Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

fact checked icon

Updated: June 4, 2024

Advertising & Editorial Disclosure

Shield Insurance

MoneyGeek partners with leading industry experts and advertisers to help you get to your financial happy place. Our content is accurate when posted but offers may change over time. We may receive compensation for partner advertisements, but our editorial team independently reviews and ranks products. Learn more about our editorial policies.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card both have 85,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from 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.

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
    checkSign icon
    checkSign icon
  • Has Balance Transfer Offer
  • Has APR Offer
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Travel Rewards
    checkSign icon
    checkSign icon

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

    Best starter card for the Southwest Airlines flyer


    • 1–2 Points per $1*Rewards Rate
    • 21.49% – 28.49% VariableAPR
    • $69Annual Fee
    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit

    Pros

    • Big sign-up bonus that counts towards Companion Pass
    • Higher points earned on Southwest fares
    • Anniversary points award

    Cons

    • Annual fee
    • Rewards redemptions limited
    • Foreign transaction fees
    • Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within the first three months.
    • Earn 3,000 points annually on your card anniversary.
    • Earn 2X points on Southwest purchases.
    • Earn 2X points on local transit, rideshares, and other commuting purchases.
    • Earn 2X points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming subscriptions.
    • Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.
    • Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
    • Enjoy two EarlyBird Check-In credits each year.
    • All points earned count toward Companion Pass, including the introductory offer points.
    • Get 25% back on inflight purchases.
    • Benefit from lost luggage reimbursement and baggage delay insurance.
    • Chase is a member of the FDIC.
    Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

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


    • 1–2 Points per $1*Rewards Rate
    • 21.49% – 28.49% VariableAPR
    • $99Annual Fee
    • Good–ExcellentRecommended Credit

    Pros

    • High rewards on Southwest purchases
    • Generous welcome bonus
    • Anniversary bonus points
    • Priority boarding
    • Earns points toward elite status

    Cons

    • Annual fee
    • Limited bonus categories
    • Non-transferrable points
    • Earn 85,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points after spending $3,000 in the first three months.
    • Earn 3X points on Southwest purchases.
    • Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
    • Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, as well as select streaming.
    • Earn 6,000 anniversary points each year.
    • Receive two EarlyBird Check-In each year.
    • Earn 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year.
    • Earn 1,500 Total Qualifying Points for every $5,000 spent in purchases, which goes towards your A-list status.
    • No foreign transaction fees.
    • FDIC member.
    Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

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.

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.

mglogo icon
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.

Is Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card better than Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card?
Can you get the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card if you have the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card?
Can you transfer points from the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card?
Can you switch from the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card?
What’s harder to get, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card or the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card?
How much do you have to spend on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card vs Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card to get the welcome bonus?

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.

About Doug Milnes, CFA


Doug Milnes, CFA headshot

Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.

Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.


sources
*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.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.