Southwest Performance Business Credit Card review: Earn up to 80,000 bonus points, free inflight Wi-Fi and more with this premium card

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The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) is a solid co-branded business credit card to consider using for all your upcoming business-related expenses.

In addition to letting you earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points, which can be redeemed for free flights, the card also provides access to travel benefits like four Upgraded Boardings to use per year, credits to cover Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check and credits for in-flight Wi-Fi. As Southwest Airlines expands its route network and continues to be ranked one of the best carriers in customer satisfaction, the card could end up being especially beneficial for frequent business travelers.

Below, CNBC Select breaks down the rewards, benefits and fees associated with the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card to help you decide if it's right for your needs.

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card offers a lucrative up to 80,000-point welcome bonus. Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Note that you won't be able to receive the welcome bonus if you already have this business card or if you've previously received a welcome bonus for the same card within the last 24 months, even if you're no longer a cardholder.

If you're able to meet the minimum-spending requirement, you'll have an impressive number of Southwest Rapid Rewards points to start out with.

As you continue to spend more with the card and rack up Rapid Rewards points, you'll be well on your way to earning the highly-coveted Southwest Companion Pass, a level of status that serves as a buy-one-get-one ticket for you and your chosen traveling companion — you'll only have to pay taxes and fees for their flight once you reach the threshold of 135,000 qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way Southwest flights in a calendar year, making it an extremely valuable perk. Plus, there's no limit on how often you can use the Companion Pass as long as it's active.

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card offers cardholders access to a variety of benefits and features. By making the most of these perks, its $299 annual fee becomes much easier to justify.

Cardholders receive the following benefits:

• 9,000 bonus points for each account anniversary
• Up to 365 in-flight WiFi credits per year when flying with Southwest Airlines
• Up to $85 credit for TSA PreCheck® or up to $100 credit for Global Entry every four years
• The chance to earn 2,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List elite status for every $5,000 you spend
• A $500 fee credit each anniversary year when you transfer Rapid Rewards points to another member
• The ability to add authorized users for no additional fee
• Lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance and travel accident insurance
• Travel and emergency assistance and roadside dispatch services
• Cardmembers and up to 8 passengers in the same reservation will board with Group 5 giving them earlier access to overhead bins.
• Auto rental collision damage waivers on car rentals booked with the card
• Extended warranty protection and purchase protection
• No foreign transaction fees when you use your business card abroad

Earning points for spending

When you spend on the card, you'll earn: 

• Earn 4X points on Southwest^® purchases.
• Earn 2x points on gas station and restaurant purchases.
• Earn 2x points on hotel accommodations booked directly with hotel.
• Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.

Select calculated how many points the average American can earn in a year when using their Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card. We worked with the location intelligence firm Esri, who provided us with a sample annual spending budget of $22,126.

The budget includes six main categories: groceries ($5,174), gas ($2,218), dining out ($3,675), travel ($2,244), utilities ($4,862) and general purchases ($3,953). Here's what the average consumer would earn by using this card:

• Groceries: 5,174 Southwest Rapid Rewards points
• Gas: 2,218 Southwest Rapid Rewards points
• Dining out: 3,675 Southwest Rapid Rewards points
• Travel: 8,976 Southwest Rapid Rewards points (assuming all travel dollars are spent with Southwest Airlines).
• Utilities: 4,862 Southwest Rapid Rewards points
• General purchases: 3,953 Southwest Rapid Rewards points

With all spending considered, you would end up earning 28,858 Southwest Rapid Rewards points within the first year.

Earning Southwest Rapid Rewards points

There are two main avenues when it comes to earning Southwest Rapid Rewards points: fly with the carrier or spend with one of Southwest Airlines' co-branded credit cards. Depending on your status and which Southwest credit card you're using, you'll earn a different amount of points per flight. By also paying for daily purchases with your card, you'll see those points accumulate pretty quickly.

Cardholders can also earn more points as they fly, though the amount varies by which fare is booked*:

• If you book a 'Wanna Get Away' ticket, you'll earn 6X points per dollar on the base fare
• If you book an 'Anytime' ticket, you'll earn 10X points per dollar on the base fare
• If you book a 'Business Select' ticket, you'll earn 12X points per dollar on the base fare

*New fare tiers and reservations for flights with assigned seats will be available for purchase starting July 29, 2025 for flights taking off January 27, 2026.

Note that the base fare is the price of the ticket alone, without any additional taxes or fees.

Another way to earn Rapid Rewards points is by using credit cards that offer transferable points as a perk. Travel rewards cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) let cardholders earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which can be transferred to Southwest Airlines, one of its travel partners. Should you decide to fly with another airline like British Airways or United Airlines, Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to their loyalty programs as well.

If you believe a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card is the best solution for your travel needs but aren't 100% sold on the Performance Business Credit Card, here are some other co-branded cards to consider:

Personal

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees)

Business

• Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees)

Redeeming Southwest Rapid Rewards points

Once you've earned enough points for a free flight, the redemption process is simple. All you need to do is visit the Southwest Airlines website and log into your Rapid Rewards account. You can then begin searching for flights — just remember to click the "points" button rather than "dollars" before you submit.

While the most valuable use by far of Rapid Rewards points is cashing them in for free flights, you can also choose to redeem them for car rentals, hotels, gift cards or other merchandise. Because the overall value of your points will be reduced, it's best to use your hard-earned points for free flights, which offer the biggest bang for your buck.

The card has a $299 annual fee. It doesn't have any foreign transaction fees.

Late payment fees can be up to $40.

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is a solid choice for small business owners looking to save on future Southwest flight costs. But is it the best card for you?

Select analyzed two other business travel credit cards to see how they match up with the Southwest Performance Business card.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card is a fine airline card geared toward small business owners who enjoy flying with Delta. To get you started, the card comes a welcome offer of 70,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. 

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business card comes with an array of benefits, including a status boost to help you get closer to Delta elite status, as well as a yearly *Companion Certificate among other perks, like no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).

As you spend on the card, you'll earn 3X miles per dollar spent with Delta and directly with hotels,

1.5X miles* on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases, plus single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more. Terms and miles cap apply. *If your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply.

If you're trying to decide between the two cards, keep a few factors in mind. First of all, Delta has a much larger flight network featuring many international destinations while Southwest Airlines is primarily a domestic airline, though it does currently fly to 14 destinations in 10 countries outside the U.S. Also, if you know where you'll be flying most, compare Delta and Southwest flights to those destinations to see which airline has more frequent and direct options from your home airport.

Another thing to consider is how often you fly with someone else, as it may be worth going for the Southwest Companion Pass if this is something that happens a lot and you're looking to continue that trend. Lastly, are you married to luxury benefits such as discounted lounge access when it comes to your flight experience? If the answer is yes, the Delta Platinum Business card may be the better option of the two.

* The Companion Ticket requires payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card vs. United Club^SM Business Card

The United Club Business Card is a suitable option for business owners who prefer flying with United Airlines. Once approved, you'll be able to earn 100,000 United MileagePlus bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after spending $5,000 on qualifying purchases in the first three months of opening an account.

The card offers terrific benefits for United frequent flyers, including access to United Airlines airline lounges, free first and second checked bags, premier access travel services such as priority boarding and check-in, travel insurance and Avis President's club status, among other perks. There are also no foreign transaction fees to worry about if you're using your card outside the U.S.

When it comes to earning valuable United MileagePlus miles, the spending categories are quite simple — 2X miles per dollar spent on United purchases, 5x miles on hotel stays when you prepay directly through Renowned Hotels and Resorts for United^® Cardmembers and 1.5X miles per dollar spent elsewhere.

There is one big difference between these two cards: The United Club Business Card carries a hefty $695 annual fee, while the Southwest Performance Business Credit Card's is just $299. If you're considering both cards, think hard about which annual fee you're willing to stomach and be honest about whether or not you'll be able to use benefits such as airline lounges and priority boarding enough to justify it. Most importantly, before you select a new credit card, make sure your current budget is solid enough to absorb the new expenses.

Who the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card is best for

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is a great option for business owners who want to save money on flight costs, have a few perks when flying Southwest and potentially earn the Southwest Companion Pass, which over time would allow them to save even more.

The Performance Business Card comes with a handful of helpful travel benefits and is a great fit for frequent flyers focusing on value over luxury. Flying with the budget airline doesn't mean you'll be sacrificing quality either, as Southwest is consistently ranked one of the best airlines to fly with in terms of customer service.

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is definitely worth considering if you're looking to earn rewards for your business purchases and save more on flight costs. Before selecting a new credit card, check your credit score to ensure you'll have the best chance of being approved.

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For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, click here.

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Information about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by CNBC Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.