Comparing Southwest card benefits: The Southwest Plus, Premier and Priority go head-to-head

23 hours ago 4

Southwest Airlines has brought in the era of checked bag fees, an adjusted boarding process and seat assignments.

Southwest's three personal credit cards are here to add some extra perks along the way.

At first glance, you may not think there are many differences among the cards. But the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees) all have key differences.

The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

New applicants for any of these cards can earn a coveted Companion Pass, which allows you to bring a designated travel companion on all your Southwest flights (both paid and award tickets) for just the price of taxes and fees, through Feb. 28, 2027. Here are some card-by-card offer details:

Southwest Plus: Earn a Companion Pass valid for a year, plus 20,000 bonus points, after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Per TPG's February 2026 valuations, this offer is worth $260 in points, plus the value of a Companion Pass.
Southwest Premier: Earn a Companion Pass valid for a year, plus 30,000 bonus points, after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Per TPG's valuations, this offer is worth $390 in points, plus the value of a Companion Pass.
Southwest Priority: Earn a Companion Pass valid for a year, plus 40,000 bonus points, after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Per TPG's valuations, this offer is worth $520 in points, plus the value of a Companion Pass.

Here's what you need to know to choose the best option for you.

Southwest credit cards overview

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit CardSouthwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Annual fee	$99	$149	$229
Anniversary points bonus	3,000 points	6,000 points	7,500 points
Earning rates	2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and grocery stores, on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per year (then 1 point per dollar spent) 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases	3 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and restaurants, on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per year (then 1 point per dollar spent) 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases	4 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Southwest perks	Free first checked bag: Receive a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation. Priority boarding: Receive Group 5 priority boarding. If you have A-List status, you can board with an earlier group. Standard seat selection: When available, receive complimentary standard seat selection within 48 hours of departure for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation. Flight discount code: Cardholders receive one promotional 10% flight discount code each anniversary year (excluding Basic fares). 25% inflight savings: Receive 25% back (as a statement credit) after you use your card to purchase inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.	Free first checked bag: Receive a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation. Priority boarding: Receive Group 5 priority boarding. If you have A-List status, you can board with an earlier group. Preferred seat selection: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select Preferred seating within 48 hours of departure. Flight discount code: Cardholders receive one promotional 15% flight discount code each anniversary year (excluding Basic fares). 25% inflight savings: Receive 25% back (as a statement credit) after you use your card to purchase inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.	Free first checked bag: Receive a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation. Priority boarding: Receive Group 5 priority boarding. If you have A-List status, you can board with an earlier group. Preferred seat selection at booking: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select Preferred seating at the time of booking. Unlimited extra-legroom upgrades: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select extra-legroom seats within 48 hours prior to departure. 25% inflight savings: Receive 25% back (as a statement credit) after you use your card to purchase inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.
Tier qualifying points and Companion Pass qualifying points	A boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.	Earn 1,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $5,000 in spending per calendar year (with no cap). A boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.	Earn 2,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $5,000 in spending per calendar year (with no cap). A boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.
Travel and purchase protections	Extended warranty protection Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Purchase protection	Extended warranty protection Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Purchase protection	Extended warranty protection Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Purchase protection
Foreign transaction fees	None	None	None

Related: Southwest card welcome bonuses

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Benefits on all Southwest cards

There are multiple perks included with every Southwest card that make the day-of-travel experience more pleasant when flying with the airline and can save you lots of money.

Perks when flying Southwest

All the cards include a free checked bag, complimentary seat selection either within 48 hours of departure or at booking (depending on the card) and priority boarding.

A standard first checked bag costs $35. On a round-trip itinerary, a family of four would incur a cost of $280 for one standard checked bag each. The savings on this one trip would more than cover the annual fee of any of the cards.

Bonus-earning categories

Additionally, all the Southwest cards earn Rapid Rewards points on eligible purchases.

The Southwest Plus earns 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and gas stations (on the first $5,000 in combined spending annually).

The Southwest Premier earns 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and restaurants (on up to $8,000 in combined spending annually). Both cards earn 1 point per dollar spent in their respective categories after their spending caps are hit.

The Southwest Priority earns 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases and 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants.

Lastly, none of the Southwest cards charge foreign transaction fees, so all three cards are a viable option for purchases abroad.

Frequent Southwest flyer? Choose the Priority

The Southwest Priority makes a very compelling case for itself.

For frequent Southwest flyers, the Priority card makes the most sense. The card offers unlimited upgrades to extra-legroom seats within 48 hours of departure (when available) and Preferred seat selection at the time of booking, whereas the Premier card only offers Preferred seat selection within 48 hours of departure (when available).

This perk is typically only afforded to those with airline elite status, so seeing it provided by a credit card is a huge plus.

Additionally, if you're a frequent Southwest flyer, you're likely aiming to earn A-List elite status. You'll earn 2,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 spent with the Priority card and 1,500 points for every $5,000 spent with the Premier card.

Plus, with the Southwest Priority card, you'll earn 1 additional point per dollar spent on Southwest purchases (for a total of 4 points, compared to 3 with the Premier) and an uncapped 2 points per dollar spent on restaurants. Earning more points with the Priority card will help you get to the Companion Pass quicker.

With the Southwest Priority, you will receive 7,500 bonus points on your cardholder anniversary, compared to 6,000 points with the Southwest Premier — worth about $20 more based on TPG's valuations.

The biggest argument against the Southwest Priority is that it has a $229 annual fee. However, if you can use the above benefits, you can offset a majority or even all of that cost.

Want a lower annual fee? Choose the Premier, not the Plus

If you're looking for a lower annual fee and can't justify the Southwest Priority, we'd recommend the Southwest Premier, with its $149 annual fee, over the Southwest Plus and its $99 annual fee.

For an extra $50 per year, you'll receive 6,000 anniversary points, double that of the Plus card. According to TPG's valuations, these anniversary bonus points are worth $78, which covers more than half of the annual fee.

Man and woman looking at a computer together

With the Premier card, you can select Preferred seating within 48 hours of departure, whereas the Plus Card only offers standard seating within 48 hours of departure (when available).

Both cards offer an annual flight promo discount code (excluding Basic fares): The Premier offers a 15% discount code, while the Plus offers a 10% discount code.

If you're aiming to earn A-List or A-List Preferred status, you'll want to opt for the Southwest Premier, as you'll earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points for every $5,000 spent on purchases in a calendar year (with no cap). The Plus card doesn't offer bonus TQPs for credit card spending.

The Premier Card also offers higher bonus points earnings on Southwest purchases and a higher combined spending cap for restaurants and grocery stores, versus gas stations and grocery stores for the Plus card.

All the added perks of the Premier card easily justify the extra $50 per year.

Eligibility rules for Southwest credit cards

Chase's restrictions on credit card applications can be a roadblock for some people considering applying for a Southwest credit card.

Chase's 5/24 rule applies to all three of these cards. This rule means that Chase will almost certainly reject new applicants if you've opened five or more credit cards (from any bank or issuer) in the last 24 months.

If you're at (or over) 5/24, we recommend not wasting an application and a hard credit inquiry on these cards since you will most likely get declined. It's also important to note that business cards from any issuer usually don't count toward 5/24.

In addition to the 5/24 rule, Southwest has eligibility rules regarding the welcome bonus. The terms and conditions for the welcome bonus of each of these cards state:

"The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. This does not apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Card and Employee Credit Card products."

If you currently hold any of the Southwest personal credit cards or have received a bonus for one in the last 24 months, you will not receive a new welcome offer unless it has been 24 months since you last received one.

Which card should I choose?

The Southwest Plus is best for those who want the lowest annual fee. But if you fly Southwest at least a couple of times each year, consider the Southwest Premier or Southwest Priority instead.

If you're a Southwest loyalist, you should go for the Priority card, as it offers the most for those who board a Southwest aircraft often, including unlimited upgrades to extra-legroom seats within 48 hours of departure and Preferred seat selection at booking (when available).

Bottom line

Southwest Airlines credit cards remain popular, and having one in your wallet can be highly beneficial.

Anyone who flies Southwest, even if it's just a handful of times per year, should have no problem maxing out the travel benefits that come with the Southwest Priority, which will definitely provide the most value for Southwest frequent flyers.

If the annual fee for the Southwest Priority is too steep for you, you'll likely get better value from the Southwest Premier than the Southwest Plus.

To learn more, read our full reviews of the Southwest Priority, Southwest Premier and Southwest Plus cards.

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Learn more: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

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