Evaluating the non-public Southwest playing cards: Which is finest?

Southwest Airways has introduced within the period of checked bag charges, an adjusted boarding course of and seat assignments.

Southwest’s three private bank cards are right here so as to add some further perks alongside the way in which.

At first look, you might not suppose there are lots of variations among the many playing cards. However the Southwest Fast Rewards® Plus Credit score Card (see charges and costs), Southwest Fast Rewards® Premier Credit score Card and Southwest Fast Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card (see charges and costs) all have key variations.

The knowledge for the Southwest Fast Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

New candidates for any of those playing cards can earn a coveted Companion Go, which lets you carry a chosen journey companion on all of your Southwest flights (each paid and award tickets) for simply the value of taxes and costs, by way of Feb. 28, 2027. Listed below are some card-by-card provide particulars:

• Southwest Plus: Earn a Companion Go legitimate for a 12 months, plus 20,000 bonus factors, after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Per TPG’s February 2026 valuations, this provide is price $260 in factors, plus the worth of a Companion Go.
• Southwest Premier: Earn a Companion Go legitimate for a 12 months, plus 30,000 bonus factors, after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Per TPG’s valuations, this provide is price $390 in factors, plus the worth of a Companion Go.
• Southwest Precedence: Earn a Companion Go legitimate for a 12 months, plus 40,000 bonus factors, after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Per TPG’s valuations, this provide is price $520 in factors, plus the worth of a Companion Go.

This is what it’s good to know to decide on the most suitable choice for you.

Associated: Learn how to redeem your factors with the Southwest Fast Rewards program

Southwest bank cards overview

Associated: Southwest card welcome bonuses

Advantages on all Southwest playing cards

There are a number of perks included with each Southwest card that make the day-of-travel expertise extra nice when flying with the airline and may prevent plenty of cash.

Perks when flying Southwest

All of the playing cards embody a free checked bag, complimentary seat choice both inside 48 hours of departure or at reserving (relying on the cardboard) and precedence boarding.

A typical first checked bag prices $35. On a round-trip itinerary, a household of 4 would incur a price of $280 for one normal checked bag every. The financial savings on this one journey would greater than cowl the annual price of any of the playing cards.

Bonus-earning classes

Moreover, all of the Southwest playing cards earn Fast Rewards factors on eligible purchases.

The Southwest Plus earns 2 factors per greenback spent at grocery shops and gasoline stations (on the primary $5,000 in mixed spending yearly).

The Southwest Premier earns 2 factors per greenback spent at grocery shops and eating places (on as much as $8,000 in mixed spending yearly). Each playing cards earn 1 level per greenback spent of their respective classes after their spending caps are hit.

The Southwest Precedence earns 4 factors per greenback spent on Southwest purchases and a couple of factors per greenback spent at gasoline stations and eating places.

Lastly, not one of the Southwest playing cards cost overseas transaction charges, so all three playing cards are a viable possibility for purchases overseas.

Associated: 1 in 4 Southwest planes now have extra-legroom seats — this is how you can snag one

Frequent Southwest flyer? Select the Precedence

The Southwest Precedence makes a really compelling case for itself.

For frequent Southwest flyers, the Precedence card makes essentially the most sense. The cardboard presents limitless upgrades to extra-legroom seats inside 48 hours of departure (when out there) and Most popular seat choice on the time of reserving, whereas the Premier card solely presents Most popular seat choice inside 48 hours of departure (when out there).

This perk is often solely afforded to these with airline elite standing, so seeing it offered by a bank card is a big plus.

Moreover, in case you’re a frequent Southwest flyer, you are probably aiming to earn A-Record elite standing. You will earn 2,500 tier qualifying factors for each $5,000 spent with the Precedence card and 1,500 factors for each $5,000 spent with the Premier card.

Plus, with the Southwest Precedence card, you may earn 1 extra level per greenback spent on Southwest purchases (for a complete of 4 factors, in comparison with 3 with the Premier) and an uncapped 2 factors per greenback spent on eating places. Incomes extra factors with the Precedence card will assist you get to the Companion Go faster.

With the Southwest Precedence, you’ll obtain 7,500 bonus factors in your cardholder anniversary, in comparison with 6,000 factors with the Southwest Premier — price about $20 extra based mostly on TPG’s valuations.

The largest argument in opposition to the Southwest Precedence is that it has a $229 annual price. Nonetheless, if you should utilize the above advantages, you’ll be able to offset a majority and even all of that price.

Associated: How (and when) to switch Chase Final Rewards factors to Southwest Fast Rewards

Desire a decrease annual price? Select the Premier, not the Plus

In the event you’re on the lookout for a decrease annual price and may’t justify the Southwest Precedence, we would advocate the Southwest Premier, with its $149 annual price, over the Southwest Plus and its $99 annual price.

For an additional $50 per 12 months, you may obtain 6,000 anniversary factors, double that of the Plus card. In response to TPG’s valuations, these anniversary bonus factors are price $78, which covers greater than half of the annual price.

With the Premier card, you’ll be able to choose Most popular seating inside 48 hours of departure, whereas the Plus Card solely presents normal seating inside 48 hours of departure (when out there).

Each playing cards provide an annual flight promo low cost code (excluding Primary fares): The Premier presents a 15% low cost code, whereas the Plus presents a ten% low cost code.

In the event you’re aiming to earn A-Record or A-Record Most popular standing, you may wish to go for the Southwest Premier, as you may earn 1,500 tier-qualifying factors for each $5,000 spent on purchases in a calendar 12 months (with no cap). The Plus card would not provide bonus TQPs for bank card spending.

The Premier Card additionally presents greater bonus factors earnings on Southwest purchases and a better mixed spending cap for eating places and grocery shops, versus gasoline stations and grocery shops for the Plus card.

All of the added perks of the Premier card simply justify the additional $50 per 12 months.

Associated: Learn how to resolve if a bank card’s annual price is price paying

Eligibility guidelines for Southwest bank cards

Chase’s restrictions on bank card purposes could be a roadblock for some folks contemplating making use of for a Southwest bank card.

Chase’s 5/24 rule applies to all three of those playing cards. This rule signifies that Chase will virtually actually reject new candidates in case you’ve opened 5 or extra bank cards (from any financial institution or issuer) within the final 24 months.

In the event you’re at (or over) 5/24, we advocate not losing an utility and a tough credit score inquiry on these playing cards since you’ll more than likely get declined. It is also essential to notice that enterprise playing cards from any issuer often do not rely towards 5/24.

Along with the 5/24 rule, Southwest has eligibility guidelines relating to the welcome bonus. The phrases and circumstances for the welcome bonus of every of those playing cards state:

“The product just isn’t out there to both (i) present Cardmembers of any Southwest Fast Rewards® Credit score Card, or (ii) earlier Cardmembers of any Southwest Fast Rewards Credit score Card who acquired a brand new Cardmember bonus inside the final 24 months. This doesn’t apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Fast Rewards Enterprise Card and Worker Credit score Card merchandise.”

In the event you at the moment maintain any of the Southwest private bank cards or have acquired a bonus for one within the final 24 months, you’ll not obtain a brand new welcome provide until it has been 24 months because you final acquired one.

Associated: The last word information to Southwest bank card eligibility

Which card ought to I select?

The Southwest Plus is finest for individuals who need the bottom annual price. However in case you fly Southwest a minimum of a few occasions annually, think about the Southwest Premier or Southwest Precedence as a substitute.

In the event you’re a Southwest loyalist, you must go for the Precedence card, because it presents essentially the most for individuals who board a Southwest plane typically, together with limitless upgrades to extra-legroom seats inside 48 hours of departure and Most popular seat choice at reserving (when out there).

Associated: Fly Southwest a minimum of twice a 12 months? This is why the Southwest Plus is smart for you

Backside line

Southwest Airways bank cards stay standard, and having one in your pockets will be extremely useful.

Anybody who flies Southwest, even when it is only a handful of occasions per 12 months, should not have any downside maxing out the journey advantages that include the Southwest Precedence, which will certainly present essentially the most worth for Southwest frequent flyers.

If the annual price for the Southwest Precedence is simply too steep for you, you may probably get higher worth from the Southwest Premier than the Southwest Plus.

To study extra, learn our full evaluations of the Southwest Precedence, Southwest Premier and Southwest Plus playing cards.

Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Precedence Credit score Card

Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Plus Credit score Card

Study extra: Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Credit score Card