Getting to Know the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
With the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card from Chase, you’ll be in for a smooth flight no matter your destination. This is a co-branded airline rewards card tailored to the frequent traveler who wants to maximize their earning with Southwest Airlines, and it is the highest tier Southwest card option for personal use from Chase. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card allows you to step up your travel game while earning big rewards as you fly towards travel savings, and ups the ante with several perks not available with the basic Southwest offering from Chase.
How It Works
Cardholders can expect the following from the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card:
How to Earn Rewards:
Generous Introductory Offer: Cardholders earn 40,000 points, after spending $1,000 in the first three months.
Fly with Southwest: The fastest way to earn miles is by flying Southwest. Cardholders will earn 2 points for every $1 spent on purchases directly with the airline.
Make Everyday Purchases: Earn 1X points on all purchases made with the card. Rapid Rewards® points are earnable on almost anything. This includes everyday purchases like gas and groceries, dinner and drinks, even movie tickets. You can even earn when you use your card to pay expenses like your phone bill.
Anniversary Bonus: Receive 7,500 bonus points on each cardmember anniversary. That’s more than double the bonus of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Card!
Unlimited Points: Cardholders can earn unlimited rewards with their Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card.
Tier Qualifying Points: Cardholders can earn tier qualifying points (TQPs). These apply towards qualification for Rapid Rewards A-List or A-List Preferred status. Earn 1,500 TQPs for each $10,000 in purchases annually,. The limit is $100,000 in total each year.
How to Redeem Rewards:
When you begin to cash in on the rewards with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card, you’ll notice that you can turn your Rapid Rewards points into just about anything; flexible rewards redemption is a big draw with this program.
Travel: Points earned with the card are redeemable to book or upgrade travel on Southwest. Rewards apply to flights, towards seat upgrades, and more. This even includes Companion Passes! Log into your Rapid Rewards account on the com® homepage, select a flight, and pay with points. The sky is the limit!
Hotels: Use points to book hotel stays with over 70,000 hotels across the globe.
Car Rentals: Use points towards hiring a car rental from several different rental companies.
Retail: Use points at hundreds of retail partners. Shop retail options, from golf balls and electronics to home goods; or, find the right gift card from brands like Amazon, iTunes, Lowes and more to treat yourself or a friend – simply use your points to purchase!
Buy, Gift or Transfer: Cardholders can use their Rapid Rewards® points for a variety of purchases; they also have the option to gift points, or transfer their points to whoever they’d like, even if they are not a cardholder. All the recipient must do is enroll in the Rapid Rewards program, if they have not already. Points can even be donated to pre-selected charities; Southwest has chosen several charities that can accept points as a donation.
Today’s Bonus Offer
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card comes with a hefty introductory bonus offer: Cardholders who spend $1,000 within the first three months of opening their account will qualify for a special one-time bonus of 40,000 points. Not bad! Note that this offer is only available to you if you do not already have this card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for this card in the past 24 months.
Airline and Airport Perks:
Bags Fly Free: For Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card cardholders, first and second checked bags are free when flying with Southwest.
In-flight Discounts: Cardholders who fly on Southwest will enjoy 20% back on in-flight drinks and WiFi
Upgraded Bookings: Cardmembers qualify for four upgraded boardings per year, when available. Each anniversary year, you’ll be reimbursed for the purchase of up to four upgraded bookings in total. These can be purchased at the departure gate or ticket counter on the day of travel only; the price of each of these upgrades will depend on your itinerary. Once you’ve purchased the upgrade using your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority card, you’ll receive a statement credit for the price of the upgrade.
Annual Travel Credit: Each year, you’ll receive an annual travel credit of $75 to be redeemed with Southwest.
Unlimited Rewards seats
No blackout dates
No Foreign Transaction Fees: For cardholders who plan to spend while they’re abroad, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card does not charge foreign transaction fees, which means that not only will you save money while travelling, you’ll also earn points when you use your card in other countries.
Cardholder Protections:
Zero Liability: Visa cardholders are automatically protected from unauthorized use of their card and their account information with Visa’s Zero Liability policy. You’ll pay $0 for any transactions that are reported as unauthorized; cardholders must notify the issuing financial institution immediately of any unauthorized activity.
Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Renting a car makes travelling much easier, and when you use your British Airways Visa Signature® Card to pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the rental car counter’s collision damage waiver, you’ll be covered if the car is damaged or stolen. Exclusions and restrictions apply.
Roadside Dispatch®: Visa cardholders will benefit from Roadside Dispatch®, which is a pay-per-use roadside program.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services: Whether you’re traveling for work or for pleasure, Visa is there for you, anywhere in the world, with a multilingual call center. Call toll-free in the United States, or collect whilst abroad, for assistance. Visa can provide pre-trip assistance (information about health precautions, currency exchange rates, visas, immunizations and other pertinent info for first-time travelers), as well as emergency transportation assistance, prescription assistance, Valuable Document Delivery arrangements (for critical documents like a passport or travel visa that might have been misplaced or left at home), a location service for lost luggage, and emergency translation services in all major languages.
Additional Benefits:
Year-end Summary: You’ll have access to a Year-End Summary of all the charges you’ve accrued over the fiscal year, making it easy to see where you spend most and plan for next year’s annual spending.
Extended Warranties: Visa cardholders who use their Visa Signature® card for their purchases are eligible to add up to two extra years added to the original manufacturer’s warranty, when you use your card for eligible purchases. Some restrictions apply.
The Plane Facts
Can you expect a smooth flight from the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card, or will there be turbulence?
Annual Fee: The card features an annual fee of $149. That’s relatively high when compared to other similar airline rewards credit cards. It’s certainly more than a card that has no annual fee. While the cost isn’t a deal-breaker, a comparable card with equal rewards and a lower annual fee can likely be found elsewhere.
The Perks That Make the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card Worthwhile:
What are some of the pros that set this card ahead of the rest?
A Generous Introductory Bonus Offer: Earn 40,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 on qualifying purchases in the first 3 months. That’s not a bad reward for using your card. And, it’s great if you’re planning to use your new card for a large purchase right away.
No Blackout Dates: Cardholders will enjoy the ability to earn unlimited Rewards seats, with no blackout dates or seat restrictions (subject to availability).
Companion Pass: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card cardholders can redeem their points towards a Companion Pass, the benefit that lets a friend fly with you free of airline charges for a year.
Point redemption options: When it comes to redeeming the points you’ve accumulated with your card, the sky is the limit. Whether you opt to redeem points towards free travel, or towards merchandise, you’ll have plenty of options.
A-List: Cardholders have the opportunity to qualify for Southwest’s A-List elite status. This program opens the door to some great benefits at the airport and on the plane.
Cardholder Anniversary Bonus: Each year, you’ll get a hefty 7,500 point bonus just for being a cardholder. This is a higher annual bonus than any of the other offerings from Southwest, at the time of this writing!
Annual Travel Credit: Not every credit card issuer offers an annual travel credit. So, this perk will definitely interest those who fly with Southwest often.
Upgraded Bookings: An offer of one free upgraded booking per year is nothing to scoff at, so when a credit card issuer offers four of them, it’s worth a second look.
Potential Turbulence with the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card:
What are some cons that take the wind from under this card’s wings?
Annual Fee: The card’s annual fee of $149 is the highest of the Chase Cards. It’s sky-high when you consider that there are options out there with no annual fee at all.
Points only apply to flights: Points cannot be redeemed for Southwest amenities like checked bags, security fees, or inflight drinks. These perks are available from other rewards programs. So, if you’re want for flexibility, other options are available.
You’ll get what you pay for: While the $149 annual fee might seem exorbitant, there are airline cards out there that ask even higher fees each year. Remember, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card is the highest-tiered offering from Southwest, and comes with benefits that simply are not available with the middle- or lowest-tiered cards. At the end of the day, you’ll need to decide what benefits are most attractive to you, and compare them to the price you’re willing to pay to receive them.
Thoughts Before Takeoff
This is your Captain speaking. Although the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card from Chase has an annual fee of $149, once you reach altitude you’ll be cruising with all of the perks and benefits that accompany this card’s top rewards-earning potential. For anyone willing to invest their money towards top-tiered travel rewards each year, you certainly won’t want to miss your flight – apply soon to take advantage of the 40,000 point bonus offer, and start earning rewards with Southwest today.