Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card Review

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

• Rewards Rate:

  Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases. 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

• Welcome Offer:

  Earn 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Plus, earn 3X points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services, for the first year.

• Annual Fee:
  $149
• Regular APR:
  15.99%–22.99% variable
• Highlights
  • Earn 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Plus, earn 3X points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services, for the first year.
  • 7,500 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary each year.
  • $75 Southwest® travel credit each year.
  • 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases.
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
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If you’re a frequent Southwest Airlines flyer, you should consider adding the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card to your credit card collection. Out of the three personal Southwest-branded credit cards, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers the top rewards, most travel points and most perks. Plus, unlike the other two personal Southwest branded credit cards, there are no foreign transaction fees.

If Southwest is your main airline of choice and you want a single credit card to reward your travel, this may be the card for you. You can also pair the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card with credit cards from other airlines to maximize your travel rewards.

What we like about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

• While the annual fee of $149 may seem high, you get an annual $75 Southwest travel credit with this card each year, which can offset part of the annual fee.
• The card comes with Southwest perks like four upgraded flights a year and 20% back on in-flight purchases.
• The card has no foreign transaction fees.
• The card also provides travel and purchase protection benefits like an auto rental collision damage waiver, roadside dispatch, purchase protection, extended warranty protection, lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, travel and emergency assistance services and travel accident insurance.

Things to consider

• If you don’t fly Southwest Airlines that often, you could get better travel perks with a different airline-specific or general travel rewards card.
• If you don’t fly much in general, you could get much better rewards with another rewards card.
• The best way to maximize your points is going through offerings from Southwest and its partners.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card travel rewards details

Cardholders get 2x points for every $1 they spend Southwest purchases. All other purchases made with the card earn cardholders 1x point per $1 spent. Plus, you get 7,500 anniversary points after your cardmember anniversary.

Get more mileage out of points by redeeming them for Southwest Airlines flights to more than 90 destinations. By doing so, you’ll also be getting closer to A-List status as you book flights.

You can also redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card points for gift cards from over 70 merchants, hotel stays and car rentals from thousands of businesses around the country, merchandise (like travel accessories, electronics, luggage, golf equipment and more) and international flights on more than 50 global carriers.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card fees

Besides the annual fee of $149, the other fees are fairly standard. There’s a late payment fee of up to $39 and a return payment fee of up to $39. There are no over-limit fees or return check fees.

Like most travel credit cards, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card has no foreign transaction fee. Compared to the other two Southwest branded personal credit cards, this is the only one with that feature, making it the top Southwest travel credit card choice for international travelers.

How does it compare to other travel rewards cards?

If you’re looking for a Southwest credit card, this is the best choice for rewards and points. If you want to add to your airline-branded credit card collection but don’t fly Southwest often, you may be more interested in a Southwest credit card with a lower annual fee, like the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. If you’re after a general travel rewards credit card and want more freedom in how your points reward your travel, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a solid choice.