Review: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Kurt Adams
January 26, 2024
6 min read
Going has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Going and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses, and recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of all of the card offers that appear on this page are from advertisers; compensation may affect how and where the cards appear on the site; and Going does not include all card companies are all available card offers.
Who is the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card for?
The Southwest Plus Card comes with the lowest annual fee of all Southwest cards, but it also doesn’t pack the same punch. If you don’t need all the benefits that the others offer, this might be a good option.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Quick Facts
card_name
Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Earning rate:
- Earn 2X points per dollar on points on Southwest® purchases.
- Earn 2X points per dollar on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
- Earn 2X points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
- Earn 2X points per dollar on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
- Earn 1X point per dollar on all other purchases.
Welcome offer: bonus_miles_full
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Low annual fee
- 10,000 points each year toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass
- 3,000 Rapid Rewards® points each anniversary
Cons:
- Higher-tier Southwest cards offer travel credits and other perks
- Points can only be redeemed on Southwest
- You don’t need to hold a Southwest credit card to take advantage of Southwest Airlines’ two free checked bags per ticket
Our take
Of the three personal Southwest cards, the Southwest Plus Card has the lowest fee and fewest perks. But if you're OK with flying the no-frills airline, you probably won't miss them anyway.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card Review
The simple answer is the higher-annual-fee Southwest cards offer more benefits and perks. Both the middle-of-the-road Premier Card and top-of-the-line Priority Card allow you to earn more bonus points on Southwest purchases, grant you more anniversary bonus points, and the ability to earn A-List elite status.
Earning points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
In addition, the bonus categories on this card could make it a go-to card in your wallet to use for many of your recurring expenses. You’ll also earn double points per dollar on local transit and commuting expenses, like rideshares, buses, taxis, tolls, and parking garages. And, you’ll earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming services.
Redeeming points with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
You can Southwest Rapid Rewards® points for a free Southwest flight. You could also redeem the points for hotel stays, rental cars, gift cards, events, or merchandise, but these options wouldn’t offer maximum value.
The price it costs to book a Southwest Airlines flight with points tracks the cash fare price. That means that the amount of Rapid Rewards points will fluctuate based on the dollar cost of the ticket.
Alternatives to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Similar cards to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
If you’re a Southwest frequent flyer, there are two cards that offer more benefits with somewhat higher annual fees.
You could slice and dice this one of two ways: On the one hand, for a slightly higher annual fee, you can get more anniversary points, plus get a head start toward earning A-List elite status.
On the other hand, all three of these cards offer the same welcome bonus and the same amount of qualifying points toward the Companion Pass In terms of points-earning potential, the major difference is that the middle-of-the-road Premier Card and top-of-the-line Priority Card each let you earn 3X points on Southwest purchases.
None offer lounge access or TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credits, so it ultimately comes down to how much of the extra perks, like Companion Pass and A-List status, matter to you.
Be aware, though, that Chase has specific application rules for Southwest cards. If you’ve earned a welcome offer on a personal Southwest credit card in the last 24 months, or have any other personal Southwest card, you wouldn’t be eligible for the welcome bonus on this card.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Going has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Going and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses, and recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of all of the card offers that appear on this page are from advertisers; compensation may affect how and where the cards appear on the site; and Going does not include all card companies are all available card offers.
Published January 26, 2024
Last updated March 7, 2024
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