Southwest Cards Hike Potential Sign-Up Bonuses to 75K Points

Sara Rathner
By Sara Rathner 
Published
Edited by Kenley Young

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» This offer has expired

The limited-time offer described in this article expired. For current offers, see our details pages for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.

Beginning Jan. 9, 2020, all three Southwest credit cards are giving higher spenders the ability to nearly double their sign-up bonus.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card now offer this to new cardholders: Earn 40,000 points if you spend $1,000 in the first three months. Plus, earn an additional 35,000 points if you spend $5,000 in the first six months.

You can earn either or both bonuses, which would work in the following ways:

  • Spend $1,000 in the first three months, earn 40,000 points, and stop there, forgoing the additional 35,000 points.

  • Don’t spend enough in the first three months to get the 40,000 points, but catch up and spend $5,000 in the first six months and earn 35,000 points.

  • Spend $1,000 in the first three months, earn 40,000 points, and then spend $4,000 more by the six-month mark and earn 35,000 more points, for a total of 75,000.

Previously, you could earn 40,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first three months, with no additional bonus after that.

While the three cards share the same welcome offer and rewards earning rate, there are a few key ways in which they differ, including annual fees and anniversary bonuses. But that's not all:

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Annual fee

$149.

$99.

$69.

Rewards on Southwest purchases

3 points per $1 spent.

3 points per $1 spent.

2 points per $1 spent.

Rewards on other spending

  • 2 points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.

  • 2 points per $1 spent on local transit, rideshares, internet, cable, phone services and select streaming services.

  • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Sign-up bonus

Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Anniversary bonus

Earn 7,500 points automatically after your cardholder anniversary each year.

Earn 6,000 points automatically after your cardholder anniversary each year.

Earn 3,000 points automatically after your cardholder anniversary each year.

Earns tier qualifying points?

Yes (unlimited).

Yes (unlimited).

No.

Foreign transaction fees

None.

None.

3%.

Boarding perks

4 upgraded boardings per year when available.

2 EarlyBird check-ins per year.

2 EarlyBird check-ins per year.

Southwest travel credit

$75 per year.

None.

None.

The points you earn from the sign-up bonus count toward Southwest’s much-loved Companion Pass. This is especially helpful now that the points requirement for the pass has increased. As of January 2020, you now must rack up 125,000 points in a calendar year, up from 110,000 points, to get your hands on one. (You can also get a Companion Pass after flying 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year.)

The Companion Pass allows you to choose one person to fly with you for free (plus taxes and fees, which start at $5.60) every time you buy your own ticket with cash or points. The Companion Pass is good for the remainder of the year you earn it, plus the full calendar year after that. You can change the name of your companion up to three times in a calendar year.

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