Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.
Always a fan of flying, Spencer wanted to find ways to upgrade his travel experience. Over the years, Spencer has been a guest speaker on multiple YouTube shows as well as podcasts on maximizing point...
Juan has been involved in credit cards, loyalty, travel, and personal finance for more than 10 years. He has worked for several outlets including The Points Guy and Forbes and was previously Editor-in...
With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.
Chase provides co-branded credit cards with Southwest Airlines: some for consumers and others for small businesses. While Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards get a ton of press, there is also some great value to be found in their Southwest Airline credit card offerings.
Let’s take a look at what each of these cards can do for you.
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn an additional 60,000 points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 9 months.
Annual fee of $99
3x points on Southwest purchases
2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and rental car partners
Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Annual fee of $199
4x points spent on Southwest purchases
3x points spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases
9,000 bonus points each year after your cardmember anniversary
Up to 365 inflight Wi-Fi credits per year
4 Upgraded Boarding certificates per year
$500 fee credit for points transfers per year
Earn Tier Qualifying Points for your spend
If you enjoy crisscrossing the U.S., relaxing in the Caribbean, or having adventures in Central America or Mexico, then earning Southwest Rapid Rewards points might be just what you need.
Each of these cards can help you earn Rapid Rewards points on all of your purchases. You will earn 1x points per dollar spent on everything you spend…with 1 key exception.
If you make a purchase with Southwest Airlines — whether it’s purchasing a flight, something inflight, a Southwest gift card to give to a friend, or a Southwest Vacations package — you will earn 2x points per dollar spent.
A less common way to earn Rapid Rewards points with these cards is a balance transfer. During your first 90 days with one of the Southwest credit cards, you can earn 1x points per dollar on balance transfers up to $15,000.
Now, let’s be clear: you should not carry a balance just to take advantage of this offer. However, if you are already considering a balance transfer, the bonus Rapid Rewards points might be an opportunity for you.
Using one of the Southwest credit cards is also an easy way to prevent your Rapid Rewards points from expiring. Typically, Rapid Rewards points expire after 24 months of earning inactivity. As a cardholder, you merely have to use the card once every 24 months and your points won’t expire at all.
Unlike many co-branded airline credit cards, the Chase Southwest credit cards don’t come with perks like priority boarding and free checked bags. The latter is not a big deal though, since Southwest allows all passengers to check up to 2 bags provided that they meet size and weight restrictions.
Chase Southwest Credit Card Rules
Chase has rules for the personal Southwest credit cards.
You cannot get a second personal Southwest card if either:
You are a current Southwest consumer credit cardholder; or
You have earned a new cardmember bonus on a Southwest consumer credit card in the last 24 months
This means the companion pass shortcut is no longer possible by getting two Southwest personal cards.
However, 1 personal card and 1 business card are possible to get at the same time!
Southwest Plus Card (Best Entry-level Card for Anniversary Points & EarlyBird Check-In)
The Southwest Plus card might be considered a “starter card” amongst the 3 co-branded Southwest cards. This card comes with low annual fee — lower than many cards that earn miles or points.
Every year you keep the card, you will receive 3,000 Rapid Rewards points after hitting your account anniversary. These points function almost like a partial rebate of the annual fee.
This card does incur a 3% fee on all foreign transactions, so you’ll want to stick to purchases in the U.S. (If you travel a lot, make sure to use a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees while you’re away!)
The Southwest Premier card has a slightly higher annual fee but the added benefit of no foreign transaction fees. This makes the card particularly useful for those trips on Southwest Airlines to the Caribbean and Central America.
This card also comes with 6,000 Rapid Rewards points each year you keep the card, so it’s a 3,000-point bump from bonus provided by the Southwest Plus card.
Additionally, the welcome offer for the Southwest Premier card is often very similar to that of the Southwest Plus card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.
Southwest Priority Card (Best Top-tier Card for Most Anniversary Points, Travel Credit & Upgraded Boardings)
The Southwest Priority card is the most premium personal Southwest card offered. It offers multiple bonus categories to help you earn more points, and is also loaded with benefits that are sure to offer quite a bit of value.
Enjoy 7,500 points each year on your cardmember anniversary, as well as a $75 annual Southwest travel credit and 4 Upgraded Boardings per year.
Small business owners don’t need to feel left out either. The Southwest Premier Business card provides very similar benefits and perks as the Southwest Premier Card.
There are no foreign transaction fees, and you receive a bonus of 6,000 Rapid Rewards points every year you keep the card.
You can earn more points on your business expenses and enjoy 4 Upgraded Boarding certificates per year and up to 365 inflight Wi-Fi credits per year. You’ll appreciate the 9,000 bonus points each year after your cardmember anniversary and can take advantage of the credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.
Earn the Southwest Companion Pass
Without a doubt, the most popular and useful perk offered by Southwest Airlines is the Companion Pass. To earn the Companion Pass, you must earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards points within a calendar year.
Once you have earned the Companion Pass, it kicks in immediately and you retain it through the end of the following year. You are even allowed to change your designated companion 3 times per calendar year. This means 4 different people can be listed as your companion at different times of the year if you choose.
In addition to the points you earn through flying with Southwest Airlines, all of the spending you put on any of the 5 co-branded Southwest credit cards will earn points that count toward the 135,000 you need for the Companion Pass. Plus, cardholders get a 10,000-point boost towards Companion Pass qualification each year (these points are not redeemable).
Earning Southwest credit card welcome offers even counts toward the 135,000 points. This means that getting just 1 of these cards and earning the welcome offer could potentially get you over halfway there! If you get 2 of them, you might even be able to earn the Companion Pass just through welcome offers.
This is a fantastic benefit for anyone who plans to travel regularly with a companion to any of Southwest’s destinations. Being able to book a flight and fly 2-for-1 (just pay taxes and fees on your companion’s ticket) can make taking vacations easy.
Earn Tier Points Toward A-List and A-List Preferred Status
While this will be more important to those who fly regularly, particularly for business travel, the Southwest Premier card, Southwest Priority card, Southwest Performance Business card, and Southwest Premier Business card can both help you earn A-List and A-List Preferred status with Southwest.
With these cards, you will earn 1,500 tier points per $10,000 spent on the card (up to 15,000 tier points). This can get you almost halfway to A-List status, which requires 35,000 tier points. Add these tier points to what you already earn by flying Southwest Airlines and you’ll be well on your way.
Once you have A-List status, you’ll receive a number of benefits including a 25% bonus on points earned on your cash bookings with Southwest, priority check-in, a dedicated customer service line, and more.
For those who do a ton of travel, the ability to earn tier points through credit card spending can help get you to the 70,000 tier points required for A-List Preferred status.
With A-List Preferred status, you’ll receive a whopping 100% bonus on the points you earn on your paid Southwest tickets, a dedicated phone line, free inflight Wi-Fi, and more.
What Can You Do With Southwest Rapid Rewards Points?
Southwest Airlines has over 100 destinations across the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. With so many options, you’ll have a hard time running out of places to explore!
Without a doubt, the best way to use Rapid Rewards points is in conjunction with the Companion Pass since you’ll be getting 2 tickets for the price of one.
To top it all off, you can transfer Chase points to your Rapid Rewards account if you ever need more points for a trip. The points you transfer won’t count toward earning the Companion Pass, but cards that earn Ultimate Rewards can help you earn points even faster.
Which Chase Southwest Card Should You Get?
If you want to earn the Companion Pass to really extract maximum value out of your Rapid Rewards points, then getting 2 of the co-branded Southwest credit cards is the smart move. Under current rules, that is one consumer card and one business card, not both consumer cards.
Between the personal cards, it comes down whether you will be traveling outside the U.S. If so, the Southwest Premier card or the Southwest Priority card will prevent you from having to pay foreign transaction fees on purchases.
Final Thoughts
Southwest Airlines has earned a reputation as one of the most customer-friendly airlines in the U.S. market. For the millions who fly with them every year, choosing a co-branded credit card that can help earn tons of Rapid Rewards points will only make that experience even better.
After earning the Companion Pass with the help of these cards and taking some fun adventures with a loved one or friend, you might find yourself becoming a loyal Southwest flyer, too.
Featured Image Credit: Stephen M. Keller via Southwest
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the points earned with the Chase Southwest cards are redeemable for award flights but do not help you earn status.
No, Rapid Rewards must be used to book award flights with Southwest Airlines.
Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to Rapid Rewards almost instantly at a 1:1 ratio.
The Companion Pass allows you to book a flight for yourself and a designated companion for the price of one. You can book cash tickets and award flights to take advantage of this perk. You must earn 125,000 Rapid Rewards points within a calendar year to receive the Companion Pass.
Always a fan of flying, it was only natural that Spencer was drawn to finding a way to improve the travel experience.
Like many, he started this journey searching for cheap flights to take him around the world. This was fun for a while, but Spencer was intrigued by the idea of flying in business and first class!
Throwing himself into what became an extensive research project, Spencer spent 3-4 hours per night learning everything he could about frequent flyer miles over the course of several months (he thinks this is normal). He runs Straight to the Points, an award-seat alert platform.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
18 comments
milton l. esparza
June 08, 2018
I have discussed the benefits of your card with my friend. How do I get a referral bonus when she signs up? What do I need to do?
Head over to Chase’s “refer a friend” page (https://creditcards.chase.com/refer-a-friend), enter in the necessary details and you’ll see your referral link. For some cards, it’s not possible though. See our article here for more info if you need: /chase-refer-a-friend/
David Leonardi
October 12, 2018
I presently have the southwest plus credit card, can I upgrade to the new priority credit card and if I do do I get the new sign up bonus.
Hi David, no, you are not eligible for a sign-up bonus if you meet either of these criteria:
1. You are currently a Southwest personal credit card holder (not business)
2. You’ve received a sign-up bonus on a Southwest personal credit card within the last 24 months.
If you want a Southwest credit card, consider going for the business credit card!
James E Halloran
October 18, 2018
I received the bonus for 2 of the Southwest cards over 3 years ago. I recently closed the accounts so that I would no longer be a “current Chase Southwest cardholder” in an attempt to maintain my companion pass status. (I project I will be about 30,000 miles short). How long do these account needs to be closed before I can be eligible for a new one? Calls to Chase lead to the typical un-empowered representative that would love to answer that question, but they are not given that information. My initial attempt after 1 complete statement cycle with a zero balance and no activity was denied because I was still considered a current Chase Southwest card carrying member. I got this response on all 3 cards, even though I have never had the more recent Priority Card. They did not poll my credit, so did not get a “ding” for applying, but I would be nice to know how long it takes before I am again eligible.
Hey James, in the case of each Southwest card you’re referring to, you’ll need to wait 24 months from the day that you received your original sign up bonus. E.g. let’s say you received a sign up bonus for the Southwest Plus Card on Jan 1st 2017, provided that your card is not currently open anymore (i.e. the account is closed) you’ll be eligible to sign up to that card again and get the sign up bonus 24 months from that timeframe…which is Jan 1st 2019! Hope that helps.
Carl V Vartian
November 29, 2018
I keep hearing about how to take advantage of Chase Southwest credit card sign up bonuses but I realize they are not available if I already have a card, which I’ve had for years.
I have qualified for A-list and Companion Pass through Dec 31, 2019. Is it actually possible for me to close out my Chase Southwest Card now, wait a couple of months and in 2019 apply for a new SW Chase card and collect the sign-up bonus? Those points should apply toward the 110,000 points I need each year to qualify for the following year’s Companion Pass, right?
You can’t collect the sign up bonus if you are a current cardmember or if you have collected a sign up bonus within the last 2 years. Here’s the wording from Southwest:
The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months.
It sounds like you have had the card for more than 2 years. So, you should be able to cancel it, wait a few months then sign up for the card again to collect another sign up bonus.
The Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of the year you earn it and the entire next year. Since you already have the Companion Pass through the end of 2019, you might want to consider holding off on getting the cards again until early 2020. If you earn the Companion pass in January 2020, it would be valid through December of 2021!
Good luck and happy traveling!
Amanda
January 22, 2019
I have the SWA Priority card, and companion pass through December 2019. I plan on applying for the SWA Business card in December 2019, and then meeting the minimum spending amount to receive the bonus points in early 2020, in order to count toward companion pass. I will not be eligible to receive bonus sign up points on a consumer card by then, but my spouse has never had a consumer SWA card and is not an authorized user on my card. If he were to apply and receive a SWA card going into 2020, could my rapid rewards number be used on his account so that I would receive the bonus points on that card, counting toward renewed companion pass for 2020?
Hi Amanda,
This is a really good question! Unfortunately I can’t find a clear answer on this one. My instinct tells me that this wouldn’t work. I would imagine that a new Rapid Rewards account might be created for your spouse once they tried to process your number was on his application. However, that is just my opinion – I couldn’t find a clear answer. Sorry I couldn’t clarify for you…but if you give it a try and it works, please let us know!!!
Phillip LaRoche
March 26, 2019
I currently have a Southwest Rapid Rewards VISA Signature card with a Plus logo in the upper right corner. If I pay for a TSA Pre-check with this card will Southwest or VISA credit my account for the $85 TSA fee? My wife and I are meeting with TSA to finalize our TSA account.
Hi Phillip,
No, none of the Southwest credit cards offer a TSA Precheck reimbursement. Cards that offer that benefit tend to be more of the “premium” cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Platinum Card from American Express.
sanja
March 27, 2019
If I purchase SWA Gift Cards on the SWA website with my SWA Chase visa (any flavor) do these points/miles qualify towards Companion Pass? Hoping to get a CP in early 2020 by getting a Business SW visa – assuming that those points count towards Companion Pass at the time (the don’t count *today*, March 27, 2019, per the SW website) and then figure out the spending requirements to complete the 110K points. In the purchasing points scenario a $1K SWA GC purchased with the SWA Visa will net 2K points. (Of course there are better points multipliers from other cards, but the objective here is to *also* reach the min spending requirement on the new SW card).
Yes, these purchases should count, as they are points earned by making purchases with a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card. Thanks for reading.
SG
April 24, 2019
Hi
Question: Does the points earned for purchasing a ticket using another credit card (not Southwest RR credit card), equal the points earned using a Southwest RR credit card to purchase the same ticket?
How is Southwest Chase Priority credit card advantageous than Costo Citi Credit card?
Hi SG,
With the Southwest Priority Card you will be earning 2x Rapid Rewards points on your Southwest purchase. The Costco card gives you 3% cash back on airline tickets. Would you rather have Southwest points (worth about 1.5-1.7 cents each) or straight cash back? Would you rather have upgraded boarding passes on SW or more bonus categories on the Costco card.
Each card has benefits so you need to look at them head to head to decide which benefits are more important to you. Take a peek at this post — The Best Credit Cards for Southwest Flyers — it might help you decide which card is right for you.
SG
April 25, 2019
Thanks Katie, when you book a ticket in SW airlines, you get points. Are these points same for booking the ticket using SW RR credit card or any other credit card? Is there a difference in using SW RR credit card to gain more points?
Hi SG,
If you book a SW flight with any credit card, you will earn Southwest points for the flight itself (regardless of what credit card you use). You can double dip by using the SW credit card to purchase your flight and you will earn an additional 2 points per dollar.
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
18 comments
milton l. esparza
June 08, 2018
I have discussed the benefits of your card with my friend. How do I get a referral bonus when she signs up? What do I need to do?
Alex Miller
June 09, 2018
Head over to Chase’s “refer a friend” page (https://creditcards.chase.com/refer-a-friend), enter in the necessary details and you’ll see your referral link. For some cards, it’s not possible though. See our article here for more info if you need: /chase-refer-a-friend/
David Leonardi
October 12, 2018
I presently have the southwest plus credit card, can I upgrade to the new priority credit card and if I do do I get the new sign up bonus.
Stephen Au
October 13, 2018
Hi David, no, you are not eligible for a sign-up bonus if you meet either of these criteria:
1. You are currently a Southwest personal credit card holder (not business)
2. You’ve received a sign-up bonus on a Southwest personal credit card within the last 24 months.
If you want a Southwest credit card, consider going for the business credit card!
James E Halloran
October 18, 2018
I received the bonus for 2 of the Southwest cards over 3 years ago. I recently closed the accounts so that I would no longer be a “current Chase Southwest cardholder” in an attempt to maintain my companion pass status. (I project I will be about 30,000 miles short). How long do these account needs to be closed before I can be eligible for a new one? Calls to Chase lead to the typical un-empowered representative that would love to answer that question, but they are not given that information. My initial attempt after 1 complete statement cycle with a zero balance and no activity was denied because I was still considered a current Chase Southwest card carrying member. I got this response on all 3 cards, even though I have never had the more recent Priority Card. They did not poll my credit, so did not get a “ding” for applying, but I would be nice to know how long it takes before I am again eligible.
Alex Miller
October 19, 2018
Hey James, in the case of each Southwest card you’re referring to, you’ll need to wait 24 months from the day that you received your original sign up bonus. E.g. let’s say you received a sign up bonus for the Southwest Plus Card on Jan 1st 2017, provided that your card is not currently open anymore (i.e. the account is closed) you’ll be eligible to sign up to that card again and get the sign up bonus 24 months from that timeframe…which is Jan 1st 2019! Hope that helps.
Carl V Vartian
November 29, 2018
I keep hearing about how to take advantage of Chase Southwest credit card sign up bonuses but I realize they are not available if I already have a card, which I’ve had for years.
I have qualified for A-list and Companion Pass through Dec 31, 2019. Is it actually possible for me to close out my Chase Southwest Card now, wait a couple of months and in 2019 apply for a new SW Chase card and collect the sign-up bonus? Those points should apply toward the 110,000 points I need each year to qualify for the following year’s Companion Pass, right?
Katie Seemann
November 30, 2018
Hi Carl,
You can’t collect the sign up bonus if you are a current cardmember or if you have collected a sign up bonus within the last 2 years. Here’s the wording from Southwest:
The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months.
It sounds like you have had the card for more than 2 years. So, you should be able to cancel it, wait a few months then sign up for the card again to collect another sign up bonus.
The Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of the year you earn it and the entire next year. Since you already have the Companion Pass through the end of 2019, you might want to consider holding off on getting the cards again until early 2020. If you earn the Companion pass in January 2020, it would be valid through December of 2021!
Good luck and happy traveling!
Amanda
January 22, 2019
I have the SWA Priority card, and companion pass through December 2019. I plan on applying for the SWA Business card in December 2019, and then meeting the minimum spending amount to receive the bonus points in early 2020, in order to count toward companion pass. I will not be eligible to receive bonus sign up points on a consumer card by then, but my spouse has never had a consumer SWA card and is not an authorized user on my card. If he were to apply and receive a SWA card going into 2020, could my rapid rewards number be used on his account so that I would receive the bonus points on that card, counting toward renewed companion pass for 2020?
Katie Seemann
January 26, 2019
Hi Amanda,
This is a really good question! Unfortunately I can’t find a clear answer on this one. My instinct tells me that this wouldn’t work. I would imagine that a new Rapid Rewards account might be created for your spouse once they tried to process your number was on his application. However, that is just my opinion – I couldn’t find a clear answer. Sorry I couldn’t clarify for you…but if you give it a try and it works, please let us know!!!
Phillip LaRoche
March 26, 2019
I currently have a Southwest Rapid Rewards VISA Signature card with a Plus logo in the upper right corner. If I pay for a TSA Pre-check with this card will Southwest or VISA credit my account for the $85 TSA fee? My wife and I are meeting with TSA to finalize our TSA account.
Katie Seemann
March 27, 2019
Hi Phillip,
No, none of the Southwest credit cards offer a TSA Precheck reimbursement. Cards that offer that benefit tend to be more of the “premium” cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Platinum Card from American Express.
sanja
March 27, 2019
If I purchase SWA Gift Cards on the SWA website with my SWA Chase visa (any flavor) do these points/miles qualify towards Companion Pass? Hoping to get a CP in early 2020 by getting a Business SW visa – assuming that those points count towards Companion Pass at the time (the don’t count *today*, March 27, 2019, per the SW website) and then figure out the spending requirements to complete the 110K points. In the purchasing points scenario a $1K SWA GC purchased with the SWA Visa will net 2K points. (Of course there are better points multipliers from other cards, but the objective here is to *also* reach the min spending requirement on the new SW card).
Stephen Au
March 27, 2019
Hey Sanja,
Yes, these purchases should count, as they are points earned by making purchases with a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card. Thanks for reading.
SG
April 24, 2019
Hi
Question: Does the points earned for purchasing a ticket using another credit card (not Southwest RR credit card), equal the points earned using a Southwest RR credit card to purchase the same ticket?
How is Southwest Chase Priority credit card advantageous than Costo Citi Credit card?
Katie Seemann
April 25, 2019
Hi SG,
With the Southwest Priority Card you will be earning 2x Rapid Rewards points on your Southwest purchase. The Costco card gives you 3% cash back on airline tickets. Would you rather have Southwest points (worth about 1.5-1.7 cents each) or straight cash back? Would you rather have upgraded boarding passes on SW or more bonus categories on the Costco card.
Each card has benefits so you need to look at them head to head to decide which benefits are more important to you. Take a peek at this post — The Best Credit Cards for Southwest Flyers — it might help you decide which card is right for you.
SG
April 25, 2019
Thanks Katie, when you book a ticket in SW airlines, you get points. Are these points same for booking the ticket using SW RR credit card or any other credit card? Is there a difference in using SW RR credit card to gain more points?
Katie Seemann
April 26, 2019
Hi SG,
If you book a SW flight with any credit card, you will earn Southwest points for the flight itself (regardless of what credit card you use). You can double dip by using the SW credit card to purchase your flight and you will earn an additional 2 points per dollar.
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
Email needed if you'd like comment updates. It will NOT be published.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.