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In this Southwest Airlines credit card review, we’re going to break down the value you can squeeze out of the welcome bonus, as well as ongoing benefits that will make any Southwest loyalist excited.
After all, is there any airline more family-friendly than Southwest? With its policies such as two free checked bags for each passenger, free flight changes up to 10 minutes before departure time, and the ability to earn a Companion Pass (which lets you bring someone with you for just the cost of taxes and fees as many times as you want), Southwest is often the no-brainer choice for sizable groups vacationing together.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is offering an enticing welcome bonus offer of 40,000 points + a $400 statement credit after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first four months from account opening.
That’s an excellent offer for a card with just a $69 annual fee—the welcome bonus alone is worth about $560 in award flights on Southwest.
Let’s take a look at this bonus to help you decide if this Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards card is a good fit for your upcoming travel plans.
- Best for: Beginner Southwest Points
- Annual Fee: $69
- APR: 20.99% - 27.99% (Variable)
- Reward Rate: 1X - 2X
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
40,000 Bonus Points + $400 statement credit
Offer Details:
40,000 Bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening.
Why we like it
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is the popular airline’s entry-level card and offers solid value for those who fly with the carrier at least once a year. It comes with a few easy-to-use perks like 3,000 Southwest points every year after your first cardmember anniversary and two EarlyBird check-ins per year. It’s a good option for those who want to earn Southwest points on an ongoing basis and not have to pay a high annual fee.
Reward details
2X points on Southwest® purchases.
2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
1X points on all other purchases.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cardholders enjoy two EarlyBird check-ins a year which allows for earlier boarding and more seat selection.
The 3,000 annual bonus points are worth around $40 towards travel on Southwest.
25% discount on Southwest in-flight purchases when paying with the card
The intro bonus can be used for collecting points for the Companion Pass benefits
Elite status can be earned with day-to-day spending, and not just flights.
Cons
Charges foreign transaction fees
Southwest points cannot be transferred or used with any airline partners.
Southwest Airlines credit card review: How to earn the welcome bonus
You might be surprised at how quickly you can achieve this Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards card’s spending requirement—by simply putting away any other credit or debit cards you regularly use and funneling all of your spending onto your new card for a few months, you’ll have a large bucket of points at your disposal for free travel.
As always, you should never spend more money than you otherwise would simply to earn travel rewards. Don’t let a shiny new welcome bonus enchant you into financial irresponsibility.
How to use the new Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card bonus
Southwest points work differently than most other airline miles. The value you get from them doesn’t really vary depending on the route and seat class you book. That’s because award prices are directly proportional to Southwest’s cash prices. If Southwest is having a sale, you can expect both cash and points prices to be low.
The value of Southwest points consistently hovers around 1.4 cents each, meaning you can expect this 40,000-point bonus to be worth about $560 for Southwest flights. Add the $400 credit, and you’ve got $960 of value.
Remember: Southwest points never expire, so there’s no hurry to redeem them. Even if you don’t plan on flying Southwest anytime soon and ditch this Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards card after a year, you’ll still be able to use the bonus points towards free flights years later.
Southwest Airlines credit card review: Is the Chase Southwest Plus card good for earning points after the intro bonus?
Something else to consider when wondering, “Is Southwest credit card worth it?” is the points-earning potentional.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card is decent at earning Southwest points for everyday spending—here’s what you’ll get:
- 2x points on Southwest Airlines purchases
- 2x points on partner hotel and car rental purchases
- 2x points on local transit and commuting (this includes rideshare services)
- 2x points on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming services (things like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV and Spotify count)
- 1x point on all other eligible purchases
This isn’t a bad mix of bonus categories, but not necessarily outstanding. Still, this Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards card is a good option if you want to earn Southwest points on an ongoing basis and pay a modest annual fee.
Ongoing benefits of the Southwest Plus card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card has a number of benefits you’ll receive as long as you hold the card. Here’s what you’ll get:
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® per year — Get automatic check-in to enjoy a better boarding position and earlier access to overhead bins.
- 3,000 anniversary points — You’ll get 3,000 points every year after your first cardmember anniversary, those points are worth about $40 towards Southwest flights.
- 25% back on Southwest inflight purchases
- Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points every year
If you fly Southwest at least once a year, you shouldn’t have trouble using the two EarlyBird Check-In passes and 3,000 anniversary points. The value of those two perks more than covers the $69 annual fee.
Which cards compete with the Chase Southwest Plus card?
Southwest issues two other personal credit cards in addition to the Southwest Plus Card: The $99 annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and the $149 annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.
These other two cards offer very similar earning rates, as well as the same intro bonus.
The big difference is with each card’s ongoing benefits. For example, the Southwest Priority Card comes with benefits like 7,500 points after each cardmember anniversary (worth around $105 in Southwest flights) and $75 in Southwest travel credits each year.
Before you apply, be aware of the application rules surrounding Southwest credit cards:
- You aren’t eligible to open a Southwest personal credit card if you already have one.
- You aren’t eligible to earn a Southwest personal credit card bonus if you’ve earned one in the past 24 months.
- You will likely not be approved for a Southwest credit card if you’ve opened five or more personal credit cards from any bank in the past 24 months.
Non-Affiliate Disclosure: The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by The Daily Navigator. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
- Best for: Beginner Southwest Points
- Annual Fee: $69
- APR: 20.99% - 27.99% (Variable)
- Reward Rate: 1X - 2X
- Recommended Credit: 670-850
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
40,000 Bonus Points + $400 statement credit
Offer Details:
40,000 Bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening.
Why we like it
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is the popular airline’s entry-level card and offers solid value for those who fly with the carrier at least once a year. It comes with a few easy-to-use perks like 3,000 Southwest points every year after your first cardmember anniversary and two EarlyBird check-ins per year. It’s a good option for those who want to earn Southwest points on an ongoing basis and not have to pay a high annual fee.
Reward details
2X points on Southwest® purchases.
2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
1X points on all other purchases.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cardholders enjoy two EarlyBird check-ins a year which allows for earlier boarding and more seat selection.
The 3,000 annual bonus points are worth around $40 towards travel on Southwest.
25% discount on Southwest in-flight purchases when paying with the card
The intro bonus can be used for collecting points for the Companion Pass benefits
Elite status can be earned with day-to-day spending, and not just flights.
Cons
Charges foreign transaction fees
Southwest points cannot be transferred or used with any airline partners.
by your friends at The Daily Navigator
