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Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card review: The premier business card for Southwest enthusiasts
Snapshot
4.7
Bankrate rating
Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5
Bottom line
Thanks to an impressive rewards rate for Southwest purchases and generous perks, small-business owners who frequently fly Southwest have a lot to gain with this card. But the high annual fee may be hard to justify if you don’t fly often and don’t take advantage of the card’s additional benefits.
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Recommended Credit
Intro offer
Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 4X pts on Southwest® purchases. Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Earn 2X points on rideshare. Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services. 1X points on all other purchases.
Annual fee
Regular APR
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card Overview
If you’re a frequent Southwest flyer who owns your own business, flies for business purposes or has employees who book travel with a credit card you provide them, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card could be just the card you need. It comes loaded with features, including a big welcome bonus, anniversary points, a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership and frequent flyer perks like four upgraded boardings per year.
However, if you aren’t one of Southwest Airline’s most loyal customers, or you don’t plan to become a frequent Southwest frequent flyer, then you might want to opt for another airline’s card or a general business travel rewards card with more flexible points or miles redemptions.
What are the pros and cons?
Pros
Generous sign-up bonus easily offsets the card’s high annual fee for the first year
An excellent rewards rate for Southwest purchases and a range of other popular business expenses make this Southwest card better than ever
Qualify for elite perks like in-flight Wi-Fi credits, early boardings, a credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck and free employee cards
9,000 points on your cardmember anniversary—the best yearly bonus on a Southwest card
Cons
High $199 annual fee may be difficult to offset for anyone not taking advantage of the perks and benefits
Limited redemption options
Not as good for general travel if you’re not primarily a Southwest flyer
Doesn’t offer the strongest travel protections and benefits
No airport lounge access perks
Expert experience
The Southwest Performance Business card comes with perks regular Southwest flyers will appreciate, according to The Points Guy credit cards writer Emily Thompson:
In addition to earning bonus rewards on Southwest and common business purchases, this card comes with 9,000 anniversary points and four upgraded boardings each year. Cardholders also get up to 365 inflight wi-fi credits annually and a credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus every four years, easily offsetting the card’s annual fee.
