Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card review: A good value for frequent Southwest travelers

Southwest travelers delight because you’re about to be able to grab a friend to take with you on that upcoming trip. Use this card to rack up points so you can redeem them toward a coveted Southwest Companion Pass for a friend.
author Jennifer Doss

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Our Rating:   
Excellent, Good
on Chase's secure website

CardRatings Editor's Analysis: Pros & Cons

  • Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
  • A nice 6,000-point bonus after your card member anniversary means the bonuses don't end with the introductory offer.
  • Earn three points on all Southwest purchases and two points on purchases some everyday categories.
  • The annual fee applied on your first statement is a bummer, especially given that many travel rewards cards waive that fee during the first year.
Terms and Limitations Apply.

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SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS® PREMIER CREDIT CARD BENEFITS

If you are a frequent Southwest Airlines passenger or are looking to take advantage of some of the great benefits of their travel rewards program, the CardName could be a great addition to your wallet.

WELCOME OFFER

For those who already fly with Southwest often or are looking to utilize some of Southwest's benefits like included checked bags flying for free and no change fees on flights, the welcome offer for the CardName can get you well on your way to your next reward flight. As a welcome offer, new cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. As rewards flight redemptions have no blackout dates and no seat restrictions, those points can be extremely valuable to those looking to travel to one of the many domestic or international destinations that Southwest serves.

ONGOING REWARDS

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card earns three points per $1 on Southwest purchases; two points per $1 on local transit and commuting (including rideshares) and on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming services; and one point per $1 on other eligible purchases.

This card is similar to many airline specific credit cards in that it earns bonus points for qualified spend with the airline and its partners but it also offers bonus points in some other common categories as well. Obviously, to really maximize your points earning with the Premier card, be strategic with the purchases you use it for.

ANNUAL POINTS BONUS

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card offers members a great incentive to hold on to their cards for many years after their initial sign up. The Premier card earns 6,000 bonus points after your card member anniversary, which can be redeemed for flights or any of the other available redemption options.

EARLYBIRD CHECK-IN OPPORTUNITIES

Given Southwest's "no assigned seat" structure, getting on the plane first can mean the difference between your ideal aisle seat and being stuck in the middle. Premier cardholders can breathe a little easier for a couple of trips each year thanks to two EarlyBird Check-Ins annually.

Top Features

 Rewards
Receive 6,000 anniversary points each year. Enjoy benefits including 3X points on Southwest® purchases, 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming, 2 Early Bird Check-In® each year, 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year, and more.
 Bonus Rewards
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
 Annual Fee
$99

SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS® PREMIER CREDIT CARD TRAVEL BENEFITS

The CardName has a number of travel and purchase protections to help in the event that you have issues while traveling. The Premier card has included auto rental collision coverage, roadside dispatch coverage, lost luggage insurance for you and your immediate family, baggage delay insurance, and travel accident insurance. For many of your travel related hiccups, the Premier card has you covered.

And, while perhaps not as big of a deal as the protections and benefits mentioned already, this card does offer your 25% off your Southwest in-flight purchases of things like beverages and WiFi.

SOUTHWEST COMPANION PASS

The Companion Pass allows you to add on a companion to Southwest flights booked directly with the airline, either paid fare or rewards flights, for only the taxes and fees. Check out our "Guide to the Southwest Companion Pass" to learn more.

SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS® PREMIER CARD FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE

With the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card you don't have to worry about paying foreign transaction fees, allowing you to make purchases internationally without concern for incurring extra costs. This benefit can add up quickly for those who travel internationally frequently. Usually, cards that have foreign transaction fees charge a flat 3% for every purchase made outside of the continental United States. For your hiking tour through South America, if you spend $4,000 on international purchases, you could be adding on an additional $120 in fees alone if you were to make those purchases with a card that charges a foreign transaction fee.

SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS® PREMIER CARD POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES

One of the biggest drawbacks to the CardName is the AnnualFees annual fee. When you receive your first billing statement, the annual fee is added. There isn't an introductory year offer, so this is noteworthy as some airline rewards credit cards waive the fee during an introductory period. The welcome offer for new cardholders easily offsets this fee though, and the extra 6,000 points you'll receive each year moving forward certainly helps too.

Now a few drawbacks to this card aren't specific to the card itself, but are more generally for Southwest Airlines. If you are someone that prefers luxury amenities and seating, Southwest may not be the airline for you. There is no first class or business class to reserve when you feel like resting your traveling soul. However, if you're a frequent traveler or someone just trying to get from point A to B in an efficient way, Southwest offers amenities that many of its competitors do not including up to two free checked bags and no premium seating charges.

SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS® PREMIER CARDHOLDER SCORES

CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results:

Current Scores Past Scores
Overall Score 78.5 77.7
Rewards Program Satisfaction 7.9 7.7
Customer Service 7.5 7.8
Website/App Usability 7.7 8.0
Likelihood of Continuing to Use 8.2 7.9
Recommend to a Friend/Colleague 8.0 7.6

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

HOW SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS® PREMIER CARD COMPARES TO OTHER TRAVEL REWARDS CARDS

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Card vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Card

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If you are looking for a card with a slightly lower annual fee, but still want to earn points that count towards the Southwest Companion Pass, the CardName could be a great alternative. The Plus card earns the same new cardholder bonus as the Premier card but with an annual fee of AnnualFees vs. AnnualFees for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier card. The ongoing rewards are slightly different, however, with the Plus card earning two points per $1 on Southwest purchases (vs. three points for the Premier card). The other earning rates are the same (two points per $1 on local transit and commuting (including rideshares) and on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming and one point per $1 on other eligible purchases).

Though the annual fee is lower, the Plus card has some drawbacks in comparison to the Premier card. The anniversary bonus is only 3,000 points compared to the 6,000 points earned by the Premier card. Also, the Premier card has the ability to earn tier qualifying points for A-list and A-list preferred status on credit card spend, while the Plus card does not earn tier qualifying points. For a card with many similar perks and benefits, the Rapid Rewards® Plus card is a great lower annual fee alternative to the Premier card.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Card vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card

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The CardName is the premium option in the Rapid Rewards lineup of cards. The card earns the same spend rate as the Premier card and has the same new cardholder bonus. They both also offer 25% back on in-flight purchases.

Where the Priority card sets itself apart is in additional travel perks. These perks include an annual $75 Southwest travel credit and four upgraded boardings per year. With those additional perks, the Priority card also has a higher annual fee than the Premier card at AnnualFees vs. AnnualFees.

The annual anniversary bonus of 7,500 points is higher though than the Premier's 6,000.


Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

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The CardName gives cardholders the ability to earn Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed for a variety of options including transferring to travel partners. The Sapphire Preferred® Card is currently offering new cardholders 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening which is equivalent to $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

As Southwest airlines is a travel partner of Chase, these points can be transferred to Southwest (or any of their travel partners) to be redeemed for award travel. However, if transferred to an existing Southwest account, these points cannot be used toward earning a Southwest Companion Pass.

The true value of this card is its flexibility, as well as the fact that points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Plus, the card 5X total points on all travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal; 3X points on dining, including eligible delivery services and takeout; 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs); 3X points on select streaming services; 2X points on travel purchases; and 1X point on all other purchases.

IS THE SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS® PREMIER CARD A GOOD CARD?

Yes, the CardName is a good card; however, if you are already a Southwest frequent traveler or are looking to earn a Southwest Companion Pass, this is a great card. With competitive points earning and redemption options, the Premier card certainly has a lot of benefits. Some things to keep in mind when considering this card include the annual fee and Southwest's service network not including every major airport. If you don't mind an annual fee and can fly Southwest with some regularity, the Premier card could be a great addition to your wallet.

Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents' scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2022 survey.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card Compared to Other Travel rewards Cards

Apply online for Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Apply online for Mastercard® Titanium Card™
Mastercard® Titanium Card™
Apply online for Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Apply online for Citi Premier<sup>®</sup> Card
Citi Premier® Card
Rewards
Receive 6,000 anniversary points each year. Enjoy benefits including 3X points on Southwest® purchases, 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming, 2 Early Bird Check-In® each year, 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year, and more. 
Rewards
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel? immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. 
Rewards
Flat-rate redemption value of 1% for cash back or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates. Earn one point for every dollar spent. Straightforward redemption without needing a high-maintenance reward strategy. No foreign transaction fees, no earning caps, no rotating categories, and no need to chase down transfer partners to escape very low point values. 
Rewards
2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 
Rewards
Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases. 
Bonus Rewards
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 
Bonus Rewards
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.  
Bonus Rewards
N/A  
Bonus Rewards
Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening  
Bonus Rewards
Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, for a limited time, earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel portal through June 30, 2024.  
Annual Fee
$99 
Annual Fee
$550 
Annual Fee
$195 
Annual Fee
$95 
Annual Fee
$95 

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