Signing up for a Southwest credit card is one of the easiest ways to earn a lot of Southwest points quickly so you can take even more flights. Southwest credit cards are also a huge help when it comes to earning a Southwest Companion Pass. Every Southwest card includes valuable perks like a first free checked bag for everyone in your reservation!

This post is a roundup of all the Southwest cards so you can easily compare and contrast the options. We’ll show you a breakdown of all the benefits and annual fees to help you pick the card that’s right for you.

Not sure if you’re eligible for a Southwest card? Use the eligibility checker below!

Looking for more information on the Southwest Companion Pass? We have a whole module dedicated to it in our free course. Find it here.

Southwest Cards

Southwest offers five different credit cards; three personal and two business cards.

Southwest Personal Cards

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Southwest Business Cards

• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Which Southwest Card Is Best?

This ultimately depends on what you value.

I think the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card offer about the same value as each other — with the Premier having a slight edge.

The Plus will give you the lowest out of pocket costs at $99 (terms apply). And on cardmember anniversary, you’ll get 3,000 anniversary points each year (that’s worth about $45 in flights) and a 10% coupon (not valid on Basic flights). And you get to pick Standard seats 48 hours in advance, which puts you ahead of anyone who booked a Basic fare.

The Premier card costs you $149 each year (terms apply). But on your cardmember anniversary, you’ll get 6,000 anniversary points — that’s worth about $90 in flights. You’ll also get a 15% off coupon on your anniversary (not valid on Basic fares). And then you’ll get the additional option of picking Preferred or Standard seats 48 hours in advance.

Effectively, when you value the anniversary points, I think the Premier card costs $5 more — and I think that $5 is worth it for having more seats to pick from.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is $229 (terms apply) and is only worth it if you value being able to pick your seats right at the time of booking and/or want the opportunity to upgrade to Extra Legroom seats 48 hours in advance. The Priority gives you 7,500 anniversary points. Oddly, this card doesn’t includ/ore any anniversary coupon like the lower annual fee cards do.

Key Similarities

Differences Between Cards

Each card has some differences in the benefits that it offers. More information on exactly what is included is in the details section for each card below.

The most notable differences on the Southwest cards are:

• Annual fee
• The number of anniversary points you earn
• Whether you get a promo code on account anniversary
• What type of seat you can select for free, and when you can reserve that seat

Annual Fees

Annual fees range from $99 to $299 on Southwest cards. 

• Plus Card – $99
• Premier Card – $149 
• Priority Card – $229 
• Premier Business Card – $149
• Performance Business Card – $299

Seating Perks

Each card varies on what type of seat you can select and when you can reserve it. The Priority card and Performance Business card are the only ones that allow you to reserve a seat for free at the time of booking. The other cards allow you to select a seat 48 hours before each flight.

Seating benefits apply to the cardholder and up to 8 people on the same reservation.

• Plus card: choose a Standard seat 48 hours before departure.
• Premier card: choose a Standard or Preferred seat 48 hours before departure.
• Priority card: choose a Standard or Preferred seat at the time of booking and upgrade to Extra Legroom 48 hours before departure (if available).
• Premier Business card: choose a Standard or Preferred seat 48 hours before departure.
• Performance Business card: choose a Standard or Preferred seat at the time of booking and upgrade to Extra Legroom 48 hours before departure (if available).

Anniversary Points

Each card also earns points on your cardmember anniversary. Southwest points vary in value but generally offer about 1.2-1.5 cents per point. That means 3,000 anniversary points will get you a flight that costs $36-$45.

On the higher fee cards, you’ll earn more anniversary points. If you earn 7,500 anniversary points, that will get you about $90-$112 of Southwest flights.

• Plus Card – 3,000
• Premier Card – 6,000
• Priority Card – 7,500 
• Premier Business Card – 6,000
• Performance Business Card – 9,000

Welcome Offers

The offers are typically exactly the same on each of the three personal cards. So when it comes to making a decision, it’s just about comparing the annual fee and the benefits.

The business cards have offers that are different from each other. So when opening a business card, you’ll need to weigh the total offer, alongside the annual fee and benefits.

Personal Credit Cards

Southwest offers three different personal credit cards. They vary in the perks and benefits they offer.

Plus Card ($99 annual fee)

Premier Card ($149 annual fee)

Priority Card ($229 annual fee)

Business Credit Cards

Business credit cards are a useful part of an overall credit card strategy. You don’t need to have a large business or an LLC to get a business credit card.

Small businesses and side hustles also count as a business! Things like selling items on Facebook marketplace, tutoring, babysitting, consulting, and selling on Etsy all qualify you for a business credit card.

To learn more about business cards and how to apply, check out our post on business credit cards.

Southwest offers two different business credit cards. The offers on these are more consistent throughout the year than on the personal card offers but they do still vary at times.

Premier Business ($149 annual fee)

Performance Business ($299 annual fee)