Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus review: Useful travel benefits for a low annual fee

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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees) is the most affordable personal Southwest cobranded card, delivering useful airline-specific perks such as a free checked bag, anniversary bonus points and preferred boarding for a $99 annual fee.

Still, travelers who fly Southwest often may find better long-term value in one of the airline’s higher-end cards, which offer stronger rewards and more generous benefits. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus: The basics

If you want an entry-level Southwest credit card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus offers a simple combination of airline perks and ongoing value at a relatively low annual cost.

Here’s a quick look at the card:

• Annual fee: $99
• Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Best for: Southwest travelers seeking airline perks for a low annual fee
• Rewards structure: Bonus points on Southwest purchases plus select everyday and travel categories
• Key benefits: First checked bag free, free standard seat selection (within 48 hours of departure), Group 5 boarding and anniversary bonus points
• Rewards currency: Southwest Rapid Rewards points, best redeemed for Southwest flights

A credit score of 670 or higher is generally recommended to improve your chances of approval.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus pros and cons

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus key benefits

Southwest has changed the way it handles boarding, seat selection and status earning over time, and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus includes several practical perks that make the updated experience a little easier to navigate.

Southwest travel perks

Cardholders receive several Southwest-specific benefits, including:

• Free first checked bag (for themselves and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation)
• Group 5 priority boarding (for the cardholder and eligible companions)
• Free standard seat selection within 48 hours of departure, when available (for the cardholder and eligible companions)
• One 10% flight discount code each anniversary year (excluding Basic fares)
• 25% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi purchases

The free first checked bag is one of the most valuable ongoing perks, especially since Southwest charges for checked bags. With checked bags typically costing $45 per bag each way, one round trip with a checked bag can nearly offset the card’s $99 annual fee.

Southwest currently has eight boarding groups, so Group 5 sits near the middle of the boarding order.

Because Southwest now charges for seat selection, being able to choose standard seats for free can help cardholders save money on future trips.

For benefits such as the free first checked bag, Group 5 boarding and standard seat selection, cardholders usually only need to link their Rapid Rewards number to the reservation and keep the account open and in good standing. The 25% inflight savings benefit, however, must be paid for with the card.

Anniversary points and status boosts

In addition to travel perks, the card provides ongoing value through Southwest’s loyalty program. Cardholders receive 3,000 anniversary bonus points each year after renewal, which is a modest but welcome extra.

Through the end of 2026, cardholders also receive an annual boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points. Beginning in 2027, Companion Pass qualifying points will be discontinued, and cardholders who earn 130,000 tier qualifying points (TQPs) by Dec. 31, 2027, will receive a one-time 10,000-TQP boost toward Platinum status, which includes a Companion Pass.

These perks add value beyond the first year, especially for travelers working toward the Companion Pass.

Travel and shopping protections

Although it is not a premium travel card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus still comes with a solid set of protections:

• Baggage delay insurance
• Extended warranty protection
• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Purchase protection

Those benefits can be helpful if something goes wrong during a trip or after a purchase.

How to earn and use your rewards

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus keeps earning and redemption fairly straightforward.

Earning Rapid Rewards points

With the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus, you’ll earn:

• 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases
• 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and grocery stores (on the first $5,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year)
• 2 points per dollar spent on Lyft purchases (through Dec. 31, 2027)
• 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases

The earning model is simple rather than especially powerful. A general travel rewards card or cash-back card could produce better returns in many everyday spending categories.

That said, the card can still make sense for Southwest loyalists because it also earns 1 TQP per $1 spent toward elite status, starting in 2027. That is the same TQP earning rate offered by Southwest’s higher-tier cards.

Redeeming Rapid Rewards points

Rapid Rewards points are typically most valuable when used for Southwest flights.

Because Southwest uses dynamic award pricing, redemption rates move with cash fares. The upside is that award space is usually very good — if there is a seat for sale, you can generally book it with points.

TPG senior content strategist Gabrielle Bernardini recently redeemed 38,500 Rapid Rewards points for a round-trip flight from Orlando to Aruba, a trip that would otherwise have cost about $800. That came out to roughly 2 cents per point, well above TPG’s October 2026 valuation of Southwest points at 1.25 cents each.

Starting in spring 2027, Southwest is also expected to add award redemptions on partner airlines such as Etihad Airways and Icelandair as part of its program changes. Award pricing has not been announced yet, but extra redemption options would be a welcome improvement for members.

Points can also be used for gift cards, merchandise, hotel stays and rental cars, although those options usually deliver less value.

If flexibility matters most, a transferable-points card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (see rates and fees) may be a better choice since Chase Ultimate Rewards points can transfer to Southwest and several other airline and hotel partners.

Downsides to consider about the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus

The biggest drawback of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus is that it offers fewer perks and weaker earning rates than Southwest’s higher-end cards.

While the $99 annual fee is reasonable, the card offers the most basic version of Southwest benefits compared with other Southwest credit cards. It includes standard rather than preferred seat selection, the smallest anniversary bonus among the personal Southwest cards and only 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases.

In addition, Rapid Rewards points are most useful within the Southwest ecosystem. When partner awards are introduced in 2027, that should improve somewhat, but general travel rewards cards will still offer more flexibility.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus vs. Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees) provides richer benefits and may be the better option for some travelers.

The Priority card costs $130 more per year, but it earns 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest purchases, includes 7,500 anniversary points and offers preferred seat selection at booking plus extra-legroom upgrades within 48 hours when available. For frequent Southwest flyers, those ongoing perks may make the higher annual fee worthwhile.

By comparison, the Southwest Plus card is better suited to occasional Southwest travelers who want airline perks without stepping up to a higher annual fee.

Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus worth it?

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus will not dramatically boost your Rapid Rewards balance, but it can help keep a budget-friendly fare from becoming more expensive with added fees. Between the free checked bag, anniversary bonus points and seat selection perks, it is fairly easy to make up the $99 annual fee if you fly Southwest even a few times a year.

If you are a frequent Southwest traveler, though, you will probably get more long-term value from one of the airline’s higher-tier cards.

When to apply for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus

New Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus cardholders can earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Based on TPG’s valuations, that welcome offer is worth $1,000 and is stronger than many recent Southwest and Chase welcome offer trends.

The offer is especially appealing if you are working toward a Companion Pass. This is the last year in which points earned through credit card welcome offers will count toward the threshold needed for a Companion Pass. Cardmembers approved for a Rapid Rewards credit card on or before Dec. 2 will have the chance to have these bonus points count, even if the spending requirement is met in 2027.

The card is subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule. If you have opened five or more new credit card accounts from any bank in the past 24 months, you will likely be denied.

You generally will not qualify for this bonus if you already have another personal Southwest credit card or if you earned a welcome bonus on one within the past 24 months.

Other cards to consider if you do not want the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus

If the Southwest Plus card does not fit your travel habits, there are several other airline and travel rewards cards worth a look, depending on the perks and flexibility you want.

• If you want more Southwest benefits with a modest fee: The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has solid perks to justify its $149 annual fee. These include more anniversary bonus points and higher earning rates. To learn more, read our full review of the Southwest Premier.
• If you want more flexible travel rewards: The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to Southwest and other airline and hotel partners. To learn more, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
• If you want premium travel perks beyond Southwest: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers airport lounge access, travel credits and flexible rewards that can be redeemed with loyalty partners. To learn more, read our full review of the Venture X.

The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

For more options, take a look at our full lists of the best travel credit cards and best Chase credit cards.

Bottom line

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus sits in a useful middle ground: It is affordable for casual flyers but still includes enough practical travel perks to make it worth keeping over time.

This card is a strong fit for occasional Southwest travelers who want benefits like a free checked bag and improved boarding without paying for a premium annual fee.

The real question is not how often you fly Southwest, but which fees you actually end up paying. If Southwest is your main airline, one of the carrier’s higher-tier cards may leave you better off.