Now through July 1, 2026, three Southwest credit cards are featuring increased welcome bonus offers worth 80,000 to 90,000 bonus points. What makes these deals even more special is that the points count toward qualifying for a Southwest Companion Pass.
Having a Southwest credit card has become more essential for frequent Southwest flyers since the airline added baggage fees and assigned seats, as these cards provide free checked bags and complimentary seat selection (when available).
Let's take a look at how these Southwest credit card bonuses compare to previous offers, the application rules and who the cards make sense for.
New Southwest credit card welcome offers
Normally, consumer Southwest cards feature welcome bonuses of 50,000 to 60,000 points, so these limited-time offers are worth at least 50% more than what you'd typically earn. Here's a look at the limited-time welcome bonuses:
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
With the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority (see rates and fees), earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 within the first three months from account opening.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is a perfect fit for serious Southwest fans who can easily maximize its benefits like upgraded boardings and an annual travel credit.
- Valuable welcome bonus
- 7,500 bonus points every card member anniversary
- $75 annual Southwest travel credit
- Limited value when you're not traveling with Southwest
- High annual fee
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 7,500 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines® purchases, including flights, inflight, and Southwest gift cards.
- Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and restaurants
- First checked bag free for Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.
- Select a Preferred seat at booking, at no additional charge, when available.
- Cardmembers and up to 8 passengers in the same reservation will board with Group 5 giving them earlier access to overhead bins.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
New Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier cardholders earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 within the first three months from account opening.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is Southwest's mid-tier card and is valuable if you regularly travel to or from destinations Southwest serves.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus (see rates and fees) offers 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within the first three months from account opening.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is an affordable card that makes sense for the occasional Southwest traveler.
- Valuable welcome bonus
- 3,000 bonus points every card member anniversary
- Not especially rewarding for common expenses such as groceries or dining
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
- 3,000 anniversary points each year.
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines® purchases
- Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation can check their first bag at no additional cost.
- Select a Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available.
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Why Southwest credit cards are worth it
One of the best features of the Southwest Rapid Rewards program is the Southwest Companion Pass, which allows you to bring a designated companion along on any Southwest flight for just the cost of taxes and fees.
The Companion Pass applies to flights booked with points or paid with cash, and it's valid for the rest of the year in which you earn it and the entire following year. Even if you only fly Southwest a handful of times a year, that's a lot of potential value.
Accelerates Companion Pass earning
You need to complete 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year to receive a Companion Pass, and these airline credit cards help you qualify in several ways. As a Southwest cardholder, you receive 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year, so you only need to accumulate 125,000 qualifying points on your own. On top of that, the welcome bonus points and points you earn from spending on your card both count as qualifying points.
If you open a Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card and earn the bonus, you'll be over three-quarters of the way to earning a Companion Pass after factoring in the points earned from meeting the minimum spending requirement. Even the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card could earn you roughly two-thirds of the qualifying points you need for a Companion Pass.
Consumer Southwest cards also have anniversary bonuses of 3,000 to 7,500 points, which count toward earning or requalifying for a Companion Pass.
Additional perks
Other money-saving perks include a free first checked bag for the primary cardholder and up to eight people traveling on the same reservation, no foreign transaction fees, Group 5 boarding and more.
And if you value Southwest elite status, the Southwest Priority and Southwest Premier both offer tier qualifying points (TQPs) for every $5,000 spent.
Southwest card application guidelines
To be eligible for any Southwest consumer credit card welcome bonus, you must meet the following requirements:
- You cannot currently have any Southwest consumer credit card.
- You cannot have earned a welcome bonus from any Southwest consumer credit card in the previous 24 months.
Southwest cards are issued by Chase, and that means they're subject to the Chase 5/24 rule. In other words, you're unlikely to be approved for any Chase credit card if you've opened five or more cards from any bank in the past 24 months.
These cards also typically require a good to excellent credit score. So if your FICO Score is lower than 670, it will be more difficult to get approved.
Should you apply for these offers?
If you frequently travel to destinations Southwest serves, it's not hard to justify having a Southwest card. And since you can only earn a welcome bonus from a personal Southwest card once every 24 months, now is a great time to apply.
However, these aren't quite all-time best offers. In the past, we've seen bonuses of 100,000 points or offers for fewer points that come with an automatic Companion Pass (albeit the Pass was valid for a shorter period of time). So if you're not in desperate need of Southwest points or don't have an immediate use for these cards' other perks, there's no rush.
You can also transfer Bilt Points and Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio. That makes cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) and its all-time-high 150,000-point welcome bonus a great option for accumulating Southwest points.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a standout premium credit card with plenty of luxury perks and statement credits to justify its annual fee.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests.
- Up to $300 in annual travel credit each account anniversary year
- You can transfer rewards to all of Chase's travel partners including World of Hyatt, Southwest Rapid Rewards and many more
- Top-tier travel and shopping protections
- High annual fee
- Requires a high credit score
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase TravelSM, including The EditSM and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority PassTM Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $288 annually
- Member FDIC
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
When you transfer points to Southwest, those points do not help you qualify for a Companion Pass — meaning non-Southwest travel cards aren't a good choice if you're working toward that. But the right travel card may have a bigger welcome offer and be more rewarding for all sorts of purchases.
If you're not interested in the other Southwest credit card perks, a travel credit card that earns flexible rewards you can transfer to Southwest may be a better option.
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