Southwest Airways and Chase have an amazing portfolio of co-branded bank cards at quite a lot of “worth factors” (and by that I imply annual charges). On this publish, I wished to take a better take a look at the Southwest Fast Rewards® Plus Credit score Card, which is Southwest Airways’ lowest annual charge bank card. That is an particularly good time to choose up a Southwest co-branded bank card, as they’re at the moment providing restricted time welcome bonuses.
Southwest Airways Plus Card Fundamentals For November 2022
The Southwest Plus Card has a $69 annual charge, which is the bottom annual charge supplied by any Southwest Airways bank card. What’s attention-grabbing is that every one Southwest private playing cards have the identical welcome bonuses, so let’s take an in depth take a look at this card, and likewise find out how to determine which of Southwest’s playing cards makes probably the most sense for you. On this case, I feel there’s a transparent winner throughout the board.
Many individuals love flying with Southwest Airways due to the 2 free checked baggage, lack of change and cancelation charges, no expiration on vouchers, and nice service. Moreover, having a Southwest Airways bank card may also help you earn a Companion Move, which is likely one of the greatest offers in home journey. With that in thoughts, let’s get proper into the small print of this card.
Southwest Plus Card Bonus Of 75,000 Factors
Via Monday, December 5, 2022, the Southwest Plus Card is providing a restricted time welcome bonus of 75,000 Fast Rewards factors after spending $3,000 throughout the first three months. That’s a wonderful bonus — I worth Fast Rewards factors at 1.2 cents every, so to me that bonus is value $900.
When it comes to eligibility, the cardboard isn’t accessible to anybody who at the moment has a Southwest Fast Rewards private card, or anybody who has obtained a welcome bonus on a Southwest Fast Rewards private card previously 24 months. Nonetheless, you’re eligible when you’ve got a Southwest enterprise bank card.
Past the restrictions associated to which Southwest playing cards you will have, bear in mind the overall restrictions for Chase card approvals, together with the 5/24 rule.
Southwest Plus Card $69 Annual Price
The Southwest Plus Card has a $69 annual charge, and you’ll add approved customers to the cardboard at no further value. $69 is the bottom annual charge of any Southwest Airways bank card. Trying on the excessive finish, Southwest’s private playing cards have annual charges of as much as $149, and Southwest’s enterprise playing cards have annual charges of as much as $199.
Southwest Plus Card Up To 2x Factors On Spending
So far as the Southwest Plus Card’s rewards construction goes, the cardboard gives the next:
- 2x Fast Rewards factors on Southwest Airways purchases
- 2x Fast Rewards factors on native transit and commuting, together with rideshare
- 2x Fast Rewards factors on web, cable, cellphone companies, and choose streaming
- 1x Fast Rewards factors on all different eligible purchases
It’s good that the cardboard has some bonus classes, although there are in the end extra rewarding playing cards on the market for on a regular basis spending.
Earn Companion Move With Southwest Credit score Playing cards
The rewards construction on the Southwest Plus Card isn’t essentially industry-leading, although the explanation you could wish to put spending on this card is for one more cause.
One of many best values in journey is the Southwest Airways Companion Move, and you’ll usually earn that by bank card spending (or bank card bonuses) on a Southwest bank card.
With Southwest Companion Move you’ll be able to have somebody journey with you for the whole yr (whether or not you’re paying money or redeeming factors), and simply pay taxes and charges for them. That is such an unbelievable deal, and principally doubles the worth you may get from flying Southwest.
For 2022 Southwest Companion Move requires incomes 125,000 Fast Rewards factors in a calendar yr. As of 2023, Southwest Companion Move would require incomes 135,000 Fast Rewards factors in a calendar yr, although you’ll get a lift of 10,000 factors towards that only for having a co-branded Southwest card.
Solely sure sorts of factors accrual qualify, together with Southwest bank card spending, in addition to Southwest bank card welcome bonuses. So this bonus would get you a great way towards incomes Companion Move.
Southwest Plus Card 3% International Transaction Charges
The Southwest Plus Card is the one Southwest Airways bank card to have international transaction charges. The cardboard has 3% international transaction charges, so I wouldn’t suggest utilizing this card for purchases overseas, because the charges will greater than negate the rewards you earn.
Southwest Airways Plus Card Advantages
The Southwest Plus Card gives some advantages that would make the cardboard value conserving long run. Nonetheless, on condition that that is additionally Southwest’s lowest annual charge card, it doesn’t have probably the most advantages. What are the continued perks of getting this card?
Southwest Plus Card 3,000 Anniversary Bonus Factors
In your Southwest Plus Card cardmember anniversary yearly you’ll obtain 3,000 bonus factors. Southwest Fast Rewards is a revenue-based frequent flyer program, and also you’ll usually want 83 Fast Rewards factors for each greenback of airfare you guide. In different phrases, these 3,000 Fast Rewards factors ought to get you someplace round $36 value of airfare on Southwest yearly.
Southwest Plus Card EarlyBird Test-Ins
The Southwest Plus Card gives two EarlyBird check-ins per anniversary yr. This may get you a greater boarding place, and would ordinarily value $15-25 every, in order that’s probably a $30-50 worth. That’s fairly a pleasant perk when you think about the cardboard’s low annual charge.
Southwest Plus Card 25% Financial savings On Inflight Drinks & Wi-Fi
The Southwest Plus Card gives 25% financial savings on inflight purchases of Wi-Fi and drinks. Merely pay together with your card, and also you’ll routinely obtain an announcement credit score for that quantity.
Southwest Plus Card Buy & Journey Protection
The Southwest Plus Card gives quite a lot of journey & buy safety advantages, together with:
- Auto rental collision injury waiver protection; it’s secondary inside the USA, and first internationally
- Baggage delay insurance coverage, which may reimburse you as much as $100 per day for 3 days when your bag is delayed by at the least six hours
- Misplaced baggage reimbursement, which reimburses you as much as $3,000 in case your bag is broken or misplaced
- Journey accident insurance coverage, with the utmost protection starting from $250,000-500,000, relying on the state of affairs
- Prolonged guarantee safety, which extends your United States producer guarantee by a yr on eligible warranties of three years or much less
- Buy safety, which covers you for as much as 120 days for injury or theft, as much as $500 per declare and $50,000 per account
You’ll wish to test the cardmember settlement for the total phrases & circumstances related to these advantages.
Chase Affords
One of many nice options of Chase playing cards is entry to Chase Affords, which gives financial savings on purchases with every kind of outlets. This program has saved me a big sum of money.
Is The Southwest Plus Card Value It?
The Southwest Plus Card is a stable entry-level airline bank card, and that is an particularly good time to choose it up, given the bonus. If you’d like a bank card from Southwest and need as low of an annual charge as potential, then this card might make sense for you.
You’ll obtain a 3,000 level bonus in your cardmember anniversary yearly, two EarlyBird check-ins per yr, and 25% financial savings on inflight purchases. For a lot of, these perks ought to greater than justify the annual charge, and that’s not even accounting for the large welcome bonus.
Nonetheless, there’s one other technique that I feel makes extra sense, personally.
Tip: Apply For The Southwest Precedence Card As a substitute
When you’re going to choose up a private Fast Rewards bank card, I can’t suggest the Southwest Fast Rewards® Precedence Card (overview) sufficient. The cardboard has a $149 annual charge, which at first is a turn-off to some folks. Why would you pay a $149 annual charge should you pays a $69 annual charge, particularly with the welcome bonuses being the identical?
Nicely, the advantages greater than justify it, for my part. The Southwest Precedence Card gives:
- A 7,500 level anniversary bonus yearly, getting you roughly $90 value of airfare (that’s 4,500 extra factors than what’s supplied by the Plus Card)
- A $75 Southwest Airways journey credit score yearly, and nearly any Southwest buy counts towards that (the Plus Card doesn’t supply this)
- 4 upgraded boardings per yr, when accessible; you’ll be reimbursed for the acquisition of boarding positions A1-15 on the day of departure (the Plus Card gives two EarlyBird check-ins per yr, however no upgraded boardings)
In different phrases, for the $149 annual charge you’re getting factors that may get you round $90 value of airfare on Southwest, plus a $75 Southwest credit score yearly. For anybody who flies Southwest with any frequency, you’re principally being paid to have the cardboard, since that’s round $165 value of worth proper there.
That doesn’t even issue within the upgraded boardings and financial savings for onboard purchases. The cardboard actually is a no brainer.
The advantages of the Precedence Card additionally try fairly favorably in comparison with these on the $99 annual charge Southwest Fast Rewards® Premier Credit score Card (overview).
Trying For A Fast Rewards Enterprise Credit score Card?
If you’d like a Southwest Fast Rewards enterprise bank card instead of or along with a private card, I extremely suggest contemplating the Southwest® Fast Rewards® Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card (overview). The Southwest Efficiency Card gives the next advantages, which make it the most effective Southwest bank card, for my part:
- A welcome bonus of 80,000 Fast Rewards factors after spending $5,000 throughout the first three months
- An anniversary bonus of 9,000 Fast Rewards factors
- 4 upgraded boardings per yr
- A International Entry or TSA PreCheck credit score
- As much as 365 Wi-Fi credit per yr, every legitimate for an $8 Wi-Fi session on a Southwest Airways flight
The Southwest Efficiency Enterprise card gives a variety of factors, and extra perks general than different Southwest playing cards.
Backside Line
The Southwest Plus Card is an effective entry-level bank card for somebody who desires to earn Fast Rewards factors with out paying a excessive annual charge.
Nonetheless, I feel there’s a greater technique. I’d argue that the $149 annual charge Southwest Precedence Card is nearly all the time going to be the higher possibility, given the incremental advantages. Most importantly, the cardboard gives an anniversary bonus of seven,500 factors, plus a $75 annual Southwest journey credit score. That alone ought to greater than justify the annual charge.
If you wish to be taught extra in regards to the Southwest Plus Card or wish to apply, observe this hyperlink.
