Key facts
The lowest annual fee of any Southwest credit card.
Annual Fee:
$69Min. Credit Score for Approval:
670-739 * GoodOngoing APR:
21.49%-28.49% VariableBalance transfer fees
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.Foreign Transaction Fee:
3% of each transaction in U.S. dollarsThe Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is the lowest annual fee personal Southwest Credit Card.
Despite the reasonable $69 annual fee, cardholders still get 3,000 anniversary bonus points plus two EarlyBird Check-In per year.
If you have this card, bank policies restrict you from being approved for the following cards: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.
Reward multipliers
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card earns:
- 2x Rapid Rewards points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases
- 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2x points on internet, cable, phone services; and select streaming services
- All other eligible purchases earn 1x Rapid Rewards points.
Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Applies only to tickets purchased directly from Southwest. Other airfare earns 1X.
Estimated Rewards Value: 4.2%
Estimated Rewards Value: 2.8%
Estimated Rewards Value: 2.8%
Estimated Rewards Value: 2.8%
Estimated Rewards Value: 2.8%
Estimated Rewards Value: 1.4%
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
Two EarlyBird Check-In Passes Each Year
Despite the card’s annual fee of just $69, cardholders will be reimbursed for up to two EarlyBird Check-In purchases each account anniversary. You can use these to avoid needing to check in exactly at 24 hours before departure to get a high boarding position.
3,000 Rapid Rewards Bonus Points Every Cardmember Anniversary
Cardholders get 3,000 bonus points each year that they renew their Southwest Premier Card. Since Southwest points provide around 1.4 cents in value, cardholders get $42 in value each year from just this one card perk. That more than halfway offsets the card’s $69 annual fee.
Free Checked Bags
All Southwest travelers get two checked bags free, regardless if they have a Southwest credit card.
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
Charge a car rental purchase to your Southwest credit card to get theft and collision damage protection.
Unfortunately, this isn’t primary rental car insurance. In the U.S., coverage is secondary to your personal insurance.
Extended Warranty
Southwest credit cards offer an automatic one-year extension of any eligible manufacturer’s warranty of three years or less.
Purchase Protection
Purchase an item with your Southwest card and get up to $500 per claim in coverage against damage or theft within the first 120 days after purchase.
Trip Protections
Southwest Airlines credit cards offer lost luggage insurance of up to $3,000 per passenger. Or, get baggage delay reimbursement of $100 per day for up to three days.
Roadside Assistance
Southwest credit cards offer roadside dispatch service. If you have a roadside emergency, just call 1-800-847-2869 to be connected with a local service provider for anything from a tow or jumpstart to a tire change, lockout service, winching, or gas delivery.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
If you are approved for the Visa Signature version of the Southwest card, you can call the Benefit Administrator for legal and medical referrals or other travel and emergency assistance. Visa Platinum cardholders do not receive this perk.
No Fees for Authorized Users
Add an authorized user to your account to earn points on their everyday purchases. And those points earned count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass.
Free Access to Credit Score
Chase offers free credit score monitoring through Chase Credit Journey.
Earn more rewards by combining credit cards
Pros & cons
- Two Early-Bird Check-Ins each year
- 3,000 bonus points every account anniversary
- Lowest annual fee of any Southwest credit cards
- Bonus Spending categories could be better
- This card does have foreign transaction fees on overseas purchases, unlike the Southwest Premier and Priority credit cards
Our review
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 $69 annual fee, cardholders will be reimbursed for up to two EarlyBird Check-In purchases each year, get 25% back on inflight purchases on Southwest Airlines, plus get 3,000 bonus points each card anniversary.
Cardholders earn 2 Southwest points per dollar spent in a range of spending categories, including Southwest purchases (including inflight purchases), Southwest Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, local transit, commuting, rideshare, internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services.
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.
In addition, the Southwest Plus credit card charges foreign transaction fees on overseas purchases. While that might not be a problem for some travelers, international flyers may want to get the Priority or Premier Card instead.
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 a $75 Southwest annual travel credit, four Upgraded Boardings every cardmember anniversary, and a 7,500-point anniversary bonus. Plus, the card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee. Those perks more than offset the additional annual fee.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Can you earn Tier Qualifying Points using the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card?
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus cardholders cannot earn Tier Qualifying Points on purchases. If earning Tier Qualifying Points is important, consider the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card or Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card instead.
Both other Southwest personal cards earn unlimited Tier Qualifying Points on purchases.
Which of the Southwest Airlines credit cards is best?
The right Southwest credit card for you will depend on how much you fly Southwest and how much you’re willing to spend on an annual fee.
For frequent Southwest flyers, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card more than offsets its $149 annual fee through a $75 Southwest annual travel credit and 7,500 bonus points each cardmember anniversary (worth $105).
For annual fee adverse travelers, the Southwest Plus credit card charges just a $69 annual fee.
What are Southwest's hotel and car partners?
Southwest’s current hotel and car partners include Southwest Hotels, Best Western, Radisson, Choice, World of Hyatt, Marriott, MGM, Rocketmiles, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, Payless, and Thrifty. These hotel and car partners are subject to change at any time.
Does the Southwest credit card charge foreign transaction fees?
The Southwest Plus Credit Card charges foreign transaction fees equal to 3% of the transaction converted to US dollars. No foreign transaction fees are charged on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card or Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, or Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card.
Is it better to earn Southwest points or Chase Ultimate Rewards points?
Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned on cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card can be transferred to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account. You may even be able to earn more points through an Ultimate Rewards card. However, you may warn to earn Southwest points through a Southwest credit card as points earned count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass.
Do Southwest credit cards offer TSA PreCheck or Global Entry?
None of the Southwest personal cards offer statement credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fees.
