Please Note: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card & Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card are currently unavailable through this site.
Earlier this month, Chase announced an impressive signup bonus increase for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. New cardholders can now earn 40,000 points if they spend $1,000 within the first three months. It’s a great upgrade to a card we’ve already called our top airline card, with a great signup bonus!
Card highlights
There’s a lot of similarities between Chase’s Southwest cards: Each has a base rate of 2X points per dollar on Southwest and Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases, and 1X points per dollar on all other purchases. Additionally:
- Points don’t expire as long as your card is open.
- No blackout dates or seat restrictions when you redeem points for flights.
- First and second checked bags fly free.
- No change fees. (Fare differences may apply.)
But when it comes to points and fees, there are some differences. Here’s a quick guide:
Southwest card comparison |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card | Signup bonus | Signup bonus requirements | Anniversary points | Annual fee | Foreign transaction fees? |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card | 40,000 points | $1,000 in first three months | 3,000 points | $69 | Yes: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card | 40,000 points | $1,000 in first three months | 6,000 points | $99 | No |
Already applied?
If you’ve already applied for a Rapid Rewards® Credit Card within 90 days of the offer, and you’ve missed out on the signup bonus, don’t worry: Chase will match the higher offer on both personal and business cards. (To be eligible for matching, the offer must be a public, as opposed to an offer targeting a specific individual.)
Bonus benefit: Southwest Companion Pass
The Companion Pass is a major incentive for making Southwest your airline of choice. This members-only perk lets you designate one person to fly with you for 100% free for the following full calendar year, plus the remainder of the year in which you earned it. Earn a companion pass early enough in the year, and that’s two years’ worth of free flights for your chosen companion.
Here’s what you’ll need to qualify:
- 110,000 qualifying points in a calendar year.
- 100 qualifying one-way flights.
(Note: you don’t have to own a Southwest credit card to earn a Companion Pass; any Rapid Rewards member who meets the criteria above can earn one.)
If you’re ready to earn free travel, apply now with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card to earn your 40,000-point signup bonus (after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open) — and start earning points on every purchase.
Editorial Note: Compensation does not influence our rankings and recommendations. However, we may earn a commission on sales from the companies featured in this post. To view a list of partners, click here. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by our advertisers. Reasonable efforts are made to present accurate info, however all information is presented without warranty. Consult our advertiser's page for terms & conditions.
