The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card comes with the highest annual fee out of the Southwest credit cards. 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.
Update 5/16/25: You can currently earn 50K bonus points after meeting the spend requirement. The card gives $75 Southwest travel credit each year plus 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available, savings of 25% back on in-flight drinks and WiFi, and more!
As a welcome offer, earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
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.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card Summary
 The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers 50,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. In addition, you'll earn 7,500 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary each year. You'll earn: • Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases. • Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. • Earn 2X points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming. Some perks include $75 Southwest travel credit each year., receiving 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available, savings of 25% back on in-flight drinks and WiFi, and more! This card carries a $149 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. |
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card Bonus
Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Compare this offer to other credit cards.
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.
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Conclusion
If you travel frequently with Southwest, the 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.
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!
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
