Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card Review: Hard-to-Beat Rewards for Southwest Loyalists

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Updated: September 26, 2024

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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Credit Card logo for Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
MoneyGeek Rating
4.2/ of 5
On Issuer's Site

Rewards Summary
Earn 1X–3X points
APR
21.49% - 28.49% variable
Intro Offer
Earn 85,000 points.
Annual Fee
$149
Recommended Credit
670-850 (Good to Excellent)

Rapid Rewards Priority Detailed Review

The Rapid Rewards Priority card is an excellent choice for frequent Southwest Airlines travelers. It offers high rewards on Southwest purchases, a sizable sign-up bonus and valuable travel perks.

You can earn 3X points on Southwest purchases and 2X on local transit, commuting, internet, cable and phone services and select streaming. The card also provides a $75 annual travel credit, 7,500 anniversary points each year, four annual Upgraded Boardings and the ability to earn tier-qualifying points for Southwest’s A-List status.

All points earned with the card, including the sign-up bonus and anniversary points, count towards the 135,000-point requirement for the much-coveted Companion Pass. This pass allows a designated companion to fly with you for free (excluding taxes and fees) whenever you purchase or redeem flights with Southwest Airlines.

However, the card has a $149 annual fee. Also, for the best value, your redemption options are limited to Southwest flights. You cannot transfer points to other loyalty programs. If you have routine business or leisure trips that involve flying Southwest, the Rapid Rewards Priority easily trumps the mid-tier Rapid Rewards Premier. But if you only fly Southwest occasionally, you may prefer the Rapid Rewards Plus or a more flexible travel card.

Rapid Rewards Points Earning and Redemption

The Rapid Rewards Priority offers a robust rewards program tailored for frequent Southwest travelers. It lets you earn Rapid Rewards points, which you can use to book Southwest flights. You earn high points on Southwest flights, but you can also earn points on other purchases:

  • Southwest purchases: 3X points
  • Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners: 2X points
  • Local transit and commuting (including rideshare): 2X points
  • Internet, cable and phone services; select streaming: 2X points
  • All other purchases: 1X points

Notably, when you fly Southwest, you automatically earn Rapid Rewards points on your ticket. This means that points earned with the card are added to the initial points.

Southwest points are best redeemed for Southwest flights, where you can get 1.4 cents per point. While you can use these non-expiring points for gift cards, merchandise, car rentals and hotel stays, these options offer lower value than flights.

Does This Card Earn Companion Pass and A-List Status Points?

Using the Rapid Rewards Priority cards counts towards earning the coveted Southwest Companion pass, the highest tier of the airline’s loyalty program.

Companion pass: The Companion Pass allows one designated person to fly with you for free (excluding taxes and fees) every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight. Every point you earn through the Rapid Rewards Priority card contributes directly to the 135,000 points needed to qualify for Rapid Rewards. This includes the introductory offer, which is currently 85,000 points.

A-List Status: A-List Status offers several travel perks, including priority boarding, priority check-in and a 25% earning bonus on points for each flight. To qualify, you need to fly 20 one-way qualifying flights or earn 35,000 tier qualifying points in a calendar year.

A-List Preferred: A-List Preferred status provides all the benefits of A-List status plus additional perks like free in-flight wifi and a 100% earning bonus on points for each flight. You need to fly 40 one-way qualifying flights or earn 70,000 tier qualifying points in a calendar year to qualify.

Rapid Rewards Priority Points Estimator

Estimate the value of the rewards you could earn with the Rapid Rewards Priority card. Use this calculator to see how your spending translates into points.

Important Disclaimers:

  • This calculator is for planning and evaluation purposes and not sponsored or endorsed by Chase.
  • Some of your purchases may not be eligible for earning points.
  • The value of points at redemption will vary.
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How much do you spend on Southwest purchases per YEAR? (3X points)
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2
How much do you spend on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, per MONTH? (2X points)
$
3
How much do you spend on internet, cable, and phone services per MONTH? (2X points)
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4
How much do you spend on select streaming services per MONTH? (2X points)
$
5
How much do you spend on all other purchases per MONTH? (1X points)
$
Points Earned From the Card:0
Estimated Points Value:0 cents
Value of Points:$0

Benefits and Perks

The Rapid Rewards Priority card offers the most perks among co-branded Southwest cards. These benefits can significantly enhance your travel experience and provide substantial savings.

Sign-up bonus: You can earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This substantial bonus also counts towards your Companion Pass qualifying points, making achieving this highly-coveted perk easier.

Annual travel credit: The card comes with a $75 Southwest travel credit each year, which you can use on flights, gift cards and other Southwest purchases. This credit alone is enough to justify the upgrade from the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, which has a $99 annual fee.

Anniversary points: During your card anniversary, you stand to earn 7,500 bonus points. That’s worth around $104 if redeemed for a Southwest ticket.

Four upgraded boardings per year: Southwest Airlines uses a designated boarding order — the earlier you board, the better your seat selection and the higher your chances of securing overhead bin space for your carry-on. With this card, you receive credits for up to four upgraded boardings annually (worth $30 per flight), allowing you to get a better boarding position.

Unlimited tier qualifying points (TQPs): You earn 1,500 TQPs for every $5,000 you spend with the card, helping you achieve A-List status faster.

Earn 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year: This annual boost helps you maintain or achieve Companion Pass status more easily.

Trip insurance: The card comes with trip insurance, offering peace of mind when traveling. This includes coverage for lost or damaged luggage, baggage delays, extended warranty protection on eligible items and protection against damage or theft when making new purchases.

No foreign transaction fees: If you’re traveling internationally, you won’t have to worry about extra charges on your purchases.

Drawbacks and Considerations

Before deciding on the Rapid Rewards Priority, it’s wise to consider the following drawbacks:

High annual fee: The card comes with a $149 annual fee, which may be a significant expense for budget-conscious travelers. While the card offers valuable perks for hardcore Southwest flyers, the fee might outweigh the benefits for infrequent travelers. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card features most of the Rapid Rewards Priority’s benefits for a lower annual fee.

Limited bonus rewards categories: The card’s bonus categories do not include everyday spending, such as dining, groceries and gas. This limits your ability to earn high rewards from your purchases. If you’re looking for a flexible travel card, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which has rewards that can be transferred directly to Southwest.

Limited redemptions beyond Southwest: While you can use points to redeem gift cards and other Southwest purchases, the most valuable redemptions are typically for Southwest flights. Also, points earned with the card can’t be transferred to other airline loyalty programs. This limitation forces you to fly only Southwest.

Lack of additional travel benefits: Despite being Southwest's most feature-laden credit card, the Rapid Rewards Priority Card lacks luxury perks. It does not offer benefits like airport lounge access, credits for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees. If you're looking for premium travel benefits, you may need to consider other airline credit cards.

How Rapid Rewards Priority Compares to Other Cards

If you’re considering other Southwest co-branded cards, here’s how they compare against the Rapid Rewards Priority:

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Annual Fee

$149

$69

$99

Sign-Up Bonus

85,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening your account

Same

Same

Points on Southwest Purchases

3X points

2X points

3X points

Points on Other Spending

  • 2X on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases
  • 2X on local transit and rideshares
  • 2X on internet, cable and phone services and select streaming services
  • 1X on all other purchases

Same

Same

Anniversary Bonus

7,500 points after your cardholder anniversary each year

3,000 points after your cardholder anniversary each year

6,000 points after your cardholder anniversary each year

We’ve also compared the Rapid Rewards Priority with another travel card to help you make an informed decision.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is an excellent travel card if you’re looking for broader rewards. With a lower annual fee of $95, it provides 5X points on travel through Chase Travel and 3X points on dining, streaming and online groceries. It also allows you to transfer your points to United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Marriott, Hyatt and other loyalty programs, expanding your options when redeeming your points.

Cards to Pair With the Rapid Rewards Priority

It can be smart to pair the Rapid Rewards Priority with another card that rewards everyday categories so you get the best possible returns on your purchases.

Pairing With the Blue Cash Everyday® Card From American Express

The Rapid Rewards Priority credit card can be paired with a card that offers rewards on everyday purchases. The Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express is an excellent pairing as it lets you earn 3% cash back on U.S. supermarkets, U.S. online retail purchases and U.S. gas stations (up to $6,000 per category then 1%). These Blue Cash Everday’s categories aren’t given a high rewards rate by the Rapid Rewards Priority, and because it has no annual fee, it’s a low-cost option to get more from your already planned spending.

Credit Card logo for Blue Cash Everyday® Card From American Express
MoneyGeek Rating
4.9/ of 5
On Issuer's Site
Rates & Fees

Is the Rapid Rewards Priority Worth Getting?

For the Rapid Rewards Priority to be worth it, you need to be a frequent Southwest flier keen on redeeming for Southwest Airlines award flights. If you don’t check both of those boxes, either the entry-level Rapid Rewards Plus or other travel cards are likely to be a better fit.

Still, for regular Southwest travelers, the Rapid Rewards Priority card outshines the Rapid Rewards Premier card in the long run. The Priority lets you earn elite status faster, and its $75 annual travel credit alone effectively reduces the annual fee from $149 to $74, making it cheaper and more rewarding in the second year than the Premier.

Credit Card logo for Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
MoneyGeek Rating
4.0/ of 5
On Issuer's Site
Rates & Fees

Rapid Rewards Priority Card Details

Feature
Details

Card Uses

  • Airline
  • Travel

Annual Fee

$149

Introductory Offer

Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Introductory APRs

None

Rewards

  • 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 and select streaming.
  • Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.
  • Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

How We Evaluated the Rapid Rewards Priority

We evaluated the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card among 20 airline cards, focusing on key features with the following weights:

  • Expected Value for Traveler (40%): Assesses the monetary value of rewards and perks for frequent travelers, subtracting the annual fees to determine overall benefit.
  • Airline Scope (20%): Scores the number of destinations the airline serves, a key factor for frequent travelers.
  • Offer ROI (15%): Analyzes the return on investment from the card's introductory bonus offers.
  • Airline Rewards Rate for Traveler (10%): Measures the rewards earned on airline-related spending for frequent travelers.
  • Issuer Satisfaction (5%): Reflects customer satisfaction with the card issuer, based on J.D. Power’s satisfaction study.
  • Foreign Transaction Fees (5%): Rates the cost of foreign transaction fees, with higher scores for low or no fees.
  • Recommended Credit (5%): Evaluates how accessible the card is based on credit score requirements.

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.


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