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Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence Credit score Card overview
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is essentially the most rewarding of Southwest Airways’ private bank cards, providing a $75 annual Southwest credit score and seven,500 anniversary bonus factors. With essentially the most advantages of any of the airline’s choices, that is the cardboard to get in the event you’re a Southwest loyalist. Card Ranking*: ⭐⭐⭐½
*Card rating relies on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.
Southwest Airways has a legion of followers — largely attributable to its versatile change/cancellation insurance policies and providing two free checked luggage for all passengers. In contrast to different airways, Southwest doesn’t supply lounges, premium cabins and even seating with additional legroom.
Nevertheless it does supply a full suite of cobranded credit cards to assist frequent flyers fulfill their Southwest journey targets.
This card gained the Greatest Airline Cobranded Credit score Card award within the 2023 TPG Awards.
The Southwest Priority card has a beneficial credit score of 670 or above and is essentially the most premium private bank card within the Southwest lineup.
However are its advantages helpful sufficient to warrant the $149 annual price? And is now the precise time so that you can apply? Let’s discover out.
Southwest Precedence Credit score Card execs and cons
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Southwest Precedence Credit score Card welcome supply
New Southwest Priority cardholders can earn a welcome bonus of 40,000 bonus factors and a $400 assertion credit score after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 4 months of account opening. This supply ends Dec 16.
In accordance with TPG’s November 2024 valuations, this welcome supply is price as much as $960 when together with the assertion credit score. The bonus factors may also enable you to get a lot nearer to securing a Companion Move, which requires incomes 135,000 factors in a calendar 12 months.
So as to maximize the Companion Move for 2025 and 2026, it’s finest to attend to use for the cardboard till December. Then, after your December assertion date, full the minimal spending requirement to obtain your bonus factors in January. This could enable you to acquire a Companion Move for 2025 and 2026 (quite than the remainder of 2024 and 2025 in case your bonus factors arrive in December).
Observe that Southwest playing cards are topic to Chase’s 5/24 rule. If you happen to’ve opened 5 or extra bank cards prior to now 24 months (from all banks, not simply Chase), you will not be authorised.
As well as, you’ll be able to’t open a brand new private Southwest card in case you have one open. You additionally gained’t 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: 15 lessons from 15 years’ worth of Southwest Companion Passes
Southwest Precedence Credit score Card advantages
The Southwest Priority card presents the next advantages, with the primary two greater than offsetting the annual price:
- Anniversary bonus: In your card anniversary every year, you’ll obtain 7,500 Speedy Rewards factors, price $105 primarily based on TPG’s November 2024 valuations.
- Annual Southwest journey credit score: Throughout every cardmember 12 months, you’ll obtain a $75 journey credit score that can be utilized on most Southwest purchases, together with tickets (excluding upgraded boardings and inflight purchases).
- 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 1,500 TQPs that depend towards A-Checklist and A-Checklist Most well-liked standing for every $5,000 you spend in a calendar 12 months.
- 4 upgraded boardings per 12 months
Along with the Southwest-specific advantages, the cardboard comes with misplaced baggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, extended warranty protection and purchase protection.
These perks are helpful to at least one TPG reader, who stated they frequent a Southwest hub:
“Nice journey advantages and insurance coverage plus Southwest perks like free upgrades and alternatives to earn loads of factors. It’s the one I’ll choose so long as I stay close to a Southwest hub.” — Trisha M by way of a TPG Publication survey
Observe: Reader-submitted responses haven’t been edited, reviewed or authorised by the issuers nor mirror TPG’s opinions of those playing cards.
The cardboard additionally has no foreign transaction fees, so it’s a good selection for spending overseas.
Associated: How to get airline elite status
Incomes factors with the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card
Right here’s what you’ll earn with the Southwest Priority card:
- 3 factors per greenback on Southwest purchases
- 2 factors per greenback spent with Speedy Rewards resort and automotive rental companions
- 2 factors per greenback on local transit and commuting, together with ride-hailing apps
- 2 factors per greenback on web, cable and telephone providers; select streaming
- 1 level per greenback on all other purchases
This airline bank card presents a greater diversity of bonus classes than different airline credit cards, although top travel cards are sometimes much more profitable.
You’ll earn 4.2% again on Southwest purchases and a couple of.8% again on choose purchases (in keeping with TPG’s November 2024 valuations), which isn’t a nasty price of return for a cobranded bank card.
Nonetheless, this will not be one of the best Southwest card for you in the event you don’t e book Southwest flights usually or desire to make use of different portals for resort and rental automotive bookings.
Associated: The best rewards credit cards for each bonus category
Redeeming factors with the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card
Redeeming Speedy Rewards factors with the Southwest Priority card may be very easy. Southwest award costs are instantly tied to the money worth of the ticket, that means the variety of factors you want for a flight will fluctuate, however you’ll hardly ever encounter occasions when you’ll be able to’t use your factors. Plus, you’ll be able to redeposit your award with out penalty in case your plans change.
Whereas Southwest’s factors gained’t enable you to fly in first-class suites, they will present nice worth. As an example, you’ll be able to fly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago-Halfway (MDW) for as few as 4,701 factors one-way, relying on the time of 12 months. In the meantime, different airways usually cost 10,000 miles or much more (assuming you will discover availability).
If you happen to e book throughout considered one of Southwest’s flash sales, you could possibly rating awards for lower than 2,500 factors one-way. You possibly can even fly to enjoyable faraway locations like Hawaii, Costa Rica and Mexico along with your Southwest factors.
As an example, TPG bank cards editor Emily Thompson not too long ago took benefit of considered one of these gross sales to e book a round-trip ticket between Nashville (BNA) and San Jose, California (SJC) for below 25,000 factors. If you happen to’re flying to considered one of Southwest’s locations, you will discover an ideal deal on factors.
Associated: Why I choose Southwest every time
Which playing cards compete with the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card?
Southwest Airways presents three private playing cards, so you’ll be able to select the one that matches you finest.
- If you would like Southwest advantages with a extra modest price: The Southwest Speedy Rewards® Premier Credit score Card is the mid-tier card within the Southwest lineup, with a $99 annual price. Its advantages embody 6,000-anniversary bonus factors, two EarlyBird Examine-ins per 12 months and 25% again on inflight purchases. To be taught extra, learn our full review of the Southwest Premier card.
- If you would like a Southwest card with an excellent decrease annual price: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card has a $69 annual price and an anniversary bonus of three,000 factors. You’ll additionally obtain two EarlyBird Examine-ins yearly and 25% again on inflight purchases. To be taught extra, learn our full review of the Southwest Plus card.
- If you would like transferable factors to make use of with Southwest and different airways: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns Chase Final Rewards factors, which you’ll be able to switch 1:1 to Southwest and a variety of different airways for making flight redemptions. You’ll get quite a few journey protections, a $50 annual hotel credit on resort bookings made by Chase Journey℠ and sturdy incomes classes for a $95 annual price. To be taught extra, learn our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
The knowledge 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.
For extra choices, try our full checklist of travel credit cards.
Associated: Comparing the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority, Premier, and Plus Credit Cards
Is the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card price it?
If you happen to fly Southwest a minimum of a number of occasions every year, you’ll come out forward with the Southwest Priority card. The cardboard’s on a regular basis incomes charges aren’t essentially the most profitable, however spectacular built-in perks like upgraded boardings, a $75 annual journey credit score and a 7,500-point anniversary bonus simply make up for it. Nonetheless, in the event you fly Southwest much less usually, you’ll seemingly desire one other of our other favorite airline cards.
Backside line
The Southwest Precedence card is essentially the most rewarding of Southwest Airways’ private bank cards, permitting you to earn stash of factors and get essentially the most advantages of any of the airline’s choices. If you happen to fly Southwest usually, that is one of the best Southwest card for you.
Nonetheless, in the event you don’t fly Southwest usually or need to maintain your annual price prices decrease, you might need to go for one of many different Southwest cobranded cards or a card that earns transferable rewards.
Apply right here: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
Associated: How to pick the right travel credit card for you
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