Southwest Premier Credit Card Review: Full Details

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card Overview

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card sits at the center of Southwest Airlines’ personal credit card lineup. While mid-tier airline credit cards generally don’t have many premium perks, Southwest Premier’s Travel Day benefits and 6,000 annual bonus points should help offset the $149 annual fee. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Savvy TPG readers know that we generally don’t recommend building your points and miles strategy around a single co-branded airline credit card. That’s because these tend to offer fewer perks and less flexibility than similarly priced transferable points and miles cards.

When it comes to the Southwest Rapid Rewards card portfolio, you’ll generally find better earning rates and more flexible redemption options with cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (See rates and fees) For example, it allows you to transfer Chase points to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 rate, as well as to Chase’s 12 other partners.

However, Southwest credit cards are very popular among Southwest fans, and they have all been updated recently. The Southwest Premier Card update added several benefits that enhanced the travel day experience, adjusted the award tier earning structure and introduced a new $149 annual fee.

Note that Southwest is undergoing dramatic changes, including its boarding process, bag fees, and seat selection process.

With a recommended credit score of 670 or higher, Premier is the mid-tier option of Southwest’s three personal cards. It offers a good balance of perks and annual fees that may make it worthy of a place in your card collection.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Southwest Premier Card to help you decide whether or not it should be in your wallet.

Information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card was collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

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Pros and Cons of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

Related to: How to choose the best credit card strategy for you

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card Welcome Offer

New Southwest Premier cardholders can earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. This welcome offer is worth $1,190 based on TPG’s October 2025 offer Ratings.

This is one of the higher-scoring welcome offers we’ve seen on this card and meets our criteria for when to apply.

Remember, you can’t get a welcome bonus on a Southwest Premier Card if you currently have a personal Southwest Card or have earned a welcome bonus on a personal Southwest Card within the past 24 months.

Also, Southwest co-branded cards are subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened five or more new accounts in the past 24 months (across all issuers, not just Chase), your application will likely be denied.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Credit Card Application Limitations

Benefits of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

While we wouldn’t normally expect an airline credit card with a $149 annual fee to come loaded with premium perks, the Southwest Premier Card has many benefits, including several important perks for your travel day.

It is important to note that existing cardholders will receive all current benefits until December 31 and will be able to access the new benefits immediately.

You’ll receive 6,000 bonus points on each account anniversary, which is worth $84 according to TPG ratings. That covers more than half of this card’s annual fees.

Travel day benefits include:

• two Early check-in, which can cost up to $99 per year (for flights operating in 2025; expires December 31)
• The first checked bag is free for cardholders and up to eight passengers traveling on the same booking
• Group 5 boarding priority for cardholders and up to eight passengers traveling on the same booking (if your status is on List A, you will be able to board with a previous group)
• Selection of preferred seat within 48 hours of departure for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same booking
• 25% discount on on-board purchases

Cardholders can also achieve Southwest A-List elite status more quickly. You’ll earn an additional 1,500 qualifying points for every $5,000 you spend in a calendar year, with no cap. In addition, cardholders also receive 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.

Finally, you will receive one promo code for a 15% flight discount per annual year (excluding base fares) and no foreign transaction fees will be charged.

RELATED: Southwest Rapid Rewards now offers cash back and points

Earn points on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

Most airline credit cards give bonus points or miles for purchases directly with the carrier, and that’s certainly true here. You will earn:

• 3 points per dollar spent with Southwest (4.2% return)
• 2 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotels and car rental partners (2.8% return, ends December 31)
• 2 points for every dollar spent Transportation and local mobility, including passenger services (2.8% yield, ends December 31)
• 2 points per dollar spent on internet, cable, phone and select streaming providers (2.8% return, ends December 31)
• 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases annually (2.8% return)
• 1 point per $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases (1.4% return)

(All rate of return estimates are based on TPG ratings.)

Many double point bonus categories will be removed at the end of the year. It’s nice to have a rewards tier for grocery stores and restaurants added, but it seems very limited given the low spending cap.

If you need to earn Southwest points, this card offers good earning rates, but you can definitely do better on everyday spending with other cards.

It’s also worth noting that this is the only Southwest consumer card that doesn’t have a gas bonus category. Since Chase lacks a set of cards that earn extra points on gas, that’s an unfortunate aspect of Southwest Premier.

RELATED: How to Earn Over 300,000 Points This Year

Redeem points on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

When it comes time to use your rewards, this is one of the best things Redeeming Southwest Rapid Rewards points is as simple as the process.

Whether you select the cheapest base fare or the more expensive Business Select option, the cost of your award ticket is linked to the cash price of the flight. This means you don’t have to worry about getting the highest possible redemption value of cents per point.

If you have Rapid Rewards points, you can also redeem them for gift cards or merchandise. However, the best value comes from using your points for flights to Southwest — including options to Hawaii, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Emily Thompson, TPG’s newsletter and partnerships editor, likes to use Southwest Points, where the airline offers great deals and runs frequent sales on intercontinental flights from smaller airports like Pensacola International Airport (PNS) in Florida to Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon.

Southwest also regularly offers flash sales that you can take advantage of to get a great deal when booking with points. Plus, Southwest’s policy of no change or cancellation fees means you can save money on your award ticket if the price drops. This flexibility ensures you can get the cheapest redemption value.

RELATED: How to change or cancel a Southwest flight

Which cards compete with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card?

The Southwest Premier Card has two obvious competitors: Chase’s other Southwest consumer credit cards. However, it’s worth considering a general travel credit card with a similar annual fee to see if that option is better for your wallet.

For more options, check out our full list of Best credit cards for travel.

RELATED: Companion Pass card and reward points: Compare Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority, Premier, and Plus credit cards

Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card worth it?

Annual bonus points help offset some of the Southwest Premier Card’s $149 annual fee. You’ll get more back than just the annual fee if you value other perks, like early check-in (ends December 31), free checked bags, seat selection, and on-board discounts. However, most Southwest loyalists will get more value from Priority to the southwest card instead, because it offers more benefits.

Bottom line

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Card can be a good option for semi-frequent travelers from Southwest. If you fly with Southwest occasionally, this card’s price and perks can make it a good fit for your wallet without paying a higher price on other travel credit cards.

However, most Southwest fans will likely prefer the benefits of the higher tier Priority to the southwest card instead.

Related: How to Choose an Airline Credit Card