The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is the mid-tier option for Southwest personal credit cards.
The Premier Card awards 6,000 bonus points each year on your cardmember anniversary — a benefit that not only covers a significant portion of the card’s annual fee but also gets you closer to your next award flight.
Plus, this card offers other benefits like two EarlyBird check-ins per year, 25% back on inflight purchases, and 3x points on Southwest Airlines.
Below is everything you need to know about the Southwest Premier Card to see if you should add it to your wallet.
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- 6,000 Points Each Cardmember Anniversary
- 2X Points on Transit, Ridesharing, Internet, Cable, Phone, and Eligible Streaming Services
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In Per Year
- 25% Savings on In-Flight Purchases
- Lost Luggage and Baggage Delay Insurance
- $99 Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
The Southwest Premier Card currently offers the following welcome bonus:
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Welcome Bonus Eligibility
One thing to remember is that you are not eligible for a Southwest welcome bonus if (1) you currently have a Southwest personal credit card OR (2) you received a bonus on any Southwest personal card in the last 24 months (business cards don’t count toward this limit).
If you’ve recently canceled your Southwest card and it’s been at least 24 months since your last welcome bonus, you are able to eligible for a new bonus.
Earning Points
The Southwest Premier Card allows you to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points at the following rates:
- 3 points per dollar on Southwest Airlines purchases.
- 2 points per dollar on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.
- 2 points per dollar on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
- 2 points per dollar on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming.
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Annual Fee
The Southwest Premier Card has a $99 annual fee, which is offset by 6,000-anniversary bonus points, two EarlyBird check-ins, and a 25% in-flight savings.
You can also add authorized users to it for no additional fee.
Southwest Premier Benefits
Below are the benefits for the Southwest Premier Card:
6,000 Bonus Points Each Anniversary
You will receive 6,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points each year on your cardmember anniversary.
This is worth about $80 to $90 in flights on Southwest, which helps offset the annual fee.
Two EarlyBird Check-Ins
This card offers two EarlyBird check-ins per anniversary year, which provides the ticket holder with automatic check-in starting at 36 hours before the flight’s scheduled departure time.
This normally costs $15-25 per year, but you get two free each year with this card.
25% In-Flight Savings
When you use your card for inflight drinks or Wi-Fi, you’ll receive 25% back as a statement credit.
For example, if you bought a drink for $8 using this card, you would receive $2 back as a statement credit.
Earn Points Towards Elite Status
The Southwest Premier Card also allows you to earn unlimited Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) towards A-List status. Specifically, you can earn 1,500 TQPs for every $10,000 spent on the card.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance
Secondary rental car insurance covers any damage to a rental car not covered by your primary insurance when you pay for the rental using this card.
Other credit cards offer primary rental car insurance, which pays before your insurance and saves you the hassle of filing multiple insurance claims.
You still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
Baggage Delay Insurance
Baggage delay insurance can reimburse you for the cost of necessary personal and business items if (1) you purchased your trip with this card and (2) your bag is delayed by a common carrier like an airline, train, ferry, or cruise ship, etc.
Common reimbursable items include clothing, toiletries, and phone chargers, which can be a life-saver when you are without your bag.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Baggage insurance covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Extended Warranty
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 3 years.
Coverage matches the protection provided by the original warranty so that damage or defect would have to be covered by the original warranty for extended warranty coverage.
Purchase Protection for 120 Days
Purchase protection can save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 120-days.
For example, if accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if it was purchased within the last 120 days.
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- 6,000 Points Each Cardmember Anniversary
- 2X Points on Transit, Ridesharing, Internet, Cable, Phone, and Eligible Streaming Services
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In Per Year
- 25% Savings on In-Flight Purchases
- Lost Luggage and Baggage Delay Insurance
- $99 Annual Fee
