A top choice for Southwest loyalists

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is a top travel credit card for Southwest Airlines flyers. You can earn a great welcome bonus and earn points on both flights and everyday spending. The card does have an annual fee, but if you fly Southwest often you can regain plenty of value from annual travel benefits.

All information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Yahoo Finance. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Card is no longer available through Yahoo Finance.

On top of the generous introductory offer, there are multiple ways to earn rewards as a Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier cardholder, both in your first year and over the long term.

You’ll earn the best rewards on Southwest purchases with this card. But even when you’re not traveling, you can earn solid points rewards in a few everyday spending categories:

• 3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases

• 2x points at grocery stores and restaurants, up to the first $8,000 in combined annual spending

• 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental purchases (through Dec. 31, 2025)

• 2x points on local transit and commuting (through Dec. 31, 2025)

• 2x points on internet, cable, and phone services; and select streaming (through Dec. 31, 2025)

• 1x points on all other purchases

Each year on your cardmember anniversary, you’ll get 6,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points.

You can get a referral bonus when you provide your unique sign-up link (through your card account) to friends and family. After they apply for a Southwest credit card and get approved, you can earn 20,000 bonus points per person, up to 100,000 bonus points through referrals per year.

You can book a flight with points when you log into your Southwest account. Enter your flight information and then view the cost by points. You can select the flight of your choice and then the price schedule for that flight. After you’ve made your choice, you can check out and pay with your points.

If you don’t have enough points to cover the full cost of your flight, you can purchase points now and use them later. You’ll also have the option to pay with a combination of points and cash.

You can also redeem points on things other than flights. For instance, you can use your points to purchase gift cards, experiences, and products from Southwest partnerships. You can also redeem points as a statement credit, including toward your annual fee. But since this is an airline card, you’ll often find the best redemption value when you use your points toward future Southwest flights.

There are plenty of added benefits that come with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card to help you save on Southwest flights. Here’s a closer look at each of this card’s perks:

• 15% flight discount: Receive a 15% promo code toward a flight purchase each account anniversary year (not applicable for Basic fare)

• Group 5 boarding: Priority boarding in at least Group 5 for you and up to eight people flying on your reservation

• Free checked bag: Get a free first checked bag for you and up to eight people flying on your reservation

• Complimentary Preferred seat: Option to choose your Preferred or Standard seat when available within 48 hours of departure for no extra charge, regardless of your fare type

• Companion Pass boost: Get 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points each calendar year

• Unlimited TQPs: Get 1,500 tier-qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 you spend on your card

• Inflight discount: 25% back when you make inflight purchases with your card

• No foreign transaction fees

• Travel and purchase protections

This card is best for travelers who prefer flying Southwest. Maybe Southwest is most convenient for the places you fly, for example, or you’re a longstanding customer with A-List or A-List Preferred status. If you travel with Southwest Airlines often, the Rapid Rewards Premier card can help you increase the points you earn toward future flights, save money when you book, and get perks when you fly.

If you don’t travel often, or don’t always fly to destinations available from Southwest, you may not get the full value from this card — especially given its $149 annual fee. Consider more flexible travel credit cards that may offer better redemption options for your travel plans.

• Southwest benefits. You’ll get plenty of annual Southwest perks with this card, from Companion Pass-qualifying points to an annual flight discount, Preferred seating benefit, Group 5 boarding, and more.

• Annual bonus points. Depending on your travel plans, an annual 6,000 bonus points can go a long way toward a future Southwest flight.

• Travel protections. Benefits like lost luggage reimbursement and baggage delay insurance can help protect you against unexpected issues while traveling.

• Fees. There’s a $40 late payment and $40 returned payment fee, when applicable. There’s also a $149 annual fee just to use the card.

• Spending cap for rewards. While you’ll earn an unlimited 3x on Southwest purchases, the 2x rewards at grocery stores and restaurants only applies to the first $8,000 you spend across both categories each year.

• Limited value outside of Southwest. This card is a solid choice if Southwest is your preferred airline, but it’s not a very flexible option for saving money on other airlines or travel expenses.

Since the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit card is co-branded with Chase and is a Visa credit card, you can use this card wherever Visa is accepted. It also has no foreign transaction fees, so this card is a great option when traveling abroad.

Keep in mind that your highest earning potential is with Southwest-specific purchases. So if you’re a frequent flier on Southwest, you can earn the most points when you use this card to book your flights.

There are a few different ways you can make a payment on your Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit card, including:

• Through the app. Since the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card is offered through Chase, you’ll need to download the Chase app and register your account. Or, if you already have a Chase account, you can start making payments through your app.

• Online. Make payments on your card through Chase.com. You can also set up automatic payments so you never fall behind or rack up high interest charges by paying off your full balance every month.

• Over the phone. You can call the number on the back of your Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit card to make a payment over the phone.

Because Chase issues the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card, that should be your first point of contact if you have any issues or concerns with your card or usage. You can call the number on the back of your card, or call Chase customer service at 1-800-792-0001.

While the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit card is a great travel-specific credit card, there are some others you may want to explore. Compare them all before completing an application and make the choice that’s the best fit for you.

Why we like it: If you’re a frequent flier and want to keep your business with Southwest, you may want to upgrade to the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card. This card is more expensive than the Premier card — $229 a year compared to $149 — but you get a few more perks. For instance, you’ll get 7,500 bonus points on your card anniversary.

Why we like it: If you have or like Chase but don’t want to limit yourself to Southwest-only flights and benefits, you might like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. The cost is $95 a year compared to the $99 for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card, but you get more benefits.

Why we like it: A similar travel credit card is the Capital One Venture Rewards card. You can enjoy a generous welcome bonus, unlimited 5x miles on hotels and rental cars that you book through Capital One Travel, and 2x miles per dollar on every other purchase. You can also receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, but like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, there is an annual fee.

This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken

Editorial Disclosure: The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Yahoo Finance. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. All opinions belong solely to the author(s) and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn’t include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.