The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is perfect for infrequent Southwest travelers who want some benefits with this airline without paying a high annual fee.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is this popular airline's most affordable credit card. One of the best reasons to get this card is for its welcome bonus, which can help cardholders get a significant boost toward earning the coveted Southwest Companion Pass.
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$69
N/A
20.49% - 27.49% Variable
Earn 50,000 points
Good to Excellent
- Earns Southwest points on every purchase
- You earn points every year after your cardmember anniversary
- Charges foreign transaction fees
- Very limited benefits
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is a solid choice if you fly with Southwest and want to earn a lucrative welcome bonus for the lowest annual fee. However, if you fly Southwest often, other Southwest personal cards could be a better fit if you can make the most of the benefits.
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 3,000 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
- Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Member FDIC
Compare the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
$99
N/A
20.49% - 27.49% Variable
Earn 50,000 points
Good to Excellent
- You get 6,000 points each year after anniversary
- You can earn Tier-Qualifying Points toward Southwest elite status for spending on the card
- Annual fee
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is worth considering if you fly Southwest, even occasionally. This card strikes the best balance between valuable benefits and a moderate annual fee.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
$95
N/A
19.99% - 28.24% Variable
Earn 100,000 bonus points
Good to Excellent
- High intro bonus offer starts you off with lots of points
- Strong travel coverage
- Doesn't offer a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit
If you're new to travel rewards credit cards or just don't want to pay hundreds in annual fees, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a smart choice. It earns bonus points on a wide variety of travel and dining purchases and offers strong travel and purchase coverage, including primary car rental insurance.
Chase Sapphire Preferred- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- Member FDIC
$149
N/A
20.49% - 27.49% Variable
Earn 50,000 points
Good to Excellent
- Generous annual benefits, including a Southwest travel credit and anniversary points, plus upgraded boardings and in-flight discounts
- If you fly Southwest several times a year, the benefits easily outweigh the annual fee
- Annual fee is low compared to other premium airline credit cards
- Highest annual fee among Southwest consumer cards
If you can make use of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card's many benefits and perks, it's well worth the annual fee. Otherwise, have a look at other Southwest cards like the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, which have lower annual fees but the same elevated welcome bonus offer.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card- Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 7,500 anniversary points each year.
- 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; select streaming.
- $75 Southwest® travel credit each year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Overview
Chase issues five different Southwest credit cards. Three are consumer cards, and two are business credit cards. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is the entry-level version, with the lowest annual fee ($69) of the bunch.
The low annual fee on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card means you'll receive relatively few ongoing benefits beyond the current welcome bonus. This won't be an issue if you're just an occasional Southwest traveler.
However, Southwest frequent flyers could get better value from the additional perks on other Southwest credit cards. The great thing about Southwest points is that they never expire, so there's no pressure to redeem your points immediately.
The best way to redeem your points is for free flights, valued around 1.4 cents per point, based on Business Insider's points and miles valuations.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Rewards
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Welcome Bonus
Right now, new cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
How to Earn Points With the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Credit Card
You'll earn rewards at the following rates on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card:
- 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases (including flights, inflight purchases, Southwest gift cards, and Southwest Vacations packages)
- 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases
- 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshare (and also passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, rideshare, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages)
- 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming (Apple Music, Apple TV, Disney+, ESPN+, Fubo TV, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Paramount+, Peacock, Showtime, SiriusXM, Sling, Spotify, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, and Vudu)
- 1 point per dollar on everything else
How to Use Points From the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Card
Southwest has an expansive domestic route network (including Hawaii) and also flies to a number of international destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America.
Southwest doesn't publish an award chart like some other airlines do. Instead, the number of points required for an award flight is tied to the price of a paid ticket. Based on Business Insider's points and miles valuations, you can expect to get an average value of 1.4 cents per Southwest point when you redeem them for award travel.
Redeeming Southwest points to book award flights online is simple — once you log into your Rapid Rewards account, search for flights just as you would if you were looking for a paid ticket. The website allows you to toggle between the cash price and the points cost to easily compare the two.
If you're not flying Southwest right now, there's no harm in holding on to your points until you're ready, because they'll never expire. However, Southwest credit card holders do have other options for redeeming points through the More Rewards program, including merchandise, gift cards, car rentals, hotels, cruises, and experiences. The value you'll get per point varies, but it's typically much lower than what you'd get if you redeemed for Southwest flights.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Benefits
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card doesn't come with some of the other benefits offered by other Southwest cards, such as elite-qualifying points or travel credits. But you'll still get a variety of travel and purchase protections, as well as a handful of other perks.
Earn the Southwest Companion Pass
The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals in travel, particularly for travelers who book many flights around the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. With the Companion Pass, you can bring a companion on any paid or award flights for just the cost of taxes and fees – typically $5.60 one way on most domestic flights.
EarlyBird Check-In
Cardholders receive two EarlyBird Check-Ins per account anniversary year, awarded as a statement credit after your purchase. EarlyBird Check-In normally costs $15 to $25 each way, and allows you to automatically check in for your flight 36 hours prior to departure.
Because Southwest determines your boarding position by the time you check in, this feature can help you get on the airplane sooner and have a better opportunity to select your desired seat.
Anniversary Points Bonus
You'll receive 3,000 Rapid Rewards points yearly when you renew your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. These points are worth around $42 in Southwest airfare based on our valuations, and can offset a big chunk of the $69 annual fee.
Inflight Purchase Discount
You'll receive 25% back as a statement credit when you use your card for inflight purchases (drinks or Wi-Fi).
Car Rental Insurance
When you use your card to pay the full cost of your car rental and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver, you'll get coverage for damage due to collision or theft. This coverage is secondary to your own personal policy in the U.S., but primary car rental insurance overseas (or if you don't have your own insurance).
Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty
New purchases made with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card are covered by Chase purchase protection for 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account. You can also save money because the card extends the time period of a US manufacturer's warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement and Baggage Delay Insurance
When you use your card to pay for your fare, you (and your immediate family) are covered if the carrier loses or damages your checked or carry-on luggage, up to $3,000 per passenger.
And if your bags are delayed by six hours or more, you're eligible for up to $300 in reimbursement ($100 a day for up to three days) for essential items like toiletries and clothing.
Travel Protections
If you're approved for the Visa Signature version of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, you'll get access to travel and emergency assistance services, which can help arrange necessities like medical and legal referrals when you're away from home. While access to the service is free, you're responsible for the cost of any services arranged.
Cardholders also get travel accident insurance, which covers accidental death or dismemberment when they use their card to pay for air, bus, train, or cruise transportation. Visa Signature cardholders get up to $500,000 in coverage, and Visa Platinum members get up to $250,000.
Finally, you'll also get access to a roadside dispatch hotline, which can arrange services like towing and jumpstarts when you're on the road. Again, you'll be responsible for the actual cost of the service, which gets billed to your card.
DoorDash DashPass Subscription
Through December 31, 2024, you can activate a free 12-month DoorDash DashPass membership, which includes no delivery fees and reduced service fees when you order from DoorDash and Caviar delivery services.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card Annual Fee and Other Costs
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, in addition to charging a $69 annual fee, also charges foreign transaction fees of 3% of the amount of each transaction in U.S. dollars. This makes the Plus card a poor choice for purchases outside the U.S. If you're looking for a card to use overseas, there are plenty of credit cards with no foreign transaction fees to choose from, including any of the other Southwest cards.
There's a 20.49% - 27.49% Variable APR to be aware of if you carry a balance on your card. And, as with most cards, you'll also pay fees for balance transfers, cash advances, late payments, and returned payments.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card Alternatives
Before you decide if the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is the right pick for you, you should compare it to the other credit cards in the Southwest family because you can only hold one Southwest personal card at a time.
If you want to use your points for other forms of travel, a card that earns transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points might be a better bet since you can transfer those points to Southwest and a dozen-plus other airline and hotel partners for additional travel flexibility.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
The Southwest Premier card is the mid-tier sibling of the Southwest card family and comes with the same welcome bonus of 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Cardholders earn points at the same rate as top-tier Priority credit card holders:
- 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases
- 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases
- 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
- 2 points on Internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1 point per dollar on everything else
You earn double the number of anniversary points on the Premier: 6,000 Rapid Rewards points every year when you renew the card, compared to 3,000 on the Plus card. You'll receive two complimentary EarlyBird check-in credits each year with the Premier card, and earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List status for every $5,000 you spend with no limits.
The Premier card also offers some of the same benefits as the Plus: Earn 25% back on inflight purchases. Finally, you'll also receive a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year, which gives you a head start on earning your next Companion Pass.
Learn more about this card in our Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit card review.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is Southwest's top-tier consumer credit card, and the one you should consider if you frequently fly Southwest.
You'll get the same great welcome offer: 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
The enhanced benefits on the Priority card really stand out compared to the $69. Priority cardholders earn:
- 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases
- 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases
- 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
- 1 point per dollar on everything else
You'll also get 7,500 points on your card anniversary, earn tier-qualifying points toward A-List elite status when you spend money on this card, and receive a $75 annual Southwest travel credit as well as four upgraded boardings per year when available.
The Priority card also includes some of the same benefits that the Plus card does: Earn 25% back on in-flight drinks and Wi-Fi, and enjoy a boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year.
Learn more about this card in our Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority credit card review.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current sign-up bonus for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card?
The current sign-up bonus for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Are there any downsides to the ?
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card offers several benefits, but the annual fee or limited earning potential beyond Southwest purchases may deter some cardholders. And if you don't frequently fly Southwest, you might find better value with a more generalized travel rewards credit card.
How much is the Southwest Plus Card annual fee?
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card has an annual fee of $69 — one of the lowest among airline credit cards with annual fees.
What credit score do you need for a Southwest Rapid Rewards card?
Your credit score should be 700 or above to have the best chance of being approved for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. It's possible to be approved with a lower credit score, since your score isn't the only factor banks use for evaluation.
What is the credit limit for the Southwest Plus credit card?
Your credit limit on the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card will vary based on the issuer's valuation of your credit score and history. Approved cardholders typically receive at least a $2,000 credit limit at minimum, and can receive significantly more depending on their relationship with the card issuer (Chase Bank) or their credit worthiness.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Card
Chase offers three Southwest personal credit cards, each with varying annual fees and benefits to suit the budgets and travel goals of different flyers. We compared the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card against the benefits and welcome bonuses from other Southwest cards, as well as other similar airline credit cards to arrive at our rating.
Here's a closer look at how we rate credit cards at Business Insider.
