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Boosted Southwest credit card offers: Earn 75,000 Rapid Rewards points

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Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.


Southwest is currently offering identical sign-up bonuses on all three of its cobranded personal credit cards: the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card.

You can now earn 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening on any of these cards — worth $1,125 according to TPG valuations. Meanwhile, you can earn up to 80,000 points with Southwest’s line of business credit cards.

And as we look ahead to 2023 travel, these bonuses can even get you close to the carrier’s coveted Companion Pass benefit. So here’s what you need to know to take advantage of these offers.

In This Post

Southwest personal cards

Here are the rest of the details on each of these cards and their individual perks.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

  • Best for: Beginners and infrequent travelers.
  • Annual fee: $69.
  • Sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
  • Earning rates: 
    • 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases, including ride-share services like Uber and Lyft.
    • 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming service purchases.
    • 2 points per dollar on Southwest flights.
    • 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.
    • 1 point per dollar on everything else.
  • Primary perks:

Check out the full card review.


Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card


Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

  • Best for: Regular Southwest flyers.
  • Annual fee: $99.
  • Sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
  • Earning rates:
    • 3 points per dollar on Southwest flights.
    • 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases, including ride-share services.
    • 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming service purchases.
    • 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.
    • 1 point per dollar on everything else.
  • Primary perks:
    • 2 EarlyBird check-ins every card anniversary.
    • 6,000-point anniversary bonus.
    • Unlimited TQP earning: 1,500 for each $10,000 spent.
    • No foreign transaction fees.

Check out the full card review.


Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card


Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

  • Best for: Southwest loyalists who can take advantage of day-of-travel perks.
  • Annual fee: $149.
  • Sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
  • Earning rates:
    • 3 points per dollar on Southwest flights.
    • 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases, including ride-share services.
    • 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming service purchases.
    • 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.
    • 1 point per dollar on everything else.
  • Primary perks:
    • Unlimited TQP earning: 1,500 for each $10,000 spent.
    • $75 annual Southwest credit.
    • 7,500-point anniversary bonus.
    • Four upgraded boardings per year.
    • No foreign transaction fees.

Check out the full card review.


Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card


Southwest business cards

If you already have a personal Southwest card, or are looking for alternatives to these welcome offers, don’t forget that the airline also fields two cobranded business credit cards. Here are the details on those.

ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

  • Best for: Business owners who fly Southwest regularly.
  • Annual fee: $99.
  • Sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 Rapid Rewards points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
  • Earning rates:
    • 3 points per dollar on Southwest flights.
    • 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases, including ride-share services.
    • 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.
    • 1 point per dollar on everything else.
  • Primary perks:
    • 2 EarlyBird check-ins every card anniversary.
    • $500 fee credit for Rapid Rewards points transfers to another Rapid Rewards member.
    • 6,000-point anniversary bonus.
    • Earn tier qualifying points toward A-List elite status.
    • No foreign transaction fees.

Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card.


Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card

  • Best for: Business owners who are loyal Southwest flyers.
  • Annual fee: $199.
  • Sign-up bonus: Earn 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
  • Earning rate: 
    • 4 points per dollar on Southwest flights.
    • 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases, including ride-share services.
    • 3 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.
    • 2 points per dollar on social media and paid search advertising, internet, cable and phone services.
    • 1 point per dollar on everything else.
  • Primary perk(s):
    • Unlimited TQP earning: 1,500 for each $10,000 spent.
    • $500 fee credit for Rapid Rewards points transfers to another Rapid Rewards member.
    • 9,000-point anniversary bonus.
    • Four upgraded boardings per year.
    • Up-to-$100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit.
    • Up to 365 inflight Wi-Fi credits per year.
    • No foreign transaction fees.

Check out the full card review.


Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card.


Should you apply for a Southwest credit card now?

Southwest has many fans out there who love the airline’s personality and the fact that all passengers can check two bags for free. The carrier’s Rapid Rewards program is also quite popular thanks to its simplicity. The number of Southwest Rapid Rewards points required to book a flight is directly tied to the flight’s current fare, and you often get good deals if you know when and where to look for redemptions.

Also, because of Southwest’s policy of no cancellation or change fees on its flights, you can actually re-price a Southwest flight if you book a trip and then find the same itinerary at a lower price before departure. In addition, Southwest points never expire, so you don’t need to worry about earning these points and then not getting a chance to use them.

However, you can get even more value from your Southwest points if you can earn a Companion Pass. This perk allows you to bring along a designated travel companion on all of your Southwest flights — both paid and award tickets (you just need to pay taxes and fees).

Currently, to get a Companion Pass, you must earn 125,000 qualifying points or take 100 qualifying, one-way flights in a calendar year. But credit card welcome bonuses and points earning from card spending count toward qualification, so the current elevated offers on these cards can really jumpstart you toward earning your Companion Pass.

If you can, delay completing your spending requirement so that your bonus points hit your account in 2023 (rather than in the last two months of 2022). Once you earn the companion pass, you’ll have it for the remainder of the calendar year in which you earn it as well as the entire following year. If you’re able to earn it early in 2023, then, you’ll have it through the end of 2024 and really be able to maximize the value of your Rapid Rewards points.

It’s worth noting that the companion pass requirement is increasing to 135,000 points on Jan. 1, 2023. However, Southwest cardholders will get a 10,000-point boost at the beginning of the year (for existing cardholders) or within 30 days of opening an account (for new members), so we still recommend waiting until 2023 to earn your pass if you can.

Read more: 13 lessons from 13 years’ worth of Southwest Companion Passes

Bottom line

All three of Southwest’s personal credit cards — the Plus, Premier and Priority — are now offering identical sign-up bonuses. If you add any of these cards to your wallet, you can earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in three months.

This is a great way to unlock a lot of free travel in the coming year and make significant progress toward earning the Companion Pass.

Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card.
Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card.
Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card.
Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card.
Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card.

Additional reporting by Emily Thompson, Ryan Wilcox, Madison Blancaflor, Eric Rosen and Christina Ly.