Best Southwest Credit Card Offers

The latest Southwest Airlines credit card offer is up to 100,000 points bonus points for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card cards.

Deals standard to all Southwest credit cards include 2 free checked bags on Southwest flights and 2 - 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases. There's also bonus points every account anniversary. All Southwest cards come with lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty coverage.

Here are the Southwest credit cards deals:

• 2 free checked bags on Southwest flights, lost luggage & baggage delay insurance: All Southwest cards
• Extended warranty & purchase protection: All Southwest cards
• 3 points / $1 on Southwest purchases: All Southwest cards (except Southwest Plus Card whoch earns 2 points / $1 on Southwest purchases)
• 50,000 points for spending $2,000 in the first 3 months, plus 50,000 points for spending $12,000 total in the first 12 months: Southwest Plus Card, Southwest Priority Card and Southwest Premier Card
• 80,000 points for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months: Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
• 60,000 points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months: Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
• Extra points each account anniversary: 7,500 points with Southwest Priority Card, 6,000 points with Southwest Premier Card & Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and 3,000 points with Southwest Plus Card
• $75 annual Southwest travel credit: Southwest Priority Card
• 4 upgraded boardings per year: Southwest Priority Card

The best Southwest credit card deal overall is for the Southwest Priority Card card. In addition to 100,000 points, it gives you an automatic 7,500 points every account anniversary and a $75 annual travel credit. You also get 4 upgraded boardings every year, 2 free checked bags on Southwest flights, and 20% back on in-flight purchases. This card comes with a $149 annual fee.

There are several Southwest Airlines credit card promotions, including a big initial bonus for small business owners. The Southwest Premier Business Card credit card offers plenty more initial bonus points than all three personal cards and still only has a $99 annual fee.

It's worth getting a Southwest credit card if you're a frequent flyer who is brand loyal to Southwest Airlines. There are 5 Southwest credit card offers available right now, all of which are issued by Chase and require at least good credit for approval.

If you're not a frequent Southwest Airlines flyer, you're probably better off with a travel rewards credit card that's equally rewarding no matter which airline you use or where you book your flights. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Capital One Venture Card are two particularly good options. 

No, there is no version of the Southwest credit card with no annual fee. The lowest annual fee for a Southwest credit card is $69 with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card.

Even though all of the Southwest credit cards currently have annual fees, they come with plenty of benefits, like 2 free checked bags and upgraded boarding, to make that fee worth it for frequent Southwest Airlines flyers. Moreover, all Southwest credit cards come with signup bonuses, from 60,000 to 100,000 points and they also offer good ongoing rewards rates.

Unlike some other airlines, Southwest doesn't have any airline transfer partners. That means you can't get a $0 annual fee credit card from another airline and transfer the rewards to Southwest. Because of that, Southwest credit cards are really only intended for frequent Southwest Airlines flyers.

There are a few credit cards whose rewards you can transfer to Southwest through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal. Those cards include the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. However, each of those credit cards has an annual fee. The best card for transferring points to Southwest is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, because it has the lowest annual fee at $95 and comes with a big signup bonus: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.

There are also a few credit cards from other airlines that have no annual fees.

The Southwest Premier Card travel insurance benefit is made up of three types of coverage: travel accident insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and baggage delay insurance. Southwest Premier also has rental car insurance, though that's usually considered a separate type of benefit from travel insurance. All of these perks come free just for owning the card and paying the $99 annual fee.

Southwest Premier Card travel insurance includes:

Travel accident insurance. Provides up to $500,000 in reimbursement for death or dismemberment that occurs during travel on a common carrier (plane, train, bus, ship, etc.). Must pay for the trip with the Premier Card.

Lost luggage reimbursement. Pays up to $3,000 per trip for checked or carry-on bags that get damaged or stolen while you are traveling on a common carrier. Must pay for the tickets with the Premier Card.

Baggage delay insurance: Reimburses up to $100 per day for up to 3 days when baggage arrives more than 6 hours late to your destination. Must pay for the tickets with the Premier Card.

Rental car insurance: Provides coverage against damage or theft on cars rented with the Premier Card. It reimburses up to the actual cash value of most vehicles for rentals of up to 31 consecutive days. To qualify, you must turn down the rental agency's own insurance policy.

Each type of Southwest Premier card travel insurance has its own rules for eligibility and filing claims, so make sure to read your benefits guide for the full details.

All Southwest credit cards are issued by Chase.

Chase is famous for its co-branded travel cards. It has partnerships with airlines and hotel chains to offer credit cards for frequent travelers.

It is hard to get a Southwest credit card because they require at least good credit for approval. Unless your credit score is 700 or higher and you have a lot of income, it will be difficult for you to get approved for a Southwest credit card credit card.

Minimum Credit Score for Notable Southwest Credit Cards

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Good credit
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Good credit
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Good credit
• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card: Good credit

Keep in mind that while the credit score requirement is the main thing that makes a Southwest credit card credit card hard to get, there are other requirements you will have to meet to get approved. As with all credit cards, you'll need to have a steady income that's big enough to handle the card's credit limit, and you must be at least 18 years old.

Finally, it's important to note that even if you exceed all of the requirements to get a Southwest credit card, you're never guaranteed to get approved, though your odds are good.

It can take up to 10 business days to get approved for a Southwest credit card. Most Southwest credit card applications are processed instantly, though some may remain pending for 7 to 10 business days while Chase, the credit card issuer, verifies all your information. You can easily check you application status anytime, either online or by phone.

How to Check Your Southwest Credit Card Application Status

Online: Log in to your Chase account and click on the three horizontal lines in the upper-left corner to open the main menu, then select "Application status." If you are not yet enrolled in Chase online banking, you can create an account using your Southwest credit card application number.

By Phone: Call Chase customer service at 1-888-338-2586 and follow the automated instructions. You will need to provide your Social Security number to confirm your identity.

A delayed response doesn't necessarily diminish your approval odds for a Southwest credit card. If your application is still pending, it might just mean that Chase needs additional time to review your credit history, income, and existing debts, among other factors.