19 Benefits of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card [2024]

If you’re a Southwest flyer, chances are you’ve considered getting a Southwest credit card. With 3 personal cards and 2 business options, it may be confusing to know which one is right for you.

In this post, we’re focusing on the benefits and perks of the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card. While this card has the highest annual fee out of the 3 personal Southwest cards, it easily offers the most benefits, making it a great option for a large number of travelers.

Let’s take a closer look at this card so you can decide if it’s right for you.

Card Overview

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Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority 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.

This card focuses on the Southwest traveler with anniversary points, travel credit, upgrades, and money back on inflight purchases.

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Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card

This card focuses on the Southwest traveler with anniversary points, travel credit, upgrades, and money back on inflight purchases.

Welcome Offer

Earn a $400 statement credit and 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening.

$400 + 40,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$880

Annual Fee

$149

APR

20.74% - 27.74% 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 cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card is the most premium personal Southwest card offering from Chase. When you peel back the curtain, it is easy to see why.

Not only does the card offer multiple bonus categories to help you earn more Southwest Rapid Rewards points, but it is also loaded with benefits that are sure to offer quite a bit of value to Southwest flyers.

Here is a full overview of the card to help you decide if it is a good fit for your wallet.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points per $1 on Southwest purchases
• 2x points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare purchases
• 2x points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases

Cons

• $149 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable points

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Card Highlights

• Earn a $400 statement credit and 40,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening.
• 7,500 anniversary points each year.
• Earn 3X points on Southwest^® purchases.
• Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
• Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
• $75 Southwest^® travel credit each year.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.74% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Southwest Rapid Rewards Frequent Flyer Program

The Southwest Priority card is the premium option of the 3 personal Southwest card options. Because of that, it offers the most benefits but also comes with the highest annual fee. When weighing the Southwest Priority card perks against the annual fee, you’ll discover that this card provides the most bang for your buck, so to speak, of all of the personal Southwest credit cards.

In fact, there are 2 Southwest Priority card benefits that are worth more than the annual fee alone. Let’s take a closer look at all of this card’s benefits so you can decide if it’s the right card for you.

Earning Potential

1. Earn Southwest Rapid Rewards Points

One of the biggest benefits of the Southwest Priority card is the ability to earn lots of Rapid Rewards points. Here’s a look at how you can earn points with this card:

• 3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases made directly with the airline
• 2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
• 2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
• 2x points on internet, cable, and phone services
• 2x points on select streaming services
• 1x points on all other purchases

Bottom Line: The Southwest Priority card may be the best option for most Southwest travelers since the benefits far outweigh the cost of the card’s annual fee.

2. 7,500 Anniversary Bonus Points

After your card account anniversary, you’ll receive 7,500 bonus points. These points will be automatically applied to your account each year that your Southwest Priority card is renewed.

Since Southwest Rapid Rewards points have a value of ~1.3 cents each, this bonus is worth $97.50.

Hot Tip: The value of the $75 annual credit plus 7,500 anniversary points is worth more than the cost of the annual fee! These 2 benefits alone make the Southwest Priority card worth it for many travelers.

3. Tier Qualifying Points

The Southwest Priority card offers benefits to those looking to earn Southwest elite status. For every $5,000 spent annually on the card, you’ll earn 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List and A-List Preferred status.

For this perk, “annual” doesn’t mean calendar year; instead, it’s based on your December statement date.

As a reminder, A-List status requires 35,000 tier qualifying points. In theory, you could earn that by spending $233,333 on the Southwest Priority card annually. While that’s not necessarily recommended, it’s great to be able to earn some extra tier qualifying points with as little as $10,000 in annual spending.

Air Travel Advantages

4. Upgraded Boarding on Southwest Flights

One of the biggest differences between Southwest Airlines and everyone else is its boarding process. On Southwest Airlines, there aren’t any assigned seats. Instead, each passenger gets a boarding position which is based on a few factors including elite status and check-in time.

EarlyBird Check-In is a service that will automatically check you in for your Southwest flight so you don’t have to worry about it.

The other way you can ensure a better boarding position is by utilizing Upgraded Boarding which gets you a coveted A1 to A15 boarding position. With the Southwest Priority card, you’ll get 4 complimentary Upgraded Boardings per year.

These charges will be automatically refunded when you pay for them with your card:

Keep in mind that Upgraded Boarding is available per segment, so if your itinerary has 2 flights, you’ll need 2 Upgraded Boardings. It’s also possible to upgrade a single segment on an itinerary.

Southwest Airlines Upgraded Boarding starts at $30 per flight segment, so this can be a very valuable benefit. It’s available for purchase beginning 24 hours before a flight. If Business Select seats (A1 to A15) are sold out, Upgraded Boarding won’t be available for purchase.

Bottom Line: Southwest Upgraded Boarding is one of the best ways to secure an A boarding position. The Southwest Priority card comes with 4 complimentary Upgraded Boardings per year.

5. $75 Annual Travel Credit

The $75 annual travel credit that comes with the Southwest Priority card is incredibly easy to use and it doesn’t require any registration. The first $75 in Southwest Airlines charges on your card will be automatically reimbursed. It doesn’t matter if it’s 1 charge or multiple small charges.

If you usually use Rapid Rewards points to book your flights, you’ll be pleased to know that the $5.60 taxes and fees charge does trigger the $75 credit.

6. Earn the Southwest Companion Pass Faster

The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals in travel. It allows you to bring a companion on any and every Southwest flight for only the cost of taxes and fees ($5.60 one way for a domestic flight) for up to 2 years!

To earn the Southwest Companion Pass, you need to earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year. However, Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cardholders get a 10,000-point boost each year toward Companion Pass qualification. These points aren’t redeemable, rather they act as a way to reduce the required number of points to earn a Companion Pass to 125,000 instead of 135,000.

7. Save on Inflight Purchases

You can save 25% on inflight purchases including drinks and Wi-Fi by using the Southwest Priority card. The discount will come as a statement credit that should post to your account on the same day as the purchase. This discount is extended to any authorized users on the card as well.

Travel Protection Perks

8. Travel Accident Insurance

When you pay for part or all of your travel (by air, bus, train, or cruise) with your Southwest Priority card, you’ll be eligible for 2 types of travel accident insurance with a benefit of up to $250,000.

This insurance provides coverage for accidental death or dismemberment or a combined loss of speech, sight, or hearing during a trip. The cardholder and immediate family members are covered.

• Common Carrier Travel Accident Insurance: Covers losses when entering, exiting, or riding as a passenger on a common carrier including an airline, bus, train, or cruise ship.
• 24-Hour Travel Accident Insurance: Covers losses starting on the day of departure (on a scheduled airline trip) and ending on the day of return.

To be eligible, the cardholder must submit a written claim within 20 days of the incident.

9. Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

There are many credit cards that come with car rental insurance, and the Southwest Priority card is no exception. The coverage is secondary which means it acts as a supplement to any other insurance you may have. To be eligible, the entire car rental cost must be charged to your card and you must decline the car rental company’s insurance policy.

The cardmember plus any additional authorized drivers on the car rental agreement are covered.

Hot Tip:There are many credit cards that offer this benefit. Here is a full list of cards that come with car rental insurance. 

10. Baggage Delay Insurance

If you check bags often enough, it’s likely you’ll be affected by a baggage delay at some point. The Southwest Priority card offers reimbursement for basic items like toiletries and clothing when your bags are delayed more than 6 hours by a common carrier (airline, bus, train, or cruise ship). This benefit has a maximum of $100 per day for up to 3 days.

In addition to the cardholder, the cardholder’s spouse or domestic partner, as well as immediate family are covered.

To be eligible, the common carrier fare must have been purchased with the Southwest Priority card or with rewards earned from the card. A claim must be filed within 20 days of the loss.

11. Lost Luggage Reimbursement

The Southwest Priority card includes lost luggage reimbursement coverage for both the cardholder and immediate family members. If a common carrier (airline, bus, train, or cruise ship) damages or loses checked or carry-on luggage, you’re eligible for up to $3,000 per passenger.

The common carrier fare must have been purchased with the Southwest Priority card or with rewards earned from the card to be eligible for coverage. A claim must be filed within 20 days of the loss.

12. Roadside Dispatch

Access to roadside assistance, including services like towing and tire changes, is available through the Southwest Priority card by calling 800-847-2869. However, the card’s benefit doesn’t cover the cost of the service call.

Shopping Benefits and Protections

13. Complimentary DoorDash DashPass

Southwest Priority cardholders and authorized users are eligible for a complimentary 1-year subscription to DoorDash DashPass which comes with perks like a $0 delivery fee on restaurant orders and a 5% DoorDash credit on pick-up orders.

The complimentary DashPass membership needs to be activated by January 31, 2025, and your Southwest Priority card needs to be added to your DoorDash account as the default payment method.

14. Purchase Protection

The purchase protection plan that comes with the Southwest Priority card offers coverage of up to $500 per claim ($50,000 maximum per account) when a new purchase is damaged or stolen within 120 days. This benefit applies to the cardmember and any recipients of gifts purchased by the cardmember. To be eligible, a claim needs to be submitted within 90 days of the loss or theft.

15. Extended Warranty Protection

The extended warranty benefit extends a U.S. manufacturer’s warranty for an additional year when the original warranty is 3 years or less. This applies to purchases made by the cardholder using the Southwest Priority card. Each claim has a maximum benefit of $10,000 ($50,000 maximum per account).

16. No Foreign Transaction Fees

The Southwest Priority card doesn’t have foreign transaction fees, so go ahead and bring it along on your next international trip!

Hot Tip: Did you know that Southwest Airlines flies to many surprising international destinations in the Caribbean and Central America?

17. Fraud Protection and Zero Liability Protection

You’ll have access to 24/7 fraud monitoring that protects you against unauthorized purchases.

Zero Liability Protection means you won’t be responsible for unauthorized purchases on your account. To report a fraudulent charge, just call the number on the back of your card.

18. Rapid Rewards Access Events

You’ll have access to Rapid Rewards Access Events with your Southwest Priority card. This is a collection of exclusive events that you can purchase using Rapid Rewards points.

19. Access to Chase Offers

Access to Chase Offers comes with any Chase card including the Southwest Priority card. These are card-linked offers that can save money on your everyday purchases. Each offer needs to be added to the card prior to making a purchase.

These can sometimes even include offers for discounts on Southwest Airlines.

Final Thoughts

There are 5 Southwest credit cards — 3 consumer cards and 2 business cards. The Southwest Priority card is the top-tier personal co-branded Southwest card, which offers a comprehensive suite of benefits. When deciding whether or not this card is worth it, keep in mind there are 2 benefits that add up to offer a higher value than the annual fee. The 7,500 annual bonus points and $75 annual Southwest travel credit have a value of $172.50 which is more than the $149 annual fee on this card. Those benefits alone make the Southwest Priority card a great one to keep in your wallet if you’re a fan of Southwest Airlines.