Southwest Premier Credit Card review: Reasonable value for a mid-level card

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card overview

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is in the middle of the pack for personal credit cards from Southwest Airlines. While mid-tier airline credit cards generally don’t have many premium perks, the Southwest Premier’s day-of-travel benefits and 6,000 anniversary bonus points should help offset its $149 annual fee. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Savvy TPG readers know we generally don’t recommend building your points and miles strategy around a single cobranded airline credit card. That’s because these tend to offer fewer perks and less flexibility than comparably priced transferable points and miles cards.

When it comes to the Southwest Rapid Rewards card portfolio, you’ll generally find better earning rates and more flexible redemption options with cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), for example, allows you to transfer Chase points to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 rate, plus Chase’s 12 other partners.

That said, Southwest credit cards are very popular among Southwest fans, and all of them were recently refreshed. The Southwest Premier card’s refresh added many benefits that enhanced the day-of-travel experience, modified the bonus category earning structure and introduced a new annual fee of $149.

Note that Southwest is in the middle of sweeping changes, including its boarding process, bag fees and seat selection process.

With a recommended credit score of 670 or higher, the Premier is the mid-tier option of the three personal Southwest cards. It offers a good balance of perks and an annual fee that could make it worthy of a spot in your card collection.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Southwest Premier card to help you decide whether it should be in your wallet.

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

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card pros and cons

Pros	Cons
<ul> <li>Bonus anniversary points</li> <li>Travel and purchase protections</li> </ul>	<ul> <li>High annual fee</li> <li>Spending cap on select categories</li> <li>No gas category, unlike other Southwest consumer cards</li> </ul>

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card welcome offer

New Southwest Premier cardholders can earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. This welcome offer is worth $1,190 based on TPG’s October 2025 valuations.

This is one of the higher points-only welcome offers we’ve seen on this card and meets our criteria on when to apply.

Southwest Premier card art — THE POINTS GUY

Remember that you can’t earn a welcome bonus on the Southwest Premier if you currently have a personal Southwest card or have earned a welcome bonus on a personal Southwest card in the past 24 months.

Also, Southwest’s cobranded cards are subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened five or more new accounts over the past 24 months (across all issuers, not just Chase), your application will likely be denied.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card benefits

While we typically don’t expect an airline credit card with a $149 annual fee to come loaded with premium perks, the Southwest Premier card has several benefits, including many important day-of-travel benefits.

It’s important to note that current cardholders will receive all existing benefits until Dec. 31 and have access to the new benefits immediately.

You’ll receive 6,000 bonus points on each account anniversary, which are worth $84 according to TPG’s valuations. That covers more than half of this card’s annual fee.

Three people sitting on a plane — SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

Day of travel benefits include:

Two EarlyBird Check-Ins, which can cost up to $99 each, per year (for flights operating in 2025; ends Dec. 31)
Free first checked bag for cardholders and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation
Group 5 priority boarding for cardholders and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation (if you have A-list status, you will be able to board with an earlier group)
Preferred seat selection within 48 hours of departure for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation
A 25% discount on inflight purchases

Cardholders can also earn Southwest A-List elite status more quickly. You’ll earn 1,500 bonus tier qualifying points for every $5,000 you spend in a calendar year, with no cap. Additionally, cardholders also receive a 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year.

Finally, you’ll receive one promotional 15% flight discount code each anniversary year (excluding Basic fares) and won’t be charged foreign transaction fees.

Earning points on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

Most airline credit cards award bonus points or miles for purchases directly with the carrier, and that’s certainly true here. You’ll earn:

3 points per dollar spent with Southwest (4.2% return)
2 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners (2.8% return; ends Dec. 31)
2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including ride-hailing services (2.8% return; ends Dec. 31)
2 points per dollar spent on internet, cable and phone services and with select streaming providers (2.8% return; ends Dec. 31)
2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per year (2.8% return)
1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases (1.4% return)

(All rate of return estimates are based on TPG’s valuations.)

Woman paying for coffee — GAHSOON/GETTY IMAGES

Many of the double-point bonus categories will be removed at the end of the year. It’s nice that the grocery store and restaurant bonus category has been added, but it seems quite limited with the low spending cap.

If you need to earn Southwest points, this card offers decent earning rates, but you can certainly do better on everyday spending with other cards.

It’s also worth noting that this is the only consumer Southwest card without a gas bonus category. Since Chase lacks a portfolio of cards that earn bonus points on gas, this is an unfortunate aspect of the Southwest Premier.

Redeeming points on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

When it’s time to use your rewards, one of the best things about redeeming Southwest Rapid Rewards points is the simplicity of the process.

Whether you select the cheapest Basic fare or the most expensive Business Select option, the cost of your award ticket is tied to the cash price of the flight. This means you don’t have to worry about getting the highest possible cent-per-point redemption value.

Southwest takeoff from Cancun — KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

If you have Rapid Rewards points, you can also redeem them for gift cards or merchandise. Still, the best value comes from using your points for Southwest flights — including options to Hawaii, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Emily Thompson, a newsletter and partnerships editor at TPG, loves using Southwest points, as the airline offers great deals and runs frequent award sales on transcontinental flights from smaller airports like Pensacola International Airport (PNS) in Florida to Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon.

Southwest also regularly offers flash sales that you can take advantage of to get a great deal when booking with points. Additionally, Southwest’s policy of no change or cancellation fees means you can save money on your award ticket if the price drops. This flexibility ensures you can get the cheapest redemption.

Which cards compete with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card?

The Southwest Premier card has two obvious competitors: Chase’s other consumer Southwest credit cards. However, it’s worth considering a general travel credit card with a similar annual fee to see whether that option is better for your wallet.

If you want a Southwest card with more perks: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees) has a higher $229 annual fee but offers an annual Southwest travel credit (through Dec. 31), a larger anniversary points bonus and unlimited upgrades to extra-legroom seats within 48 hours of departure. To learn more, read our full review of the Southwest Priority card.
If you want a Southwest card with a lower annual fee: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees) has a lower $99 annual fee and a smaller anniversary bonus. You’ll still receive those two EarlyBird Check-Ins each year (ends Dec. 31). To learn more, read our full review of the Southwest Plus card.
If you want transferable points to use with Southwest and other airlines: The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points that you can transfer to Southwest — as well as nine other airlines — to make flight redemptions. You’ll get valuable travel protections and an annual hotel credit, all for a slightly lower annual fee. To learn more, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.

For more options, check out our full list of the best travel credit cards.

Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card worth it?

The anniversary bonus points help offset some of the Southwest Premier card’s $149 annual fee. You’ll more than recoup the annual fee if you value its other perks, like EarlyBird Check-Ins (ends Dec. 31), free checked bags, seat selection and inflight discounts. Still, most Southwest loyalists will get more value from the Southwest Priority card instead, as it offers more benefits.

Bottom line

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card can be a good option for semifrequent Southwest flyers. If you fly with Southwest occasionally, this card’s price point and perks could make it a good fit for your wallet without the higher price tag on other travel credit cards.

However, most Southwest fans will likely prefer the benefits of the higher-tier Southwest Priority card instead.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.