Points, Miles & Credit Cards

Review: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

January 26, 2024

6 min read

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Who is the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card for?

The Southwest Premier Card is the Goldilocks of the three Southwest personal credit cards. If you can't decide between the high and the low, this option splits the difference between the benefits offered by the higher and lower-end options.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card Quick Facts

Annual fee: annual_fees

Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee

Earning rate:

Earn 3X points per dollar on Southwest® purchases.
Earn 2X points per dollar on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners
Earn 2X points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
Earn 2X points per dollar on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
Earn 1X point per dollar on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full

Pros and cons

Pros:

Annual bonus points toward Companion Pass
No foreign transaction fee
Anniversary point bonus is higher than the lower-tier option

Cons:

Southwest flies to only a limited number of international destinations
Reward redemption options are limited
Other mid-tier airline cards offer more perks

Our take

If you’re like Goldilocks and looking for a card that’s not too high or too low, the card_name might be just right.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card Review

With a reasonable annual fee, the the card_name gets you 6,000 anniversary bonus points to redeem toward a free flight, an annual boost of 10,000 qualifying points toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. Compared to its lower-annual-fee sibling, it also earns bonus points on Southwest purchases and offers no foreign transaction fees.

The current welcome offer is bonus_miles_full. This is currently the same welcome offer available for all three personal Southwest cards.

Earning points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card Review

There are plenty of opportunities to earn points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card. Like any co-branded airline card, purchases directly with Southwest will be the most rewarding, earning you 3X points per dollar. This card also earns 2X points per dollar with Rapid Rewards partners, transit, internet, cable, and even select streaming services. The wide range of bonus categories makes this card a great option to use for lots of your everyday expenses.

Redeeming points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card Review

While you can redeem your Rapid Rewards points for hotel stays, car rentals, and gift cards, you’ll get the best value for your points if you redeem them for Southwest flights. Points prices closely track the cash fare prices of a ticket, so you’ll know you’re getting a good value.

Alternatives to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card Review

Similar cards to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card Review

The Southwest Premier Card is the middle child of Southwest’s three personal credit cards. Here's how it stacks up with other two Southwest cards.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card comes with the lowest annual fee, but as a trade-off, you’ll get only half as many anniversary points (3,000 instead of 6,000) and earn 2X points on Southwest purchases instead of 3X. On the higher end, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card will net you 7,500 anniversary points, a $75 Southwest travel credit, and extra perks like Upgraded Boardings and the ability to earn A-List status quicker.

It’s worth noting that all three cards will net you 10,000 qualifying points toward Companion Pass annually—there’s no difference there.

Read our review of the Southwest Plus Credit Card

Read our review of the Southwest Priority Credit Card

Also, be aware that Chase limits you to one personal Southwest card per person.

Capital One Venture Rewards Card

If you’re not a Southwest loyalist, consider the card_name. This card comes with a similar annual fee: annual_fees. It earns a flat 2X miles (or points) per dollar on every purchase, so there are no bonus categories to track. While Southwest is not a transfer partner of Capital One, you could redeem your Capital One Miles in the form of a statement credit, effectively allowing you to use them for a Southwest flight.