Comparing the personal Southwest cards: Which is b...

Southwest Airlines has introduced within the period of checked bag fees, an adjusted boarding process and seat assignments.

Southwest’s three personal credit cards are right here so as to add some additional perks alongside the best way.

At first look, you could not suppose there are a lot of variations among the many playing cards. However the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees) all have key variations.

The knowledge for the Southwest Speedy Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

New candidates for any of those playing cards can earn a coveted Companion Pass, which lets you carry a chosen journey companion on all of your Southwest flights (each paid and award tickets) for simply the worth of taxes and charges, by Feb. 28, 2027. Listed below are some card-by-card provide particulars:

• Southwest Plus: Earn a Companion Go legitimate for a yr, plus 20,000 bonus factors, after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Per TPG’s February 2026 valuations, this provide is value $260 in factors, plus the worth of a Companion Go.
• Southwest Premier: Earn a Companion Go legitimate for a yr, plus 30,000 bonus factors, after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Per TPG’s valuations, this provide is value $390 in factors, plus the worth of a Companion Go.
• Southwest Priority: Earn a Companion Go legitimate for a yr, plus 40,000 bonus factors, after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Per TPG’s valuations, this provide is value $520 in factors, plus the worth of a Companion Go.

Here is what that you must know to decide on the best choice for you.

Associated: How to redeem your points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards program

Southwest bank cards overview

Associated: Southwest card welcome bonuses

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Advantages on all Southwest playing cards

There are a number of perks included with each Southwest card that make the day-of-travel expertise extra nice when flying with the airline and may prevent numerous cash.

Perks when flying Southwest

All of the playing cards embrace a free checked bag, complimentary seat choice both inside 48 hours of departure or at reserving (relying on the cardboard) and precedence boarding.

A normal first checked bag prices $35. On a round-trip itinerary, a household of 4 would incur a value of $280 for one customary checked bag every. The financial savings on this one journey would greater than cowl the annual payment of any of the playing cards.

Bonus-earning classes

Moreover, all of the Southwest playing cards earn Speedy Rewards factors on eligible purchases.

The Southwest Plus earns 2 factors per greenback spent at grocery shops and gasoline stations (on the primary $5,000 in mixed spending yearly).

The Southwest Premier earns 2 factors per greenback spent at grocery shops and eating places (on as much as $8,000 in mixed spending yearly). Each playing cards earn 1 level per greenback spent of their respective classes after their spending caps are hit.

The Southwest Priority earns 4 factors per greenback spent on Southwest purchases and a pair of factors per greenback spent at gasoline stations and eating places.

Lastly, not one of the Southwest playing cards cost foreign transaction fees, so all three playing cards are a viable choice for purchases overseas.

Associated: 1 in 4 Southwest planes now have extra-legroom seats — here’s how to snag one

Frequent Southwest flyer? Select the Precedence

The Southwest Priority makes a really compelling case for itself.

For frequent Southwest flyers, the Precedence card makes essentially the most sense. The cardboard gives limitless upgrades to extra-legroom seats inside 48 hours of departure (when accessible) and Most well-liked seat choice on the time of reserving, whereas the Premier card solely gives Most well-liked seat choice inside 48 hours of departure (when accessible).

This perk is often solely afforded to these with airline elite standing, so seeing it offered by a bank card is a big plus.

Moreover, when you’re a frequent Southwest flyer, you are probably aiming to earn A-List elite status. You will earn 2,500 tier qualifying factors for each $5,000 spent with the Precedence card and 1,500 factors for each $5,000 spent with the Premier card.

Plus, with the Southwest Precedence card, you may earn 1 extra level per greenback spent on Southwest purchases (for a complete of 4 factors, in comparison with 3 with the Premier) and an uncapped 2 factors per greenback spent on eating places. Incomes extra factors with the Precedence card will make it easier to get to the Companion Pass faster.

With the Southwest Precedence, you’ll obtain 7,500 bonus factors in your cardholder anniversary, in comparison with 6,000 factors with the Southwest Premier — value about $20 extra based mostly on TPG’s valuations.

The most important argument in opposition to the Southwest Precedence is that it has a $229 annual fee. Nonetheless, if you should use the above advantages, you’ll be able to offset a majority and even all of that value.

Associated: How (and when) to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest Rapid Rewards

Desire a decrease annual payment? Select the Premier, not the Plus

If you happen to’re on the lookout for a decrease annual payment and may’t justify the Southwest Priority, we might advocate the Southwest Premier, with its $149 annual payment, over the Southwest Plus and its $99 annual payment.

For an additional $50 per yr, you may obtain 6,000 anniversary factors, double that of the Plus card. In accordance with TPG’s valuations, these anniversary bonus factors are value $78, which covers greater than half of the annual payment.

With the Premier card, you’ll be able to choose Most well-liked seating inside 48 hours of departure, whereas the Plus Card solely gives customary seating inside 48 hours of departure (when accessible).

Each playing cards provide an annual flight promo low cost code (excluding Fundamental fares): The Premier gives a 15% low cost code, whereas the Plus gives a ten% low cost code.

If you happen to’re aiming to earn A-List or A-List Preferred status, you may wish to go for the Southwest Premier, as you may earn 1,500 tier-qualifying factors for each $5,000 spent on purchases in a calendar yr (with no cap). The Plus card does not provide bonus TQPs for bank card spending.

The Premier Card additionally gives increased bonus factors earnings on Southwest purchases and a better mixed spending cap for eating places and grocery shops, versus gasoline stations and grocery shops for the Plus card.

All of the added perks of the Premier card simply justify the additional $50 per yr.

Associated: How to decide if a credit card’s annual fee is worth paying

Eligibility guidelines for Southwest bank cards

Chase’s restrictions on credit card applications is usually a roadblock for some folks contemplating making use of for a Southwest bank card.

Chase’s 5/24 rule applies to all three of those playing cards. This rule signifies that Chase will virtually actually reject new candidates when you’ve opened 5 or extra bank cards (from any financial institution or issuer) within the final 24 months.

If you happen to’re at (or over) 5/24, we advocate not losing an utility and a tough credit score inquiry on these playing cards since you’ll more than likely get declined. It is also vital to notice that enterprise playing cards from any issuer usually don’t count toward 5/24.

Along with the 5/24 rule, Southwest has eligibility guidelines relating to the welcome bonus. The phrases and circumstances for the welcome bonus of every of those playing cards state:

“The product shouldn’t be accessible to both (i) present Cardmembers of any Southwest Speedy Rewards® Credit score Card, or (ii) earlier Cardmembers of any Southwest Speedy Rewards Credit score Card who acquired a brand new Cardmember bonus inside the final 24 months. This doesn’t apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Speedy Rewards Enterprise Card and Worker Credit score Card merchandise.”

If you happen to at the moment maintain any of the Southwest private bank cards or have acquired a bonus for one within the final 24 months, you’ll not obtain a brand new welcome provide until it has been 24 months because you final acquired one.

Associated: The ultimate guide to Southwest credit card eligibility

Which card ought to I select?

The Southwest Plus is finest for many who need the bottom annual payment. However when you fly Southwest no less than a few occasions annually, contemplate the Southwest Premier or Southwest Priority as an alternative.

If you happen to’re a Southwest loyalist, you need to go for the Precedence card, because it gives essentially the most for many who board a Southwest plane typically, together with limitless upgrades to extra-legroom seats inside 48 hours of departure and Most well-liked seat choice at reserving (when accessible).

Associated: Fly Southwest at least twice a year? Here’s why the Southwest Plus makes sense for you

Backside line

Southwest Airways bank cards stay common, and having one in your pockets may be extremely useful.

Anybody who flies Southwest, even when it is only a handful of occasions per yr, should not have any downside maxing out the journey advantages that include the Southwest Priority, which will certainly present essentially the most worth for Southwest frequent flyers.

If the annual payment for the Southwest Precedence is just too steep for you, you may probably get higher worth from the Southwest Premier than the Southwest Plus.

To study extra, learn our full critiques of the Southwest Priority, Southwest Premier and Southwest Plus playing cards.

Apply right here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Apply right here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Study extra: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card