Our take: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card easily justifies its higher annual fee with a $75 Southwest® annual travel credit each year, 7,500 anniversary points each year and four Upgraded Boardings per year.
Pros
- $75 Southwest® annual travel credit each year
- 7,500 anniversary points each year
- Four Upgraded Boardings per year
Cons
- High annual fee.
- Does not include travel or purchase protections.
- Upgraded Boarding benefits may not be available on every flight.
Highlights
- Card type: Airline
- Welcome Bonus: 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- Annual Fee: $149
- Rewards: 3X points on Southwest® purchases, 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming, 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card Overview
Southwest Airlines continues to expand its destinations, so getting one of its credit cards is a smart choice for people who “LUV” to fly the airline. There are three personal credit cards available, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card has the most perks and the highest annual fee. While it does have a high fee, if you take advantage of its benefits, you’ll quickly understand why choosing this Southwest credit card over the others makes sense.
Each year as a Southwest Priority cardholder, you’ll receive a $75 Southwest travel credit, 7,500 bonus points (upon renewal) and four Upgraded Boardings. The card also offers bonus points on purchases with Southwest and its hotel and rental car partners. The major downside is that the card doesn’t include complimentary travel or purchase protections that many similarly priced travel cards do.
Who is Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card good for?
The Southwest Priority Card is the ideal credit card for travelers who prefer Southwest Airlines. This card includes numerous benefits to reduce your travel costs and improve the flight experience. The annual credit can be used for flights, fees and other Southwest charges. Additionally, you can upgrade your flight to A1-A15 boarding position up to four times each year when available.
It is also a good choice for travelers who want to earn the Southwest Companion Pass. The card reduces the annual requirements by 10,000 points. Plus, its welcome bonus and points earned from spending count toward earning the remaining 125,000 points necessary to earn the pass.
Who shouldn’t get Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card?
This airline credit card offers numerous benefits, but its perks can only be used with Southwest Airlines. For travelers who want to shop around for the best flight times and prices, the Southwest Priority Card’s benefits and rewards might be too limiting. You cannot redeem rewards or benefits for other airlines. Travelers who want flexibility in picking any airline should consider a cash back card or one that earns flexible rewards that can transfer to multiple airlines.
Southwest Rapid Rewards is a fixed price rewards program. Its points are worth a relatively fixed value of 1.3 to 1.5 cents per point. Because of this, cardholders are unable to get outsized value for their rewards. Similarly, Southwest offers just one type of seat, so members cannot redeem points for premium cabin experiences like they can with airline miles from American, Delta or United.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card: How to earn rewards
The Southwest Priority Card offers several bonus categories to earn additional points on your purchases. You’ll earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases, 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming, 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
As a new cardholder, you can earn a welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This bonus gets you about halfway to earning the Southwest Companion Pass. The welcome bonus typically ranges between 40,000 to 80,000 points throughout the year, so you may be better off pouncing when you see a larger opportunity.
When you renew the card, you’ll receive 7,500 bonus points on your card anniversary. These points can be redeemed for flights, but they don’t count toward the Companion Pass. Cardholders can also earn Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) toward A-List status. For every $10,000 you spend each year, you’ll receive 1,500 TQPs. It takes 35,000 TQPs for A-List and 70,000 TQPs for A-List Preferred.
How to redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card rewards
The Southwest Rapid Rewards program is a fixed-value rewards program where you’ll get the same value for your points on every flight. The number of points to redeem for a flight depends on the price of the ticket and which ticket class you’re purchasing.
When buying a ticket on Southwest with cash or points, there are no change or cancellation fees, and each passenger gets two checked bags for free. Plus, there are no blackout dates and members can redeem points for the last seat available on any flight.
Southwest has four ticket classes to choose from — Wanna Get Away, Wanna Get Away Plus, Anytime and Business Select. The price and number of points to book increase with each level higher ticket type.
While redeeming for flights generally offers the highest value, Southwest offers other redemption options. These options include:
- Gift cards
- Merchandise
- Hotels
- Experiences
- Rapid Rewards Access Events
- Pay Yourself Back (only for Southwest cardholders)
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card rates and fees
Annual fee: $149
Foreign transaction fee: N/A
Purchase APR: 21.49%–28.49% variable, based on creditworthiness
Additional benefits
- 25% discount on in-flight purchases. Save money on purchases of food and drink on Southwest flights.
- Earn 1,500 TQPs for every $10,000 spent each year. Receive additional perks on Southwest flights when you earn A-List or A-List Preferred elite status.
- 10,000 point discount on earning the Southwest Companion Pass. Reduced qualification for the Companion Pass makes it easier to earn enough points for free flights for your designated companion. Enjoy this benefit for the remainder of the current year and all of the following year.
Credit cards similar to Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
The Southwest Priority Card is an attractive card for travelers, but it isn’t the best rewards card for every situation. Before applying for this card, consider these alternatives that may be a better fit.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is the entry-level airline credit card for Southwest. It has a wallet-friendly annual fee of $69 and gives cardholders 3,000 anniversary points each year. While it doesn’t offer many perks, it does include two Early Bird check-ins per year and a 25% discount on in-flight purchases.
Additionally, it typically has the same welcome bonus and minimum spending requirements as the other Southwest credit cards. This is a smart choice for travelers who want a Southwest credit card but don’t want to make the financial commitment of paying the Priority Card’s higher annual fee.
Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a flexible points credit card that is an excellent alternative for people who aren’t loyal to Southwest Airlines. While it doesn’t earn Rapid Rewards points, Southwest is one of 14 airline and hotel partners where you can transfer Ultimate Rewards points on a 1:1 basis.
The Preferred Card earns 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x points on dining, 3x points on select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2x points on travel purchases and 1x points on other purchases.
When you book travel through the Chase portal, you’ll earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® (excluding hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit) or get 25% more value when redeeming points. The card also includes valuable travel protections no matter which airline you’re flying.
Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card right for you?
People who “LUV” to fly Southwest will find tremendous value in the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card. Although it has a $149 annual fee, the annual benefits more than make up for the cost. Each year you renew the card, you’ll receive a $75 Southwest® annual travel credit each year, 7,500 anniversary points each year and four Upgraded Boarding reimbursements. The card also earns 3X points on Southwest® purchases and unlimited TQPs toward A-List status.
For those who prefer to keep their options open, consider getting a cash back or flexible points card instead. With these cards, you can still book flights on Southwest, but you can always choose another airline if they offer a better route, more desirable departure time or a lower cost fare.
Frequently asked questions
Is upgrading to a Southwest Priority Card worth it?
The Southwest Priority Card is worth it for anyone who flies Southwest Airlines at least once a year. While it has the highest annual fee of any personal Southwest credit card, its benefits more than cover that cost.
What does the Southwest Priority Card give you?
The Southwest Priority Card gives cardholders numerous benefits that match or exceed other Southwest credit cards. Benefits like a $75 Southwest® annual travel credit each year, 7,500 anniversary points each year and four Upgraded Boarding reimbursements provide incredible value. Plus, you’ll earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases and 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
Does the Southwest Priority Card cover TSA PreCheck?
The Southwest Priority Card offers numerous travel benefits, but it does not offer reimbursement for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fees. Instead, you should consider a premium travel credit card. Alternatively, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which has a $95 annual fee, includes this luxury travel perk.
Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.
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