The best Southwest Airlines credit cards of October 2022This page is a marketplace where our partners can highlight their current card offers. The reviews and insights represented are editorial, but the order in which cards appear on the page may be influenced by compensation we may receive from our partners.Travelers around the country love Southwest Airlines for its no-fuss attitude, family-friendly seating policy, strong route network (which even includes international destinations and Hawaii), included two free checked bags, absence of change fees and its easy-to-use Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program. And that’s not even to mention its Companion Pass. Here is the current lineup of the best credit cards from our partners for Southwest flyers, their bonus offers and our ranking of which one is the best fit for different types of Southwest flyers. Show
Rewards Rates 2 - 3X points Rewards Rates Intro Offer Earn 50,000 points Recommended Credit 670-850 Excellent/Good
Why We Chose ItWhile other airlines’ top credit cards have annual fees toppling over $500 per year, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card comes with just a $149 annual per year. If Southwest is your airline of choice, you’ll receive a number of perks every year: a $75 Southwest travel credit, four upgraded boardings (upon availability) and 7,500 points on your cardmember anniversary. These benefits alone make up the annual fee for frequent Southwest flyers. For every $10,000 spent on this card, you’ll earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points, fast-tracking your way to A-List Status. Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card. Pros
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Rewards Rates 2 - 5X points Rewards Rates
Intro Offer 60,000 points Recommended Credit 670-850 Excellent/Good
Why We Chose ItThe Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the most popular travel rewards credit card on the market. Offering an excellent return on travel and dining purchases, the card packs a ton of value that easily offsets its $95 annual fee. Cardholders can redeem points at 1.25 cents each for travel booked through Chase or transfer points to one of Chase’s 14 valuable airline and hotel partners. Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Pros
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Rewards Rates 1 - 2X points Rewards Rates
Intro Offer Earn 50,000 points Recommended Credit 670-850 Excellent/Good
Why We Chose ItThe Southwest Plus credit card is a great starter card for those who are loyal to the carrier. It offers 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months. Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card. Pros
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Rewards Rates
Intro Offer Earn 50,000 points Recommended Credit 670-850 Excellent/Good
Why We Chose ItThe Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card is one of the best sub-$100 annual fee card in part to its generous sign-up bonus. You’ll earn a 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months. Since TPG values Southwest points at 1.5 cents each, the full bonus is worth $750. You’ll also receive 6,000 bonus points upon card renewal, among travel and purchase protections that make this card a solid pick for seldom Southwest flyers. Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card. Pros
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Rewards Rates 1 - 4X points Rewards Rates
Intro Offer 80,000 points Recommended Credit 670-850 Excellent/Good
Why We Chose ItThe Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card is ideal for business travelers and loyal Southwest flyers interested in hitting A-List status or earning a Companion Pass. Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card. Pros
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Rewards Rates 1 - 3X points Rewards Rates
Intro Offer 60,000 points Recommended Credit 740-850 Excellent Credit
Why We Chose ItThe Southwest Premier Business card is ideal for Southwest loyalists who value airport and inflight perks and the ability to add employee cards at no additional cost. Read our full review of the Southwest Premier Business card here. Pros
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The best Southwest Airlines credit cards of October 2022This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit CardThis card is offering 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months. The Southwest Priority card comes with a $149 annual fee. That’s the highest annual fee of the personal Southwest cards, but the card’s annual $75 Southwest credit drops that to $74 if you make full use of it. At that price, it’s cheaper than the Premier credit card and has the best perks of the bunch, making it my top pick of the personal cards for those who actively fly Southwest. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card awards 7,500 bonus Rapid Rewards points at each account anniversary (worth $112.50 by TPG calculations); an annual $75 annual Southwest travel credit; 25% back on inflight drinks, Wi-Fi, messaging and movies; and four Upgraded Boardings in the A1–A15 position each year (worth up to $50 each). Note that upgraded boarding is only available the day of travel, and is not the same thing as Southwest’s EarlyBird Check-In which sells for $15+ per person per flight. Read our full review of the Southwest Priority Card. ___________________________________________________________________________ Official application link: Southwest Priority Card. ___________________________________________________________________________ Chase Sapphire Preferred CardThe Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a more flexible option for Southwest travelers and comes with a very manageable annual fee of $95. This card earns 5 points per dollar on Lyft (through March 2025) and travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services and online grocery store purchases, 2 points per dollar on all other travel and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Those Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio. This means that the 60,000-point sign-up bonus after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening can effectively become 60,000 Rapid Rewards points (if you choose). Alternatively, you can use your points directly through the Chase Travel portal to book flights at a value of 1.25 cents per point. (Just note that you’d need to call customer service to do so on Southwest-operated itineraries.) This card is a solid all-around travel rewards card for those who find themselves on a variety of airlines. Read our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. ___________________________________________________________________________ Official application link: Chase Sapphire Preferred. ___________________________________________________________________________ Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit CardThe Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier is also offering 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months. This is a solid, middle-of-the-road Southwest card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees and can help you earn tier-qualifying points for A-List status, but keeps the annual fee under $100. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card awards 6,000 bonus points at each account anniversary (worth $90 by TPG valuations). It’s a very solid choice, especially while it has the same sign-up bonus as the higher annual fee card. Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card. ___________________________________________________________________________ Official application link: Southwest Premier Card. ___________________________________________________________________________ Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit CardThe more entry-level Southwest Plus card also awards 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months. This card does not come with nearly as many perks as the others, but the annual fee is lower and right now the sign-up bonus is the same. Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card. ___________________________________________________________________________ Official application link: Southwest Plus Card. ___________________________________________________________________________ Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit CardIf you are after more points out of your sign-up bonus, then you may decide that the Southwest small-business cards have better bonuses and perks than the personal cards. If you are eligible to open a small-business card, this is the one to get. The Southwest Performance Business Card is offering 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. It also awards 9,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points after each account anniversary and comes with a $199 annual fee. With the card, you’ll also get four A1–A15 boarding passes per year, up to 365 $8 inflight Wi-Fi credits per year (covers all day), a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck statement credit every four years (Up to $100), 4 points per dollar on Southwest Airlines purchases and more. The 80,000 bonus points alone can get you pretty close to earning the 125,000 points needed to earn the coveted Companion Pass both in the year you earn it and the entire next year, too! Read our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card. ___________________________________________________________________________ Official application link: Southwest Performance Business. ___________________________________________________________________________ Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit CardThe Southwest Premier Business awards 60,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. It also comes with 6,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points awarded after each account anniversary and a $99 annual fee. TPG values Southwest Rapid Rewards points valued at 1.5 cents apiece, so by those calculations, 60,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points are worth $900. ___________________________________________________________________________ Official application link: Southwest Premier Business. ___________________________________________________________________________ Southwest Companion Pass factorFamilies, couples and others considering a Southwest credit card should absolutely factor earning and using the Southwest Companion Pass into their calculations. A Southwest Companion Pass allows the passholder to designate one person to fly for free with them (excluding taxes and fees) for the life of the pass. Having the Southwest Companion Pass basically turns your Southwest tickets into buy-one, get-one deals for you and your designated companion. To earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you need to earn 125,000 eligible Southwest Rapid Rewards points or take 100 qualifying one-way Southwest flights in a calendar year. Not all Rapid Rewards points count toward earning the Companion Pass. For example, purchased points and transfers to Southwest Rapid Rewards from the Chase Ultimate Rewards program (and cards such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card) do not count toward earning the Companion Pass. However, the sign-up bonus points and the points earned from everyday spending on the five Southwest cobranded credit cards do count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. This — coupled with some regular Southwest travel in a year — could put the Companion Pass within reach. And yes — the Companion Pass works to bring a friend or family member to Hawaii. Which Southwest credit card are you eligible for?When deciding which Southwest credit card is right for your family, be sure you are eligible to receive the card you want. It can get tricky with Chase’s general application restrictions, including the issuer’s infamous 5/24 rule and the terms on each specific card. The terms on the three personal Southwest credit cards state: “The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapids Rewards® Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. This does not apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Card and Employee Credit Card products.” In practical terms, this means you cannot get approved for a new Southwest personal credit card if you currently hold one and/or received a new cardmember bonus for one in the last two years. This only refers to primary account holders, so if you were just an authorized user on someone’s Southwest card, that should not hurt your chances of getting your own card. Note that the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card are viewed differently than the personal cards: Having one of them now, or in the past, does not disqualify you from getting a personal Southwest credit card. Additionally, having one of the small-business cards does not disqualify you from having or getting the other. You do need a small business to open a Southwest business card, but keep in mind that this doesn’t have to be a huge small business. Your legit side hustle may need a credit card to keep expenses separate. Who should get a Southwest credit card?There are several really good reasons to get a Southwest credit card. Anyone who wants a nice shot of Southwest bonus points in their Rapid Rewards account is a good candidate. In addition, you could use a Southwest card’s sign-up bonus plus spending to put the Companion Pass within reach. Finally, Southwest credit cards offer some great perks for regular, and even occasional, Southwest flyers. Wi-Fi passes, A1-A15 boarding positions, travel credits, discounts on inflight purchases and more go a long way toward making flying Southwest even better. Or, if a more flexible credit card makes the most sense for you, you can get a Chase Sapphire Preferred card that allows you to transfer Ultimate Rewards points into Southwest points without committing 100% to the Rapid Rewards program. Bottom lineEvery family’s travel needs, goals and budget are unique, so there will never be a one-size-fits-all credit card. However, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card gets my vote as the personal card offering most perks and benefits for those who fly Southwest. Meanwhile, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card is a great choice for travelers in the market for a small business card. For those who just occasionally find themselves on Southwest, a more flexible card, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card might be ideal. Additional reporting by Daniel Ross and Benét J. Wilson. Featured photo by Ryan Patterson for The Points Guy. YOU MIGHT LIKEHow do I speak to a live person at Southwest Airlines?Customer Service. Calling from United States. 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792) 1-800-VAMONOS (1-800-826-6667) (En español). Calling from Aruba. 588-2900.. Calling from Bahamas. 1-855-202-3403. 1-855-202-3402 (En español). Calling from Belize. 0-800-0078684. 0-800-247-5463 (En español). Calling from Costa Rica. 0-800-012-1916.. Does Southwest have 24/7 customer service?We are here 24/7 for help with reservations, Rapid Rewards account information and general questions.
Who issues the Southwest credit card?Rapid Rewards® Chase Credit Card
We have partnered with JPMorgan Chase to offer a co-branded credit card to allow Rapid Rewards Members the opportunity to earn points for everyday purchases.
What is the phone number for Chase credit card?1 (800) 432-3117Chase Bank / Credit card supportnull
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