A guide to Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance and Premier business credit cards
Quick insights
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance and Premier business cards allow cardmembers to earn points on Southwest Airlines® purchases, as well as purchases at gas stations and restaurants.
- The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance card provides additional rewards on hotel and transit spending.
- Both the Rapid Rewards Performance and Premier business cards have an annual fee, which may be worthwhile if the card matches your spending habits.
If you want to maximize rewards on Southwest flights and other business travel expenses, you may want to consider the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance and Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier business credit cards.
These two Southwest business credit card options both offer rewards that could help you get closer to your next reward flight as well as benefits and travel perks that can make business travel smoother and more comfortable. In this article, we’ll walk through the rewards structure and benefits for both cards.
Features of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card offers accelerated rewards earning potential on select travel, restaurant and gas station purchases, as well as opportunities to earn points toward A-list status and Companion Pass®Opens overlay. Note that this card charges an annual fee.
Here’s a breakdown of the card’s array of rewards, benefits and complimentary travel add-ons when flying with Southwest.
Rewards
- 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines purchases.
- 2 points per $1 spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel.
- 2 points per $1 spent on gas station and restaurant purchases.
- 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare services.
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- 9,000 bonus points each year after your cardmember anniversary.
See the rewards program agreement for full details.
Cardmember benefits
- 2,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually, accelerating your way to A-List status.
- One boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year.
- Employee cards at no additional cost that earn points on employee purchases.
- A statement credit every four years as reimbursement for the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS.
- 25% back on inflight purchases.
Southwest Travel experience
- Complimentary Preferred seat selection at booking (when available).
- Complimentary first checked bag for the cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.
- Extra Legroom seat upgrades within 48 hours prior to departure (when available).
- Boarding with Group 5, giving earlier access to overhead bins, for the cardmember and up to 8 passengers in the same reservation.
Features of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
With Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, cardmembers can earn accelerated rewards on flights, fuel and dining. Like with the Rapid Rewards Performance card, they can also earn points toward A-list status. This card charges an annual fee.
Below, we’ll explore the card’s rewards, benefits and complimentary travel add-ons when flying Southwest.
Rewards
- 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines purchases.
- 2 points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per card anniversary year.
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
- 6,000 bonus points each year after your cardmember anniversary.
See the rewards program agreement for full details.
Cardmember benefits
- 2,000 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually, accelerating your way to A-List status.
- One boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year.
- Employee cards at no additional cost that earn points on employee purchases.
- 25% back on inflight purchases.
Travel experience
- Complimentary first checked bag for the cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.
- Complimentary Preferred seat selection within 48 hours prior to departure (when available).
- Boarding with Group 5, giving earlier access to overhead bins, for the cardmember and up to 8 passengers in the same reservation.
- 15% promo code each year on your cardmember anniversary (excludes basic fare).
Comparing Southwest Rapid Rewards business credit cards
Let’s break down how the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance and Premier business credit cards compare in terms of benefits and perks, rewards programs and annual fees.
Rewards programs
The business credit card rewards programs for these two cards may be beneficial if you have business travel expenses, as they allow cardmembers to earn rewards on purchases with Southwest Airlines, gas stations and restaurants.
Rapid Rewards Performance has additional rewards categories, including accommodations booked directly with the hotel, as well as local transit, commuting and rideshare services.
If you travel frequently for business, you might benefit from Rapid Rewards Performance’s more extensive array of travel rewards and slightly higher earn rate on Southwest purchases. The Performance card earns 4x points on Southwest Airlines purchases, while the Premier card earns 3x points.
Additional benefits and perks
Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance and Premier business credit cards offer the opportunity to earn points toward a Companion Pass and A-list status, a complimentary first checked bag and Group 5 boarding. Employee credit cards are available with both cards.
Rapid Rewards Performance adds a few more perks that could potentially make travel more comfortable or convenient, including the option to select a Preferred seat at booking (if available) and get upgraded to an Extra Legroom seat.
Performance cardmembers can also get reimbursed for certain Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) application fees, which can streamline the airport security screening process.
Annual fees
The Rapid Rewards Performance and Premier business credit cards both have an annual fee. To determine if a credit card’s annual fee is worth it, you could compare the value of the rewards and benefits to the cost.
Rapid Rewards Performance’s higher annual fee may be worth it if its more extensive rewards program and benefits align with your business’s spending habits. The Rapid Rewards Premier card may be a good choice if you want to limit your annual fee cost while still earning rewards and enjoying travel benefits when flying with Southwest.
In summary
Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance and Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier cards offer rewards on Southwest Airlines purchases, as well as purchases at gas stations and restaurants. Cardmembers receive or earn points to put toward A-list status and Companion Pass each year.
Plus, they can board with Group 5, receive a complimentary first checked bag and request employee credit cards at no additional cost.
Performance cardmembers can earn points in additional rewards categories. Additionally, they’ll receive a range of travel perks when flying with Southwest like a Preferred seat at booking when available or the option to upgrade to an Extra Legroom seat 48 hours prior to departure.
