Best Southwest Credit Cards of April 2023

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

Southwest is smaller than the "big three" US airlines (American, Delta, and United), but it remains a great choice for many travelers thanks to customer-friendly policies like two free checked bags per passenger and no change fees. Plus, Southwest points never expire — so even if you're not traveling right now, you don't have to worry about losing your hard-earned rewards.

Chase and Southwest offer some of the best airline credit cards on the market. Here's what to know to help you decide which Southwest credit card is best for you.

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Compare the Best Southwest Credit Cards

Methodology: How we chose the best Southwest credit cards

We looked at all of the Southwest Airlines credit cards available to new applicants and considered these criteria:

• Travel benefits — Does the card come with benefits that can save you money, like Early Bird Check-In, inflight discounts, or other credits? 
• Earning potential — Do the card's bonus categories (outside of Southwest purchases) appeal to a wide range of travelers? Are any of the categories capped?
• Annual fee — All Southwest credit cards charge an annual fee. Is it worth it?
• Cards for various types of travelers — We evaluated the cards on their appeal to different types of Southwest flyers, including occasional leisure travelers, road warriors, and small-business owners.

You can learn more about how we rate and review credit cards at Insider.

Southwest Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who is eligible for Southwest credit cards?

You can't have two personal Southwest credit cards at the same time, and you can't open a new personal Southwest card if you've earned a welcome bonus on any personal Southwest card within the last 24 months. 

Additionally, all of the Southwest cards are subject to Chase's 5/24 rule, which means you won't get approved if you've opened five or more cards (from any bank, with the exception of certain small-business cards) in the past 24 months.

What credit score do you need to be approved for a Southwest credit card?

To be considered for any of the Southwest credit cards, you'll need a good to excellent credit score. That means a FICO score of at least 670.

Can you have more than one Southwest credit card?

You can only have one personal Southwest card at a time — you won't be approved for a second. However, it is possible to have a personal and business Southwest card open at the same time.

Is a Southwest credit card worth it?

If you fly Southwest Airlines at least a couple of times a year, it can be well worth opening a Southwest credit card. They're most useful for frequent flyers who can take advantage of benefits like free, EarlyBird Check-Ins, upgraded boarding, Tier-Qualifying Points for spending, and inflight discounts.

However, if you fly Southwest rarely (but still want the option to earn Southwest points on your spending), a Chase card that earns transferable Ultimate Rewards points is a better bet, since you can transfer points to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio.

Chase Southwest Credit Card Offers

If you fly Southwest, a co-branded credit card can be a great way to earn extra Rapid Rewards points to use for free flights, and the points you earn from these cards can also help you earn the Southwest Companion Pass. When you have a Companion Pass, your designated companion can fly with you for almost free (just pay taxes and fees) on paid and award tickets.

Effective January 1, 2023, you'll need to earn 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points in a year to earn the Companion Pass instead of 125,000 points like in previous years. But if you have a Southwest credit card, you'll receive a "boost" of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year (only one boost per member, regardless of how many Southwest cards you have).

Currently, the Southwest personal credit cards are offering welcome bonuses that are slightly higher than their regular offers of 40,000 points after meeting minimum spending requirements:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Earn Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card - Intro Bonus
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Earn Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card - Intro Bonus
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Earn Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card - Intro Bonus
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card: Earn Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card - Intro Bonus
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: Earn Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card - Intro Bonus

Southwest Personal Credit Cards

Southwest has three Rapid Rewards personal cards: the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.

The first major difference you'll notice between these three cards is in their annual fees. The Plus card charges a $69 annual fee, while the Premier and Priority cards charge $99 and $149, respectively.

The anniversary bonuses are also different for each card:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: 3,000 anniversary bonus points
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: 6,000 anniversary bonus points
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: 7,500 anniversary bonus points

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card now offer two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year (which normally costs $15 to $25 and allows you to automatically check-in 36 hours prior to departure) and 25% back on inflight purchases.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card holders get a few extra perks (but don't receive the EarlyBird Check-In benefit):

• $75 Southwest annual travel credit
• Four upgraded boardings per year when available
• 25% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi

Both the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card do not charge a foreign transaction fee, and both cards can earn you Tier-Qualifying Points (TQPs) toward Southwest A-List status. You'll earn 1,500 TQPs for every $10,000 you spend on the cards in a calendar year, and there's no limit to the number of TQPs you can earn (previously, there was a cap).

A-List status requires 35,000 TQPs earned in a calendar year, and gets you benefits like priority boarding and a 25% points bonus on paid flights.

All three cards are offering 80,000 points (50,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months ,and an additional 30,000 points after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 9 months).

Each card also earns bonus points on:

• Southwest and Rapid Rewards purchases
• Local transit and commuting (including rideshare)
• Internet, cable, and phone services
• Select streaming

You'll earn 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.

How the Southwest personal credit cards compare

Southwest Business Credit Cards

Southwest has two co-branded business credit cards: the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card  and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card charges a $99 annual fee, while the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is more expensive, at $199. However, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card has a better anniversary bonus, giving 9,000 points on each cardmember anniversary compared to the 6,000 points you'll get each year with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card.

The biggest difference between these two cards is their ongoing earnings potential. While you'll earn 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases and 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners with the Premier Business Card, you'll earn 4 points per dollar and 3 points per dollar in these categories, respectively, with the Performance Business card.

And with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card you'll earn 2 points per dollar on the following business expenses as well:

• Social media and search engine advertising
• Internet, cable, and phone services

Both cards also earn 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, and offer up to $500 in fee credits for points transfers (for example, to other members) each year.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card also gives cardholders up to $100 for a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit, four upgraded boardings per year (when available), and inflight Wi-Fi credits. It has a welcome bonus offer of Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.

As with the personal Southwest credit cards, the points you earn from the Southwest small-business cards count toward the Companion Pass. 

If your business spends a lot of money each year on social media advertising or internet, cable, and phone services, you'll definitely want to go with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card. You may also want to choose the Performance Business card if you fly four or more times each year. In that case, you could take full advantage of the four upgraded boardings per year and some of the other inflight perks.

However, if you don't spend a lot of money on the bonus categories, your earnings potential will drop. And if you only fly once or twice a year, you may not get the most value out of the additional day-of-flight benefits. 

If you decide the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card don't make sense for you, you may want to consider one of the consumer Southwest credit cards discussed above.

Or, because you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest and Chase airline and hotel partners when you have Chase travel credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, one of these cards could be a better pick if you value flexibility. However, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transferred to Southwest will not count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass.

How the Southwest business credit cards compare

How to Choose the Best Southwest Credit Card for You

If your main goal for getting a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card is to earn a welcome bonus offer, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card could be a great choice. It offers the same intro bonus as the other two cards and a similar earnings rate, and it has the lowest annual fee.

But if you plan to use your Rapids Rewards card for multiple years, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card cards offer better value. Both offer anniversary bonuses that are double or more than what you'll get with the Plus card. And the two more expensive cards are better for international travelers because they don't charge foreign transaction fees.

When comparing the Premier and Priority cards, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card easily comes out on top. Its higher annual fee is easily reduced by $75 in annual Southwest travel credit. It also has a better anniversary bonus and offers additional inflight perks and discounts.

In short, if you're looking for an airline card to earn free flights in the short term, you may want to choose the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. Otherwise, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers the best long-term deal.