Key facts
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card that easily pays for itself each year.
Annual Fee:
$149Min. Credit Score for Approval:
670-739 * GoodOngoing APR:
21.49%-28.49% VariableBalance transfer fees
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater.Foreign Transaction Fee:
0%If you can afford to pay the $149 annual fee upfront, the Southwest Priority credit card easily justifies its cost. Cardholders get a $75 Southwest annual travel credit, a 7,500-point anniversary bonus (worth $105), four Southwest Upgraded Boardings, wide-ranging spending bonus categories, and the ability to earn unlimited Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List status.
If you have this card, bank policies restrict you from being approved for the following cards: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card.
Reward multipliers
In addition to the sign-up bonus earned after account opening, the Southwest Priority Credit Card earns:
- 3 Rapid Rewards points per dollar on Southwest purchases.
- 2x points on hotel and car rental partner purchases, local transit, commuting, rideshare, internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services.
- 1x Southwest points on all other eligible purchases.
Earns bonus points for spend in the following bonus categories:
Applies only to tickets purchased directly from Southwest. Other airfare earns 1X.
Estimated Rewards Value: 4.2%
Estimated Rewards Value: 2.8%
Estimated Rewards Value: 2.8%
Estimated Rewards Value: 2.8%
Estimated Rewards Value: 2.8%
Estimated Rewards Value: 1.4%
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
Four Upgraded Boardings Per Year
Forget to check-in right at 24 hours? You can still score an A1-A15 boarding position up to four times per year by purchasing an Upgraded Boarding pass with your Southwest Priority Card.
7,500 Rapid Rewards Bonus Points Every Cardmember Anniversary
Each year that you renew your Southwest Priority Credit Card, you’ll get 7,500 bonus Southwest Rapid Rewards points. At MilesTalk’s valuation of 1.4 cents per Southwest point, that’s $105 in value right there.
Annual Statement Credits
$75 Annual Travel Credit
Get automatically reimbursed up to $75 for Southwest purchases each cardholder year.
Free Checked Bags
This isn’t a perk of the Southwest Priority Card, but it is worth noting that Southwest doesn’t charge checked bag fees for up to two standard-size and standard-weight bags.
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
Cardholders can get complimentary theft and collision damage protection on rental cars by declining the rental company’s collision insurance and charging the entire rental cost to their Southwest Priority Credit Card. In the U.S., coverage is secondary to your personal insurance.
Extended Warranty
Get an extra year of warranty on eligible warranties of three years or less on purchases charged to your Southwest Priority credit card.
Purchase Protection
The purchase protections on the Southwest Credit Card cover new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Trip Protections
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card provides lost luggage insurance, baggage delay insurance, and travel accident insurance protections.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees.
Roadside Assistance
Cardholders can call 1-800-847-2869 to get help with a roadside emergency. Dispatchers can help you with anything from a tow or jumpstart to a tire change, lockout service, winching, or gas delivery. Roadside service fees are billed to your Southwest credit card.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
The Chase Benefit Administrator can refer you to legal and medical services or provide other travel and emergency assistance.
No Fees for Authorized Users
Cardholders can add an authorized user for no additional annual fee.
Free Access to Credit Score
Check your VantageScore 3.0® credit score for free through Chase Credit Journey.
Earn more rewards by combining credit cards
Pros & cons
- $75 Southwest annual travel credit
- 7,500 bonus points each cardmember anniversary (worth $105)
- Four Upgraded Boarding passes each year
- $149 annual fee is the highest annual fee of any personal Southwest credit card.
- Rapid Rewards points are only really valuable for Southwest award flights.
Our review
Although the Southwest Priority Card charges the highest annual fee of any of the personal Southwest credit cards, we argue that it should be the go-to card for frequent Southwest flyers. That’s because the perks of this Southwest credit card easily justify the $149 annual fee.
Cardholders get four Upgraded Boardings each year, a $75 Southwest annual travel credit, 7,500 bonus points every cardmember anniversary (worth $105), and 25% back on inflight purchases. If you fly Southwest just a couple of times per year, these perks should easily save more than the $149 annual fee.
In addition to the sign-up bonus, cardholders earn 3x points on Southwest purchases and 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, local transit, commuting, and rideshare. In addition to those travel purchases, cardholders also earn 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services. All other purchases earn 1x points.
All points earned count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass. Plus, cardholders will earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List and A-List Preferred Status for every $10,000 spent per year. And you don’t need to worry about foreign transaction fees with the Southwest Priority Card.
The only downside to Southwest Airlines credit cards is that Rapid Rewards points are only valuable for flying Southwest. If you want to earn flexible points, consider a credit card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to the Southwest Rapid Rewards program, so you’ll still be able to top off your Rapid Rewards account when you need points for your next redemption, but you can also transfer them to any of Chase’s other airline or hotel transfer partners.
Lastly, this card is great for getting a good chunk of the way to a Southwest Companion Pass with the bonus offer. Read our guide on earning a Southwest Companion Pass for up to two years via new account bonuses.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Southwest Priority Card charge foreign transaction fees?
The Priority Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. That means you can make purchases overseas without having to worry about a pesky foreign transaction fee.
Can you earn Tier Qualifying Points by spending on the Southwest Credit Card?
Southwest Priority cardholders will earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List Status for every $10,000 spent. That means you can conceivably earn A-List Preferred Status just by spending $470,000 in a calendar year.
Does the Southwest Priority Card earn bonus points on hotel and car partners?
Southwest Priority credit card cardholders earn 2x Rapid Rewards points with Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners. Just charge your Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases to your Southwest Priority Credit Card to earn bonus points.
Is the Southwest Priority Credit Card worth the card's annual fee?
If you fly Southwest even a few times each year, the Southwest Priority Card is well worth its annual fee. Just the $75 Southwest annual travel credit and 7,500 anniversary bonus points (worth $105) provide more value than the $149 annual fee. Other card perks — like four Upgraded Boardings — are just a bonus on top.
Should you get the Southwest Priority Credit Card or Southwest Premier Credit Card?
Between the $75 annual travel credit and 1,500 more points each card anniversary, the Southwest Priority Credit Card offers much more value than the Southwest Premier Credit Card. The Southwest Premier Card only makes sense if you want to pay a lower annual fee while avoiding foreign transaction fees.
Can you earn the Southwest Companion Pass through Southwest Airlines credit cards?
Southwest credit cards offer cardholders the ability to earn points toward the Southwest Companion Pass. All points earned count toward the Companion Pass, including the sign-up bonus points.
We also have a Guide to Earning the Southwest Companion Pass for up to Two Years.
Does the Southwest Priority Card offer primary rental car insurance?
The auto rental collision damage waiver included on personal Southwest cards is secondary to your primary rental car insurance for car rentals within the U.S.
Does the Southwest Priority Card offer Global Entry or TSA PreCheck?
No personal Southwest card offers Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursements.
Should I open a Southwest Priority Card or a Southwest business card?
If you own a small business, the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card is a compelling option. The Performance Business Credit Card offers a 9,000-point anniversary bonus vs. the 7,5000-point cardmember anniversary bonus on the Priority Card. Plus, cardholders earn bonus points in additional categories, such as social media and search engine advertising.
What are the bonus categories on the Southwest Priority Card?
Southwest Priority cardholders earn 3x points on Southwest purchases, 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, 2x points on local transit, commuting, and rideshare services, and 2x points on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming services.
