Southwest Rapid Rewards VisaSouthwest Priority
Issued by Chase
Reviewed by the CardCurator Editorial Team
$75/year in trackable credits — never leave money on the table
Before you apply
Use this quick check so you click out only when the offer and fee structure really fit.
- Best fit: strongest ongoing earning is 4x on Southwest Airlines.
- Bonus hurdle: spend $3,000 in 3 months.
- Annual fee: $229 charged each year.
- Offer status: Offer is above average, but not the best we have seen.
- Who should skip: anyone who will not recover the annual fee through ongoing spend, credits, or the welcome bonus.
- What happens next: you will leave CardCurator for the issuer or partner application page in a new tab.
Confirm current issuer terms and approval rules before you submit an application.
Earning Categories
Current Welcome Bonus
Year 1 net value: +$671 (bonus − annual fee)
Statement Credits
$75 Southwest annual travel credit
Maximize Your Southwest Rapid Rewards Points
Expert tips to get the most value from this program
Program Overview
Southwest Rapid Rewards is Southwest Airlines' loyalty program. Unlike traditional airline programs, Southwest uses a revenue-based system where points are worth a fixed value tied to the fare price. Key strengths: - No change fees, no cancellation fees (points redeposited instantly) - No blackout dates for award flights - Companion Pass: Bring someone free on every flight for up to 2 years - Two free checked bags on every ticket (even award flights) - Points don't expire with account activity - Revenue-based redemptions mean simple, predictable value - Wanna Get Away fares offer best value per point
Earning Tips
Card stacking strategy: Premium cards: - Southwest Priority: 3x Southwest, 2x local transit/internet/phone, 1x everything else; 4 upgraded boardings/yr, $75 SW credit - Southwest Premier: 3x Southwest, 2x dining/streaming, 1x everything else; 2 EarlyBird check-in credits - Southwest Plus: 2x Southwest, 1x everything else; anniversary 3,000 pts Business: - Southwest Performance Business: 4x Southwest, 3x Southwest purchases, 2x Rapid Rewards hotel/car; upgrade boardings - Southwest Premier Business: 3x Southwest, 2x dining/hotels/car rentals, 1x everything else Key tips: - Companion Pass strategy: Get 2 Southwest personal cards in late Q4 for large signup bonuses counting toward next year's CP - All card spending earns toward Companion Pass qualifying points - Priority card's $75 credit + 7,500 anniversary pts make the $149 AF worth it - Stack Southwest card for SW purchases + Chase Sapphire for other spending
Redemption Tips
Redemption strategy: Revenue-based pricing: - Points are worth ~1.3-1.7 cpp on Wanna Get Away fares - Wanna Get Away Plus: Slightly higher price but transferable - Anytime fares: Worst value per point (avoid redeeming at this level) - Business Select: Poor points value but nice for upgrades Best value: - Book Wanna Get Away fares with points (best cpp) - Off-peak travel and midweek flights = lower point prices - Southwest sales apply to point redemptions too - Points + cash: Not offered; it's all points or all cash Companion Pass stacking: - Once you have Companion Pass, your companion flies free - This effectively doubles the value of every point spent - With CP, even mediocre cpp becomes great because 2 people fly for the price of 1 Cancellation flexibility: - Points return instantly if you cancel - Book speculatively and cancel if prices drop - No penalty for rebooking at a lower price Avoid: - Anytime or Business Select fares with points (terrible value) - Transferring to Southwest from Marriott (3:1 ratio is poor) - Holding large balances without using them (earn and burn)
Transfer Strategy
Inbound transfers: - Chase Ultimate Rewards: 1:1 - Marriott Bonvoy: 3:1 (60K → 25K with bonus) Outbound transfers: - Rapid Rewards points cannot transfer to other programs Strategy tips: - Chase UR to Southwest is useful for topping off for Companion Pass qualification - Companion Pass is the ultimate Southwest goal (earned at 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year) - Credit card signup bonuses count toward Companion Pass qualification - Transfer from Chase when you need points for a specific booking
Milestones & Bonuses
7,500 anniversary points annually
Compare This Card
See how the Southwest Priority stacks up against other cards side by side — fees, bonuses, earn rates, and more.
Approval Insights
Recent community application data for this card. Issuers make the final decision, but this gives you a public read on how similar applicants have been doing lately.
How to use this
- Use the approval summary as a signal, not a guarantee.
- Combine it with issuer rules like 5/24, Amex lifetime language, and velocity limits.
- Open the full approval page to see recent datapoints, profile bands, and notes.
Most card pages stop at a generic credit-score range. CardCurator layers real community submissions on top of card detail, rewards value, and application strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the annual fee for the Southwest Priority?
- The Southwest Priority has an annual fee of $229 per year.
- What is the best category to use the Southwest Priority for?
- The Southwest Priority earns 4x on Southwest Airlines, making it the strongest earning category for this card.
- What is the Southwest Priority welcome bonus in 2026?
- The Southwest Priority currently offers a welcome bonus of 90,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.
- Does the Southwest Priority charge foreign transaction fees?
- No, the Southwest Priority does not charge foreign transaction fees, making it a good choice for international purchases.
- How much are Southwest Rapid Rewards points worth?
- Southwest Rapid Rewards points are worth approximately 1.40¢ per point on average, with premium redemptions reaching up to 1.60¢ per point. Values based on industry estimates including The Points Guy and NerdWallet.
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