Current Southwest credit card sign-up offers

If you’re a Southwest loyalist, now is a great time for you to earn some easy bonus points.

All three personal Southwest credit cards have launched new welcome bonuses — 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. These offers end Dec. 11.

You can also earn up to 80,000 points with a Southwest business card.

Now is also a great time to start working toward a Companion Pass for 2024 and 2025. In short, if you apply for both one personal and one business card and wait to complete the minimum spending requirements until the new year, you’ll receive a Companion Pass for the remainder of 2024 and all of 2025. Read on for more details.

While none of the personal offers are best-ever, they meet our criteria for a good time to apply.

Let’s take a look at the current sign-up bonuses on the Southwest Airlines credit cards.

Southwest personal cards

THE POINTS GUY

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

• Best for: Beginners and infrequent travelers
• Annual fee: $69
• Sign-up bonus: 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Offer ends Dec. 11
• Earning rates: 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases, including ride-hailing 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 and 1 point per dollar on everything else
• Primary perks: Two EarlyBird check-ins every card anniversary and 3,000 points every card anniversary

For more details, check out our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card.

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Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

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Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

• Best for: Regular Southwest flyers
• Annual fee: $99
• Sign-up bonus: 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Offer ends Dec. 11
• Earning rates: 3 points per dollar on Southwest flights, 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases (including ride-hailing 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 and 1 point per dollar on everything else
• Primary perks: Two EarlyBird check-ins every card anniversary, 6,000-point anniversary bonus, Unlimited TQP earning: 1,500 for each $10,000 spent (each $5,000 spent from Jan. 1) and no foreign transaction fees

For more details, check out our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card.

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Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

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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:75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Offer ends Dec. 11
• Earning rates: 3 points per dollar on Southwest flights, 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting purchases, including ride-hailing 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 and 1 point per dollar on everything else
• Primary perks: Unlimited TQP earning: 1,500 for each $10,000 spent (each $5,000 spent from Jan. 1), $75 annual Southwest credit, 7,500-point anniversary bonus and no foreign transaction fees

For more details, check out our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority card.

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Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

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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 fields two cobranded business credit cards. Here are the details on those.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

• Best for: Business owners who fly Southwest regularly
• Annual fee: $99
• Sign-up bonus: 60,000 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 Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
• Primary perks: Two EarlyBird check-ins every card anniversary, earn tier-qualifying points toward A-List elite status, $500 fee credit for Rapid Rewards points transfers to another Rapid Rewards member, 6,000-point anniversary bonus, and no foreign transaction fees.

For more details, check out our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card.

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Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

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Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card

• Best for: Business owners who are loyal Southwest flyers
• Annual fee: $199
• Sign-up bonus: 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from 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): Four upgraded boardings per year, earn tier-qualifying points toward A-List elite status, $500 fee credit for Rapid Rewards points transfers to another Rapid Rewards member, 9,000-point anniversary bonus, up-to-$100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, up to 365 inflight Wi-Fi credits per year and no foreign transaction fees.

For more details, check out our full review of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business card.

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Official application link: Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card

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Should you apply for a Southwest credit card now?

Southwest has many fans who love the airline’s personality and the fact that all passengers get two free checked bags. The carrier’s Rapid Rewards program is also 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.

Furthermore, because of Southwest’s policy of no cancellation or change fees on its flights, you can 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 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 (but you must pay taxes and fees).

To get a Companion Pass, you must earn 135,000 qualifying points or take 100 qualifying, one-way flights in a calendar year. But credit card welcome bonuses and points earned from card spending count toward qualification, so the current offers on these cards can jumpstart you toward earning your Companion Pass.

You can receive nearly two years of buy-one-get-one flights by opening a personal and business Southwest credit card and timing your spending to earn the bonuses near the beginning of any given year. That’s because the standard Companion Pass is valid for the year it’s earned and the entire following year.

Earlier this year, the points required to earn the Companion Pass jumped from 125,000 to 135,000. However, Southwest cardholders 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).

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

Bottom line

If you’re looking for a personal card, you can choose from three viable options from Southwest to boost your savings on your next big trip.

Or, if you’re in the market for a business card, you can get up to 80,000 bonus points on one of the current welcome offers. It’s a great time to be a Southwest fan.

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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

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