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3. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card review: First choice for your wallet?

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reviews

4

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great for frequent Southwest flyers

Annual Fee: $99

This content is curated by Intuit Credit Karma’s Editorial team using data from members who were approved for this card or similar cards, or who self-matched this card or similar cards. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse this content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.

Here’s the average credit limit of members who matched their Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card or similar cards.

% of members by credit limit range

The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $14,542, with $2,000 being the most common.

Here’s the average credit score of members who matched their Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card or similar cards.

% of members by credit score range

The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 715, with 813 being the most common. Note this is just one of the deciding factors when it comes to getting approved.

Member stats

Updated daily

27.9%

Average credit utilization (or what percent of the card’s credit limit is being used) of members who matched with this card or similar cards.

46 years

Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.

$111,453

Average annual income of members who matched this card or similar cards. Note: Income may be estimated for some members by Credit Karma and may differ from members’ actual incomes.

Pros and cons

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Valuable sign-up bonus

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Nice anniversary bonus helps offset annual fee

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Plus points earned count toward Companion Pass

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Sign-up bonus could change before you apply

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No Southwest travel credit

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No early boarding privileges

4 things to know about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

1. The sign-up bonus may change 

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card currently features a sign-up bonus where you can earn 50,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 3 months after account opening.

But it’s important to note that when it comes to credit cards, sign-up bonuses can and do change — and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is no exception. We’ve seen the number of bonus points this card offers go up and down, as well as other offers change, like the potential to earn Southwest’s Companion Pass. So it’s always a good idea to double-check the latest offer info and make sure you’re happy with it before you apply.

2. Anniversary bonus points could help make up for the annual fee

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card charges a $99 annual fee.

Thankfully, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card also rewards you with 6,000 bonus points each year after your account anniversary. Depending on how you use your points, that could be worth enough to cover the cost of your annual fee.

Regardless, we think it’s a nice incentive to keep the card open even if you don’t fly too regularly.

3. Earning points

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card offers three points for every $1 you spend on Southwest purchases. You’ll also earn two points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare; two points per $1 on select streaming services as well as internet, cable, and phone services; and two points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.

All other purchases earn one point per $1 spent.

4. Shortcut to Southwest Companion Pass

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card provides a potential shortcut to earning the Companion Pass with the points you earn on purchases and the sign-up bonus. To qualify for the Companion Pass with points or purchases, you usually must earn 135,000 qualifying points or fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year.

When you fly, the Southwest Companion Pass allows you to bring a friend or family member for next to nothing. Southwest waives the price of your companion’s ticket, so you only have to pay for their taxes and fees starting at $5.60 each way. You can use the Companion Pass as often as you like for the remainder of the year in which you earn it, plus the entire year after that.

The points you can earn with Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card could make it much easier to qualify, depending on how often you use it.

What else to consider

What can you get without the card?

Southwest offers a lot of benefits for free that other airlines will nickel-and-dime you for. You won’t need the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card to get things like …

• Free checked bags
• No flight-change fees
• No blackout dates

What’s missing?

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card doesn’t offer certain airline benefits that you might see featured on other travel cards.

• No travel credit
• No early boarding privileges
• No airport lounge access
• No credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck 

Understanding your points and miles

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® points are worth an estimated 1.35 cents each — based on Credit Karma’s point valuations — when redeemed toward flights. And your points won’t expire.

Who this card is good for

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card could be an option for frequent Southwest flyers who do most of their traveling around the U.S. The card offers plenty of opportunities to earn points, which offer a shortcut to earning Companion Pass.

But if you’re looking for extra travel perks and benefits, this card probably isn’t your best option. Many of Southwest’s passenger perks come standard, so this credit card mostly helps you to earn and redeem your rewards points.

Not sure this card is right for you? Consider these alternatives.

If you’re not a fan of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, you might be interested in one of these other travel credit cards.

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card:
This rewards card is good for flying with any airline.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card:
This card is best for especially frequent Southwest flyers looking to maximize rewards value.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card:
This Southwest card might be a better fit for more occasional flyers.