Key facts
This card is not currently available. Consider the similar the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card or the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card instead.
Annual Fee:
$99Min. 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:
0%With a $99 annual fee, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is the mid-tier personal Southwest credit card. Cardholders enjoy two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year, 25% back on inflight purchases, and points earned count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass.
If you have this card, bank policies restrict you from being approved for the following cards: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card.
Reward multipliers
In addition to the sign-up bonus, the Southwest Premier Credit Card earns:
- 3x Rapid Rewards points per dollar on Southwest purchases.
- 2x Rapid Rewards points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases; local transit, commuting, and rideshare; and internet, cable, phone services and select streaming services.
- 1x Rapid Rewards points on all other eligible purchases.
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
Cardholders of the Southwest Premier Card get two EarlyBird Check-Ins each year. You can use these to avoid setting an alarm for 24 hours before departure and scrambling to check into your flight. Instead, you’ll be automatically checked in and score an earlier boarding position.
6,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points every cardmember anniversary
Cardholders get 6,000 bonus points each year that they renew their Southwest Premier Card. Southwest points have a fixed value of around 1.4 cents, meaning you’re getting $84 in value. That almost completely offsets the card’s annual fee of $99.
Free Checked Bags
All travelers get two standard-sized standard-weight checked bags for free every time they fly Southwest.
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
Simply decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge a car rental purchase to your Southwest credit card to get a theft and collision damage waiver.
Note that this coverage is secondary to your personal insurance for rentals in the United States.
Extended Warranty
Get an automatic one-year extension to manufacturer warranties of three years or less.
Purchase Protection
Southwest card purchase protections cover up to $500 per claim for damage or theft to new purchases for up to 120 days after purchase.
Trip Protections
The Southwest Premier Card includes lost luggage insurance of up to $3,000 per passenger. Plus, Southwest Airlines credit cards offer baggage delay insurance of $100 per day for up to three days.
Roadside Assistance
Get help anytime you have a roadside emergency. Just call 1-800-847-2869 to dispatch the help you need, anything from a tow or jumpstart to a tire change, lockout service, winching, or gas delivery.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
Chase’s Benefits Administrator can help connect you with legal or medical referrals or other travel and emergency assistance if you run into a problem away from home.
No Fees for Authorized Users
Add an authorized user for no additional annual fee to earn Southwest points on their everyday spending.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Southwest Premier Credit Card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees.
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
- 6,000 bonus points every account anniversary
- Solid spending category bonus
- Rapid Rewards points aren't valuable for anything other than flying Southwest.
- The Southwest Priority Credit Card is likely a better fit for frequent Southwest flyers.
Our review
The Southwest Premier credit card is Southwest’s mid-tier personal card. It balances offering some perks while still charging less than a $100 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 6,000 bonus points each card anniversary.
The Southwest Premier Card offers some of the broadest spending bonus categories of any card with an annual fee under $100. Cardholders will earn 3x points on Southwest purchases and 2x points on 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. Plus, primary cardholders earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List Preferred Status for every $10,000 spent on the card each year.
The Southwest Premier Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, unlike the Southwest Plus Card. Add in the higher earning rate on Southwest purchases, higher anniversary bonus, and ability to earn Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List Preferred Status, and the Premier Card easily justifies its $30 higher annual fee.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Southwest Premier Card offer an annual travel credit?
Only the Southwest Priority Credit Card offers an annual travel credit. Priority cardholders get a $75 Southwest annual travel credit each year. That perk alone could make it worth getting the Priority Card instead of the Premier Card. Just note that the Priority Card charges the highest annual fee of the Southwest personal cards.
Which merchants qualify as Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners?
Southwest Airlines credit cards earn bonus points on Southwest Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners include Southwest Hotels, Best Western, Radisson, Choice, Hyatt, Marriott, MGM, RocketMiles, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, Payless, and Thrifty.
Can you earn Tier Qualifying Points through a Southwest Credit Card?
Earn unlimited Tier Qualifying Points by spending on the Southwest Premier or Priority Credit Card. Cardholders earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points per $10,000 spent on the card.
While we don’t recommend it, you can earn A-List Preferred Status just through the Tier Qualifying Points earned through Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards.
Does the Southwest Premier Card charge foreign transaction fees?
You can earn Southwest points on overseas purchases without having to worry about paying a foreign transaction fee.
Note that not all Southwest credit cards waive foreign transaction fees.
For example, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card charges a 3% foreign transaction fee.
Can you earn bonus points on travel purchases on the Southwest Premier Card?
Southwest Premier cardholders earn 3x points on Southwest purchases, 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, and 2x points on local transit, commuting and rideshare purchases.
How long does it take for sign-up bonus points to post to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account?
Per the terms and conditions, it can take up to eight weeks for your sign-up bonus to post to your Rapid Rewards account. However, points typically post much quicker than that in practice.
Does the Southwest Credit Card offer primary rental car insurance?
Personal Southwest credit cards offer secondary rental car insurance on rentals within the United States. If you’re looking for a Southwest credit card with primary rental car insurance, consider the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card – which offers primary car rental coverage when renting for business purposes.
You can also see all credit cards with primary car rental coverage.
What are the benefits of getting a Southwest business card instead?
If you’re a small business owner, consider getting the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card to get 4x points on Southwest purchases, 3x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, and 2x on social media and search engine advertising.
Plus, you’ll get perks like four Upgraded Boardings, up to 365 Wi-Fi statement credits, and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
Should you consolidate debt on Southwest credit cards?
We don’t recommend that you consolidate debt on a Southwest credit card. Southwest cards charge punitively high balance transfer APR, even for those with a high credit score.
Is it better to get a Southwest credit card or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card?
Southwest credit cards offer Southwest-specific perks like EarlyBird Check-In and the ability to earn points toward the Companion Pass and Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List Status.
The benefit of getting the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is that Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Southwest and 10 other airline partners, making the points you earn much more flexible.
