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Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Comparing Southwest card benefits: The Southwest Plus, Premier and Priority go head-to-head
Chris Nelson is a credit cards writer for TPG. He specializes in budget travel, hotels, earning elite status through minimal spending and redeeming points for maximum value.
Olivia Mittak is a credit cards editor at TPG. She specializes in maximizing earn for points and miles, finding the best welcome bonuses and choosing the right credit cards for your wallet.
also contributed to this story
February 11, 2026 • 14 min read
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Quick summary
Southwest Airlines now offers three personal cards, each with distinct travel perks and annual bonuses.
All cards provide benefits such as a free checked bag, priority boarding and inflight savings, but differ in seat selection options and anniversary rewards.
The highest-tier card stands out for frequent flyers, offering unlimited upgrades to extra-legroom seats and preferred seat selection at booking.
Lower-tier cards may appeal to those seeking a smaller annual fee, but offer fewer premium travel features.
What to consider
Eligibility for these cards is affected by application restrictions, including a rule that limits approvals for those who have opened five or more credit cards in the past 24 months.
Welcome bonuses are unavailable if you currently hold or recently received a bonus from any Southwest personal card within the last 24 months.
Annual flight discount codes and tier-qualifying point boosts vary by card, impacting value for travelers seeking elite status.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of travel perks, seat selection privileges and anniversary rewards to help you select the best card for your Southwest travel habits.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
New applicants for any of these cards can earn a generous welcome offer. Here are some card-by-card offer details:
Southwest Plus: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Per TPG's May 2026 valuations, this offer is worth $625.
Southwest Premier: Earn 55,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Per TPG's valuations, this offer is worth $688.
Southwest Priority: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Per TPG's valuations, this offer is worth $750.
Here's what you need to know to choose the best option for you.
2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and restaurants, on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per year (then 1 point per dollar spent)
1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
4 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases
2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants
1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Southwest perks
Free first checked bag: Receive a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation.
Priority boarding: Receive Group 5 priority boarding. If you have A-List status, you can board with an earlier group.
Standard seat selection: When available, receive complimentary standard seat selection within 48 hours of departure for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation.
Flight discount code: Cardholders receive one promotional 10% flight discount code each anniversary year (excluding Basic fares).
25% inflight savings: Receive 25% back (as a statement credit) after you use your card to purchase inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.
Free first checked bag: Receive a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation.
Priority boarding: Receive Group 5 priority boarding. If you have A-List status, you can board with an earlier group.
Preferred seat selection: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select Preferred seating within 48 hours of departure.
Flight discount code: Cardholders receive one promotional 15% flight discount code each anniversary year (excluding Basic fares).
25% inflight savings: Receive 25% back (as a statement credit) after you use your card to purchase inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.
Free first checked bag: Receive a free first checked bag for you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation.
Priority boarding: Receive Group 5 priority boarding. If you have A-List status, you can board with an earlier group.
Preferred seat selection at booking: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select Preferred seating at the time of booking.
Unlimited extra-legroom upgrades: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select extra-legroom seats within 48 hours prior to departure.
25% inflight savings: Receive 25% back (as a statement credit) after you use your card to purchase inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.
Tier qualifying points and Companion Pass qualifying points
A boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.
Earn 1,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $5,000 in spending per calendar year (with no cap).
A boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.
Earn 2,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $5,000 in spending per calendar year (with no cap).
A boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.
There are multiple perks included with every Southwest card that make the day-of-travel experience more pleasant when flying with the airline and can save you lots of money.
Perks when flying Southwest
All the cards include a free checked bag, complimentary seat selection either within 48 hours of departure or at booking (depending on the card) and priority boarding.
SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY
A standard first checked bag costs $35. On a round-trip itinerary, a family of four would incur a cost of $280 for one standard checked bag each. The savings on this one trip would more than cover the annual fee of any of the cards.
Bonus-earning categories
Additionally, all the Southwest cards earn Rapid Rewards points on eligible purchases.
The Southwest Plus earns 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and gas stations (on the first $5,000 in combined spending annually).
The Southwest Premier earns 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and restaurants (on up to $8,000 in combined spending annually). Both cards earn 1 point per dollar spent in their respective categories after their spending caps are hit.
The Southwest Priority earns 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases and 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants.
Lastly, none of the Southwest cards charge foreign transaction fees, so all three cards are a viable option for purchases abroad.
For frequent Southwest flyers, the Priority card makes the most sense. The card offers unlimited upgrades to extra-legroom seats within 48 hours of departure (when available) and Preferred seat selection at the time of booking, whereas the Premier card only offers Preferred seat selection within 48 hours of departure (when available).
This perk is typically only afforded to those with airline elite status, so seeing it provided by a credit card is a huge plus.
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 taxis in Honolulu, Hawaii. KEVIN CARTER/GETTY IMAGES
Additionally, if you're a frequent Southwest flyer, you're likely aiming to earn A-List elite status. You'll earn 2,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 spent with the Priority card and 1,500 points for every $5,000 spent with the Premier card.
With the Southwest Priority, you will receive 7,500 bonus points on your cardholder anniversary, compared to 6,000 points with the Southwest Premier — worth about $20 more based on TPG's valuations.
The biggest argument against the Southwest Priority is that it has a $229 annual fee. However, if you can use the above benefits, you can offset a majority or even all of that cost.
For an extra $50 per year, you'll receive 6,000 anniversary points, double that of the Plus card. According to TPG's valuations, these anniversary bonus points are worth $78, which covers more than half of the annual fee.
OSCAR WONG/GETTY IMAGES
With the Premier card, you can select Preferred seating within 48 hours of departure, whereas the Plus Card only offers standard seating within 48 hours of departure (when available).
Both cards offer an annual flight promo discount code (excluding Basic fares): The Premier offers a 15% discount code, while the Plus offers a 10% discount code.
If you're aiming to earn A-List or A-List Preferred status, you'll want to opt for the Southwest Premier, as you'll earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points for every $5,000 spent on purchases in a calendar year (with no cap). The Plus card doesn't offer bonus TQPs for credit card spending.
The Premier Card also offers higher bonus points earnings on Southwest purchases and a higher combined spending cap for restaurants and grocery stores, versus gas stations and grocery stores for the Plus card.
All the added perks of the Premier card easily justify the extra $50 per year.
Chase's 5/24 rule applies to all three of these cards. This rule means that Chase will almost certainly reject new applicants if you've opened five or more credit cards (from any bank or issuer) in the last 24 months.
If you're at (or over) 5/24, we recommend not wasting an application and a hard credit inquiry on these cards since you will most likely get declined. It's also important to note that business cards from any issuer usually don't count toward 5/24.
ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
In addition to the 5/24 rule, Southwest has eligibility rules regarding the welcome bonus. The terms and conditions for the welcome bonus of each of these cards state:
"The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. This does not apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Card and Employee Credit Card products."
If you currently hold any of the Southwest personal credit cards or have received a bonus for one in the last 24 months, you will not receive a new welcome offer unless it has been 24 months since you last received one.
If you're a Southwest loyalist, you should go for the Priority card, as it offers the most for those who board a Southwest aircraft often, including unlimited upgrades to extra-legroom seats within 48 hours of departure and Preferred seat selection at booking (when available).
Southwest Airlines credit cards remain popular, and having one in your wallet can be highly beneficial.
Anyone who flies Southwest, even if it's just a handful of times per year, should have no problem maxing out the travel benefits that come with the Southwest Priority, which will definitely provide the most value for Southwest frequent flyers.
If the annual fee for the Southwest Priority is too steep for you, you'll likely get better value from the Southwest Premier than the Southwest Plus.
