Chase Sapphire Preferred Card vs. Southwest Premier Card [Detailed Comparison]

Key Takeaways

• The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card earns 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming and 2x points on travel, with points transferable to airline and hotel partners.
• The Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card earns 3x points on Southwest purchases and 2x points at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 spent. It also earns 2x points on hotel and car rental partners, local transit, telecommunications services, and streaming (through December 31, 2025).
• Chase Ultimate Rewards points offer greater flexibility than Southwest Rapid Rewards, making them more valuable overall.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card are two of the best Chase credit cards available … that is, if you’re fine with paying a small annual fee in return for outsize benefits and rewards.

Many consumers consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred card as the better credit card for general travel, while the Southwest Premier card is a useful credit card if you frequently fly Southwest Airlines. However, we recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred card for the occasional Southwest flyer.

In this guide, we’ll run through all the factors you should consider when deciding between the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Southwest Premier card. It’s important to note that some of the Southwest Premier card benefits are going away at the end of 2025, while new ones will be added in 2026.

Overview

The Southwest Premier card is one of the best credit cards if you fly on Southwest often or spend a lot of money on Southwest purchases.

While the Southwest Premier card has great Southwest-specific benefits, using it instead of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card will probably result in sacrificing significant rewards value earned from everyday purchases.

Here’s a table illustrating each of the card’s high-level benefits:

Hot Tip: Starting in 2026, the Southwest Premier card will deliver even greater benefits to frequent flyers. They include complimentary Preferred or Standard seat selection within 48 hours before departure (when available), and Group 5 boarding, which grants earlier access to overhead bins. Find out more about the changes Southwest is making to its air travel experience here.

At the highest level, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns up to 5x points, while the Southwest Premier card earns up to 3x points.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are a lot more flexible than Southwest Rapid Rewards points, which boosts the value proposition of Chase Ultimate Rewards points over Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card doesn’t offer any airline-specific benefits, while the Southwest Premier card offers Southwest-centric perks. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a couple of statement credits.

Both cards include travel insurance and shopping protections, though we’ll also examine which card is superior on those fronts.

As always, you can see the complete terms and conditions associated with each benefit by accessing your benefits guide when you open your new card.

Welcome Offer Comparison

If you can get your hands on a welcome bonus offer from either of these credit cards, you can get enough value from these bonuses to pay for several years’ worth of annual fees, making it worthwhile to open a new card.

If you can meet the spending requirement upon opening a new card, you may qualify for a welcome bonus, accelerating the rewards you earn. The spending threshold for the Southwest Premier card is significantly lower than the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, making it much easier to reach.

Just keep in mind that we value the points you earn from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card (Ultimate Rewards points) higher than the points you earn from the Southwest Premier card (Rapid Rewards points).

Check out the bonuses available on both cards:

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

NEW OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 75,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,500

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.74% - 27.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
• 2x points on all other travel worldwide

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
• Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
• 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74% - 27.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Southwest Premier Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Earn Southwest points on every purchase, plus anniversary points, Tier Qualifying Points, and points toward the Companion Pass!

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card

Earn Southwest points on every purchase, plus anniversary points, Tier Qualifying Points, and points toward the Companion Pass!

Welcome Offer

Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

50,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $650

Annual Fee

$149

APR

19.74% - 28.24% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

Another week, another flight. Flying weekly can get tiring, but you know that every flight gets you closer to taking some great vacations with your significant other or your favorite travel buddy.

To save money on the flights, you like to use Southwest Airlines.

So why not get the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card to help you earn extra Rapid Rewards points?

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 on Southwest purchases
• 2x points on the first $8,000 in combined spend at grocery stores and restaurants each anniversary year
• 2x points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners (through December 31, 2025)

Cons

• $149 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable rewards

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• 6,000 anniversary points each year.
• Earn 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines^® purchases, including flights, inflight, and Southwest gift cards.
• Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year.
• First checked bag free for Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.
• Select a Standard or Preferred seat within 48 hours prior to departure, 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

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74% - 28.24% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Southwest Rapid Rewards Frequent Flyer Program

Bottom Line: Usually, the bonus earned on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is significantly more valuable than the Southwest Premier card’s bonus. However, the Southwest Premier card’s bonus typically comes with a lower spending requirement.

Comparing Reward Points

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are flexible rewards points or transferable rewards points.

Ultimate Rewards points can be used to book many different types of flights on almost any airline. You can also transfer them to travel partners (including Southwest) to book award travel for added value.

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest Rapid Rewards without committing yourself to a Southwest credit card from the get-go.

That said, let’s take an in-depth look at the bonus rewards structures associated with each card:

Earning Potential

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are more valuable than Southwest Rapid Rewards points. We value Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents per point and Southwest Rapid Rewards points at an average of 1.3 cents per point. This makes Chase Ultimate Rewards points more than 50% more valuable than Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

We love that the Chase Sapphire Preferred card earns bonus points on everyday transactions, including dining, online groceries, and travel. The Southwest Premier card has its own bonus categories, like the newly added 2x at grocery stores and at restaurants.

However, the Southwest Premier card’s ability to earn 3x points on Southwest purchases (a 3.9% return on spending) is technically inferior to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s ability to earn 2x points on travel purchases (4% return on spending).

Anniversary Bonus

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card adds another benefit that relates to rewards: a 10% cardmember anniversary bonus every year based on the total dollar amount spent.

As an example, you’d earn a 10,000-point anniversary bonus if you spent $100,000 on your card during your cardmember year, assuming you renewed your credit card the subsequent year.

The Southwest Premier card’s 6,000-point anniversary bonus each year is nice, but if you think you’ll spend more than $39,000 on the card each year, the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s 10% is more valuable, taking into account the value imbalance between Chase and Southwest points.

Redemptions

Southwest Rapid Rewards points are best used for Southwest flights, but you still don’t get incredible redemption value like you might get with Chase Ultimate Rewards points when you use them to book luxury business and first-class flights.

Indeed, the range of redemption values you’d get from Southwest Rapid Rewards points is usually around 1 to 1.5 cents per point, while the range of redemption values you’d get from Chase Ultimate Rewards points is around 1 to 10 cents per point.

We think earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points is the way to go. Even if you need Southwest Rapid Rewards points to book a specific flight, you can always transfer from Chase to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio to book the Southwest flights you want. And, by collecting Chase Ultimate Rewards points instead of Southwest Rapid Rewards points, you have extra flexibility in transferring points to United, Southwest, World of Hyatt, or other partners.

Other worthwhile ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points include:

• Chase Travel portal bookings (up to 1.75 cents per point via the Points Boost feature, a benefit of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card)
• Pay Yourself Back

You can even use Chase Ultimate Rewards points for Amazon.com purchases, merchandise, gift cards, and statement credits, but these redemptions will yield poor value.

Southwest Rapid Rewards points can be used for non-Southwest flights, hotel bookings, car rentals, experiences, gift cards, and merchandise, but these yield significantly lower redemption values.

Statement Credits

Although the Southwest Premier card doesn’t have any additional statement credit perks, it does have that anniversary bonus of 6,000 points every year, which allows you to get around $78 worth of value annually. Also, there’s the 25% back on inflight purchases when flying Southwest, which can add up over the course of the year, plus a 15% promo code for Southwest flights (excluding basic fare).

In comparison, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards hotel credit. To use the Ultimate Rewards hotel credit, book your paid hotel stays via the Chase Travel portal after logging into your Chase account. You then get a $50 statement credit back. This benefit resets after every cardmember anniversary year instead of the calendar year.

Air Travel Advantages

Air travel is one of the few areas where the Southwest Premier card outperforms the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

First, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card isn’t co-branded with any specific airline, while the Southwest Premier card is a Southwest-branded credit card.

The Southwest Premier card has a few lovely Southwest benefits:

• A bonus of 6,000 Rapid Rewards points after every cardmember anniversary (worth $78 by our valuations)
• 2 EarlyBird Check-In for 2025 flights
• 25% statement credit on Southwest inflight purchases
• The ability to earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List status after every $5,000 spent
• 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year.
• 15% promo code for Southwest flights each year on your cardmember anniversary (excludes Basic fare)
• First checked bag free for cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation
• Preferred seat selection within 48 hours prior to departure, when available, for you and up to 8 additional passengers (starting in 2026)
• Group 5 boarding for you and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation (starting in 2026)

We value Rapid Rewards points at an average of 1.3 cents each, so 6,000 points would be worth $78 every year.

With EarlyBird Check-In for flights through 2025, Southwest automatically checks you in for your flight before the usual 24-hour check-in period, allowing you to enjoy preferred seat selection, earlier overhead bin access, and quicker boarding.

And if you happen to spend $20 on snacks or inflight refreshments, you get 25% back, equal to $5, thanks to the return on inflight purchases.

Southwest Rapid Rewards entry-level elite status tier is called A-List, and you need to earn 35,000 Tier Qualifying Points to qualify for A-List status. With A-List status, you get priority boarding, priority lane and express lane check-in, a 25% earning bonus, same-day confirmed changes, same-day standby, and a dedicated A-List member phone line to call.

When spending on the Southwest Premier card, you get 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $5,000 you spend. That means you can qualify for A-List status by spending $116,667 per calendar year with the Southwest Premier card.

And some of the card’s newer benefits make flying Southwest a little easier, like a free checked bag, Group 5 boarding (in 2026), and complimentary seat selection (in 2026). We welcome these perks with open arms, especially after the airline recently overhauled its former free checked bag policy.

Hot Tip: Check out our guide to the best Chase Southwest Airlines credit cards, where we compare the benefits and perks of each card. 

Travel Insurance and Protection Perks

The quality of travel protections is an increasingly important factor for many consumers when deciding which credit card to add to their wallets.

We’ll show you which card has the best travel insurance and protections.

Auto Rental Coverage

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of the few credit cards offering primary auto rental coverage, in contrast to the Southwest Premier card’s secondary auto rental coverage.

To get coverage, you need only decline the car rental agency’s collision damage waiver (CDW) or loss damage waiver (LDW) and pay for your car rental using your credit card.

Secondary auto rental coverage is inferior to primary auto rental coverage because you must file any claims with your primary insurance provider before any secondary coverage applies.

Trip Interruption and Cancellation Insurance

If your trip is interrupted or canceled due to a covered reason, such as illness, the death of a family member, or injury, you can use your trip interruption and cancellation insurance to get reimbursed for eligible nonrefundable expenses incurred.

The Southwest Premier card doesn’t offer trip interruption and cancellation insurance, but the Chase Sapphire Preferred card does. Specifically, you can get up to $10,000 per person and up to $20,000 per trip in coverage if you use your Chase Sapphire Preferred card to pay for your common carrier plane ticket.

Trip Delay Reimbursement

Travel delays are becoming increasingly common. To hedge against the risk of delays, use your Chase Sapphire Preferred card to pay for airfare, and you can be reimbursed for covered delays.

For delays of 12 hours or more, as well as when an overnight stay is required, you can get up to $500 in trip delay reimbursements. You can file 1 claim per trip.

No trip delay reimbursement is offered to Southwest Premier cardholders.

Baggage Delay Insurance

Baggage delay insurance is a common benefit of both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Southwest Premier card.

The coverage amount is identical — you can get up to $100 per day toward the purchase of essential items if your baggage is delayed by more than 6 hours — up to 5 days for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card (up to $500) and up to 3 days for the Southwest Premier card (up to $300).

Lost Luggage Reimbursement

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Southwest Premier card offer the same lost luggage coverage policy.

If your luggage is lost or damaged by the airline, you can get up to $3,000 in reimbursement per passenger, as long as you use your credit card to purchase the common carrier ticket.

There’s an additional limit of $500 for jewelry and watches, as well as another $500 limit for cameras and other electronic equipment per person per trip.

Travel Accident Insurance

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Southwest Premier card both offer up to $500,000 in travel accident insurance.

Roadside Dispatch

If you’re driving and suddenly encounter issues with your car on the road, you can call the Roadside Dispatch hotline with either the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Southwest Premier card.

Although services aren’t complimentary, you can get roadside assistance at a pre-negotiated rate of $69.95 per service call, which covers:

• Fuel delivery (up to 5 gallons, plus cost of fuel)
• Jump-starting
• Lockout service (key replacement not included)
• Standard towing (up to 5 miles)
• Standard winching
• Tire changing (must have a good, inflated spare)

Travel and Emergency Assistance Services

The last major set of travel protections to examine is the series of travel and emergency assistance services you can utilize.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Southwest Premier card both offer these benefits 24/7 for yourself, your spouse, and dependent children under 22 traveling with you:

• Emergency message service
• Emergency ticket replacement
• Emergency translation service
• Emergency transportation assistance
• Legal referral assistance
• Lost luggage locator service
• Medical referral assistance
• Pretrip assistance
• Prescription assistance and valuable document delivery

This is a referral and assistance service. You are still responsible for any costs incurred for utilizing any services thereafter.

Shopping Protection and Benefits Showdown

What if you’re using credit cards outside of travel planning? You need to make sure the credit cards you’re using can protect you while shopping or making nontravel purchases.

Purchase Protection

Purchase protection can definitely come in handy if you make a purchase and your item is damaged or stolen shortly afterward.

If you hold either the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or the Southwest Premier card, you can get purchase protection for up to 120 days after the date of purchase with a coverage amount of up to $500 per item and up to $50,000 per calendar year.

Extended Warranty

Extended warranty coverage allows you to enjoy an additional layer of protection, which can help tremendously for technology gadgets and accessories.

Using either card, you can get an additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less, which can cover you for up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per calendar year.

For example, if you purchase an item with an eligible warranty of 1 year, you get 1 extra year on top of that, for a total of 2 years.

However, if you purchase an item that has a 10-year warranty, you don’t get any additional coverage.

Complimentary Instacart+ Membership and Monthly Credit

Whether you need groceries delivered, make a Costco purchase, can’t get to an office supply store for printer paper, or something else, having an Instacart+ membership comes in very handy. With the Southwest Premier card, you receive a complimentary 3-month Instacart+ membership. Plus, each month you have an active Instacart+ membership, you get a $10 Instacart credit toward a purchase you pay for with your eligible card. Benefits end December 31, 2027.

Fees and Authorized Users

Annual Fees

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has a $95 annual fee, while the Southwest Premier card has a $149 annual fee.

Adding Authorized Users

You can add authorized users to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Southwest Premier card for no additional annual fees.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

Neither the Chase Sapphire Preferred card nor the Southwest Premier card has foreign transaction fees.

Final Thoughts

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Chase Southwest Premier card fundamentally appeal to different customer segments.

We firmly believe the Chase Sapphire Preferred card gets you the higher value for your spend, thanks to its bonus categories on dining, online groceries, travel, streaming, and more. Chase Ultimate Rewards, which is what you earn by spending on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, is an extremely valuable and flexible rewards currency. All in all, you can’t go wrong with this card, especially if you spend a lot on travel.

The Southwest Premier card offers respectable rewards categories, but it earns Southwest Rapid Rewards points, which are less valuable than Chase Ultimate Rewards points. That said, the Southwest Premier card allows you to qualify for elite status on Southwest and offers a handful of other Southwest-specific benefits that the Chase Sapphire Preferred card doesn’t. And if you frequently fly Southwest, the Southwest Premier card may be the right choice.