Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card review: Full details

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card overview

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is the most rewarding of Southwest Airlines’ personal credit cards, offering a $75 annual Southwest credit and 7,500 anniversary bonus points. With the most benefits of any of the airline’s offerings, this is the card to get if you’re a Southwest loyalist. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

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Southwest Airlines has a legion of fans — largely due to its flexible change/cancellation policies and offering two free checked bags for all passengers. Unlike other airlines, Southwest doesn’t offer lounges, premium cabins or even seating with extra legroom. But it does offer a full suite of cobranded credit cards to help frequent flyers fulfill their Southwest travel goals.

This card won the Best Airline Cobranded Credit Card award in the 2023 TPG Awards.

The Southwest Priority card has a recommended credit score of 670 or above and is the most premium personal credit card in the Southwest lineup.

But are its benefits valuable enough to warrant the $149 annual fee? And is now the right time for you to apply? Let’s find out.

Related: Best credit cards for American Airlines flyers

Southwest Priority Card pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Annual Southwest travel credit Four upgraded boardings every year Bonus anniversary points each year Inflight discount on food, drinks and Wi-Fi Ability to earn A-List status faster by spending on this card Travel and purchase protections	$149 annual fee Limited redemption opportunities

Related: Best Delta credit cards

Southwest Priority Card welcome offer

The Southwest Priority card currently offers a welcome bonus of 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. This offer ends June 26.

According to TPG’s valuations, 85,000 Southwest points are worth $1,105, which is incredible value for the spending requirement. The bonus points will also help you get much closer to securing a Companion Pass, which requires 135,000 points.

Note that Southwest cards are subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened five or more credit cards in the past 24 months (from all banks, not just Chase), you may not be approved. In addition, you can’t open a new personal Southwest card if you have one open. You also won’t be able to get a new sign-up bonus from a Southwest card if you’ve received one in the past 24 months.

Related: 15 lessons from 15 years’ worth of Southwest Companion Passes

Southwest Priority Card benefits

The Southwest Priority card offers the following benefits, with the first two more than offsetting the annual fee:

• Anniversary bonus: Each year, on your card anniversary, you’ll receive 7,500 Rapid Rewards points worth $98 based on TPG’s valuations.
• Annual Southwest travel credit: During each cardmember year, you’ll receive a $75 travel credit that can be used on most Southwest purchases, including tickets (excluding upgraded boardings and inflight purchases).

• 25% inflight savings: Receive 25% back (as a statement credit) after you use your card to purchase inflight drinks, Wi-Fi, messaging and movies.
• Tier qualifying points boost: Earn 1,500 TQPs that count toward A-List and A-List Preferred status for each $5,000 you spend in a calendar year.

In addition to the Southwest-specific benefits, the card comes with lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, extended warranty protection and purchase protection.

The card has no foreign transaction fees, so it’s a good choice for spending abroad.

Related: How to get airline elite status

Earning points with the Southwest Priority Card

Here’s what you’ll earn with the Southwest Priority card:

• 3 points per dollar on Southwest purchases
• 2 points per dollar spent with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
• 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including ride-hailing apps
• 2 points per dollar on internet, cable and phone services; select streaming
• 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

This is a wide variety of bonus categories compared to other airline credit cards, though top travel cards are typically even more lucrative.

Related: The best rewards credit cards for each bonus category

Redeeming points with the Southwest Priority Card

Redeeming Rapid Rewards points with the Southwest Priority card is very straightforward. Southwest award prices are directly tied to the cash value of the ticket, meaning the number of points you need for a flight will fluctuate, but you’ll rarely encounter times when you can’t use your points. Plus, you can redeposit your award without penalty if your plans change.

While Southwest’s points won’t help you fly in first-class suites, they can provide great value. For instance, you can fly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago-Midway (MDW) for as few as 4,701 points one-way, depending on the time of year. Meanwhile, other airlines often charge 10,000 miles or even more (assuming you can find availability).

If you book during one of Southwest’s flash sales, you could score awards for less than 2,500 points one-way. You can even fly to fun faraway destinations like Hawaii, Costa Rica and Mexico with your Southwest points.

For instance, TPG credit cards writer Emily Thompson recently took advantage of one of these sales to book a round-trip ticket between Nashville (BNA) and San Jose, California (SJC) for under 25,000 points. If you’re flying to one of Southwest’s destinations, you can find a great deal on points.

Related: Why I choose Southwest every time

Which cards compete with the Southwest Priority Card?

Southwest Airlines offers three personal cards, so you can choose the one that fits you best.

• If you want Southwest benefits with a more modest fee: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is the mid-tier card in the Southwest lineup, with a $99 annual fee. These include 6,000 anniversary bonus points, two EarlyBird Check-ins per year and 25% back on inflight purchases. For more details, read our full review of the Southwest Premier card.
• If you want a Southwest card with an even lower annual fee: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card has a $69 annual fee and an anniversary bonus of 3,000 points. You’ll also receive two EarlyBird Check-ins every year. For more information, read our full review of the Southwest Plus card.
• If you want points you can use with Southwest and other airlines: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which you can transfer 1:1 to Southwest — as well as a wide range of other airlines — for making flight redemptions. You’ll get numerous travel protections, a $50 annual hotel credit and robust earning categories, all for a $95 annual fee. For more information, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.

For more options, check out our full list of travel credit cards.

Related: Comparing the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority, Premier, and Plus Credit Cards

Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card worth it?

If you fly Southwest at least a few times each year, you will come out ahead with the Southwest Priority card. The card’s everyday earning rates aren’t the most lucrative, but impressive built-in perks like upgraded boardings, a $75 annual travel credit and a 7,500-point anniversary bonus easily make up for it.

Bottom line

The Southwest Priority card is the most rewarding of Southwest Airlines’ personal credit cards, allowing you to earn a good stash of points and get the most benefits of any of the airline’s offerings. If you fly Southwest often, this is the best Southwest card for you.

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Apply here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

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Related: How to pick the right travel credit card for you