Southwest Priority Credit Card Review 2023
The Southwest Priority credit card is packed with benefits that can offset the annual fee if you frequently fly Southwest.
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If you can make use of the
Southwest Priority Card Review: Is It the Best Credit Card for You?
When it comes to customer-friendly perks and policies, Southwest is among the most generous US airlines. The carrier allows two free checked bags, and doesn't charge a fee to change or cancel your flight. If you fly Southwest even occasionally, the
Southwest points don't expire, so even if you're not flying right away, there's no pressure to redeem your points, and the card's anniversary points and travel credit can make the
We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Southwest Priority Card Rewards
Southwest Priority card bonus
Right now, the
This welcome bonus alone is worth several round-trip flights, based on Insider's points and miles valuations.
How to earn points with the
- 3x points on Southwest purchases (including flights, inflight purchases, Southwest gift cards, and Southwest Vacations packages)
- 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases (see the full list here)
- 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare (and also passenger trains, buses, taxis, limousines, rideshare, ferries, toll bridges and highways, and parking lots and garages)
- 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming (Apple Music, Apple TV, Disney+, ESPN+, Fubo TV, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, Paramount+, Peacock, Showtime, SiriusXM, Sling, Spotify, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, and Vudu)
- 1 point per dollar on everything else
How to use points from the
Southwest has a vast domestic route network that includes multiple islands in Hawaii, and the airline also flies to a number of international destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America.
Southwest doesn't have an award chart. Instead, the number of points required for an award flight is tied to the price of a paid ticket. When you redeem Rapid Rewards points for award travel, expect an average value of 1.4 cents per Southwest point based on Insider's points and miles valuations.
With Rapid Rewards, there are no blackout dates and no seat restrictions; as long as there's a seat available for purchase, you can book that seat with your points.
Using Southwest points to book award flights online is straightforward. Once you log into your Rapid Rewards account, just search for flights as if you were looking for a paid ticket. You can toggle between the cash price and the points cost to easily compare your options.
If you're not flying Southwest right now, there's no harm in holding on to your points until you're ready, because they'll never expire. However, Southwest credit card holders do have other options for redeeming points through the More Rewards program, including merchandise, gift cards, car rentals, hotels, cruises, and experiences. The value you'll get per point varies, but it's usually a poor value compared to redeeming for Southwest flights.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card - Product Name Only Benefits and Features
Earn Southwest Companion Pass points
The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals in the travel world, especially if you fly around the US, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. It allows you to bring a companion on any paid or award flights for just the cost of taxes and fees (typically $5.60 for domestic flights).
You can use your Companion Pass for an unlimited number of flights while it's valid. Even if you take 100 flights a year, your companion can join you. It's effectively an unlimited buy-one-get-one certificate for the duration of the pass.
The points from the welcome bonus and spending on this card count toward the 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points you'll need to accumulate in a calendar year to earn the Southwest Companion Pass. Plus, Southwest credit card holders receive a 10,000-point "boost" toward this requirement, effectively lowering it to 125,000 points in a calendar year.
$75 annual Southwest Airlines travel credit
The
If you'll spend at least $75 on Southwest flights anyway, this credit is an easy way to offset the
Anniversary points bonus
Each year when you renew your card, you'll receive 7,500 points, which are worth around $105 in Southwest airfare. That's enough to offset much of the
Upgraded boardings
This card will reimburse you for the purchase of four upgraded boardings with Southwest every year. This is different from Southwest Early Bird Check-In, which you purchase at booking or add afterward. Upgraded boarding is sold at the gate when there is extra space available in the A1-A15 boarding group.
Since Southwest seating is famously first-come-first-served, upgraded boarding can be a great way to avoid a middle seat. This normally costs $30 to $80 per flight, but with the
Inflight purchase discount
The card also offers a 25% rebate on inflight purchases — including premium drinks, Wi-Fi, movies, and messaging — when you pay with your card.
You don't get a free checked bag with this card, but you don't need one, because Southwest is the rare airline that offers two checked bags for free.
Fast-track to Southwest A-List elite status
If you're aiming for Southwest's A-List or A-List Preferred elite status, this card can also help you move up to the next level.
Spending on a Southwest credit card is the only way to earn Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) other than flying on a paid Southwest ticket. For every $10,000 in eligible net purchases on your Southwest credit card, you'll earn 1,500 TQPs with no maximum. (And starting Jan. 1, 2024, you'll earn 1,500 TQPs per $5,000 of eligible spend.)
Car rental insurance
When you use your card to pay the full cost of your car rental and decline the rental company's collision damage waiver, you'll get coverage for damage due to collision or theft on most rental cars in the US and abroad. This coverage is secondary to your own personal policy in the US, but primary car rental insurance overseas (or if you don't have your own insurance).
Purchase protection and extended warranty
Eligible purchases made with your card can be covered against damage or theft for 120 days with the card's purchase protection, up to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per account. And if it has an eligible manufacturer's warranty of three years or less, paying with this card will grant you an additional year of warranty coverage.
Lost luggage reimbursement and baggage delay insurance
When traveling, your luggage is also covered: If you use the card to pay for your flights and your bags are delayed over six hours, you'll be reimbursed for necessities (up to $100 a day for three days).
And if your bags are lost or damaged, you're covered for up to $3,000 per passenger.
Other travel protections
If you're approved for the Visa Signature version of the
All cardholders are eligible for travel accident insurance, which covers accidental death or dismemberment when you use your card to pay for your air, bus, train, or cruise transportation. Visa Signature cardholders get up to $500,000 in coverage, and Visa Platinum members get up to $250,000.
You'll also get access to a roadside dispatch hotline, which can arrange services like towing and jumpstarts when you're on the road. Again, you'll be responsible for the actual cost of the service, which gets billed to your card.
Free DoorDash DashPass subscription
Through December 31, 2024, you can activate a complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription for 12 months which gets you no delivery fees and reduced service fees when you order from DoorDash and Caviar delivery services.
Gopuff credits
Through December 31, 2023, cardholders are eligible for $10 per month in Gopuff credits when they add the
The credit automatically posts to your statement after you make a qualifying Gopuff purchase. Be aware there is minimum order amount of $10 with a $3.95 delivery fee per order.
Southwest Priority Card Annual Fee and Other Costs
The
There are additional charges to be aware of for certain situations, including cash advances, balance transfers, late payments, and returned payments.
How the Southwest Priority Credit Card Compares
Chase Southwest Priority Credit Card vs other Southwest personal cards
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Annual fee | |||
Rewards rate | 3x points on Southwest purchases 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming 1x point per dollar on everything else | 3x points on Southwest purchases 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming 1x point per dollar on everything else | 2x points on Southwest purchases 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming 1x point per dollar on everything else |
Welcome bonus | |||
Southwest benefits | 7,500 points on your card anniversary Earn tier-qualifying points toward A-List elite status $75 annual Southwest travel credit 4 upgraded boardings per year when available 25% back on in-flight drinks and Wi-Fi Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year | 6,000 points on your card anniversary Earn tier-qualifying points toward A-List elite status Two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year 25% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year | 3,000 points on your card anniversary Two EarlyBird Check-Ins per year 25% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year |
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Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority vs other airline credit cards
Annual fee | |||
Rewards rate | 3x points on Southwest purchases 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming 1x point per dollar on everything else | 2x miles on eligible American Airlines purchases 2x miles at eligible restaurants and gas stations 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases | 2x miles on eligible United purchases 2x miles on dining/delivery service purchases, and hotel stays booked directly with the hotel 1 mile per dollar on everything else |
Welcome bonus | |||
Airline benefits | 7,500 points on your card anniversary Earn tier-qualifying points toward A-List elite status $75 annual Southwest travel credit 4 upgraded boardings per year when available 25% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi Boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year | Free first checked bag on domestic AA itineraries Preferred boarding on American Airlines $125 American Airlines flight discount certificate each card anniversary year in which you spend $20,000 or more 25% back on American Airlines inflight purchases
| Free first checked bag on United flights Priority boarding on United Airlines 25% back on United inflight purchases 2 one-time United Club airport lounge passes each year
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Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority credit card worth it?
The
However, if you're not able to use all of the benefits, you could save money by opening the
What credit score do you need for the Chase Southwest Priority card?
You'll need a good to excellent credit score (a FICO score of at least 670) to have a shot at being approved for the
Who is eligible for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card?
To be eligible to apply for the
What is the Southwest Companion Pass?
The Southwest Companion Pass is a benefit that allows you to bring a designated friend or family member with you on Southwest flights for just the cost of taxes and fees (starting at $5.60 one-way). You can use the pass an unlimited number of times while it's valid.
After you've designated your companion, you can add them to your reservation after you've made the booking using the "Add Companion" button in your Southwest account. Alternatively, you can call Southwest and add your companion to a booking that way.
Can you use the Companion Pass when booking with points?
Yes, the Companion Pass is valid on paid and award flights, so if you booked your own flight with points, you can still add a companion for just the cost of taxes and fees.
Can you change your designated Southwest companion?
Yes, you can change your companion up to three times a year.
Methodology: How we reviewed the Chase Southwest Priority Credit Card
The
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