22 Benefits of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card [2025]

If you’re a Southwest flyer, chances are you’ve considered getting a Southwest credit card. With 3 personal and 2 business credit cards to choose from, though, 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 also offers the most benefits, making it great 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.

Southwest Priority Card Overview

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 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.

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

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 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*:

$650

Annual Fee

$229

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

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

• 4x points on Southwest Airlines eligible purchases
• 2x points at gas stations and restaurants, with no annual cap
• 2x points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare purchases (through December 31, 2025)

Cons

• $229 annual fee
• Does not earn transferable points

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Card Highlights

• Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 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

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74% - 28.24% 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 cards. Because of that, it offers the most benefits but also comes with the highest annual fee.

Let’s take a closer look at all of this card’s benefits.

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:

• 4x points on Southwest Airlines eligible purchases
• 4x points on Southwest cruises (through December 31, 2025)
• 2x points at gas stations and restaurants, with no annual cap
• 2x points on local transit and commuting, including ride-sharing purchases (through December 31, 2025)
• 2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases (through December 31, 2025)
• 2x points on Rapid Rewards Hotels and Car Rental Partners (through December 31, 2025)
• 1x point on all other purchases

2. 7,500 Anniversary Bonus Points

After your card account anniversary, you receive 7,500 bonus points. These points are 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.

Air Travel Advantages: Seating, Boarding, Baggage, and More

3. Free Checked Bag

One of the reasons passengers loved Southwest originally was the policy of 2 free checked bags. Though that’s gone, you’re still eligible for 1 free checked bag as a Southwest Priority cardholder. This benefit applies to the primary cardholder and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation.

A checked bag costs $35, so this can be a very valuable benefit for anyone who needs to check a bag even just a couple of times a year.

4. Complimentary Preferred Seating (Flights Beginning January 27, 2026)

Cardholders can choose a Preferred seat at the time of booking for themselves and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation, when available. Preferred seats have the same legroom as Standard seats but are toward the front of the plane and in the exit rows.

5. Extra Legroom Seat Upgrade (Flights Beginning January 27, 2026)

Starting 48 hours before departure, you can request an upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat for you and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation. These are the largest seats, with up to 5 additional inches of legroom, at the front of the plane.

6. Upgraded Boarding on Southwest Flights (Flights in 2025)

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 based on a few factors, including elite status and check-in time.

One way to 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 get 4 complimentary Upgraded Boardings per year.

These charges are 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 need 2 Upgraded Boardings. It’s also possible to upgrade a single segment on an itinerary.

Upgraded Boarding starts at $30 per flight segment, so this can be a 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.

Hot Tip:

When the new Southwest seating and boarding policies go into effect on January 27, 2026, EarlyBird Check-In and Upgraded Boarding will be discontinued.

7. Group 5 Boarding

For flights that depart on January 27, 2026, or later, cardholders get automatic Group 5 boarding for themselves and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation. This gives you earlier access to overhead bin space.

8. Save on Inflight Purchases

You can save 25% on inflight purchases, including drinks and Wi-Fi_, by using the Southwest Priority card. The discount comes 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.

9. $75 Southwest Credit (2025 Only)

Through the end of 2025, cardholders can get up to $75 back in statement credits after making Southwest purchases.

Elite Status and Companion Pass Benefits

10. Tier Qualifying Points

The Southwest Priority card offers benefits to those looking to earn Southwest elite status. For every $5,000 you spend annually on the card, you earn 2,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List and A-List Preferred status.

As a reminder, A-List status requires 35,000 tier qualifying points. In theory, you could earn that by spending $70,000 on the Southwest Priority card annually. While that’s not necessarily recommended, it’s great to be able to earn extra tier qualifying points with as little as $5,000 in annual spending.

11. 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 each 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 but reduce the required number of points to 125,000 instead of 135,000.

Travel Protection Perks

12. 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’re eligible for 2 types of travel accident insurance with a benefit of up to $500,000.

This insurance provides coverage for accidental death or dismemberment or a combined loss of speech, sight, or hearing during a trip. You, as cardholder, and your 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, you must submit a written claim within 20 days of the incident.

13. Auto Rental Coverage

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, you must charge the entire car rental cost to your card and decline the car rental company’s insurance policy.

You, as cardholder, and any additional authorized drivers on the car rental agreement are covered.

14. 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 you, as cardholder, your spouse or domestic partner and immediate family are covered.

To be eligible, you must have purchased the common carrier fare with the Southwest Priority card or with rewards earned from the card. You must file a claim within 20 days of the loss.

15. Lost Luggage Reimbursement

The Southwest Priority card includes lost luggage reimbursement coverage for both the you (as 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.

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

16. Roadside Assistance

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

17. 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 no delivery fee on restaurant orders and a 5% DoorDash credit on pickup orders.

The complimentary DashPass membership must be activated by December 31, 2027, and your Southwest Priority card needs to be added to your DoorDash account as the default payment method.

18. 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, the claim needs to be submitted within 90 days of the loss or theft.

19. 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).

20. 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?

21. Fraud Protection and Zero-Liability Protection

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

Zero-liability protection means you’re not responsible for unauthorized purchases on your account. To report a fraudulent charge, just call the number on the back of your card.

22. 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 and offers a comprehensive suite of benefits. It could make sense for Southwest flyers who want upgraded boarding and seating benefits.