Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Which Is Best for You?

Both the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card are great cards for frequent Southwest flyers. They both come with solid rewards earnings for travel-related purchases and a valuable welcome bonus.

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The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card both offer a welcome bonus of 40,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases within three months of account opening. Spending with these cards also gets you closer to earning the Companion Pass — which gives you the ability to fly with a companion for free, less taxes and fees.

It’s best to compare the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card to understand if one of these cards will be a fit for your needs. In this guide, MoneyGeek will help you do that.

OUR COMPARISON AT A GLANCE

Comparison Overview: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

  • Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
    Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
  • Has Annual Fee
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    checkSign icon
  • Has Balance Transfer Offer
  • Has APR Offer
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Travel Rewards
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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card At a Glance

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card offers two points per dollar spent on: Southwest purchases, Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit and commuting and internet, cable, cell phone service and select streaming services, while you earn one point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. With this card, you’ll also receive 3,000 points on your cardmember anniversary.


  • Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

    The best starter card for the Southwest Airlines flyer

    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
    • $69Annual Fee
    • 1–2 Points per $1*Rewards Rate
    • 2xRewards Rate on Air Travel
    • 1xRewards Rate on Gas
    Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

    Terms, rates and fees apply

    Compare this credit card with other top-rated cards from our partners.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card At a Glance

With the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, you’ll earn three points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases, two points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, local transit and commuting (including rideshare), internet, cable, phone services and one point per dollar spent on all other purchases. This card also offers 6,000 points on your cardmember anniversary.


  • Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

    A great miles rewards card with no foreign transaction fee for frequent Southwest customers

    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit
    • $99Annual Fee
    • 1–2 Points per $1*Rewards Rate
    • 2xRewards Rate on Air Travel
    • 1xRewards Rate on Groceries
    Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

    Terms, rates and fees apply

    Compare this credit card with other top-rated cards from our partners.

Comparison Summary

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card vs Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card comparison below will help you understand the difference between both cards.

  • Card Detail
    Comparison Summary

  • Travel Coverage and Purchase Protection

    The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card offers purchase protection against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account for 120 days after purchase. This card also offers you travel accident insurance — which provides you coverage worth $500,000 in case of accidental death or dismemberment.

    However, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card only offers purchase protection.

    Winner: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

  • Rewards

    With the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, you earn 2x points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases, Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit, commuting, internet, cable, cell phone service and select streaming services, while you earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. This card also offers you 3,000 anniversary points each year.

    The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card offers 3x points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases, 2x points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, local transit and commuting (including rideshare), internet, cable, phone services and 1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. In addition, it also offers 6,000 anniversary points each year.

    Winner: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

  • Annual Fee

    The annual fee of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is $69, while the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card charges $99.

    Winner: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

  • Foreign Transaction Fee

    For Southwest flyers who travel frequently, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is a good option as it does not charge an annual fee. On the other hand, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card charges 3% on every foreign transaction.

    Winner: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Which Card Should You Get?

MoneyGeek analyzed what kind of people will benefit the most from each card below to help you decide between the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card.

Who Should Consider the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card?

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is a great option for people who are frequent Southwest flyers and want a credit card with a low annual fee.

  • annualFee icon

    The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card has a $69 annual fee — which is low in comparison to other airline cards.

  • twoPointsPerDollar icon

    With this card, you earn 2x points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases, Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit, commuting, internet, cable, cell phone service and select streaming services — while you earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.

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    ≫ More: Read Our Full Review

Who Should Consider the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card?

Southwest flyers who frequently travel internationally and are looking for a card which offers a hefty welcome bonus can benefit the most from the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card.

  • noForeignTransactionFee icon

    Since this card does not charge a foreign transaction fee, it’s the best option if you’re a frequent international traveler.

  • points icon

    With this card, you earn a welcome bonus of 40,000 bonus points on spending $1,000 on purchases within three months of account opening.

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    ≫ More: Read Our Full Review
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EXPERT OPINION

If you’re a regular traveler on Southwest and spend regularly on a credit card, the Southwest Premier card is a no-brainer between the two cards. With only a slightly higher annual fee, you get much higher earning opportunities. So if you fly Southwest more than three times per year, the small upgrade in annual fee can pay its dividends in more credit card miles.

Other Helpful Decision-Making FAQs

MoneyGeek gathered the following frequently asked questions to help you understand the difference between the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and the Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Premie cardr.

Still Not Sure About These Cards? Consider These Options

Both Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card offer great rewards for frequent Southwest flyers. However, if you cannot decide between both cards — you can look over the best rewards credit cards to see if any of them suits your needs.

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Learn more about credit cards in general

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*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
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