Chase
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
Key Features
| Annual Fee | $149.00 |
| Sign-up Bonus | 55,000 bonus points |
| Rewards Rate | 1X-3X points |
| Regular APR | 19.24Min. of (6.75+12.49) and 29.99%–27.74Min. of (6.75+20.99) and 29.99% variable APR. |
About this card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is a good credit card, specifically tailored for frequent Southwest Airlines flyers who consistently pay their balance in full. Its overall rating is significantly boosted by an excellent rewards program (4.0/5.0), which offers generous points on Southwest purchases, groceries, and dining, along with an attractive sign-up bonus and valuable annual anniversary points. The suite of airline-specific perks, such as free checked bags, flight discounts, and accelerated paths to elite status and the Companion Pass, provides substantial value for dedicated Southwest customers. The fee structure is also good (3.7/5.0), with a moderate $149 annual fee that is largely offset by these benefits and the absence of foreign transaction fees. The card also benefits from a strong reputation (estimated 4.2/5.0) due to its issuer (Chase) and its recognition for customer satisfaction within its niche. However, a major detractor is its exceptionally high APR (1.2/5.0), ranging from 19.24% to 27.74% with no introductory offer. This makes carrying a balance extremely costly and severely diminishes the card's overall value proposition for anyone who doesn't pay in full each month. While it offers outstanding benefits for its specific niche, the poor APR prevents it from achieving an 'Excellent' overall rating, placing it firmly in the 'Good' category with a notable limitation for broader financial use.
Pros & Cons
What's great
- Generous sign-up bonus
- High rewards rate on travel and everyday spending
- No foreign transaction fees
- Travel perks (free checked bags, priority boarding, flight discounts)
- Annual bonus points and accelerated path to airline elite status
- Dining and grocery delivery benefits
Things to consider
- Annual fee applies
- No intro APR period
- Specific eligibility requirements for bonus
What this card offers
Sign-up bonuses
- Earn 55,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards
- 3X points on Southwest Airlines purchases
- 2X points on the first $8,000 in combined purchases at grocery stores and restaurants per year
- Earn 1 point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
- You'll earn 1 point for each $1 of the first $15,000 of balance transfers made during the first 90 days from your original account open date.
- Earn 3X total points on qualifying Lyft products and services purchased through the Lyft mobile application through 12/31/2027.
Other features
- First checked bag free for Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation can check their bag at no additional cost. Save up to $90 round trip ($45 per bag per trip).
- Complimentary Preferred seat - Select a Preferred seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available.
- 6,000 points every year on your Cardmember anniversary.
- 15% Flight Discount - Receive a 15% promo code each year on your Cardmember anniversary (Excludes Basic fare).
- Spend your way to A-List - Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually accelerating your way to A-List status.
- 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year.
- Boarding benefit - Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation will board with Group 5 giving them earlier access to overhead bins.
- 25% back on inflight purchases
- No foreign transaction fees.
- No change fees.
- Unlimited reward seats with no blackout dates or seat restrictions.
- Your points don't expire, a benefit of the Rapid Rewards program.
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement Provides reimbursement up to $3,000 per covered traveler for the cost to repair or replace checked or carry-on baggage that is lost, damaged or stolen during a covered trip.
- Baggage Delay Insurance Reimburses you up to $100 a day for up to 3 days for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing when baggage is delayed over 6 hours.
- Extended Warranty Protection Extends the time period of the manufacturer's U.S. warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less, up to four years from the date of purchase.
- Purchase Protection Covers your eligible new purchases for 120 days from the date of purchase against damage or theft up to $500 per item.
- Contactless - Just Tap To Pay
- Apply for a card, use it the same day Receive instant access to your card by adding it to a digital wallet, like Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.
- Get one-year complimentary DashPass, membership for both DoorDash and Caviar, that provides unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders. Activate by Dec 31, 2027.
- DashPass members get up to $10 off quarterly on non-restaurant DoorDash orders through Dec 31, 2027.
- Earn 3X total points on qualifying Lyft products and services purchased through the Lyft mobile application through 12/31/2027.
- Up to $120 in Instacart credits annually
- $0 delivery fees with 3 months of complimentary Instacart+ and a $10 monthly Instacart credit. Service fees apply.
- Chase Pay Over Time lets eligible Chase customers break up credit card purchases into budget friendly payments.
- After purchase: No Interest- just a fixed monthly fee with plan durations that range from 3-24 months.
- At checkout: Orders totaling $50 or more using your eligible Chase credit card at Amazon.com could be eligible for Chase Pay Over Time.
Additional Notes
This product is available to you if you do not have a current Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card and have not received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. This does not apply to Business Card and Employee Credit Card products.

