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Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card review The most premium travel card for Southwest loyalists

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, 2022 Edited by Credit Cards Editor Nouri Zarrugh is a writer and editor for CreditCards.com and Bankrate, focusing on product news, guides and reviews. His areas of expertise include credit card strategy, rewards Oct. 24, 2022

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Snapshot

4.5 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 Bottom line Despite its higher fee, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card provides excellent rewards and perks for routine flyers and is the best pick among the airline’s three consumer cards. However, if Southwest isn’t your preferred airline or you don’t want a high-cost annual fee, a general travel card would likely provide greater value. on Chase's secure site

Best overall Southwest card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Rewards rate Earn 3X points on Southwest purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Annual fee Intro offer Limited Time Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. 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® Priority Credit Card Overview

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card is an ideal for jet-setters who frequently book domestic flights, especially those who are loyal to Southwest. You'll earn points on all your purchases, helping you quickly build up rewards you can redeem for future flights. Best of all, you'll get an annual Southwest travel credit, bonus points on your cardmember anniversary, discounts on in-flight purchases and four upgraded boardings per year (depending on availability), making it possible to fly more and have an elevated experience every time you travel.

What are the pros and cons

Pros

Cardholders can earn rewards on both Southwest-related travel purchases and everyday expenses, including transit and monthly internet, cable, phone and streaming services It offers great perks for frequent Southwest flyers such as upgraded boarding, an annual travel credit, inflight savings and more It has a generous 7,500-point anniversary bonus, which is more than double what the offers It has no foreign transaction fees, making it ideal for international travelers Cardholders have access to premium travel and purchase protections

Cons

The $149 annual fee may be hard to offset and is higher than several other airline cards’ yearly cost It offers the same rewards rate and sign-up bonus as its immediate lower-tier sibling, despite the higher annual fee Applicants for Southwest credit cards must have good to excellent credit Rapid Rewards don’t have a fixed redemption scale and points are best used when redeemed for Southwest flights

A deeper look into the current card offer

Quick highlights

Rewards rate: 3X points on Southwest purchases, 2X points on Southwest's Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit and commuting (including rideshares) and internet, cable phone and select streaming services; 1X points on all other purchases Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 points when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months. Annual fee:$149 Purchase intro APR: None Balance transfer intro APR: None Regular APR: 18.99 percent to 25.99 percent variable

Current sign-up bonus

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card is currently offering 75,000 points to cardholders who spend $3,000 in their first three months of opening their account. That's a solid offer, worth around $1,125 based on of 1.5 cents per point. It's also a big step up from the card's previous offer of 50,000 points after a $1,000 spend in the same timeframe (though the higher spending requirement may make it harder to reach for modest spenders).

Rewards

Earning points with your Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card is incredibly easy, especially if you frequently fly with Southwest. Best of all, your will never expire while your account is open. Keep in mind that the sign-up bonus and rewards rate is the same for all consumer , so make sure you can take full advantage of the Priority card's extra benefits to rake in more points.

How you earn

An obvious way to earn points quickly with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card is to make Southwest Airlines your go-to airline whenever possible. Booking flights with Southwest will get you 3 points per dollar spent, and using Southwest partners for hotel stays and car rentals too will net you 2 points per dollar. Southwest's newest update to the Rapid Rewards Priority card also includes a solid 2 points per dollar on everyday expenses, like local transit and commuting (including rideshares) and your monthly internet, cable, phone and select streaming services. All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar. Priority cardmembers will receive an anniversary bonus of 7,500 points each year - the highest among Southwest credit cards. You can also earn additional points by shopping through the and eating out at restaurants in its . But perhaps the most effective way to earn more points is to . On top of other benefits, qualifying for A-List status earns 25 percent more points on Southwest purchases and A-List Preferred delivers an extra 100 percent. You can get a head start with the Priority card's bonus of 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) per $10,000 in purchases (there's no longer a limit for earning bonus points this way). However, the also offers this same TQP bonus. If you go the extra mile and end up flying at least 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 125,000 eligible Southwest points in one year (135,000 points beginning in 2023), you can score the Companion Pass. This will allow you to bring a companion on all of your flights for free (minus taxes and fees) for all of the year that you earn it plus the entire next year

How to redeem

The Rapid Rewards program boasts unlimited award seats with no blackout dates or restrictions for flight redemptions. You'll just be required to pay taxes and fees on the award ticket (at least $5.60 for a domestic one-way flight). Southwest award tickets are tethered to the cash value of a ticket. So, a more expensive ticket will require more points. Your points can also be redeemed for international flights with global carriers, hotel stays, rental cars, merchandise, gift cards and more. With the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card or another Southwest card, it's even possible to gift or donate points.

How much are points worth

With Rapid Rewards points weighing in around estimated 1.5 cents per point value, the 7,500-point anniversary bonus could be worth up to $112.50. However, your reward value depending on several factors, including the redemption option and your reward flight's destination, time and date.

Benefits

While you won't get fancy perks like with this Southwest card, you'll save plenty with its annual travel credit, Southwest priority card upgrades, anniversary bonus and more. Here's a closer look at what the card has to offer.

Other cardholder perks

You'll be eligible for a variety of travel savings, including: Four Southwest upgraded boardings a year, subject to availability A $75 Southwest travel credit every year (automatically applied when using your card on eligible travel purchases through the airline) 25 percent back on inflight purchases, such as drinks and Wi-Fi 1,500 tier-qualifying points for every $10,000 spent on your card so you can reach A-List status faster (priority security line access, priority check-in and upgraded boarding)

Protection and insurance

By using your card, you receive several protection benefits as a , including: Lost luggage and baggage delay protection, up to $3,000 per traveler if your luggage is damaged or lost, and up to $100 a day for three days if your bags are delayed at least six hours Purchase protection and extended warranty on eligible purchases Car rental collision and theft insurance, roadside assistance and travel accident insurance on eligible auto incidents

Anniversary bonus

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority cardholders will receive an additional 7,500 points on their account anniversary - worth almost $113 toward airfare at a 1.5-cent point value.

Rates and fees

The Rapid Rewards Priority card has an annual fee of $149 - the highest of any Southwest personal credit card. However, there are no foreign transaction fees and Southwest never charges , so you have more flexibility with your travel plans. This flexibility is helpful when offsetting your annual fee with rewards since it'll take a little work; in order to recoup the yearly cost, you'll need to spend at least $414 per month on Southwest purchases (based on Bankrate's 1.5 cent point value). However, earning and maximizing the anniversary bonus or Companion Pass could nearly (or more than) offset the annual fee. If you carry a balance month-to-month, you can expect interest to be charged at a rate between 18.99 percent to 25.99 percent variable APR.

How the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card compares to other travel credit cards

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card has a terrifc welcome bonus and offers great cardmember perks and rewards, but when compared to other , the Southwest credit card has less flexibility in how you can earn and redeem rewards.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority 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 Limited Time Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Rewards rate Earn 3X points on Southwest purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. 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.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

on Chase's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Rewards rate 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards 3x on dining. 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more. 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® Premier Credit Card

on Chase's secure site Annual fee Intro offer Limited Time Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Rewards rate Earn 3X points on Southwest purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. 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 Priority Card vs Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Card

You might consider the lower-cost Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card if you're not as concerned about the Priority card's bonus features, as it offers the same rewards rate, sign-up bonus, and TQP earning option. There are still many great benefits to the Southwest Rapid Reward card, including 6,000 bonus points per year and 3X points for every $1 spent on Southwest. However, its anniversary bonus is lower than the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card which offers 7,500 bonus points per year. In addition, this card does not offer a $75 Southwest travel credit every year, which can help offset its annual fee. The Premier card would be an excellent choice if you are a frequent Southwest flyer with no need for maximum rewards, while the Priority card would be the best choice if you are looking for more luxury airline benefits and a card that will add maximum value to your wallet.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card vs Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

It would be wise for travelers looking for a travel credit card with a flexible rewards program to opt for the Chase Sapphire Preferred®,since it can allow them to earn rewards on a broader range of travel expenses as well as everyday spending like dining - all for a low $95 annual fee. Using the Chase Ultimate Rewards® Card, you earn 5 points per dollar for travel, 3 points per dollar for dining, streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar for all other travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar for everything else. It also includes travel protections like trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, travel and emergency assistance services, and primary rental car collision damage coverage. While points can be transferred to any of Chase's many airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 rate, including Southwest, you might prefer the Priority card if you are looking for airline-specific benefits, since the card offers loyalty perks you can't get with a general travel card like the Sapphire Preferred.

Best cards to pair with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Pair your Southwest credit card with a credit card that has and will reward you for everyday purchases, such as the . Right now, you'll get 5 percent cash back on travel purchased through Chase and on Lyft purchases (through March 2025), 3 percent on dining and drugstore purchases and 1.5 percent cash back on all other purchases. If you have a Chase Sapphire card in your wallet, such as the or Sapphire Preferred, you can use your from other expenses like non-Southwest travel to book flights with other airlines, hotel stays and more. In fact, you can even to your Southwest rewards account if you'd like.

Bankrate s Take Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card worth it

This card is perfect for Southwest loyalists who fly often enough with the airline to make use of the points or are pursuing elite status. If qualified for the Companion Pass, frequent flyers should have no trouble raking in massive value for the comparatively low $149 annual fee. If you need more flexibility (and can't be loyal to Southwest), you'll be better off with a general travel rewards credit card. These tend to come with bonus rewards on a broader range of spending categories and more redemption options. Look for one with a transferable currency so you can use your points and miles for a wide range of airlines and hotels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card worth the higher annual fee

In a nutshell, yes. Every year, you will receive 1,500 additional anniversary points for an additional $50 in annual fees over the Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card.

Can you get priority boarding with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card

As a Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority cardmember, you can upgrade your boarding at no cost up to four times per year.

Does Southwest Priority card cover TSA PreCheck

Once every four years, cardmembers can receive a $100 statement credit toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

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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. Edited by Credit Cards Editor

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