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The Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card comes with the highest annual fee out of the Southwest credit cards collection at $149. The annual fee isn’t waived the first year. But, thanks to its anniversary bonus, annual travel credit and other perks, this is the most generous of the airline’s credit cards.
As a welcome offer, earn 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Cardholders earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
If Southwest is your preferred airline, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers valuable benefits that can easily offset the cost of carrying it. However, if you spread your spending around multiple airlines, we recommend a general travel card instead. See those down below.
This Southwest-branded credit card is also issued by Chase Bank! If you’re interested for more offers from Chase, check out all the ongoing Checking/Savings account bonuses!
| BONUS LINK | OFFER | REVIEW |
| Chase Total Business Checking® | $200 Cash | Review |
| Chase Total Checking®SM | $200 Cash | Review |
| Chase Premier Plus CheckingSM | $300 Cash | Review |
| You InvestSM by J.P. Morgan | Up To $625 Cash | Review |
Table of Contents
- 1 Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card Summary
- 2 Editor’s Alternate Pick
- 3 Earning Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Bonus
- 4 What are Rapid Rewards Points Worth?
- 5 Earn 2X Points Flying Southwest
- 6 Redeem Southwest Points
- 7 Earning Tier Qualifying Points
- 8 Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Benefits
- 9 Why Fly Southwest?
- 10 Conclusion
- 11 Other Credit Cards To Consider
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card Summary
 |
| Bonus Available | Earn 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. |
| *Bonus Value | $600 |
| Travel Credit | $75 annual Southwest travel credit. |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits | 2 points for every $1 on Southwest Airlines purchases and at participating Rapid Rewards Hotel and Rental Car partners.
1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Receive 7,500 bonus points after every cardmember anniversary. Free 1st and 2nd checked bags. 4 upgraded boardings each year, when available. 20% back on inflight beverages and WiFi. |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | No |
| Airport Lounge Access | N/A |
| Annual Fee | $149 |
Recommended Free Credit Score (Get Free Score) 720 – 850 (Excellent)
PROS
- Welcome bonus
- Anniversary bonus
- Annual travel credit
- Free 1st & 2nd checked bags
- Upgraded boardings
- Tier qualifying points
- No change fees
- No foreign transaction fees
CONS
- Has an annual fee
- No luxury perks
- Can’t transfer points
Editor’s Alternate Pick
 The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®! You'll earn 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide; 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. And when you redeem your points for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you'll get 25% more value! |
Earning Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Bonus
Get the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card’s 40,000 welcome offer. Our valuation of this bonus offer is worth around $600. Compare this welcome offer to other card bonuses.
Compare this offer to other credit cards. Here are some ideas on meeting the spending requirement:
| • Plastiq: Plastiq allows you to pay for expenses that you generally won’t be able to with your card like rent, tuition, auto lease, mortgage payment, and more. There’s a 2.5% processing fee for using your credit card. However, this’ll be worth the card bonus you’ll get. There’s also a referral program where you can earn “Fee-Free Dollars” to use towards processing fees. See our Plastiq review. |
| • Fund Checking accounts with your card: Many banks will allow you to fund the opening deposit with a credit card. Consider opening Checking accounts that also offer a sign-up bonus. This way, you can work towards bonuses from two different sources. Big banks like Chase, HSBC, Huntington, and TD Bank have great offers and allow credit card funding. You can generally fund anywhere from $50 to $1,000 towards the opening deposit with a credit card, depending on the bank. |
| • Buy gift cards: Consider buying gift cards with your credit card that you can then spend later at your leisure. Individual merchant cards (restaurants, gas stations, supermarkets, etc.) generally don’t have purchase fees, so this is a plus. On the other hand, American Express and Visa gift cards will have purchase fees. Amazon gift cards are a great idea as you can shop for almost anything there with no purchase fees either. Unfortunately, Citi credit cards tend to code gift card purchases as Cash Advances and there’ll be a fee. Call in to customer service and lower your Cash Advance limit to $0 before purchasing gift cards. You can also buy discounted gift cards as well from Raise or find gift cards on eBay. |
| • Everyday spending & bills: Always using your credit card for everyday spending, such as for dining, gas, groceries, etc. You can also use your credit card to pay for things like insurance bills, property taxes and income taxes. However, you’ll have to consider the convenience fees. |
What are Rapid Rewards Points Worth?
The value of your points depends on how you use them, each Rapid Rewards point at around $0.015.
You can redeem your points for:
-
- Flights
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
- Gift cards
- Access to events
- Merchandise
To get the maximum value of your Rapid Reward points, redeem them for Southwest flights. Please note that the point value changes constantly and it depends when you fly, destination, and more! It’s good to know that there are no blackout dates and no seat restrictions.
However, if you use your Rapid Rewards point towards anything other than Southwest flights, you won’t be getting the best value since this will bring your points below $0.01.
Earn 2X Points Flying Southwest
Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend on Southwest Airlines. This includes airfare, vacation packages, in-flight food and drinks, and other incidentals. There are no caps or restrictions to how much you can earn.
Purchases with hotel and rental car partners, including Hertz, also earn an unlimited 2 points per $1 spent.
All other purchases earn an unlimited 1 point per $1 spent.
There is no foreign transaction fee. So, earn your points while shopping outside the States.
Redeem Southwest Points
Like many other airline-branded credit cards, the value of your points depends on how you use them. On average, each Rapid Rewards point is worth about $0.015. Therefore, 60k points are worth $900.
Southwest gives you the option of redeeming your points for flights, car rentals, products, gift cards, and more.
Using points toward products, gift cards, and other options is typically the worst way to get value for your points. These typically bring your points worth to below $0.01.
The best way to maximize value from your points is to use them toward Southwest or AirTran (owned by Southwest) flights. Point values constantly change, so keep your eyes peeled for the deals. On popular routes, the value ranges from $0.014 to $0.016 per point.
Southwest offers “Wanna Get Away” deals, featuring the airline’s lowest fares and generally the best deals. However, these fares are non-refundable. Nonetheless, you can still cancel without penalty. Plus, the fare can be applied toward future travel on Southwest Airlines.
You can change your flight at any time. Just keep in mind that Southwest fares go up as your travel date gets closer.
Earning Tier Qualifying Points
Separately from the Rapid Rewards program, you earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs). These are Rapid Rewards points not earned through credit card bonuses and partner purchases, for every $10,000 spent with your Rapid Rewards Priority card. You can earn up to 15,000 TQPs per year this way, which is up to $100,000 in annual card spending.
If you earn 35,000 TQPs in a calendar year, you get A-List status, which is Southwest’s elite frequent flyer program. A-List status benefits include a 25% point-earning bonus, priority consideration when flying standby, and priority boarding on all flights.
You can also earn A-List status by completing at least 25 one-way flights in a calendar year.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Benefits
- Travel with Transfarency: Coined by Southwest, Transfarency is a philosophy that the airline lives by: to treat its customers honestly and fairly. That means:
- $0 for your first and second checked bags (weight and size limits apply)
- $0 change fee (fare differences may apply)
- Upgraded boardings: Get statement credit when you pay for an A1-15 boarding spot with your Priority card. You’ll be reimbursed for the cost up to 4 times annually. Upgraded boarding normally costs between $30 to $50 per upgrade. So taking full advantage of this perk may cover the card’s annual fee.
- In-flight discount: Get 20% back as statement credit when you use your Priority card to purchase in-flight beverages, WiFi, messaging and movies.
- Tier qualifying points (TQPs): Earn 1,500 TQPs for every $10,000 you spend in a calendar year, for up to $100,000 in spending. These points count towards A-List and A-List Preferred elite status.
Every year, on your card anniversary, you’ll receive 7,500 Rapid Rewards bonus points. That’s worth about $112.
Every cardmember year, you’ll receive a $75 travel credit. This can be used towards most Southwest purchases. Eligible items include flights. However, this excludes upgraded boardings and in-flight purchases.
Make purchases abroad without worrying about foreign transaction fees with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card.
Why Fly Southwest?
The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of customer service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and company spirit.
- Customer appreciation day is every day. Southwest Airline’s customers mean everything to them. Southwest likes to think of themselves as a Customer Service company that happens to fly airplanes. From booking your trip to the moment you deplane, it’s their mission to make your travel experience a great one.
- From sea to shining sea (and the tropics). With an extensive network, Southwest serves more than 100 destinations throughout the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Combined, they operate more than 3,800 flights a day including more than 500 roundtrip markets.
- Low fares. No hidden fees. That’s Transfarency. They do things differently at Southwest — so much so that they had to invent a word to describe it, Transfarency! It means that they’re all about being open and honest with their customers and making sure pesky fees stay away from their low fares.
- Bag fees? Not on their plane. When you fly with Southwest, your first and second checked bags fly free (yep, that includes skis and golf bags).
- No. Change. Fees. Yesss. In today’s fast-paced world, things can change in a moment’s notice. They continue to offer maximum flexibility if you need to modify your travel plans, by not charging change fees. If you need to change an upcoming flight itinerary, you’ll only pay the cost in fare difference and will never incur a separate change fee. Fees don’t fly with Southwest!
- With Rapid Rewards, your points will take you places. Prepare to earn reward flights faster and easier than ever before. With unlimited reward seats, no blackout dates, and points that don’t expire, you’ll be planning your next getaway in no time!
Conclusion
If you travel frequently with Southwest, the Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card could earn you many valuable rewards and could save you some good money. While its perks aren’t as fancy as those provided on other travel cards, they can still make up for its annual fee.
It features a $75 annual travel credit for use on future trips, four upgraded boardings per year, when available, and 7,500 bonus points each year on your anniversary of opening the card.
In addition, you can earn points qualifying toward a Companion Pass. You’ll need to fly 100 one-way flights or accrue 110,000 points in a calendar year to qualify. You can choose one person to fly with you for virtually free every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight. Just pay the taxes and fees.
However, if you’re not a Southwest devotee or you have multiple airline options, other airline credit cards can offer better rewards structures, better perks and cheaper annual fees. Plus, if you’re looking for more rewards flexibility, you’re better off with a general travel credit card that offers more freedom in point redemptions. You can see our list of credit card promotions today to find one that suits your needs.
Other Credit Cards To Consider
More Flexibility:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®! You'll earn 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide; 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. And when you redeem your points for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you'll get 25% more value! |
Simpler Rewards:
 The Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening (equal to $500 in travel). Named ‘The Best Travel Card' by CNBC, 2018. You're able to earn 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Plus earn 10X miles on thousands of hotels, through January 2020; learn more at hotels.com/venture. This card does come with a $95 annual fee, however, there is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year. Enjoy no foreign transaction fees and receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔®. |
The Best Bank Offers are updated here. See the below pages to get started with some of the best offers: • Chase Bank Offers. Chase offers a range of attractive Checking, Savings and Business Accounts. Chase has a great selection of sign-up bonuses in comparison to other big banks. • HSBC Bank Offers. HSBC Bank routinely has offers for several of their Personal Checking and Business Checking accounts. They also have a good referral program. • Huntington Bank Offers. Huntington Bank has high bonus amounts available through their Checking and Business Checking. Huntington also offers a Business Premier Money Market Account. • Discover Bank Offers. Discover Bank offers top cashback, savings, money market accounts and CD rates for you to take advantage of. Discover has industry leading selections to cater to your banking needs. • TD Bank Offers. TD Bank consistently offers a fantastic selection of checking accounts to cater to your banking needs. However, savings account offers are less frequently available. |
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| TD Bank Convenience CheckingSM | $150 Cash | Review |
| Huntington 5 Checking | $200 Cash | Review |
| Huntington Bank Unlimited Plus Business Checking | $750 Cash | Review |
| Huntington Bank Unlimited Business Checking | $400 Cash | Review |
| Huntington Bank Business Checking 100 | $200 Cash | Review |
Bankcheckingsavings has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Bankcheckingsavings and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
