Southwest Airways is within the midst of a large overhaul of its present operations, together with including bag charges, updating its boarding course of and including seat assignments.
Southwest’s three private bank cards have been additionally not too long ago refreshed.
At first look, it’s possible you’ll not suppose there are lots of variations among the many playing cards, particularly since all of them share the identical welcome provide, however the Southwest Fast Rewards® Plus Credit score Card (see charges and charges), Southwest Fast Rewards® Premier Credit score Card and Southwest Fast Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card (see charges and charges) all have key variations.
The data for the Southwest Fast Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
For a restricted time, new candidates can earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 or extra on purchases within the first 5 months from account opening. Based mostly on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, this provide is price $1,400. That is the very best welcome provide we have seen on these playing cards that does not embrace a Companion Cross.
We’ll analyze the small print of every and enable you determine which card is finest for you, based mostly on how usually you fly Southwest and what number of of those playing cards’ respective perks you may maximize.
This is what you want to know to decide on the best choice for you.
Associated: Tips on how to redeem your factors with the Southwest Fast Rewards program
Southwest bank cards overview
| Southwest Fast Rewards Plus Credit score Card | Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Credit score Card | Southwest Fast Rewards Precedence Credit score Card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual charge | $99 | $149 | $229 |
| Anniversary factors bonus | 3,000 factors | 6,000 factors | 7,500 factors |
| Incomes charges |
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| Southwest perks |
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| Tier qualifying factors and Companion Cross qualifying factors |
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| Journey and buy protections |
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| Overseas transaction charge | None | None | None |
It is necessary to notice that present cardholders obtain each new and present incomes charges and advantages till Dec. 31.
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Associated: Southwest card welcome bonuses: Greatest provide this 12 months, new cardholders can earn 100,000 factors
Modifications to Southwest playing cards
As talked about earlier, all of the Southwest playing cards have been simply refreshed. Each card noticed an annual charge improve of at the very least 40%. Together with the annual charge will increase, the playing cards will lose upgraded boardings, EarlyBird Verify-Ins and a few bonus-earning classes on the finish of the 12 months.
Regardless of these losses, there are some welcome additions that make the day-of-travel expertise extra nice when flying Southwest and may prevent plenty of cash.
Perks when flying Southwest
All of the playing cards now embrace a free checked bag, complimentary seat choice both inside 48 hours of departure or at reserving (relying on the cardboard), and precedence boarding (for flights working in 2026 and past).
A normal first checked bag prices $35. On a round-trip itinerary, one commonplace checked bag every for a household of 4 would price $280. The financial savings on this one journey would greater than cowl the annual charge of any of the playing cards.
With paid seat assignments beginning on flights working in 2026, the Southwest card refresh added complimentary seat choice both at reserving or inside 48 hours of departure.
Modified incomes charges
Moreover, all of the Southwest playing cards have up to date their incomes construction.
The Southwest Plus will now earn 2 factors per greenback spent at grocery shops and fuel stations, on the primary $5,000 in mixed spending yearly. The Southwest Premier earns on the similar charge on as much as $8,000 in mixed spending yearly.
The Southwest Precedence now earns an elevated 4 factors per greenback spent on Southwest purchases and a couple of factors per greenback spent at fuel stations and eating places.
However with these new incomes charges, some can even be eliminated on the finish of the 12 months. All three Southwest playing cards will lose the next bonus classes:
- Fast Rewards resort and automobile rental companions
- Web, cable and telephone providers and choose streaming purchases
- Native transit and commuting
Whereas it is good that the playing cards have added extra on a regular basis spending classes, with the elevated annual charges, it was a letdown to see any bonus classes eliminated.
The 2 lower-priced playing cards, the Southwest Plus and Southwest Premier, will now obtain one annual promotional flight low cost code (excluding Primary fares). Relying on the price of the flights, this promo code may assist offset the annual charges much more.
Lastly, the Southwest Plus beforehand had a overseas transaction charge, however that has now been eliminated, making all three playing cards a viable possibility for purchases overseas.
Associated: 1 in 4 Southwest planes now have extra-legroom seats — here is the way to snag one
Frequent Southwest flyer? Select the Precedence
The Southwest Precedence makes a really compelling case for itself.
For frequent Southwest flyers, the Precedence card makes essentially the most sense, particularly when you think about the adjustments occurring at Southwest.
If you happen to’re a frequent Southwest passenger, you may haven’t any bother utilizing the $75 annual Southwest journey credit score (ends Dec. 31), decreasing your efficient out-of-pocket price for this card from $229 to $154 for brand spanking new cardholders.
For present cardholders, it brings down your annual charge to successfully $124. Be certain to make use of this credit score as it is a use-or-lose-it and will not be returning subsequent 12 months.
The cardboard additionally now affords limitless upgrades to extra-legroom seats inside 48 hours of departure and Most popular seat choice on the time of reserving, whereas the Premier card solely affords Most popular seat choice inside 48 hours of departure. This perk is often solely afforded to these with airline elite standing, so seeing it offered by a bank card is a big plus.
Moreover, should you’re a frequent Southwest flyer, you are seemingly aiming to earn A-Listing elite standing. You may earn 2,500 tier qualifying factors for each $5,000 spent with the Precedence card and 1,500 factors for each $5,000 spent with the Premier card.
Moreover, with the Southwest Precedence card, you may earn 1 further level per greenback spent on Southwest purchases (for a complete of 4 factors, in comparison with 3 with the Premier) and an uncapped 2 factors per greenback spent on eating places. Incomes extra factors with the Precedence card will enable you get to the coveted Companion Cross faster.
With the Southwest Precedence, you’ll obtain 7,500 bonus factors in your cardholder anniversary, in comparison with 6,000 factors with the Southwest Premier — price $21 extra based mostly on TPG’s July 2025 valuations.
The most important argument in opposition to the Southwest Precedence is that it has a $229 annual charge. Nonetheless, if you need to use the above advantages, you may offset a majority and even all of that price.
There is a cause this card was named the Greatest Airline Cobranded Credit score Card on the 2024 TPG Awards and needs to be in shut rivalry for the crown once more this 12 months.
Associated: How (and when) to switch Chase Final Rewards factors to Southwest Fast Rewards
Desire a decrease annual charge? Select the Premier, not the Plus
If you happen to’re on the lookout for a decrease annual charge and may’t justify the Southwest Precedence, we would advocate the Southwest Premier, with its $149 annual charge, over the Southwest Plus and its $99 annual charge.
For an additional $50 per 12 months, you may obtain 6,000 anniversary factors, double that of the Plus card. In keeping with TPG’s July 2025 valuations, these anniversary bonus factors are price $84, which covers greater than half of the annual charge.
With the Premier card, you may choose Most popular seating inside 48 hours of departure, whereas the Plus Card solely affords commonplace seating inside 48 hours of departure.
Each playing cards provide an annual flight promo low cost code (excluding Primary fares): The Premier affords a 15% low cost code and the Plus affords a ten% low cost code.
If you happen to’re aiming to earn A-Listing or A-Listing Most popular standing, you may need to go for the Southwest Premier, as you may earn 1,500 tier qualifying factors per each $5,000 spent on purchases in a calendar 12 months (with no cap). The Plus card would not provide bonus TQPs for bank card spending.
The Premier Card additionally affords larger bonus factors earnings on Southwest purchases and has a better mixed spending cap within the bonus class of fuel stations and grocery shops than the Plus card.
All of the added perks of the Premier card simply justify the additional $50 per 12 months.
Associated: Tips on how to determine if a bank card’s annual charge is price paying
Eligibility guidelines for Southwest bank cards
Chase’s 5/24 rule applies to all three of those playing cards. This rule implies that Chase will nearly actually reject new candidates should you’ve opened 5 or extra bank cards (from any financial institution or issuer) within the final 24 months.
If you happen to’re at (or over) 5/24, we advocate not losing an software and a tough credit score inquiry on these playing cards since you’ll most probably get declined. It is also necessary to notice that enterprise playing cards from any issuer normally do not depend towards 5/24.
Along with the 5/24 rule, Southwest has eligibility guidelines concerning the welcome bonus. The phrases and circumstances for the welcome bonus of every of those playing cards state:
“The product just isn’t out there to both (i) present Cardmembers of any Southwest Fast Rewards® Credit score Card, or (ii) earlier Cardmembers of any Southwest Fast Rewards Credit score Card who acquired a brand new Cardmember bonus throughout the final 24 months. This doesn’t apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Fast Rewards Enterprise Card and Worker Credit score Card merchandise.”
If you happen to at present maintain any of the Southwest private bank cards or have acquired a bonus for one within the final 24 months, you’ll not obtain a brand new welcome provide until it has been 24 months because you final acquired one.
Associated: The last word information to Southwest bank card eligibility
Which card ought to I select?
The Southwest Plus is finest for individuals who need the bottom annual charge potential. However should you fly Southwest one or twice per 12 months, we would skip the Southwest Plus and begin with the Southwest Premier or Southwest Precedence.
If you happen to’re a frequent flyer, you must go for the Precedence card, because it affords essentially the most for individuals who board a Southwest plane usually, together with limitless upgrades to extra-legroom seats inside 48 hours of departure and Most popular seat choice at reserving (for flights in 2026).
In the meantime, if you need a modest annual charge and stable perks when flying Southwest, the Plus card is an efficient center floor.
Associated: Airline bank cards vs. journey bank cards
Backside line
Southwest Airways bank cards proceed to be fashionable, and with all the present adjustments on the airline, it is much more useful to have one in your pockets.
Anybody who flies Southwest, even when it is only a handful of occasions per 12 months, should not have any downside maxing out the journey advantages that include the Southwest Precedence, which fingers down will present essentially the most worth for Southwest frequent flyers.
If the annual charge for the Southwest Precedence is simply too steep for you, you may get higher worth from the Southwest Premier than the Southwest Plus.
To study extra, take a look at our full evaluations of the Southwest Precedence, Southwest Premier and Southwest Plus playing cards.
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Precedence Credit score Card
Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Plus Credit score Card
Study extra: Southwest Fast Rewards Premier Credit score Card
