The credit limit will depend on the exact type of card you’re approved for. For example, you may get a Signature version of this card with a minimum credit limit of $5,000. The Platinum version of this card has a minimum credit limit of $2,000.
How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.Our take: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is well worth it in the first year. You can use the sign-up bonus to help earn the Companion Pass for the lowest annual fee of any co-branded Southwest card. But it also offers the least-impressive perks of any Southwest card.
Southwest Airlines offers several co-branded credit cards that let users earn points and enjoy frequent flyer perks, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is the least rewarding of them all. However, with the lowest annual fee ($69) of any Southwest credit card, it’s the most affordable way to earn Rapid Rewards while enjoying some airline perks.
The first-year bonus on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is a huge incentive to sign up, especially since Southwest points are worth an average of 1.4 cents each. These points count toward the Southwest Companion Pass, which lets you book a companion for just the cost of airline taxes and fees each time you fly for up to two years.
After the first year, however, the value of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card drops dramatically. Compared to other travel cards, the ongoing perks and rewards are unimpressive.
Sign-up bonus (4.6 out of 5)
How large is the sign-up bonus on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card? New cardholders can earn a $400 statement credit and 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening. These points can be used to book airfare with the airline, and they also count toward Companion Pass status. This offer is worth around $1,257 in Southwest airfare, making the card well worth it for the first year.
Who’s eligible to apply?
This offer isn’t available for individuals who already have a personal Southwest card, as well as previous members who have received a sign-up bonus from any personal Southwest card in the last 24 months. Note, this rule doesn’t apply to Southwest business credit cards. The Chase 5/24 rule may also disqualify you if you’ve opened too many cards recently.
Should you apply now?: The sign-up bonus on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is decent at the moment, but you may want to wait to apply if you’re hoping to get the biggest bonus possible.
Recent offers for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card | |
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Date | Number of points |
June 2024 | 85,000 points |
February 2024 | Companion Pass + 30,000 points |
December 2023 | 50,000 |
October 2023 | 75,000 |
March 2023 | 50,000 |
Earning rewards (3.3 out of 5)
How do you earn points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card? There are a variety of ways to earn bonus points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. You’ll get 2x points on categories like transit and streaming services and a 3,000-point anniversary bonus.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card has very similar bonus categories to other personal Southwest cards. Aside from a smaller anniversary bonus, you’ll earn points at nearly the same rate as the other cards.
But its rewards pale in comparison to general travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. These cards will give you a higher return overall because they offer better bonus categories and they let you transfer your rewards to airline and hotel partners. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card even lets you transfer points to your Southwest Rapid Rewards loyalty program account.
Rewards earned per $1 spent*
*Based on LendingTree’s value methodology
Redeeming points (3 out of 5)
How do you redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card points? Southwest Rapid Rewards points are easier to redeem than most airline miles and offer additional benefits. All Southwest customers get two free checked bags on every flight, points don’t expire and there are no blackout dates. Southwest also has one of the most flexible rebooking and cancellation policies of any airline.
The program is very straightforward since most flights give you the same value of around 1.4 cents per point for Wanna Get Away fares. In general, Wanna Get Away fares will give you the most bang for your buck, since they are the least expensive option in terms of both cash and points. While the number of points varies by flight, it’s not uncommon to find deals starting at around 7,500 miles one-way. Also note that award costs are based on the cash price for airfare, so you can lock in the best award prices during Southwest’s frequent sales or any other time cash prices for airfare are low.
Several non-travel redemption options are available with Southwest points as well, including:
→ Learn more about the Southwest Rapid Rewards program
Other benefits (2 out of 5)
What other benefits does the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card offer? Aside from its sign-up bonus and rewards, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card offers a few decent perks for its $69 annual fee:
However, the other co-branded credit cards from Southwest offer a better overall value, including larger anniversary bonuses and no foreign transaction fees on purchases made abroad.
Southwest Plus Card | Southwest Premier Card | Southwest Priority Card | |
---|---|---|---|
Anniversary bonus | 3,000 points | 6,000 points | 7,500 points |
10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost | |||
Two Early Bird Check-ins | |||
25% back on in-flight purchases | |||
No foreign transaction fees | |||
Earn tier-qualifying points on spending | |||
$75 annual travel credit | |||
Four upgraded boardings |
→ Find the best credit card for Southwest Airlines
Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Earn a $400 statement credit and 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening. | $69 | Receive 3,000 anniversary points each year. Enjoy benefits including 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. |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card*
|
Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $99 | 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 EarlyBird Check-In® each year, 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year, and more. | ||
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Earn a $400 statement credit and 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening. | $149 | Receive 7,500 anniversary points, 4 upgraded boardings per year when available, and a $75 Southwest® travel credit 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, 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year, and more. |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $95 | Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has the same sign-up bonus with a slightly higher annual fee of $99, but it has a few additional perks that make it worth it. These benefits include 6,000 anniversary bonus points (instead of 3,000), and unlimited tier-qualifying points toward elite status with the airline.
Since it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, it’s the better option for people who travel internationally often and make a lot of overseas purchases.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is geared to Southwest enthusiasts who want as many benefits as possible when they fly with the airline and are willing to pay a $149 annual fee. Members get better perks like a 7,500-point anniversary bonus each year upon account renewal, a $75 annual credit with Southwest and four upgraded boardings per year.
This card also refrains from charging foreign transaction fees on purchases made abroad, which makes it a solid choice for frequent Southwest flyers who take a lot of international trips.
If you want to have more flexibility when it comes to redeeming rewards, you should consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It has much better bonus categories, including 5X points on travel booked through Chase, 3X points on dining, online grocery purchases and select streaming services, 2X points on other travel and 1X points on all other purchases.
Its points are much more valuable since you can redeem them in so many ways. You can transfer them to more than 10 different airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio, including Southwest Rapid Rewards. You can also redeem points for 25% more travel through the Chase portal, or for flexible options like statement credits, merchandise or gift cards. Still, it’s important to note that points earned with this card cannot be used toward Companion Pass status.
The credit limit will depend on the exact type of card you’re approved for. For example, you may get a Signature version of this card with a minimum credit limit of $5,000. The Platinum version of this card has a minimum credit limit of $2,000.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card has an annual fee of $69. It has the lowest annual fee of any Southwest card. In comparison, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has a $99 annual fee and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card has a $149 annual fee.
Chase doesn’t publish a minimum credit score requirement for its credit cards. However, this card is geared toward applicants with good / excellent credit.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by third parties such as Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as certain terms, conditions, and exclusions apply.
The information related to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.