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Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence card assessment: Full particulars

Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence Credit score Card overview

The Southwest Speedy Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card (see charges and costs) is essentially the most rewarding of Southwest Airways’ private bank cards. It has a $229 annual payment and gives 7,500 anniversary bonus factors. With essentially the most advantages of any of Southwest’s playing cards, that is the cardboard to get in the event you’re a Southwest loyalist. Card Score*: ⭐⭐⭐½

*Card ranking is predicated on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.

Southwest Airways is in the course of sweeping adjustments, together with an up to date boarding course of beginning in January 2026 and baggage now not flying free. In contrast to different airways, Southwest would not supply lounges, but it surely plans to implement premium cabins and has began retrofitting planes to incorporate seats with further legroom.

Amidst all of those adjustments, the airline’s full suite of cobranded bank cards was lately refreshed, introducing all kinds of adjustments.

This contains the Southwest Precedence card, essentially the most premium card with perks geared toward making the Southwest journey expertise extra nice for frequent Southwest flyers.

This card received the Finest Airline Cobranded Credit score Card award within the 2024 TPG Awards, however with these new adjustments, solely time will inform if it can take house the crown once more this 12 months.

The Southwest Precedence card has a advisable credit score rating of 670 or above.

Let’s dive in and see if the cardboard’s advantages are helpful sufficient to warrant its $229 annual payment, and whether or not now could be the correct time so that you can apply.

Southwest Precedence Credit score Card execs and cons

Execs Cons
  • Precedence boarding and complimentary entry to extra-legroom seats, when obtainable in 2026
  • Anniversary bonus factors every year
  • Has an annual payment
  • Restricted redemption alternatives
  • Bonus class earnings could possibly be stronger

Southwest Precedence Credit score Card welcome supply

New Southwest Precedence cardholders can earn an elevated 85,000 bonus factors after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

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Based on TPG’s October 2025 valuations, the 85,000 factors included on this welcome supply are price $1,190. This is among the larger points-only welcome gives we have seen on the cardboard and meets our standards on when to use.

A hand holding Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card
THE POINTS GUY

Word that Southwest playing cards are topic to Chase’s 5/24 rule. In the event you’ve opened 5 or extra bank cards prior to now 24 months (from all banks, not simply Chase), you will not be accepted.

Moreover, you possibly can’t open a brand new private Southwest card you probably have one open. You additionally will not be capable to get a brand new welcome bonus from a private Southwest card in the event you’ve acquired one prior to now 24 months.

Associated: Find out how to shortly earn the Southwest Companion Move

Southwest Precedence Credit score Card advantages

The Southwest Precedence card gives the next advantages, a lot of which may help offset the annual payment. Most advantages will make the day-of-travel expertise far more pleasing.

It is vital to notice that present cardholders will obtain all their present advantages till Dec. 31.

Southwest Boeing 737
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Cardholders obtain:

  • Anniversary bonus: In your card anniversary every year, you may obtain 7,500 Speedy Rewards factors, price $105 primarily based on TPG’s valuations.
  • Annual Southwest journey credit score: Throughout every cardmember 12 months, you may obtain a $75 journey credit score that can be utilized on most Southwest purchases, together with tickets (excluding upgraded boardings and inflight purchases; this credit score will finish Dec. 31).
  • Two EarlyBird Verify-Ins yearly: These EarlyBird Verify-Ins can value as a lot $99 (ends Dec. 31).
  • 4 upgraded boardings per 12 months: For flights working in 2025, you may have the flexibility to improve your boarding as much as 4 occasions (ends Dec. 31).
  • Free first checked bag: Obtain a free first checked bag for you and as much as eight passengers touring on the identical reservation. (A normal first checked bag prices $35, which might save a household of 4 $280 on a round-trip itinerary.)
  • Group 5 precedence boarding (for 2026 and past): When you’ve got A-list standing, you possibly can board with an earlier group.
  • Most well-liked seat choice at reserving: When obtainable, you and as much as eight passengers touring on the identical reservation can choose most well-liked seating on the time of reserving.
  • Limitless extra-legroom upgrades: When obtainable, you and as much as eight passengers touring on the identical reservation can choose extra-legroom seats inside 48 hours previous to departure. This arguably is essentially the most helpful perk offered by the cardboard, as most home airways solely supply complimentary extra-legroom seating to their elite members or require a hefty spending quantity on a cobranded card.
  • 25% inflight financial savings: Obtain 25% again (as a press release credit score) after you employ your card to buy inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.
  • Tier qualifying factors enhance: Earn 2,500 tier qualifying factors that rely towards A-Record and A-Record Most well-liked standing for each $5,000 you spend in a calendar 12 months.
  • 10,000 Companion Move qualifying factors enhance yearly: Cardholders obtain 10,000 factors towards a Companion Move every year.

Along with the Southwest-specific advantages, the cardboard comes with misplaced baggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance coverage, prolonged guarantee safety and buy safety.

The cardboard additionally carries no overseas transaction charges, so it is a sensible choice for spending overseas.

Associated: Find out how to get airline elite standing

Incomes factors with the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card

This is what you may earn with the Southwest Precedence card:

  • 4 factors per greenback spent on Southwest purchases (5.6% return primarily based on TPG’s valuations)
  • 2 factors per greenback spent at gasoline stations and eating places (2.8%)
  • 2 factors per greenback spent with Speedy Rewards lodge and automobile rental companions (2.8%; ends Dec. 31)
  • 2 factors per greenback spent on native transit and commuting, together with ride-hailing apps (2.8%; ends Dec. 31)
  • 2 factors per greenback spent on web, cable and cellphone providers and choose streaming purchases (2.8%; ends Dec. 31)
  • 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases (1.4%)
Businesswoman paying for the order contactless with a black credit card
ANCHIY/GETTY IMAGES

This card gives a greater variety of bonus classes than different airline bank cards; nevertheless, many of those bonus classes will probably be eliminated on the finish of the 12 months. You could be higher suited with different prime journey playing cards, as their earnings could be much more profitable.

You may earn 5.6% again on Southwest purchases and a couple of.8% again on choose purchases (in keeping with TPG’s valuations), which aren’t unhealthy charges of return for a cobranded bank card. Plus, the gasoline and grocery bonus class could be useful for many who plan to place a bulk of their on a regular basis spending on the cardboard.

Nonetheless, this will not be the very best Southwest card for you in the event you do not e book Southwest flights usually or favor to make use of different portals for lodge and rental automobile bookings.

Associated: Finest rewards bank cards

Redeeming factors with the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card

Redeeming Southwest Speedy Rewards factors with the Southwest Precedence card could be very easy.

Southwest award costs are immediately tied to the money worth of the ticket, which means the variety of factors you want for a flight will fluctuate, however you may not often encounter occasions when you possibly can’t use your factors. Plus, you possibly can redeposit your award with out penalty in case your plans change.

Whereas Southwest’s factors will not make it easier to fly in first-class suites, they will present nice worth.

For example, you possibly can fly from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) to Chicago’s Halfway Worldwide Airport (MDW) for as few as 8,091 factors one-way, relying on the time of 12 months. In the meantime, different airways usually cost 10,000 miles or much more (assuming yow will discover availability).

points pricing for Southwest flights from Los Angeles to Chicago
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

In the event you e book throughout certainly one of Southwest’s flash gross sales, you possibly can rating awards for lower than 2,500 factors one-way. You may even fly to enjoyable locations like Hawaii, Costa Rica and Mexico together with your Southwest factors.

For example, Emily Thompson, a e-newsletter and partnerships editor at TPG, lately took benefit of certainly one of these gross sales to e book a round-trip ticket between Nashville Worldwide Airport (BNA) and San Jose Mineta Worldwide Airport (SJC) in California for beneath 25,000 factors.

Associated: Find out how to redeem your factors with the Southwest Speedy Rewards program

Which playing cards compete with the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card?

Southwest Airways gives three private playing cards, so you possibly can select the one that matches you greatest.

For extra choices, take a look at our full record of journey bank cards.

The data for the Southwest Speedy 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.

Associated: Companion Move and bonus factors: Evaluating the Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence, Premier and Plus bank cards

Is the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card price it?

In the event you fly Southwest a minimum of a number of occasions every year, you’ll come out forward with the Southwest Precedence card. Its on a regular basis incomes charges aren’t essentially the most profitable, however spectacular built-in perks like most well-liked seat choice (when obtainable), Group 5 boarding (for 2026 and past), free checked baggage for you and eight journey companions, and anniversary bonus factors make up for it. Nonetheless, in the event you fly Southwest much less usually, you may possible favor certainly one of our different favourite airline playing cards.

Associated: Find out how to choose the correct journey bank card for you

Backside line

The Southwest Precedence card is essentially the most rewarding of Southwest Airways’ private bank cards, permitting you to earn a very good stash of factors and get essentially the most advantages of any of the airline’s choices.

Regardless of the current refresh and annual payment enhance, that is nonetheless the very best Southwest card for you in the event you fly the provider usually.

Nonetheless, in the event you do not fly Southwest usually or need to maintain your annual payment prices decrease, you might need to go for one of many different Southwest cobranded playing cards or a card that earns transferable rewards.


Apply right here: Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence Credit score Card



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