Southwest Airlines offers five credit cards tailored to Southwest loyalists (three personal and two business options), each with its own fees and perks.
Currently, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees) are offering new cardholders the opportunity to earn 85,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
If you’ve been eyeing a Southwest card, now is a great time to apply. Let’s review some key details to help you make a final decision.
The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Current Southwest welcome offers
Below are the five cards currently offered by Southwest and their annual fees.
Personal cards
Business cards
Currently, the personal cards all feature identical welcome offers: 85,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This bonus is worth $1,190, based on TPG’s November 2025 valuations.
The two business cards, on the other hand, have different welcome offers.
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New Southwest Performance Business cardholders can earn 80,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Meanwhile, new Southwest Premier Business cardholders can earn 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
According to our valuations, these welcome bonuses are worth $1,120 and $840, respectively.
Chase and Southwest keep the application process relatively simple by treating all personal cards equally and setting two simple rules for the business cards.
Related: How to track your progress toward a credit card welcome bonus
Which Southwest credit cards am I eligible for?
If you want to apply for a personal card
You are eligible to do so as long as you abide by the following criteria:
- The Chase 5/24 rule: You’ll almost certainly be rejected for a Southwest credit card (as they’re issued by Chase) if you’ve opened five or more credit cards (from any issuer) within the past 24 months, excluding most business cards.
- Card “family” restrictions: If you’ve already got a Southwest personal card, you can’t open another until you’ve canceled or product-changed your current card.
- Welcome bonus rules: You can’t open the card if you’ve earned a welcome bonus from a Southwest personal card within the past 24 months.
A key point to note is that having a Southwest business credit card or employee card does not impact your eligibility for personal cards.
If you want to apply for a business card
You are eligible to do so as long as you are under 5/24 and meet the following rules:
- You cannot currently have that particular credit card.
- You cannot have received a bonus on that particular credit card in the past 24 months.
Applying for personal Southwest credit cards has no impact on your eligibility for business cards, except for the fact that it takes up one of your 5/24 slots. More importantly, having either Southwest business credit card doesn’t affect your eligibility for the other Southwest business card.
Related: Southwest Performance vs. Premier: Which Rapid Rewards business credit card is right for you?
What is the best plan to apply for Southwest credit cards?
When planning your Southwest card applications, timing and sequence matter. Start by checking your 5/24 status, since personal card eligibility depends on the number of new cards you’ve opened in the past 24 months.
Many travelers start with a business card because these don’t trigger the personal card “family” restriction, keeping personal card options open for later.
Business cards also tend to offer strong welcome bonuses and allow points to accrue on business expenses, making it easier to meet minimum spend requirements.
Due to Chase’s application restrictions on personal Southwest cards, it’s a good idea to wait for the highest welcome bonus available or when a Companion Pass is offered before applying. Given their current generous welcome offers, all five Southwest cards are currently within the threshold of when we would recommend applying.
Related: How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass
Bottom line
It’s always essential to plan your credit card applications and carefully review card and issuer-specific rules. While Chase’s “family restriction” on the personal Southwest cards throws a wrench into many people’s Companion Pass plans, the same restriction doesn’t apply to the two business cards.
To learn more, check out our full reviews of the Southwest Plus, Premier, Priority, Premier Business and Performance Business cards.
Apply here: Southwest Plus Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Priority Credit Card
Learn more: Southwest Premier Business Credit Card
Apply here: Southwest Performance Business Credit Card
Learn more: Southwest Premier Credit Card