The
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is a good airline credit card for people with good credit (700+ credit score recommended), and it’s most worthwhile if you qualify for the initial bonus:
50,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. This card also offers solid ongoing rewards and an annual fee of just
$149.
What I Like About the Southwest Premier Card
Strong initial bonus
Spending at least
$1,000 within
3 months of opening the Southwest Premier Card will score you
50,000 points. That's a pretty nice initial bonus, worth around
$710 in Southwest airfare, according to our research.
The downside is that you have to book directly through Southwest and perhaps pass up all of the other lucrative
credit card deals that are currently available.
Modest ongoing rewards
In addition to its sizable initial bonus, this Southwest rewards card gives you 6,000 points each account anniversary and solid rewards on purchases. Cardholders get
3 points per $1 spent with Southwest, 2 points per $1 spent at grocery stores and restaurants (on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year), and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
Those purchase-based earning rates equate to 1.42% to 4.26% cash back, as Southwest Rapid Rewards points are worth an average of about $0.0142 apiece. Considering the average credit card offers roughly
1.17% cash back, this Southwest Airlines card really only stands out for Southwest bonus-category purchases.
No penalty for foreign use
If you plan on visiting any of Southwest’s international destinations (or making purchases through internationally based merchants), you’ll be glad to know that this Southwest credit card does not charge a foreign-transaction fee. Most credit cards have such a charge, after all, with the average being
1.58% of each purchase, according to WalletHub’s latest
Credit Card Landscape Report.
What I Don’t Like About the Southwest Premier Card
$149 annual fee
At
$149, the Southwest Premier Credit Card’s annual fee is about 6 times higher than the market average of
$26.75. It’s even above what some of the rewards market’s heaviest hitters charge.
You can still save a lot of money with this card when you factor in its rewards and other perks. You just need to make sure you use it enough each year to at least break even.
Above-average interest rates
This Southwest Rapid Rewards card does not offer 0% introductory interest rates – just a high regular APR. Considering you need good or excellent credit for approval, and the average credit cards for people with good and excellent credit charge
23.93% and 17.68%, respectively, you’ll be overpaying if you carry a balance from month to month with your Southwest card. So don’t.
Good credit required
All three Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards require good or excellent credit for approval. So make sure to
check your credit score, and thus gauge your odds of acceptance, before applying.
Alternatives to the Southwest Premier Card
There are three Southwest Airlines credit cards for personal use: the
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, the
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and the
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card. You can see how these Southwest cards compare to one another
here.
Note: This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. Opinions and ratings are our own.