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Welcome presents are normally among the finest methods to distinguish between bank cards from the identical household. However what concerning the Southwest Airlines consumer credit cards that usually have the very same sign-up bonus?
The next three playing cards provide the identical bonus of 60,000 bonus factors plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening:
This bonus presents a jumpstart towards the Southwest Companion Pass benefit, plus you’ll have 60,000 factors to guide award journey.
The 30% off promo code that is half of the present bonus on these playing cards is a one-time use code that may seem straight in your Southwest.com account inside eight weeks of assembly the spending requirement. It may be used (solely as soon as) on a single one-way or round-trip Wanna Get Away, Wana Get Away Plus, Anytime and Enterprise Choose fare, and is obtainable to be used till October 31, 2024.
Regardless of their similar-sounding names, the three playing cards have necessary variations. Which one will probably be greatest for you is determined by how typically you fly Southwest and what number of of those playing cards’ respective perks you possibly can maximize. Right here’s what it’s good to know to decide on amongst them.
Southwest bank cards overview
| Profit | Southwest Speedy Rewards Plus Credit score Card | Southwest Speedy Rewards Premier Credit score Card | Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence Credit score Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual charge | $69. | $99. | $149. |
| Anniversary factors bonus | 3,000 Speedy Rewards factors. | 6,000 Speedy Rewards factors. | 7,500 Speedy Rewards factors. |
| Incomes charges | 2 factors per greenback on Southwest purchases.
2 factors per greenback on Speedy Rewards resort and rental automotive associate purchases. 2 factors per greenback on native transit and commuting (together with ride-hailing apps). 2 factors per greenback on web, cable and telephone providers; choose streaming. 1 level per greenback on every thing else. |
3 factors per greenback on Southwest purchases.
2 factors per greenback on Speedy Rewards resort and rental automotive associate purchases. 2 factors per greenback on native transit and commuting (together with ride-hailing apps). 2 factors per greenback on web, cable and telephone providers; choose streaming. 1 level per greenback on every thing else. |
3 factors per greenback on Southwest purchases.
2 factors per greenback on Speedy Rewards resort and rental automotive associate purchases. 2 factors per greenback on native transit and commuting (together with ride-hailing apps). 2 factors per greenback on web, cable and telephone providers; choose streaming. 1 level per greenback on every thing else. |
| Different perks | 2 EarlyBird check-ins per 12 months.
25% again on inflight purchases. 10,000 Companion Move qualifying factors enhance every year. |
2 EarlyBird check-ins per 12 months.
25% again on inflight purchases. 10,000 Companion Move qualifying factors enhance every year. |
$75 annual Southwest journey credit score.
25% again on inflight purchases. 10,000 Companion Move qualifying factors enhance every year. |
| Tier qualifying factors | N/A. | Earn 1,500 TQPs towards A-Listing standing for each $10,000 in spending per calendar 12 months (with no cap). | Earn 1,500 TQPs towards A-Listing standing for each $10,000 in spending per calendar 12 months (with no cap). |
| Overseas transaction charge | 3%. | None. | None. |
Frequent Southwest flyer? Select the Precedence
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card makes a really compelling case for itself.
As a frequent Southwest passenger, you’ll don’t have any bother maxing out the $75 annual Southwest journey credit score, dropping your efficient out-of-pocket value for this card from $149 to $74.
Bear in mind, each greenback (or level) you spend on Southwest tickets stretches twice as far upon getting the Companion Move. Why? While you guide one ticket with both factors or money, you possibly can deliver a companion alongside — pay simply the taxes and charges. Thus, you can argue {that a} $75 credit score is definitely price $150 for Companion Move holders, successfully chopping the annual charge on the Southwest Precedence card all the way down to zero.
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Even should you’re unwilling to take that numerical leap, you’ll nonetheless spend much less every year with the Southwest Priority card than should you opted for the mid-tier Southwest Speedy Rewards Premier Credit score Card.
With the Precedence card, you’ll obtain an annual journey credit score, and the extra bonus factors in your cardholder anniversary — 1,500 greater than the Premier card — ought to get you $22.50 in extra rewards, based mostly on TPG’s valuations.
The principle argument in opposition to the Southwest Precedence card is that it’s essential to pay the complete $149 annual charge upfront. Nevertheless, if you should utilize the above perks, you possibly can offset a big portion of that value.
Associated: Battle of the airlines: Why I think Southwest Airlines is the best
Cheaper annual charge? Select the Premier, not the Plus
If you happen to’re in search of a decrease annual charge to earn the present sign-up bonus, you possibly can choose between the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card (with a $99 annual charge) or the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card (with a $69 annual charge).
What does the additional $30 a 12 months on the Premier card get you? For starters, your anniversary factors bonus will probably be 6,000 as a substitute of three,000. TPG values these additional 3,000 factors at $45, greater than making up for the cardboard’s increased annual charge.
If you happen to go for the most affordable card — the Plus card — you’ll get hit with a 3% charge on overseas transactions. This isn’t an enormous drawback contemplating that almost all of Southwest’s community is home flights, however Southwest’s low-cost fares, low charges and above-average customer support make for an excellent excuse to take a trip to a Caribbean destination at an reasonably priced value. While you benefit from this selection, you do not need to carry a card with foreign transaction fees.
Lastly, with the Premier, you possibly can earn tier qualifying factors (TQPs) towards elite standing: 1,500 TQPs per $10,000 spent on purchases in a calendar 12 months (with no restrict on what number of TQPs you possibly can earn from bank card spending). If A-List or A-List Preferred status is of curiosity to you, go along with the Premier.
Associated: What is Southwest elite status worth?
Eligibility for Southwest bank cards
The factor that retains most individuals from making use of for Southwest credit cards is Chase’s restrictions on bank card purposes.
The Chase 5/24 rule applies to all three of those playing cards. Chase will nearly actually reject candidates in the event that they’ve opened 5 or extra bank cards (from any and all issuers) within the final 24 months. If you happen to’re at (or over) your 5 slots, we advocate not losing an software on these playing cards because you’re more likely to get declined.
Along with the 5/24 rule, the phrases and situations of every of those playing cards state:
The product just isn’t obtainable to both (i) present Cardmembers of any Southwest Speedy Rewards® Credit score Card, or (ii) earlier Cardmembers of any Southwest Speedy 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 Speedy Rewards Enterprise Card and Worker Credit score Card merchandise
So should you at present maintain one in every of these Southwest private bank cards or have acquired a bonus for one within the final 24 months, you’ll not be eligible for these presents.
Word that this solely applies to non-public bank cards. If you happen to just lately opened the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card or Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card, you possibly can nonetheless open a private card. Likewise, these and different small-business bank cards that you’ll have opened just lately usually should not count toward Chase’s 5/24 card limit, that means this wouldn’t have an effect on your bonus eligibility.
Learn extra: The ultimate guide to Southwest credit card eligibility
Backside line
Southwest Airways bank cards proceed to be standard. Proper now, new candidates for all three playing cards can earn 60,000 bonus factors plus a 30% off promo code after spending $3,000 on purchases throughout the first three months of account opening.
Anybody who flies Southwest even only a handful of occasions per 12 months shouldn’t have any drawback maxing out the journey advantages that include the Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence Credit score Card. After accounting for the $75 annual Southwest journey credit score (price twice as a lot when you’ve got the Companion Move), the upper anniversary factors bonus and different perks, that is — palms down — the cardboard that may add probably the most worth to your pockets as a daily Southwest flyer.
The Southwest Speedy Rewards Precedence Credit score Card‘s $149 annual charge is comparatively low-cost in right this moment’s world of hyper-expensive premium credit cards. But when that also seems like an excessive amount of, it’s additionally attainable to get a superb return from the Premier card.
For extra particulars, take a look at our full critiques of the Southwest Priority, Southwest Premier and Southwest Plus cards.
Official software hyperlink: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
Official software hyperlink: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
Official software hyperlink: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
Extra reporting by Emily Thompson, Ryan Wilcox, Stella Shon, Eric Rosen and Ryan Smith.
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