Introduction
If you're trying to figure out which Southwest card to put in your wallet, the first thing to know is that Southwest doesn't make this easy. Chase issues five different Southwest co-brand cards in 2026, three personal and two business, and they all earn the same Rapid Rewards points. The differences live in the annual fees, the earning rates, the anniversary points, and the seat and boarding benefits.
I've spent the last few years watching this lineup shift. Here's how the five cards stack up on Chase's own pages as of October 1, 2026, who each one is built for, and the wallet-strategy questions worth asking before you apply.
The 5-Card Lineup at a Glance
Three personal cards, two business cards, all issued by Chase. All earn Rapid Rewards points, all carry a 24-month welcome-bonus rule (worded differently for the personal and business cards, covered below), and all of the personal cards count toward Chase 5/24. The business cards do not.
Personal cards:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus ($99 annual fee). The entry-level card. 2x on Southwest Airlines purchases and on the first $5,000 in combined purchases at gas stations and grocery stores per anniversary year, 1x everywhere else. 3,000 anniversary points. A Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available, and a 10% flight discount promo code each cardmember anniversary. No foreign transaction fees.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier ($149 annual fee). 3x on Southwest Airlines purchases, 2x at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year, 1x elsewhere. 6,000 anniversary points. A Preferred seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available, and a 15% flight discount promo code each cardmember anniversary. 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List for every $5,000 spent. No foreign transaction fees.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority ($229 annual fee). 4x on Southwest Airlines purchases, 2x at gas stations and restaurants, 1x elsewhere. 7,500 anniversary points. A complimentary Preferred seat at booking and unlimited Extra Legroom seat upgrades within 48 hours prior to departure, when available. 2,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List for every $5,000 spent. No foreign transaction fees.
All three personal cards list a free first checked bag and Group 5 boarding for you and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation, 25% back on inflight purchases, and a 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year.
Business cards:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business ($149 annual fee). A free first checked bag, a Standard or Preferred seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available, a boarding benefit, and 6,000 anniversary points.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business ($299 annual fee). A complimentary Preferred seat at booking and Extra Legroom seat upgrades 48 hours prior to departure, when available, plus a free first checked bag.
Welcome bonuses on this family fluctuate. Plan around the offer that's live when you apply, not the offer you saw in a roundup written eighteen months ago. As of October 1, 2026, Chase lists 50,000 points on the Plus after $1,000 in purchases, 55,000 on the Premier after $1,500, 60,000 on the Priority after $2,000, 80,000 on the Premier Business after $3,000 (a limited-time offer) and 80,000 on the Performance Business after $5,000, each within the first 3 months from account opening.
Card-by-Card: Who Each One Is For
Southwest Plus ($99): For Occasional Flyers Who Want the Bag Benefit
The Plus is the cheapest card in the lineup and it earns the lowest anniversary bonus: 3,000 points a year. Its other recurring benefits are a 10% flight discount promo code each cardmember anniversary and a Standard seat selected within 48 hours prior to departure, when available. It has no foreign transaction fees, and it shares the free first checked bag, Group 5 boarding and 10,000-point Companion Pass boost with the pricier cards.
The step up to the Premier ($149) buys 3x instead of 2x on Southwest purchases, 6,000 anniversary points instead of 3,000, a Preferred seat instead of a Standard one, a 15% flight discount instead of 10%, and tier qualifying points toward A-List. If you fly Southwest more than a couple of times a year, that's usually worth it.
Pick the Plus if you fly Southwest once or twice a year, want the free checked bag for your group, and want the cheapest card that still earns Rapid Rewards. It's also the only personal card with a bonus category at gas stations and grocery stores together (2x on the first $5,000 a year).
Southwest Premier ($149): The Default Personal Card Pick
If I had to recommend a single Southwest personal card to someone who flies the airline a few times a year, this is it. The Premier earns 3x on Southwest Airlines purchases, 2x at grocery stores and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year, and 1x on everything else. It adds 6,000 anniversary points each year and a 15% flight discount promo code on your cardmember anniversary.
Two structural features earn the Premier its spot:
- A Preferred seat. Select a Preferred seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available, a step up from the Plus's Standard seat.
- Tier qualifying points. Chase lists 1,500 TQPs toward A-List for every $5,000 spent. If you're flying Southwest twenty or more segments a year, that matters.
The Premier is the answer for the reader who flies Southwest two to four times a year, wants better seats than the Plus offers, and doesn't need the Priority's $229 package.
Southwest Priority ($229): Best for Frequent Flyers Who Care Where They Sit
The Priority's $229 fee buys the strongest seat and status benefits in the personal lineup: a complimentary Preferred seat at booking, unlimited Extra Legroom seat upgrades within 48 hours prior to departure (when available), 4x on Southwest Airlines purchases, 2x at gas stations and restaurants, 7,500 anniversary points and 2,500 TQPs toward A-List for every $5,000 spent.
For someone flying Southwest four or more times a year who wants a better seat and a faster path to A-List, the Priority is the clear pick. The upgrades depend on availability, so on full flights they may not come through.
The caveat: if you don't fly Southwest often, the seat benefits and TQPs don't matter, and the Premier keeps the bag, boarding and Companion Pass boost at $149.
Southwest Performance Business ($299): For Business Owners Chasing Companion Pass
The Performance Business is the highest-fee card in the lineup at $299. Chase's lineup page lists a complimentary Preferred seat at booking, Extra Legroom seat upgrades 48 hours prior to departure, when available, and a free first checked bag, with 80,000 points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Two reasons a business owner picks this card:
- The seat benefits. It's the only business card on Chase's lineup page with a complimentary Preferred seat at booking and Extra Legroom seat upgrades.
- It pairs with a personal Southwest card for the Companion Pass. A business welcome bonus stacked with a Premier or Priority welcome bonus in the same calendar year is the two-card path covered below.
If you don't have legitimate business spending (a freelance side hustle, a sole proprietorship, an online store) this card isn't the right fit. Apply for a business card without business activity at your own risk.
Southwest Premier Business ($149): The Lower-Stakes Business Option
The Premier Business costs $149 a year. Chase's lineup page lists a free first checked bag, a Standard or Preferred seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available, a boarding benefit, and 6,000 anniversary points. Its current offer is a limited-time 80,000 points after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Pick the Premier Business if you want a business Southwest card but $299 feels like too much for the Performance Business's seat benefits. With both business cards showing 80,000-point offers today, the Premier Business is the cheaper way to the same welcome bonus.
The Companion Pass: How It Actually Works in 2026
The Companion Pass is the reason most people in the points world care about Southwest. Here's the current shape:
- Threshold: 135,000 qualifying points earned in a single calendar year, or 100 qualifying one-way flights flown in that year.
- Validity: The Pass is valid for the rest of the calendar year you earn it in, plus all of the following year. Earn it in February, and you have a Companion Pass through December of the following year.
- Benefit: Your designated companion flies free (paying taxes and fees from $5.60 per one-way trip) on any Southwest flight you book, including award flights. You can change the named companion up to three times per calendar year.
What counts toward the 135K? Southwest's Rapid Rewards terms count points earned on its Chase credit cards, including welcome bonuses and spending, along with points from paid Southwest flights and base points from Rapid Rewards partners. Points you buy, points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards or other partner programs, and reward flights don't count.
The Two-Card Welcome-Bonus Path
The cleanest path to Companion Pass uses two card welcome bonuses in the same calendar year. The exact math depends on the offers live when you apply, but the structure looks like this:
- Apply for a personal Southwest card (Premier or Priority). Earn the welcome bonus, plus the spend points it took to get there. Chase lists 55,000 points on the Premier and 60,000 on the Priority today.
- Apply for a business Southwest card (Performance Business or Premier Business). Earn that welcome bonus and its spend points. Both list 80,000 points today.
- If your stacked offers and spend points clear the Companion Pass threshold, you have your Companion Pass for the rest of the year and all of the next year.
The order matters. The business card doesn't count toward 5/24, so applying for it first preserves your personal card slots. If you're already at 4/24, applying for the business card first is the right move; the personal card after.
Chase's welcome-bonus rules differ by side. Chase's personal Southwest card pages say each card is available only if you don't have a current Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card and haven't received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months, and that this doesn't apply to its business cards. Each business card's offer details say its bonus isn't available to current Cardmembers of that business card or to previous Cardmembers who received a new Cardmember bonus for that business card within the last 24 months. Plan around both before you apply.
The Single-Card Spending Path
If you can't or don't want to apply for a second Southwest card, you can earn the Companion Pass with a single card and a lot of spending. The personal cards earn 2x (Plus), 3x (Premier) or 4x (Priority) on Southwest purchases and 1x on most other spending, and each lists a 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost each year. Say you put everything on one card at 1x: every qualifying point beyond the 10,000-point boost takes a dollar of spending.
For most cardholders this isn't realistic in a single calendar year. The two-card welcome bonus path is the strategy that actually works.
Transferable Points As the Better Path
Here's the wallet-strategy question worth asking before you apply for any Southwest card: do you actually want airline-specific points, or do you want flexible points that can become Southwest points when you need them?
Chase lists Southwest Rapid Rewards among the Sapphire Preferred's airline transfer partners. That means a Sapphire Preferred at $95 a year, or a Sapphire Reserve at $795 a year, can fund Southwest flights without holding a Southwest co-brand card at all. The trade-off is real:
- You give up: the 10,000-point Companion Pass boost, the anniversary points, the free checked bag, and the seat and boarding benefits.
- You gain: Flexibility. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to Hyatt, United, British Airways, and a handful of other partners. If your travel plans shift, your points come with you.
The right answer depends on whether you fly Southwest enough to care about the Companion Pass. If you fly Southwest twenty times a year, the co-brand card is the obvious pick. If you fly Southwest twice a year and might switch to Delta or American next year, a Sapphire Preferred and a transferable points strategy is the smarter long-term hold.
A common mistake: holding both a Southwest co-brand card and a Sapphire Preferred and treating them as duplicates. They're not. The co-brand card earns Companion Pass qualifying points and gives you access to the airline's onboard perks. The Sapphire Preferred earns flexible points and protects you against Southwest devaluations. They complement each other.
Chase 5/24: What It Actually Means for Southwest Applicants
Chase's 5/24 rule says Chase will deny most credit card applications if you've opened five or more credit cards (across all issuers, not just Chase) in the past 24 months. For Southwest applicants, here's how it shapes the decision:
- All three Southwest personal cards are subject to 5/24.
- Both Southwest business cards are not subject to 5/24 themselves, but Chase still pulls 5/24 to evaluate your application.
What this means in practice: if you're at 4/24 and want to chase Companion Pass via the two-card strategy, apply for the business card first. The business card doesn't increment your 5/24 count when it's approved (business cards from Chase don't report to personal credit, with rare exceptions). After you've collected the business card welcome bonus, the personal card slot is still available.
If you're at 5/24 or above, you'll need to wait for cards to fall off (24 months from the open date) before Chase approves a personal Southwest card. The business cards may still be approvable in that window.
A Note on Cash Cards for Southwest Fare Payments
Most travelers still pay cash for Southwest flights, even with a Companion Pass in hand, so the question of which card to swipe at checkout matters. The Southwest co-brand cards earn 2x (Plus), 3x (Premier) or 4x (Priority) on Southwest purchases. A flat-rate 2% cash-back card earns 2x effective when you're spending on Southwest, which sounds worse but isn't always.
Here's the math: say you value Rapid Rewards points at 1.4 cents each. Then 3x on the Premier is 4.2% of value, against 2.0% for 2% cash back. The co-brand card wins on raw return.
But there's a wrinkle. The 4.2% only matters if you actually use the points. If you accumulate 50,000 Rapid Rewards points and never redeem them, the cash-back card was the better pick. The co-brand card is the right swipe for travelers who fly Southwest enough to redeem their points each year. The cash-back card is the right swipe for travelers who pay cash for one Southwest flight a year and don't want to manage a points balance.
Common Mistakes Before You Apply
- Ignoring the 24-month welcome-bonus rules. A personal Southwest card is available only if you don't hold a current Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card and haven't received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. A business card's bonus isn't available if you hold that card now or received its bonus within the last 24 months. Check your records before you apply.
- Earning the Companion Pass in November. The Pass is valid for the calendar year you earn it plus the next year. Earn it in February, and you get nearly two full years. Earn it in November, and you get the rest of that year plus one full year. Time your card applications around January and February for maximum value.
- Paying for seat benefits you won't use. The Priority's Preferred seat at booking and Extra Legroom upgrades apply only when seats are available. If you rarely fly Southwest, the $229 fee buys little, and the Premier or Plus keeps the free checked bag and Group 5 boarding for less.
- Applying without checking offers. Welcome bonuses on this family change, and the Premier Business shows a limited-time offer today. Always check the offer screen before you click apply.
The Bottom Line
The Premier is the default Southwest personal card pick at $149. The Priority earns its $229 fee through 4x on Southwest, a Preferred seat at booking, Extra Legroom upgrades and faster A-List TQPs if you fly Southwest four or more times a year. The Plus at $99 fits occasional flyers who mainly want the free checked bag. On the business side, the Performance Business ($299) adds a Preferred seat at booking and Extra Legroom upgrades, and either business card is the right pair for the two-card Companion Pass strategy. The Premier Business ($149) is the lower-stakes business option, with the same 80,000-point offer today.
Before you apply, ask: do you fly Southwest enough to care about Rapid Rewards points and the Companion Pass, or are you better served by a flexible-points card like the Sapphire Preferred? The cards exist to reward Southwest loyalty. If your travel plans aren't loyal to Southwest, your wallet probably shouldn't be either.
Updated October 1, 2026: Checked against Chase's current Southwest card pages. Corrected all five annual fees, the welcome offers, the earning rates, and the seat, boarding, bag and Companion Pass boost benefits, and the Plus's foreign transaction fee, and limited the business-card details to what Chase's lineup page lists. Also corrected which points count toward the Companion Pass, from Southwest's Rapid Rewards terms. Corrected the welcome-bonus rules to Chase's separate wording for the personal and business cards.
