Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card review: The first-class travel card for Southwest loyalists

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card is an ideal travel credit card for jet-setters who frequently book domestic flights, especially travelers who are loyal to Southwest. You’ll earn points on many of your Southwest purchases, plus several everyday categories, helping you quickly build up rewards you can redeem for future flights.

Best of all, you’ll get an annual Southwest travel credit, bonus points on your cardmember anniversary, discounts on in-flight purchases and four upgraded boardings per year (depending on availability), likely making it the most lucrative Southwest credit card and one of the stronger co-branded airline cards available.

Quick highlights

• Rewards rate: 3X points on Southwest purchases, 2X points on Southwest’s Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit and commuting (including rideshares) and internet, cable phone and select streaming services; 1X points on all other purchases
• Welcome offer: 60,000 bonus points plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Annual fee: $149
• Purchase intro APR: None
• Balance transfer intro APR: None
• Regular APR: 20.74 percent to 27.74 percent variable

Current welcome offer

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card is currently offering 60,000 bonus points plus a 30 percent off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months as a cardholder. This is a clear step up in total value compared to the card's previous limited-time offer, which came with 50,000 points after a $1,000 spend in your first three months, though the spending requirement is much higher.

Based on Bankrate’s latest airline point value estimates, which give Southwest points a value of around 1.5 cents per point, the 60,000 points you can earn as part of the bonus could be worth around $900. That's not to mention the savings you could get from the 30 percent off promo code. This makes the newest Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card bonus one of the most valuable airline credit card intro bonuses available right now, especially given the card’s annual fee. 

Rewards rate

Earning points with your Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card is relatively easy if you frequently fly with Southwest, especially if you regularly commute with local transit and ridesharing services. Best of all, your Rapid Rewards points will never expire while your account is open. 

Keep in mind that the sign-up bonus and rewards rate is the same for all consumer Southwest credit cards, so make sure you can take full advantage of the Priority card’s extra benefits to rake in more points.

How you earn

Your main rewards-earning method is using Southwest and its partners for travel whenever possible. Southwest purchases earn 3X points — including flights, in-flight purchases and Southwest Airlines gift cards — and you can net 2X points on other legs of your journey with the airline’s hotel and rental car partners. Once you’re home, you’ll also be able to stock up toward your next trip with 2X points on local transit (including rideshares) and your monthly internet, cable, phone and select streaming service bills. All other purchases earn 1X points.

Priority cardmembers will receive an anniversary bonus of 7,500 points each year — the highest among Southwest credit cards. You can also earn additional points by shopping through the Southwest Rapid Rewards shopping portal, eating out at restaurants in its Dining Rewards program and taking advantage of other promotional point offers. Although these reward opportunities can be pretty niche, you could earn decent points from Southwest and partner service surveys, qualifying Home Chef meal kits, Reliant or NRG home energy expenses (in select states) and more.

But perhaps the most effective way to earn more points is to earn Southwest elite status. On top of other benefits, qualifying for A-List status earns 25 percent more points on Southwest purchases and A-List Preferred delivers an extra 100 percent. You can get a head start with the Priority card’s bonus of 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) per $10,000 in purchases (there’s no longer a limit for earning bonus points this way). However, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card also offers this same TQP bonus.

How to redeem

There are no blackout dates or restrictions for award flights, and the other redemption options are also somewhat flexible for an airline-specific rewards program. Southwest award tickets are tethered to the cash value of a ticket (minus the taxes and fees you’ll owe), so more expensive tickets will require more points.

Redeeming through the More Rewards program or Chase gives you a few more options:

• International flights with other carriers
• Hotel stays
• Rental cars
• Rapid Rewards Access Event exclusive experiences
• Merchandise
• Gift cards
• Transferring or gifting points to other Rapid Rewards members
• Donating points to eligible charities
• Statement credits toward eligible Chase Pay Yourself Back purchases

This is a solid roster of choices, but several other airlines’ cards may provide even more flight-centric redemption options, such as seat upgrades, in-flight purchases, incidental airline expenses, baggage and airport lounge access.

With Rapid Rewards points weighing in around Bankrate’s estimated 1.5 cents per point value, the 7,500-point anniversary bonus could be worth up to $112.50. However, your reward value may fluctuate depending on several factors, including the redemption option and your reward flight’s destination, time and date.

While you won’t get fancy perks like airport lounge access with this Southwest card, you’ll save plenty with its annual travel credit, Southwest priority card upgrades, anniversary bonus and more. Here’s a closer look at what the card has to offer.

Extensive travel benefits

You’ll be eligible for a variety of travel savings, including:

• Four Southwest upgraded boardings a year, subject to availability
• A $75 Southwest travel credit every year (automatically applied when using your card on eligible travel purchases through the airline)
• 7,500 bonus points each year on your annual account anniversary, which is worth almost $113 toward airfare at a 1.5-cent point value
• 25 percent back on inflight purchases, such as drinks and Wi-Fi
• One year of complimentary DoorDash DashPass for $0 delivery fees and lower service fees (after that, you’re automatically enrolled at the current monthly DashPass rate; must activate by Dec. 12, 2024)

Considering upgraded boardings normally cost $30 each and the annual bonus points can be worth almost $113 (at a 1.5-cent value apiece), all of these annual perks could add up to $308 or more in value — more than enough to make up for the annual fee alone. This fantastic value makes it perhaps the most lucrative of any personal Southwest card.

Loyalty status and companion pass perks

Helping you obtain A-List Status is a key function of the card since it can bring excellent benefits including boosted rewards on flights and priority attention in the security line, check-in and boarding processes. To expedite your path to A-List or A-List Preferred, the Southwest Priority card provides an extra 1,500 TQPs for every $10,000 you spend. It takes at least 25 qualifying one-way flights or earning 35,000 TQPs to qualify for A-List, so this bump can add enough extra TQPs to equal an extra $500 spent on Southwest flights.

Southwest’s loyalty status is helpful, but earning the renowned Companion Pass could provide you one of the best values on the airline rewards market. It requires going the extra mile — taking at least 100 qualifying one-way flights or earning more than 135,000 eligible Southwest points in a calendar year — but this stellar deal allows you to bring a designated companion to fly at no cost other than the ticket’s taxes and fees. In terms of sheer value, this pass could save you hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars on unlimited flights for the rest of the year you earned it in and the entire following year.

Just being a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card member provides you 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points by January 31 each year as a courtesy. This is a sizable head start considering you’d normally need to spend almost $3,334 on Southwest flights or $5,000 on your 2X category purchases to qualify.

Purchase protections and travel insurance

By using your card, you receive several protection benefits as a Visa cardholder, including:

• Lost luggage and baggage delay protection, up to $3,000 per traveler if your luggage is damaged or lost, and up to $100 a day for three days if your bags are delayed at least six hours
• Purchase protection and extended warranty on eligible purchases
• Car rental collision and theft insurance, roadside assistance and travel accident insurance on eligible auto incidents

The Rapid Rewards Priority card has an annual fee of $149 — the highest of any Southwest personal credit card. However, there are no foreign transaction fees and Southwest never charges change fees, so you have more flexibility with your travel plans. 

The annual fee isn’t hard to justify compared to the perks and rewards, and the 20.74 percent to 27.74 percent variable APR and other fees are typical for a travel card. The lower end of this APR is on par with the current average credit card interest rate, but you’ll generally avoid these rates and fees if you pay off your balance every month.

It’s worth noting that you may be eligible for My Chase Plan℠ alternative payment plans since the Southwest Priority is a Chase credit card. If you use this perk, keep in mind there’s a 1.72 percent monthly fee.

If you’re on the fence about going for Southwest’s highest-priced credit card, evaluating how much value the Southwest Priority offers the average spender during their first year and beyond could help make your decision.

Despite its $149 annual fee and rewards rates identical to the lower-fee Southwest Premier counterpart, the Priority card offers perhaps the best ongoing value of any Southwest card. Its rewards rates are solid for a brand-specific airline card, but the non-travel categories probably aren’t as lucrative for many cardholders as other popular travel card categories like dining or gas.

Southwest points’ 1.5-cent value is relatively strong for airline rewards, but general-purpose travel cards often earn much more valuable rewards. For example, Bankrate’s valuations show both Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Capital One miles can be worth up to 2 cents with the right transfer partners. Combined with excellent rewards rates and bonus categories, competing premium travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card could end up being stronger rewards options for some cardholders.

However, the Southwest Priority card’s rewards aren’t its strongest suit. Its valuable welcome offer means the card’s first-year value stands out among airline cards, and the annual bonus points, annual travel credit and complimentary upgraded boardings completely offset the annual fee without eating into the rewards you earn from your spending. Together, these factors add up to great long-term value that easily justifies the annual fee.

*Based on our formula used to calculate each card’s average rewards rates and average ongoing rewards value, using Bureau of Labor Statistics spending data and an assumed $15,900 yearly spend over three years ($1,325 per month).

Senior credit cards editor Nouri Zarrugh has used Southwest rewards cards for years, but the top-tier card’s annual travel credit and enhanced anniversary bonus made the sheer value difference reason enough to switch.

“I had a lower-tier Southwest card for a long time, but I upgraded to the Premier a few years ago after I realized it has so many upsides. I can earn rewards at the same rate as I would with the Priority card, but the Premier card's $75 annual travel credit and 7,500 anniversary points can entirely offset its annual fee. That's likely not the case with the Priority card and its 6,000 anniversary points.”

— Nouri Zarrugh,Senior Credit Cards Editor at Bankrate

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Card

You might consider the lower-cost Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card if you’re not as concerned about the Priority card’s bonus features, as it offers the same rewards rate, sign-up bonus, TQP earning option and 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying jump start.

There are still many great benefits to the Southwest Rapid Reward card, including 6,000 bonus points per year and two automatic EarlyBird Check-Ins. However, its anniversary bonus is lower than the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card which offers 7,500 bonus points per year. In addition, this card does not offer a $75 Southwest travel credit every year, which can help offset its annual fee. Based on Bankrate’s 1.5-cent Southwest Rapid Rewards point valuation, the Premier card’s anniversary bonus is worth just $90 — not enough to fully recoup the $99 annual fee with travel rewards. However, the two EarlyBird Check-Ins would normally cost $30, which can help recoup the rest of the annual fee.

The Premier card is ultimately an excellent choice if you fly with Southwest often, but you aren’t looking for maximum rewards. Meanwhile, the Priority card is better if you travel a little more often and could use the top-tier Southwest value. However, the Southwest Priority’s higher perk value could make the higher annual fee easily worth the difference for any frequent Southwest traveler.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

It would be wise for travelers looking for a travel credit card with a flexible rewards program to opt for the Chase Sapphire Preferred®, since it can allow them to earn rewards on a broader range of travel expenses as well as everyday spending like dining and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs) — all for a low $95 annual fee.

These rewards rates can be much more lucrative for many spenders than the Priority card’s rewards, especially considering the Sapphire Preferred provides a 25 percent point value boost when points are redeemed for Ultimate Rewards travel. The Sapphire Preferred’s flexible points can even be redeemed for cash back at 1-cent per point, or up to 2 cents per point with the right transfer partner. If you want to maximize your travel value with a minimal annual fee, it’s hard to beat these stellar rewards and exceptional Sapphire Preferred benefits like its travel insurance and annual credits and points.

While you can transfer points to any of Chase’s many airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 rate, including Southwest, you might prefer the Priority card if you are looking for airline-specific benefits, since the card offers loyalty perks you can’t get with a general travel card like the Sapphire Preferred.

Best cards to pair with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Pair your Southwest credit card with a credit card that has no annual fee and will reward you for everyday purchases, such as the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. This card touts 5 percent cash back on travel purchased through Chase and on Lyft purchases (through March 2025), 3 percent on dining and drugstore purchases and 1.5 percent cash back on all other purchases.

If you have a Chase Sapphire card in your wallet, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Sapphire Preferred, you can use your Ultimate Rewards points from other expenses like non-Southwest travel to book flights with other airlines, hotel stays and more. In fact, you can even transfer these points to your Southwest rewards account if you’d like.

This card is perfect for Southwest loyalists who fly often enough with the airline to make use of the points or are pursuing elite status. If qualified for the Companion Pass, frequent flyers should have no trouble raking in massive value for the comparatively low $149 annual fee.

If you need more flexibility (and can’t be loyal to Southwest), you’ll be better off with a general travel rewards credit card. These tend to come with bonus rewards on a broader range of spending categories and more redemption options. Look for one with a transferable currency so you can use your points and miles for a wide range of airlines and hotels.