The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards ® Priority Credit Card are two good choices for Southwest flyers.
The Southwest Premier delivers solid rewards for Southwest flights and useful perks like two EarlyBird check-ins per year. This mid-tier Southwest card provides good value through its anniversary bonus points and travel benefits, making it particularly appealing if you fly Southwest several times per year.
The Southwest Priority offers valuable perks for frequent Southwest flyers, including a $75 annual travel credit and 7,500 anniversary bonus points. This premium card provides the most benefits of Southwest’s personal credit cards, making it ideal for loyal customers who want to maximize their rewards and travel experience with Southwest.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Full Reviews: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card.
Overview: Southwest Premier vs. Priority
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- $75 Annual Southwest Travel Credit
- 7,500 Points on Every Cardmember Anniversary
- 3X Points on Southwest Purchases
- 2X Points on Ridesharing, Local Transit, Internet, Cable, Phone, and Select Streaming
- 4 Upgraded Boardings Per Year
- 25% Savings on In-Flight Purchases
- $149 Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus of Southwest Premier vs Priority
Southwest Premier:
The Southwest Premier Card currently offers the following welcome bonus: Earn Companion Pass® plus 30,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Southwest Priority:
The Southwest Priority Card currently offers the following welcome bonus: bonus_miles_full
Earning Points with Southwest Premier vs Priority
Southwest Premier:
The Southwest Premier Card allows you to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points at the following rates:
Southwest Priority:
With the Southwest Priority Card, you can earn the following:
Winner:
It’s a tie for earning points as both cards feature identical point structures across all spending categories. Neither card offers any advantage in earning potential, with both sharing exactly the same rates for every purchase type. This makes the earning category an even match when comparing these two Southwest credit cards.
Card Benefits of Southwest Premier vs Priority
Southwest Premier:
The Southwest Premier card offers the following benefits to its cardholders: 6,000 Anniversary Points: You will receive 6,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points each year on your cardmember anniversary. This is worth about $80 towards Southwest flights, which helps offset the annual fee. Two EarlyBird Check-Ins: With the Southwest Premier Card, you’ll receive two EarlyBird Check-In credits annually. These credits allow you to automatically check in for your Southwest flights before the traditional 24-hour check-in period, securing a better boarding position. This increases your chances of getting your preferred seat and can be especially valuable on longer flights. Companion Pass Boost: Get a 10,000 point head start each year toward the coveted Southwest Companion Pass, though keep in mind all qualifying activity counts, not just credit card spend 25% In-Flight Savings: When you use your card for inflight drinks or Wi-Fi, you’ll receive 25% back as a statement credit. Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card. Baggage Delay Insurance: Missing luggage doesn’t have to derail your trip – this coverage steps in to reimburse you for essential purchases when your checked bags are delayed by airlines, trains, or other carriers. You can grab the necessities you need, from a fresh outfit to personal care items, while waiting for your bags to arrive. Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card. 120-Day Purchase Protection: Get 120 days of protection against damage, theft, and even loss of your purchases – one of the longest windows available. This premium coverage automatically applies when you pay with your card. No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Southwest Priority:
The Southwest Priority Card offers the following benefits to its cardholders: Annual 7,500 Bonus Points: Every year on your cardmember anniversary, you’ll automatically receive 7,500 Rapid Rewards points, which are worth about $113 based on our Southwest points valuations. $75 Annual Travel Credit: You will receive a $75 annual travel credit that can be used to purchase Southwest Airlines flights, vacation packages, or other travel-related expenses, excluding Upgraded boardings and in-flight purchases. Upgraded Boardings: The Southwest Priority Card will reimburse you for up to 4 upgraded boardings (A1-A15 positions) in a year, when available. These normally cost between $30 and $149 per passenger per segment, so this benefit can save you a lot of money each year. I use this perk frequently to upgrade myself when I don’t obtain a favorable boarding position, such as in the C Group. 25% In-Flight Savings: When you use your card for inflight drinks or Wi-Fi, you’ll receive 25% back as a statement credit. Companion Pass Boost: Get a 10,000 point head start each year toward the coveted Southwest Companion Pass, though keep in mind all qualifying activity counts, not just credit card spend No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose. Baggage Delay Insurance: Missing luggage doesn’t have to derail your trip – this coverage steps in to reimburse you for essential purchases when your checked bags are delayed by airlines, trains, or other carriers. You can grab the necessities you need, from a fresh outfit to personal care items, while waiting for your bags to arrive. Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card. Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card. Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans. 120-Day Purchase Protection: Get 120 days of protection against damage, theft, and even loss of your purchases – one of the longest windows available. This premium coverage automatically applies when you pay with your card.
Travel Benefits
Purchase Benefits
Winner:
The Southwest Priority Card is the clear winner in the benefits category, offering superior perks that outshine the Premier’s offerings. While the Premier provides two EarlyBird Check-ins annually, the Priority counters with four Upgraded Boardings (positions A1-A15), which are more valuable for securing better seats, particularly exit rows with extra legroom.
The Priority card also offers larger anniversary points (7,500 vs. 6,000) and adds a $75 annual Southwest travel credit that the Premier lacks, making it substantially more rewarding for regular Southwest flyers.
Annual Fee of Southwest Premier vs Priority
Southwest Premier:
The Southwest Premier Card has a $99 annual fee, which is reasonable for a co-branded airline credit card with this set of benefits. When you consider the value of the anniversary bonus points (worth around $80) and the EarlyBird Check-In credits (worth around $50 in value) you receive each year, the annual fee is nearly offset.
Southwest Priority:
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card’s $149 annual fee is higher than other Southwest personal cards, but it offers superior benefits that can provide significant value for frequent Southwest travelers. The card’s $75 annual Southwest travel credit effectively reduces the out-of-pocket cost to $74. Additionally, cardholders receive 7,500 anniversary bonus points each year, which are valued at approximately $90 towards Southwest flights. These two benefits alone can outweigh the annual fee, making the card potentially profitable for cardholders who regularly fly Southwest.
Winner:
The Southwest Priority Card delivers better overall value despite its higher annual fee of $149 compared to the Premier’s $99. When accounting for the Priority’s $75 annual travel credit, the effective annual fee drops to just $74, making it $25 cheaper than the Premier card.
Additionally, the Priority’s 7,500 anniversary points (valued at approximately $90-$113) further offset the annual fee, while the Premier’s 6,000 anniversary points (worth about $80) don’t provide as much compensation relative to its cost.
Redeeming Points with Southwest Premier vs Priority
Both cards earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points, which you can redeem for free flights.
Southwest Rapid Rewards offers a flexible and straightforward way to redeem points for flights. The program’s simplicity is one of its key strengths, and its value is fairly onsistent across different fare types and destinations. Our data study found that the value of Southwest Rapid Rewards points is 1.37 cents per point, making it easy for members to gauge the worth of their rewards. Redemptions are seamless on Southwest’s website, where you can book any available seat without blackout dates. One of the program’s standout features is its generous change and cancellation policy. You can modify or cancel award bookings without fees, with points returned to your account and taxes refunded to your original form of payment. While Southwest primarily serves domestic routes, it also flies to select international destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. The airline’s extensive U.S. network makes it a popular choice for domestic travelers, despite not belonging to a major alliance. For maximum value, focus on redeeming points for Wanna Get Away fares, which often provide the best return. Avoid using points for gift cards, hotels, or rental cars, as these options typically offer significantly lower value than the 1.37 cents per point average for flights. The Southwest Companion Pass is a potential game-changer for frequent travelers. This benefit allows a designated companion to fly with you for just the cost of taxes and fees on both paid and award tickets, effectively doubling the value of your points when traveling together.
The Verdict
The Southwest Rapid Rewards ® Priority Credit Card (review) emerges as the definitive winner over the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card (review) for anyone who flies Southwest at least three times per year.
Despite charging a higher upfront annual fee, the Priority card provides superior value through its $75 travel credit (reducing the effective annual fee to $74), higher anniversary point bonus (7,500 vs. 6,000), and premium benefits like four Upgraded Boardings that secure coveted A1-A15 positions.
For frequent Southwest travelers, these enhanced benefits easily justify choosing the Priority over the Premier, making it the smarter investment for maximizing Southwest travel experiences and rewards.
Which card are you going to choose?
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- $75 Annual Southwest Travel Credit
- 7,500 Points on Every Cardmember Anniversary
- 3X Points on Southwest Purchases
- 2X Points on Ridesharing, Local Transit, Internet, Cable, Phone, and Select Streaming
- 4 Upgraded Boardings Per Year
- 25% Savings on In-Flight Purchases
- $149 Annual Fee
