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New cardholders of all three Chase consumer Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card cards can now earn up to 100,000 bonus point in the first twelve months. All three cards received a minor refresh that saw them offer bonus earnings in certain spending categories, and two cards giving more points for spending with Southwest.
What you need to know
Through its partnership with Chase Southwest offers three personal credit cards. The decision on which Southwest Card to choose will depend on how you travel and what you want from the card. A card that is great in the short-term may not be as good long-term.
These are the personal cards Chase offers:
Here's a quick overview of the three credit cards currently available:
Earn a Companion Pass
The 100,000 bonus will be locked in by the end of 2018. This is due to the fact that all points earned from the welcome bonuses are counted towards the companion pass target, as well as the boosts Southwest gave earlier this year.
It is possible to wait until 2022 to receive the welcome bonus. Then, after racking up another 25,000 points, you can enjoy a companion pass for 2022 and 2023.
The welcome bonus offered by the three Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards can be used to get a Companion Pass for as little as two years.
Extra Information
Before I get into the details of these cards and which card is best suited for whom, there are some generalities you should know.
Companion Pass earnings targets can be reached by accumulating bonus points from all three Southwest credit card welcome offers.
Companion Pass earnings targets are included in all welcome offers for Southwest credit cards. Companion Pass earnings targets can be reached by earning points for all three Southwest credit card purchases.
All three Southwest credit cards are eligible for Companion Pass earnings targets. Because I am able to easily get value with Southwest points I value each point at 1.3c.
. The cards are not available for current cardholders of personal Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards or to cardmembers who have received a bonus in the last 24 month. This applies only to employees who hold Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Cards and Employee Credit Card products.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card
Best for
Travelers were focused on earning bonus points towards Companion Passes with the lowest cash outlay.
Receive a Special Offer
My valuation shows that the 100,000 bonus points included in the welcome offer are worth $1300. This is more than enough to book multiple short-haul flights, or a longer trip to Hawaii.
Additionally, all Southwest personal cards currently offer the same welcome offer. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus creditcard is the best card for anyone who wants to earn as many points towards a Southwest Companion pass.
Earnings
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus credit cards continue to offer 2 points per dollar when you spend with Southwest, but now it offers the following earning rates:
Spending on local transit or commuting will earn you 2 points per dollar (this includes rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft).
Spending on local transit and commuting (this also includes rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft), 2 points per dollar for internet, cable and phone services and select streaming*
*Per Chase: This category is only for subscriptions or purchases made with select merchants: Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+.
October 2021: New benefits added
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus credit cards are now more affordable and valuable than ever. Cardholders get 2 EarlyBird check ins free of charge every year. They must be purchased with the card, and will be refunded. Also, cardholders receive 25% off on-board purchases of Wi-Fi and drinks.
Annual Points Bonus
Cardholders of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus credit cards receive 3,000 bonus points upon their card anniversary. This bonus is equal to $39, or 56.5% of your annual fee. It comes at 1.3 cents per point.
It is very easy to use Southwest Rapid Reward points. They can be applied to all fares, so the points from an annual anniversary bonus can be considered a genuine rebate.
Summary
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card is the most affordable Southwest card. It is ideal for travelers who want to maximize their points towards earning Companion Passes. A low annual fee of 100,000 points will also get them most of the way to Companion Pass.
The next card will likely be more suitable for travelers who feel comfortable using Southwest Rapid Rewards points, and would like to be eligible to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards Points when they travel abroad.
Learn how to apply
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
Best for
Travelers who wish to earn Southwest points abroad and at home, while also paying the lowest annual fees.
Travelers who are focused on earning bonus points toward a Companion Pass
Receive a Special Offer
My valuation shows that the 100,000 bonus points from Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit cards are worth $1,300. This is more than enough to book multiple short-haul flights, or a longer trip to Hawaii.
Earnings
Cardholders of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit cards now earn 3 points per dollar when they spend with Southwest, up from 2 points/dollar.
Spending on local transit or commuting will earn you 2 points per dollar (this includes rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft).
Spending on local transit and commuting (this also includes rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft), 2 points per dollar for internet, cable and phone services and select streaming*
*Per Chase: This category is only for subscriptions or purchases made with select merchants: Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, Netflix, Sling TV, Netflix, Vudu TV, Fubo TV.
October 2021: New benefits added
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit cards now have a few new benefits that make it more attractive and less expensive to own, just like the Plus Card. Cardholders will now receive 2 EarlyBird check ins free of charge every year (these must be purchased with the card, and the cost will be refunded) and 25% off on all in-flight purchases.
Annual Points Bonus
Cardholders of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit cards receive 6,000 bonus points upon their card anniversary. This card is a great value at 1.3 cents per point, which is $78 or 78.8% of your annual fee. This card is even cheaper than the Plus card.
It is so easy to redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards Points, making this card incredibly affordable at $21/year ($99 less $78). This doesn't even include the value cardholders will receive from the 25% discount on Wi-Fi purchases and inflight drinks.
Summary
This card is for you if you aren't a frequent Southwest flyer but feel comfortable redeeming Rapid Rewards points. You may also want to be able earn points abroad.
This card is a great value card because of the bonus points and savings it offers on inflight Wi Fi.
This card is best for those who aren't frequent Southwest flyers.
Learn how to apply
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card
Best for
Southwest frequent flyer
Receive a Special Offer
My valuation shows that the 100,000 bonus points from Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card's welcome offer are worth $1,300. This is more than enough to book multiple short-haul flights, or a longer trip to Hawaii.
Earnings
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card, just like the Southwest Premier Card offers cardholders 3 Points per Dollar for Southwest purchases (up from 2 Points/dollar).
Spending on local transit or commuting will earn you 2 points per dollar (this includes rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft).
Spending on local transit and commuting (this also includes rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft), 2 points per dollar for internet, cable and phone services and select streaming*
*Per Chase: This category is only for subscriptions or purchases made with select merchants: Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, Netflix, Sling TV, Netflix, Vudu TV, Fubo TV.
Annual Points Bonus
Cardholders of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority credit cards receive 7,500 bonus points upon their card anniversary. A bonus of $97.50 or 65.4% is available for cardholders who pay 1.3 cents per point (my valuation is based on how easy Rapid Rewards points are to get).
This card is very affordable as it's easy to redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards Points. It costs only 51.50 per year to hold (or $97.50 less). But that's not the end of its savings.
This is the Southwest Card that Can Pay for Itself
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card should pay for itself if you travel with Southwest regularly (or plan to). You won't have to do anything to earn the annual fee back.
This card is offered every year with the following:
9,750 anniversary points worth 7,500
Worth $97.50 - Up to $75 Southwest statement credits
Four upgraded boardings, each worth at least $30
This card costs $149/year and has a total value $292.50. I also haven't taken into account the 25% Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority credit cards now offer on all Wi-Fi and in-flight drinks.
Summary
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card is the best personal Southwest card. It offers a phenomenal 100,000 point welcome bonus.
Even ignoring the value of the welcome bonus the statement credits, upgraded boardings and annual card fee should more than offset it. When you add all other savings the card offers, the card's value becomes evident.
Learn how to apply
For Completeness
The Premier Card and Priority Card both offer 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $10,000 spent. This is because I don't consider this a major factor in deciding which card I think is the best. This is, at best., not going to be of any interest to anyone who has a lot of Southwest credit card spending.
Bottom line
The personal Southwest credit cards are available to everyone within this price range. There is a card that suits your needs, with a 100,000 point welcome bonus and cards offering enhanced earnings in key spending categories. Two cards also offer 3 points per dollar for Southwest purchases.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card is the best choice for frequent flyers. However, travelers who are primarily interested in earning Companion Pass points and novices may prefer to pay the low annual fees of the Southwest Rapid rewards Plus credit card. Experienced travelers who don't use Southwest as often may prefer Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit cards.
Which card should you apply for?
