Which Southwest Credit Card is Right for You?

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Southwest and Chase have been long time partners in offering travel rewards credit card products for Southwest travelers. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card are two offerings that have been around for many years. Over this past summer, Chase and Southwest launched the new Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card. The names are pretty similar and the cards have some benefits similarities, so it’s sometimes hard to keep them all straight.

My husband and I have had a Southwest credit card or two in our wallets for the better part of a decade. We have used the benefits for a lot of free travel. So, with three Southwest personal credit card choices now available, which one should you get if you are in the market for a new travel rewards credit card?

Here are my best tips for selecting the right Southwest credit card for you, so you can fly free on Southwest with your kids (or without!) on your next travel adventure.

Should You Get Any Southwest Credit Card?

Before we get to the breakdown of the individual card offerings, it’s always smart to talk about who should – and shouldn’t – be looking at Southwest credit cards at all.

Don’t Get a Southwest Card If….

If you don’t live near an airport served by Southwest, chances are probably good that a card won’t be a fit for you. Southwest’s coverage map has expanded considerably in the past few years, however, so take a peek to see if airports have been added that you didn’t know about.

If you fly mostly overseas, Southwest probably isn’t going to be a major draw for you either. Many travelers still don’t know that Southwest does now fly internationally. These flights, however, are mostly to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central American destinations. There’s simply no way to get to Europe or Asia or even Canada yet with your Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

Finally, don’t get a Southwest credit card if you aren’t paying your credit card balances in full each and every month. Travel rewards cards of any type are not good fits for anyone who carries a balance – the rewards are cancelled out (and then some) by the high interest rates. Don’t go further into debt over a few airline miles.

Do Consider a Southwest Card If…

If you travel a few times a year domestically and have the usual limitations that most regular folks with jobs and kids in school do, chances are a Southwest card is right for you.

In fact, I think Southwest points are some of the most valuable currencies for traveling families and real people. Why? Their flexibility. So many other airlines have serious capacity controls on their award seats. When you are looking for three or four or more seats to fly to see grandma at Christmas time, it’s not likely a family can use miles for what they want.

On Southwest, however, there are no blackouts on award seats. If there is a seat on the plane available, it can be purchased with Rapid Rewards points. Of course, you’ll pay more in points for more expensive fares. But using your points on Southwest is imminently doable the vast majority of the time with a little pre-planning.

Finally, for those of you just looking to build up your Southwest Rapid Rewards point balance in anticipation of Southwest flying to Hawaii, a new credit card is surely the quickest way to get to that mai tai quicker. Priorities, people!

Comparing the Three Current Southwest Credit Cards

So, on to the three specific card offerings to choose from.

(Note that these cards are subject to Chase’s informal 5/24 rule. So if you get a lot of credit cards, make sure you haven’t gotten 5 or more in the last 24 months or you will be almost assuredly turned down. You can also only earn a single signup bonus on any of these cards once every 24 months.)

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

The new Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card is the closest to a premium card that Southwest and Chase have ever offered. The card has a higher annual fee but comes with more perks that may more than cancel that fee out for folks who fly Southwest even occasionally.

The salient points about the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card to keep in mind:

$149 annual fee
Earning for spending:
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
- Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Annual renewal: Earn 7,500 anniversary points each year.
$75 Southwest annual travel credit.
Four Upgraded Boardings per year.
20% back on in-flight purchases (drinks, WiFi, movies)
No foreign transaction fees.
Earn tier qualifying points towards A-list Status.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

Key points to keep in mind for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card:

$99 annual fee
Earning for spending:
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
- Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Annual renewal: Earn 6,000 anniversary points each year.
No foreign transaction fees.
Earn tier qualifying points towards A-list Status.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

And finally the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card:

$69 annual fee
Earning for spending:
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
- Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Annual renewal: Earn 3,000 anniversary points each year.

Which Southwest Card Do I Recommend for New Customers?

What’s my advice? If I had never had a Southwest credit card at this very moment, I would undoubtedly choose the new Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card. But that’s based on my family’s travel patterns. We fly Southwest at least every other month, so we can make use of the Southwest travel credit and upgraded boardings. I also routinely purchase WiFi on all those flights, so the 20% savings add up.

If you are a family who is simply looking to add to your points balance in anticipation of a couple of big trips, however, those benefits might not be as valuable. In that case, I’d probably recommend the card with the lowest annual fee – the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card.

I can’t really make as much of a case for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card any more for new signups. It’s annual fee is simply too close in price to the Priority card ($149 vs. $99). Assuming you can use only the Priority card’s $75 Southwest travel credit and no other benefits, you come out ahead with the Priority.

Is it Worth Upgrading an Existing Card to the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card?

If you are like me and are a regular Southwest flyer, chances are pretty good that you already have a Southwest credit card of some type (and sadly aren’t eligible for this latest awesome new card offer).

But never fear! Current cardholders should still consider whether they want to switch or upgrade to a new card. Chase has sometimes offered upgrade bonuses (when the Premier card came out, there were reports of some existing cardholders being offered 5000 Rapid Rewards points to make the switch). It also never hurts to give Chase a call to see if they are willing to make an upgrade offer over the phone, even if you were not targeted.

If you are getting close to the 24 month mark since you’ve last received a Southwest credit card signup bonus, however, I’d recommend not upgrading your current card. Wait until you are eligible again for a new card bonus. Keep an eye on the signup bonuses which do change fairly regularly to make sure you get the best offer.

What About Southwest Business Cards?

All the cards mentioned so far in this post are personal consumer credit cards. Southwest’s business credit card offering is unchanged. There is still a Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card out there for those of you who – like me – own a business of your own. The terms are currently quite similar to the personal Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card card offer so I’d give this one a look if you are in the market for a business card.

And remember – if you are eligible for a business card as well as a personal card, getting both is a pretty easy path to qualifying for a Southwest Companion Pass even once this awesome personal card bonus offer is gone.

Want to learn more about flying Southwest Airlines? Check out these related articles:

Track Southwest Credit Card Rewards More Easily with Travel Freely!

If you’ve had a Southwest credit card in the past, do you know when you are eligible again for a welcome offer? Keeping track of rewards credits cards and their ever-changing rules is so time-consuming and confusing. But there is now a FREE tool that can do this for you – Travel Freely. Simply input the date you signed up for a card and it will track everything – what cards and welcome offers you are eligible for and when, when you need to complete minimum spending requirements to earn welcome offers, and when any card annual fees are coming due. It’s game-changing for anyone looking to maximize Rapid Rewards points or any other miles and points currency.

Sign up for Travel Freely here – it’s totally FREE to use!

Disclosure: I was a paid #SouthwestStorytellers ambassador for Southwest Airlines in 2018. This particular post, however, is not written in conjunction with that partnership and is not endorsed or approved by Southwest Airlines.

Advertiser Disclosure: Trips With Tykes has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Trips With Tykes and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.