Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card review Bankrate Main Menu Mortgages Financing a home purchase Refinancing your existing loan Finding the right lender Additional Resources Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Main Menu Banking Compare Accounts Use calculators Get advice Bank reviews Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Main Menu Credit cards Compare by category Compare by credit needed Compare by issuer Get advice Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Main Menu Loans Personal Loans Student Loans Auto Loans Loan calculators Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Main Menu Investing Best of Brokerages and robo-advisors Learn the basics Additional resources Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Main Menu Home equity Get the best rates Lender reviews Use calculators Knowledge base Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Main Menu Real estate Selling a home Buying a home Finding the right agent Additional resources Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Main Menu Insurance Car insurance Homeowners insurance Other insurance Company reviews Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Main Menu Retirement Retirement plans & accounts Learn the basics Retirement calculators Additional resources Looking for the perfect credit card? Narrow your search with CardMatch Advertiser Disclosure

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card review

Written by Credit Card Reviews Writer Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, Oct. 24, 2021 Reviewed by Former Senior Director of Content Antonio Ruiz-Camacho is senior director of content for CreditCards.com and Bankrate Credit Cards. He has more than 20 years of international experience leading content teams, Oct. 24, 2021

Share

Bankrate Logo

Why you can trust Bankrate

At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Bankrate Logo

Why you can trust Bankrate

At Bankrate, we have a mission to demystify the credit cards industry — regardless or where you are in your journey — and make it one you can navigate with confidence. Our team is full of a diverse range of experts from credit card pros to data analysts and, most importantly, people who shop for credit cards just like you. With this combination of expertise and perspectives, we keep close tabs on the credit card industry year-round to: Meet you wherever you are in your credit card journey to guide your information search and help you understand your options. Consistently provide up-to-date, reliable market information so you\'re well-equipped to make confident decisions. Reduce industry jargon so you get the clearest form of information possible, so you can make the right decision for you. At Bankrate, we focus on the points consumers care about most: rewards, welcome offers and bonuses, APR, and overall customer experience. Any issuers discussed on our site are vetted based on the value they provide to consumers at each of these levels. At each step of the way, we fact-check ourselves to prioritize accuracy so we can continue to be here for your every next. Bankrate Logo

Editorial Integrity

Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions.

Key Principles

We value your trust. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.

Editorial Independence

Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU – the reader. Our goal is to give you the best advice to help you make smart personal finance decisions. We follow strict guidelines to ensure that our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers. Our editorial team receives no direct compensation from advertisers, and our content is thoroughly fact-checked to ensure accuracy. So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information. Bankrate Logo

How We Make Money

You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout life’s financial journey. Bankrate follows a strict , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Bankrate Logo

Insurance Disclosure

Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in . Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.

ON THIS PAGE

PREV NEXT

Snapshot

4.7 Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon on Chase's secure site

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

Rewards rate Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines purchases. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners. Earn 2X points on rideshare. 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. Annual fee Intro offer Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Regular APR Recommended Credit Score A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card Overview

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card offers loyal business travelers who fly with Southwest Airlines a way to enjoy additional travel benefits. You can earn 3 points for every dollar you spend on purchases with the airline, 2 points per dollar on rideshares and Southwest's Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners along with 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. You can redeem your points for Southwest Airlines flights, which have no restrictions, change fees or blackout dates.

What are the pros and cons

Pros

Solid welcome offer and an enticing 6,000-point bonus on your account anniversary each year No foreign transaction fees Earn points faster by adding free employee cards and using the Tier Qualifying Points offer to qualify for elite status faster Decent travel and purchase protections

Cons

A moderate $99 annual fee Rapid Rewards points will largely limit you to booking Southwest flights The only bonus category outside Southwest and its partners is for rideshares, which may limit your rewards potential

A deeper look into the current card offer

Quick highlights

Rewards rate: Earn 3X points on Southwest airlines purchases, 2X points on participating Rapid Rewards® hotel and rental car partners, 2X points on rideshares, and 1X points on all other purchases Welcome offer: 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 within your first three months Annual fee: $99 Purchase intro APR: None Balance transfer intro APR: None Regular APR: 18.99 percent to 25.99 percent variable

Current sign-up bonus

When you open your account, you're eligible to receive a 60,000-point bonus if you spend $3,000 during your first three months. This offer is not available to current cardmembers or former cardholders who received a welcome bonus within the last 24 months.

Rewards

can be earned and redeemed in a variety of ways-on more than strictly airfare.

Earning rewards

The fastest way to earn points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is to book flights through Southwest Airlines, which will net you 3X points. This rate is boosted thanks to the most recent update to Southwest cards, plus you'll now also earn 2X points on rideshares. Like before, you'll also earn 2X points by spending with the airline's Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners, plus 1X points on all other purchases. What's more, cardholders can depend on receiving 6,000 points every year on the anniversary of their account opening, regardless of how much they spend. You can also earn points by using the when making online purchases and by eating at restaurants that participate in the airline's .

Redeeming rewards

Redeeming your Rapid Rewards points for Southwest flights is easy, and the best way to take advantage of your new stash of points. There are no restrictions or blackout dates when you redeem points for a seat, but the number of points you'll need will depend on the airfare. You may also redeem your points for international flights booked through a designated flight portal, hotel stays, rental cars and more.

How much are points worth

Rapid Rewards points are currently valued at around 1.5 cents per point when redeemed for flights, according to making the 60,000-point sign-up bonus worth approximately $900, depending on how you redeem those points. However, like several airline loyalty programs, your points' value may vary based on factors like your destination, travel date and more.

Benefits

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card includes many appealing perks and benefits that will appeal to business travelers who frequently fly Southwest.

Cardmember anniversary bonus

Perhaps the most compelling feature of this card is the 6,000 bonus points you'll receive every cardmember anniversary with no spending requirement. Those points could translate to approximately $90 in value toward future flights (based on a 1.5-cent point value), which almost offsets the card's annual fee entirely.

Travel and purchase protections

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card includes valuable travel and purchase protections to give you peace of mind on all your trips. You'll get extended warranty protection and purchase protection that may cover you in the event of theft or damage of new items, plus a few other handy travel perks like auto rental collision damage waiver coverage, roadside dispatch and travel accident insurance. If your bags are damaged or lost by the airline, you're covered up to $3,000 per passenger with lost luggage reimbursement. Additionally, if your bags are delayed by six hours or more, your baggage delay insurance benefit provides up to $100 a day for three days to cover essential items such as toiletries and clothing.

Southwest travel benefits

Southwest's latest update to the Premier Business card added several features to its benefit roster, which could lead to solid savings: 25 percent back on inflight purchases Two complimentary EarlyBird Check-In® boarding upgrades per year (worth up to $50) Unlimited 1,500 Tier Qualification Points (TQPs) for every $10,000 spent (at least 35,000 TQPs in a calendar year required for A-List elite status)

Rates and fees

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card charges an annual fee of $99. Unlike some , the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card will not waive this fee for your first year. You won't pay any foreign transaction fees, however, and you can also add employee cards at no additional cost. The variable APR with this card is 18.99 percent to 25.99 percent.

How the Southwest Premier Business Credit Card compares to other airline credit cards

For business travelers who frequently fly Southwest, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is an obvious choice. Its higher-caliber sibling, the , could be a wise choice if you spend enough to make up for its $199 annual fee. The Performance Business card has a leg up over the Premier Business thanks to its 2X rewards rate on telecom and select advertising services, plus its slightly richer benefit offerings. If your budget leans closer to everyday business expenses, but you either can't justify the Performance Business card's annual fee or you don't want your rewards to be tied to one airline, the is one of the best on the market. Since Southwest Airlines is one of , the Ink Business Preferred remains a good rewards engine for Southwest while keeping your flight options open.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon star icon Bankrate Score Our writers, editors and industry experts score credit cards based on a variety of factors including card features, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers have no say or influence on how we rate cards. on Chase's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Rewards rate Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines purchases. Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners. Earn 2X points on rideshare. 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards Rewards rate Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases – with no limit to the amount you can earn Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

on Chase's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Rewards rate Earn 4X points on Southwest purchases. Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners. Earn 2X points on rideshare. Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services. 1X points on all other purchases. Recommended credit A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Best cards to pair with the Southwest Rapid Rewards  Premier Business Credit Card

Chases Ink Business Preferred Card would be a great counterpart to the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card. This card, which comes with a $95 annual fee, earns 3X points for every dollar spent on travel, internet, cable and phone services, shipping and advertising made with social media and search engines and cable and phone services, up to $150,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year (after that, it's 1X points). The could also be a valuable partner card thanks to its boosted 1.5 percent cash back on all purchases. Although its rewards are touted as cash back, you're actually earning , which could also be transferred to your Southwest loyalty account in case you're ever shy of a certain number of points-or if you simply want to widen your rewards spending to include business expenses that fall outside your Southwest card's categories.

Bankrate s Take-Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card worth it

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card can easily help you earn Rapid Rewards points that can be redeemed for Southwest flights. But, if you need more flexibility with your points or are looking for a wider array of benefits, you might want to consider a general-purpose . There are many-particularly Chase credit cards, which earn Ultimate Rewards points that transfer to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio-that may help you earn points faster with a comparable annual fee.

ON THIS PAGE

Written by Garrett Yarbrough Credit Card Reviews Writer Bankrate expert Garrett Yarbrough strives to make navigating credit cards and credit building smooth sailing for his readers. After regularly featuring his credit card, credit monitoring and identity theft analysis on NextAdvisor.com, he joined the CreditCards.com and Bankrate.com teams as a staff writer to develop product reviews and comprehensive credit card guides focused on cash back, credit scores and card offers. Reviewed by Former Senior Director of Content

Advertiser Disclosure

Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. The offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Bankrate.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and the likelihood of applicants' credit approval also impact how and where products appear on this site. Bankrate.com does not include the entire universe of available financial or credit offers.
Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover. * See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.