calendar year.
The only real downside to this card is the limited redemption options. The best way to redeem Rapid Rewards points is for Southwest flights. And since the Rapid Rewards structure is a fixed-value program, you won’t get more value from some flights than others. The good news is that means there are no blackout dates when you want to redeem points.
You can add employee cards for no additional cost, meaning you can be rewarded for employee spending. The card also offers up to a $500 statement credit for points transfers. That means you can transfer points to employees without additional cost.
Lastly, this card is great for getting more than 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.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Southwest Business Credit Card offer bonus points on search engine advertising or phone services?
In addition to earning bonus points on Southwest purchases, the Southwest Performance Business Card earns bonus points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners; social media and search engine advertising; internet, cable, and phone services; and more.
Does the Southwest Performance Business Card offer a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit?
Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card cardholders can get a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit every four years.
Can you earn Southwest A-List Status through the Southwest Performance Business Card?
Cardholders will earn 1,500 Tier-Qualifying Points for every $10,000 spent on the card in a calendar year, including on employee spending. There’s no limit to how many Tier-Qualifying Points you can earn through credit card spending. That means you can earn A-List Status just from eligible purchases on the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card.
What are the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card rewards categories?
Cardholders earn 4x points on Southwest Airlines purchases; 3x points on Southwest Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases; 2x points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services, local transit, commuting, and ride-hailing services. You’ll earn points on all other purchases at a rate of 1x points.
Does the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card have a cardmember anniversary bonus?
Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance cardholders get a cardmember anniversary bonus of 9,000 points. Rapid Rewards points have a fixed value of around 1.4 cents per point, meaning this card benefit is worth around $126.
Can you earn the Companion Pass by spending on the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card?
A Rapid Rewards member can earn points toward the Southwest Companion Pass by spending on the Southwest Performance Business Card.
You’ll earn 4 Companion Pass-eligible points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases, 3x Companion Pass-eligible points on hotel and car rental partner purchases, and 2x Companion Pass-eligible points on social media and search engine advertising; internet, cable, and phone services; commuting and ride-hailing services.
We also have a strategy for earning the Southwest Companion Pass for up to Two Full Years
Can you add employee cards to the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card?
Cardholders can add employee cards with no additional fee to earn points from employee spending.
What non-travel business expenses earn bonus points on the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card?
In addition to bonus points on Southwest purchases and car rental partners, cardholders earn 2x Southwest Rapid Rewards points on social media and search engine advertising as well as internet, cable, and phone services.
