Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card review: Best-ever 120,000-point bonus

New cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus Southwest Rapid Rewards points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Plus, they’ll earn an additional 60,000 points after spending $15,000 in the first nine months. This offer ends Aug. 28.

This offer is worth up to $1,800, according to TPG’s valuations. This is an impressive sign-up offer, especially for a card with a $99 annual fee, and is the best we’ve seen on this card.

In addition to the points value, remember that sign-up bonuses from Southwest cards count toward Companion Pass qualification. You must earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards points to qualify for a Companion Pass. If you qualify for the full 120,000-point bonus, you’ll have spent $15,000 — earning at least 15,000 points in addition to your bonus and bringing you to at least 135,000 points when your bonus points post. Add onto this the 10,000 bonus qualifying points that all Southwest cardholders receive each year — for a total of at least 145,000 qualify points — and you’ll automatically qualify for the Companion Pass with just this one card bonus.

The Companion Pass, once earned, is valid for the remainder of the year and the following year, so earning it as early into the year as possible will help you receive the maximum benefit of the pass. So try to meet the (admittedly high) $15,000 spending requirement as soon as possible so that you can take advantage of the Companion Pass for the maximum amount of months remaining in 2023 and all of 2024.

Earning points on the Southwest Premier Business

The Southwest Premier Business card earns:

3 points per dollar on Southwest Airlines purchases
2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
2 points per dollar for local transit and commuting, including rideshare services
1 point per dollar for all other eligible purchases

And for every $10,000 spent on the card within a calendar year, you will earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs). There is no limit on the number of TQPs you can earn — so you could (theoretically) spend your way to Southwest elite status without ever setting foot on a plane.

Related: What is Southwest Airlines elite status worth?

Redeeming points on the Southwest Premier Business

The primary redemption option for Rapid Rewards points is Southwest-operated flights. Southwest follows a simple redemption process: The more expensive a flight is in cash, the more it will cost in points. There’s no outsized value to be had, but that ensures you get relatively consistent value for your rewards.

Redeeming Southwest points is as simple as booking Southwest flights online. Choose “Points” instead of “Dollars” when selecting the flight you want to book on the carrier’s website. You’ll then see the award pricing for your itinerary.

Like all airlines’ award tickets, flights booked with Southwest points will still require payment for additional taxes and fees, which start at $5.60 per way. However, tickets booked with points are fully refundable, and there is no penalty for cancellations (as long as you do it at least 10 minutes before your scheduled departure time).

The airline also offers international flights, hotels and car rentals on its travel portal, but the rates are subpar compared to using your points on Southwest-operated flights.

Southwest Premier Business benefits

The Southwest Premier Business card has a $99 annual fee and offers a fair share of perks that can make it a worthwhile card for occasional Southwest flyers.

Two Early Bird Check-Ins each year: Southwest does not assign seating but instead allows flyers to check in 24 hours before the flight to obtain their boarding position. The earlier you check in, the better the chances of snagging your preferred seat when you board. The Early Bird perk automatically checks you in 36 hours before your flight, 12 hours before flyers without the perk — and you’ll enjoy this perk twice per year with the card.

6,000 anniversary bonus points: On your account anniversary, Southwest will automatically award you 6,000 anniversary bonus points (worth up to $90, according to TPG’s valuations). This alone effectively covers almost all of the card’s annual fee.

Status Boost: You will earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) per $10,000 spent on the Premier card in a year. This can help you earn A-List or A-List Preferred status faster.

empty seats on a Southwest Airlines plane before passengers come on board — KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

Free employee cards: There are no fees for additional employee cards, and the original cardholder will earn points on employee spending. Business owners can contact cardmember services to put a spending limit on employee cards.

$500 fee credit for point transfers: Southwest will cover up to $500 in fees associated with point transfers each year. Transferring Rapid Rewards points to another member typically costs $10 per 1,000 points transferred, so you can transfer up to 50,000 points every year without paying additional fees (after Southwest’s reimbursement).

Southwest also provides benefits to all of its flyers, independent of whether they hold a credit card with the airline or not. These benefits include two free checked bags with every flight, no change fees (flyers do pay any applicable fare difference between the previous and current ticket) and free cancellations — though some tickets are nonrefundable and will be returned as flight credit.

Which cards compete with the Southwest Premier Business?

If you want more benefits or more flexible rewards, one of these cards will be a better fit:

If you want more Southwest benefits: The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is the more premium Southwest business card available. It has higher earning rates and includes perks like a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit for a higher $199 annual fee. For more details, check out our full review of the Southwest Performance Business.
If you want more flexible rewards: The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which you can transfer to Southwest or any of Chase’s other 13 travel partners. For more details, check out our full review of the Ink Business Preferred.
If you live near a United hub: The United℠ Business Card has comparable perks for United for a similar $99 annual fee (waived the first year.) For more details, check out our full review of the United Business Card.

For additional options, please see our full list of best business and airline credit cards.

Is the Southwest Premier Business worth it?

For business owners who fly Southwest regularly, the fast track to earning a Companion Pass along with the EarlyBird Check-ins and bonus tier qualifying points provides tremendous value for the card’s relatively low $99 annual fee. Still, business owners who rarely fly Southwest will likely find more value in a different card.

Bottom line

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is a good option for a loyal Southwest flyer, especially with the opportunity to earn a Companion Pass after earning the current welcome bonus. However, its earning structure and benefits aren’t remarkable, so many business owners will find a better fit in a different card.

Application link: Southwest Premier Business Card

Additional reporting by Emily Thompson.