Increased 85k Welcome Bonus Offers on Southwest Airlines’ Personal Credit Cards

Those thinking about adding the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card, or Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card to their wallet should definitely check out the latest offer for these cards!

Currently, you can earn an 85,000-point welcome bonus offer by meeting minimum spending requirements on any of these cards.

Here are all of the details you should know about these new offers.

Southwest Cards Offer 85,000-Point Welcome Bonuses

Beginning today, the welcome offers for the Southwest Priority card, Southwest Premier card, and Southwest Plus card have gone up. The offer is identical on these cards:

• Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

The most recently previous offer for these cards was 50,000 Rapid Rewards points, so this marks a big boost.

We value Southwest Rapid Rewards points at 1.3 cents each, making the 85,000 bonus points worth about $1,105.

Additionally, the 85,000-point welcome bonus offer gives you a significant head start toward earning the coveted Southwest Companion Pass, as you need 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year to qualify. You can earn that through flying and from points you earn by spending on a Southwest Airlines credit card. Southwest cardholders also get an annual 10,000-point bonus toward Companion Pass Qualification each year.

The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to bring a companion on any flight for the cost of taxes and fees ($5.60 one-way on a domestic ticket). It can be used an unlimited number of times and is valid on tickets purchased using points or cash.

Overview of Southwest Credit Cards

Despite the Southwest cards offering identical welcome bonus offers, each has subtle differences. Read more about the details of each card to see which better suits your travel and spending habits in their current forms.

However, remember that there are many changes going on at Southwest lately, and these credit cards will see changes in 2026.

Southwest Plus Card

The Southwest Plus card is the entry-level option, with an annual fee of $99. Benefits of this card include:

• 3,000 anniversary points each year
• Earn 2x points spent on Southwest purchases
• Earn 2x points spent at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
• Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation can check their first bag at no additional cost
• Select a Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available.
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases

Southwest Premier Card

The Southwest Premier card is the mid-level option, and it has an annual fee of $149. This card’s benefits include:

• 6,000 anniversary points each year.
• Earn 3x points spent on Southwest purchases, including flights, inflight, and Southwest gift cards
• Earn 2x points spent 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
• No foreign transaction fees

Southwest Priority Card

The Southwest Priority card is the most premium Southwest credit card option, and it comes with an annual fee of $229. However, the benefits of this card can easily outweigh the cost:

• 7,500 anniversary points each year
• Earn 4x points spent on Southwest purchases, including flights, inflight, and Southwest gift cards
• Earn 2x points spent 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
• No foreign transaction fees

Final Thoughts

These new welcome offers on the Southwest Plus card, Southwest Premier card, and Southwest Priority card are great if you’re in the market for a new Southwest credit card. Throughout the year, Southwest will sometimes offer new cardholders a combination of bonus points and a Companion Pass.

Nevertheless, if your main objective is to boost your Rapid Rewards account with extra points — or earn a bunch of points toward the Companion Pass — these offers are worthy of consideration.