Rewards Plan
Welcome Bonus
Credit Rating
0% Intro
Annual Fee
APR
- Employee Cards with No Cost
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Low Rewards Rate
- Limited Travel Protections Package
Rewards Plan
Welcome Bonus
0% Intro
PROS
- Employee Cards with No Cost
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
CONS
- Low Rewards Rate
- Limited Travel Protections Package
APR
20.99% - 27.99% variable
Annual Fee
$99
Balance Transfer Fee
$5 or 5%, whichever is greater
Credit Requirements
Good - Excellent
If you’re brand loyal to Southwest and tend to fly Southwest several times a year, this co-branded business credit card could be a good option for you. The annual fee is very modest, yet you can access some nice perks including a decent welcome bonus and reward structure. However, the lack of trip cancellation/interruption insurance is a significant gap in the card benefits and there is no introductory APR for new customers.
If you are planning a major purchase or need to pay down a card balance, there are a number of other cards on the market that offer a 0% APR period for new customers that would be more beneficial for you. So, unless you are brand loyal to Southwest, you may struggle to get the most value from this card.
- 0% Introductory APR
- Anniversary Companion Certificate
- Free First Checked Bags
- Preferred Boarding
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Statement Credit for Inflight Purchases
- Travel Insurance
- High Annual Fee
- No Bonus Categories
- Low Rewards Rate
- High APR
Can I get pre-approved?
Chase does not have a pre approval button for this card on its website, but you may receive a mailer or other marketing material offering pre approval.
This is particularly relevant for existing Chase customers, who may be offered pre approval when they log into their account and check the offers section.
How do I redeem rewards?
There are no cash redemptions for this card, so if you want to redeem your accumulated rewards, you will need to explore the award flight options. You can search for itineraries and then select the filter for points as your payment method.
You can then see the points cost for particular flight deals. From there, you can book as normal, but you’ll use your points to pay for some or all of the purchase cost.
How hard is it to get it?
If you have good to excellent credit, you should not have any particular difficulty getting the card. However, the card is subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule.
This means that if you’ve opened up five new credit card accounts with any card issuer in the last 24 months, Chase will not approve any new card applications.
In this Review
Estimating Your Rewards: A Practical Simulation
Figuring out the exact rewards you'll receive from the card is tricky because it depends on how you use it, whether it's your primary or secondary card, or if you only use it for certain types of purchases.
But don't worry, we've done some calculations to give you an idea of what you could earn with this Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Card. We looked at common spending categories like groceries, travel, and dining, and based on typical expenses in each category, we estimated your total rewards.
| |
|---|---|
Spend Per Category | Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
|
$10,000 – U.S Supermarkets | 10,000 miles |
$3,000 – Restaurants
| 3,000 miles |
$5,000 – Airline | 15,000 miles |
$4,000 – Hotels | 8,000 miles |
$4,000 – Gas | 4,000 miles |
Estimated Annual Miles | 40,000 Miles |
Pros and Cons
Much like every other credit card out there, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card has its fair share of benefits and drawbacks:
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Anniversary Point Bonus | Low Rewards Rate |
Southwest Benefits | Limited Travel Protections Package |
Unlimited TQPs | Low Rewards On Non-Travel |
Point Transfer Fee Credit | |
No Foreign Transaction Fees | |
Baggage Insurance | |
Employee Cards with No Cost |
- Anniversary Point Bonus
You’ll receive a 6,000 point bonus each year after your cardholder anniversary.
- Southwest Benefits
When you fly Southwest, cardholders can enjoy some perks including 25% back on your inflight purchases, when made with your card and two earlybird check ins per year.
- Unlimited TQPs
You can earn 1,500 TQPs (Tier Qualifying Points) for every $10,000 you spend with your card. This can help you towards achieving A List status with no limits to the number of TQPs you can earn.
- Point Transfer Fee Credit
When you use your card to transfer points to another program member, you’ll receive reimbursement for the fees associated with the transfer. You can receive up to $500 in statement credit for transfer fee reimbursement per anniversary year.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
You won't be charged any fees for making purchases abroad with the Aviator Red Mastercard.
- Baggage Insurance
When you pay for your fares with your card, if you or a member of your immediate family has checked or carry on luggage damaged or lost by your carrier, you’ll have up to $3,000 per passenger in coverage.
You’ll also receive baggage delay cover to reimburse you for essential purchases you need to make should your bags be delayed by your passenger carrier by over six hours. The coverage limits are $100 per day for three days.
- Low Rewards Rate
Compared to other airline and travel cards, 1x – 3x is not so high, especially for a card with an annual fee.
- Limited Travel Protections Package
This card does not offer the full suite of travel protection benefits that are available with many Chase credit cards. Although there is some coverage, it is lacking trip cancellation/interruption.
- Low Rewards On Non-Travel
Since this card is heavily weighted towards Southwest purchases, you may find the number of points available for everyday categories a little disappointing.
- Employee Cards with No Cost
You can request cards for your employees without incurring any additional costs. You can then set individual limits for each card, so you can earn rewards faster while managing your business spending.
- DashPass
As a new cardholder, you can receive a complimentary one year DashPass for DoorDash and Caviar. This offers $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on unlimited deliveries.
Who Should Consider The Southwest Premier Business Card?
Since this is a co-branded card is it best suited to those who are brand loyal to Southwest or fly Southwest on a regular basis. Since the rewards are heavily weighted towards Southwest, you will need to purchase fares several times throughout the year to earn a decent number of reward points. Additionally, you’ll get the best redemption value when you use your rewards for award flights.
The card could also be a good choice for business owners who need additional cards for their employees. Since Chase does not charge a fee for employee cards and allows you to set individual limits, this card could work for you. However, there are several other Chase business cards with this feature.
Card | Rewards | Annual Fee |
| 1X – 6X
6X points on JetBlue purchases, 2X points at restaurants and office supply stores and 1X points on all other purchases | $99
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1X – 2X
2X per $1 spent on United® purchases, dining (including eligible delivery services), at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting and 1X on all other purchases | $99 | |
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
| 1x – 2x
2X on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta, on every dollar spent on eligible U.S. purchases for advertising in select media, on every dollar spent on eligible U.S. shipping purchases, on every eligible dollar spent at restaurants. Also, earn 1X on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases. | $99, $0 intro first year |
| CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage®
Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® | 1x – 2x
2X on eligible American Airlines purchases, cable and satellite providers, gas stations, select telecommunications merchants, car rentals And 1x on other purchases | $99, $0 intro first year |
Southwest Rewards Premier Business vs Personal Card
Chase offers a set of Southwest cards, including Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card as a business or personal credit card.
Both cards are almost identical, with the same annual fee, reward structure, and welcome bonus. Many of the benefits are also the same for both cards. The key difference is in the Southwest flying benefits.
Card | Rewards | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1X – 3X
3X points on Southwest purchases, 2X points on Southwest’s Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, local transit and commuting (including rideshares) and internet, cable phone and select streaming services; 1X points on all other purchases
| $149 | |
| 1X – 3X
3X points on Southwest® purchases,2X on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners, local transit and commuting, including rideshare, internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming and 1X points on all other purchases.
| $99 |
While the business card offers two early bird check ins per year and 25% back on inflight purchases, personal customers can enjoy free checked bags and no change fees. Additionally, personal customers can receive a 10,000 point boost each year to help you qualify for a Companion Pass.
FAQs
What are card income requirements?
There are no official income requirements for this card, but you do need to have good to excellent credit. This means that although your income will be considered, it is not the sole consideration when Chase is making an approval decision on your application.
When it may not be a good idea?
This card is not a good idea if you don’t tend to fly with Southwest on a regular basis. Since the rewards are structured towards Southwest, you won’t get the most value from this card if you’re not particularly brand loyal.
Does the card provide travel insurance?
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card does offer baggage insurance, but there is no coverage should you need to cancel or cut short your travel plans.
