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Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card – Review [2024]

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Jarrod West
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Jarrod West

Senior Content Contributor

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Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in o...
Edited by: Stella Shon
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Stella Shon

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With a degree in media and journalism, Stella has been in the points and miles game for more than 6 years. She most recently worked as a Corporate Communications Analyst for JetBlue. Find her work in ...
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Kellie Jez

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Kellie’s professional experience has led her to a deep passion for compliance, data reporting, and process improvement. Kellie’s learned the ins and outs of the points and miles world and leads UP’s c...

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Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's 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.
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Learn More(at Chase's secure site)
  • 80,000 points

  • $199

  • 20.99% - 27.99% Variable

  • Good to Excellent (670-850)

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Southwest frequent flyers will love the upgraded boarding positions, inflight Wi-Fi credits, and bonus points on each cardmember anniversary.

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's 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.
Star rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating iconStar rating icon4.25
Learn More(at Chase's secure site)
Summary

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is a phenomenal option for business owners who are Southwest frequent flyers. It helps you earn more points on all of your business expenses, offers upgraded boarding certificates and Wi-Fi credits, and helps you reach higher levels of Southwest elite status. 

Card Details

Card Snapshot

Welcome Bonus & Info

  • Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • 9,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
  • Earn 4X pts on Southwest® purchases.
  • Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
  • Earn 2X points on rideshare.
  • Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services and 1X points on all other purchases.
  • 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
  • Member FDIC
Pros & Cons

Pros

  • 4x points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases
  • 3x points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases
  • 2x points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services
  • 2x points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare services
  • 9,000 bonus points each year after your cardmember anniversary
  • Up to 365 inflight Wi-Fi credits per year
  • 4 Upgraded Boarding certificates per year
  • Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points towards Southwest status for every $5,000 spent on the card
  • Up to a $500 fee credit for points transfers when you use your card to transfer points to another Southwest Rapid Rewards member
  • Employee cards at no additional cost
  • Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Lost luggage reimbursement
  • Baggage delay insurance
  • Extended warranty protection
  • Purchase protection

Cons

  • $199 annual fee
  • Doesn’t earn transferable rewards

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Great Card If

  • You’re a frequent Southwest flyer
  • You want a card that can help you reach elite status with Southwest
  • You want a card that gets you free Wi-Fi on all of your Southwest flights

Don’t Get If

  • You don’t fly with Southwest
  • You want a card that earns transferable rewards

Southwest Performance Business Card — Is It Worth It?

For business owners who regularly fly with Southwest, you’d be hard-pressed to find many better options than the Southwest Performance Business card.

Not only is it great at earning points across 4 separate bonus categories, but it also offers a wide range of benefits that will offer a lot of value to cardholders.

For starters, the card gives you 9,000 bonus points on your cardmember anniversary each year, which you can use to book around $120 worth of Southwest flights (or more if you have the Southwest Companion Pass).

Further, for those who like to work during flights, or stream their own entertainment, the card offers 365 inflight Wi-Fi credits each year. Beyond that, you also have 4 Upgraded Boarding certificates each year (so you can get a better seat), and the ability to spend your way to Southwest elite status through card spend.

Southwest Performance Business Card Top Benefits

Southwest Benefits

  • 9,000 Anniversary Points Each Year — Worth around $120 towards Southwest flight redemptions
  • Four Upgraded Boardings Per Year — Upgrade your boarding position to A1 to A15 for no added cost when available
  • 365 Inflight Wi-Fi Credits Per Year — Your card reimburses you for the cost of Wi-Fi on all of your Southwest flights
  • Earn Tier Qualifying Points — Receive 1,500 tier qualifying points towards elite status for every $5,000 you spend on the card
  • Point Transfer Fee Credit — Your card reimburses you for up to $500 in point-transfer fees when you pay for the fee with your card

Card Protections

  • Baggage Delay Insurance — If your baggage is delayed by more than 6 hours, you’ll be reimbursed for up to $100 a day towards essentials like clothes and toiletries, for up to 3 days.
  • Lost Luggage Reimbursement — If your checked or carry-on luggage is lost by the carrier, or items inside are damaged, you’ll receive coverage of up to $3,000 per passenger.
  • Purchase Protection — Items purchased with your card are covered towards accidental damage or theft up to 120 days from purchase, with up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
  • Extended Warranty Coverage — Adds 1 year of warranty coverage to items purchased with standard warranties of 3 years or less.

Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Southwest Rapid Rewards Points

Your Southwest Performance Business card is going to help you earn more points, both when you are flying with Southwest and on your business expenses. However, it’s not the only tool you can use, as there are many great ways for you to earn lots of Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

When it comes to redeeming your Southwest Rapid Rewards points, it’s important to know that it’s a fixed-point currency. This means that the number of points needed for an award ticket is directly tied to how much Southwest is charging for the ticket in cash.

In our experience, you’ll usually get about 1.3 cents per point in value when redeeming your Southwest Rapid Rewards points on Southwest flights, though this can vary a bit. With that, here is a look at some of the great destinations you can visit with your Southwest Rapid Rewards points!

Alternative Cards to the Southwest Performance Business Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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U.P. Rating 
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's 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.

The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)
The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.
Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.
90,000 points
$1,800
$95
20.74% - 26.74% Variable
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 cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
Why We Like This Card

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a powerhouse for earning lots of points from your business purchases, especially for business owners that spend regularly on ads.

Plus the card offers flexible redemption options, including access to Chase airline and hotel transfer partners where you can achieve outsized value.

Business owners will also love the protections the card provides like excellent cell phone insurance, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and more.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
  • Cell phone protection
  • Purchase protection
Cons
    • No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access
Card Highlights
  • Earn 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
  • Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
  • Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
  • With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
  • Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
  • Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
  • Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
  • Member FDIC
Financial Snapshot
  • APR: 20.74% - 26.74% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: $0
Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

If you’re looking for an all-around business travel rewards card, then we highly recommend the Ink Business Preferred card. With it, you’ll earn 3x points per $1 spent on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines, plus internet, cable, and phone services.

The card also offers access to the great collection of Chase airline and hotel transfer partners, which includes Southwest Airlines. This opens up your redemption options far beyond what the Southwest Performance Business card can offer you.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
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U.P. Rating 
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's 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.

Business owners who fly Southwest often can earn extra points for all of their spending and add employee cards at no additional cost.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)
Business owners who fly Southwest often can earn extra points for all of their spending and add employee cards at no additional cost.
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
60,000 points
$780
$99
20.99% - 27.99% Variable
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 cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
Why We Like This Card

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is designed for business owners who regularly fly with Southwest and want a card that helps them earn more points while providing benefits such as 25% back on inflight purchases and EarlyBird Check-In certificates.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 3x points per $1 on Southwest purchases
  • 2x points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and rental car partners
  • 2x points per $1 on local transit and commuting purchases, including ride-share, passenger trains, buses, taxis, tolls, and parking lots and garages
Cons
  • $99 annual fee
  • Doesn’t earn transferable rewards
Card Highlights
  • Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
  • 6,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
  • Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases.
  • Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
  • Earn 2X points on rideshare.
  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
  • 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
  • Member FDIC
Financial Snapshot
  • APR: 20.99% - 27.99% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

If you’re a Southwest fan, but don’t fly with the airline quite enough to justify the Southwest Performance Business card, then the Southwest Premier Business card is a happy medium.

The card is effectively a less potent version of the Southwest Performance Business card, with a more reasonable annual fee. The cards offer the same bonus categories, except your rewards are reduced to 3x points on Southwest purchases.

It also offers 6,000 points on your cardmember anniversary, a 25% rebate on inflight purchases, 2 EarlyBird check-in certificates each year, a $500 fee credit for point transfers, and tier qualifying points for card spend.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the annual fee on the Southwest Performance Business card?

The annual fee on the Southwest Performance Business card is $199.

Is the Southwest Performance Business card worth it?

If you’re a dedicated Southwest flyer who is looking for a card that will help you reach Southwest elite status, and will get tons of value out of the Wi-Fi credit and Upgraded Boarding certificates, then the card would likely be very worth it for you.

How do the Upgraded Boarding certificates on the Southwest Performance Business card work?

When you check in for your Southwest flight, you’ll be assigned a boarding position. Since seats are first-come, first-served on Southwest flights, it’s ideal to board as early as possible to snag a great seat.

If you don’t like the boarding position you’ve been assigned, and you’d like to upgrade it, all you have to do is speak to the gate agent before your flight.

If boarding slots are available between the A1 and A15, you can pay for the Upgraded Boarding with your Southwest Performance Business card and will be reimbursed for the cost up to 4 times each year.

Does the welcome offer on the Southwest Performance Business card count towards the Southwest Companion Pass?

Yes, the welcome offer, and any points earned from your card spend, all count towards the 135,000 points needed for the Southwest Companion Pass.

Does the Southwest Performance Business card have travel insurance?

The Southwest Performance Business card offers baggage delay insurance and lost luggage insurance, but it does not offer trip delay insurance or trip cancellation insurance.

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About Jarrod West

Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.

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