Our Take
4.8
NerdWallet rating
The bottom line:
For small-business owners loyal to Southwest Airlines, the
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
is a cost-effective way to earn points and perks on their favorite airline. Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Annual fee
$149
Regular APR
19.99%-28.49% Variable APR
Intro APR
N/A
Apply now
on Chase's website
More details from Chase
- Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- 6,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
- Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases.
- Earn 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per year
- First checked bag free for Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.
- Select a Standard or Preferred seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available.*
- Cardmembers and up to 8 passengers in the same reservation will board with Group 5 giving them earlier access to overhead bins.*
- No foreign transaction fees.
- Member FDIC
View Rates & Fees
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Anniversary perk
- No reward caps
Cons
- Has annual fee
- Rewards have limited flexibility
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
Full Review
Chase refreshed its co-branded Southwest lineup in July 2025. The changes cement the
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
a solid pick for small-business owners loyal to Southwest Airlines.The card increased its annual fee, from $99 to
$149
. It juggled its rewards as well — gone (eventually) are bonus points for rideshares, as well as for Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. In are boosts for gas stations and restaurants (on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per year). We think that's a net positive for most business owners. The card still offers an automatic pile of anniversary points every year. Plus, you get Southwest-specific perks, like free Preferred seats and checked bags. It also has a good sign-up bonus that gives you a leg up toward a coveted Southwest Companion Pass.
The big decision point for Southwest business travelers is whether to get this card or the pricier
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
(annual fee $299
). After the most recent changes, we rate their value equally. Weigh the two to see if spending more will get you more. (Jump to comparison.)This card is best for:
✔️ Southwest fans.
✔️ Less frequent fliers.
Not a fit? Consider these business credit cards
at Chase | at Chase | at Chase |
Annual fee $299 | Annual fee $95 | Annual fee $149 |
Regular APR 19.99%-28.49% Variable APR | Regular APR 20.24%-26.24% Variable APR | Regular APR 19.99%-28.49% Variable APR |
Intro APR N/A | Intro APR N/A | Intro APR N/A |
Recommended credit score 690-850good - excellent | Recommended credit score 690-850good - excellent | Recommended credit score 690-850good - excellent |
If you're serious about Southwest, this card might be a better fit for you. There's a good amount of overlap with the
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
. But in exchange for a higher fee, you'll get a bigger sign-up bonus, more bonus points each anniversary and extra qualifying points toward A-List and A-List Preferred status for every $5,000 you spend in qualifying Southwest purchases. The
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
is one of our favorite entry-level business travel cards. Despite its low annual fee, you'll earn excellent ongoing rewards and potentially a big sign-up bonus. At a glance: Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
💳 Card type: Business travel card.
💲 Annual fee:
$149
.💰 Sign-up bonus:
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
🎉 Rewards:
- Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases.
- Earn 2X points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per year.
- Earn 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Available through Dec. 31, 2025:
- Earn 3X points on Southwest cruises.
- Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
- Earn 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
NerdWallet values Southwest points at
1.3 cents
each. This is a baseline value drawn from real-world data on hundreds of economy routes, not a maximized value. In other words, aim for award redemptions that offer 1.3 cents
or more in value to get the most from your Southwest points.📈 APR:
The ongoing APR is 19.99%-28.49% Variable APR
.📍 Minimum credit limit: $5,000.
💷 Foreign transaction fee: None.
🎆 Other perks:
- 6,000 bonus points after every cardmember anniversary year.
- 2,000 tier qualifying points for each $5,000 spent on qualifying purchases.
- 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year.
- First checked bag free for Cardmembers and up to eight additional passengers in the same reservation.
Available through Dec. 31, 2025:
- 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
Coming in 2026:
- Select a Standard or Preferred seat within 48 hours prior to departure, when available.
- Cardmembers and up to eight passengers in the same reservation will board with Group 5.
Benefits and perks
Generous welcome offer
The
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
starts with a generous sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
That's a great headstart to earning a Southwest Airlines Companion Pass. The Companion Pass allows you to choose someone to fly with you for free (you pay taxes and fees) for the rest of the calendar year in which you've earned it, plus the entire following calendar year. Snagging a Companion Pass requires earning 135,000 Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year, and this card's sign-up bonus counts toward that total. (You can also earn a pass by flying 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year.)
This card comes with 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year as well.
Valuable anniversary points
Even if you never set foot on a plane, you'll earn 6,000 bonus points after every cardmember anniversary, worth roughly $84, based on NerdWallet's valuations. On its own, that's more than halfway toward making up for the annual fee of
$149
. And that's on top of the card's rewards for ongoing spending.A path toward A-List status
A-List status can offer benefits like bonus points, priority check-in and free same-day standby, among other benefits. With this card, you’ll have the opportunity to snag unlimited tier qualifying points annually toward this status.
You earn 2,000 tier-qualifying points for every $5,000 spent in qualifying Southwest purchases. To earn A-List status, you need 35,000 tier qualifying points or 20 one-way flights per calendar year.
Ideal features and protections for travelers
The
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
makes for a good travel companion, thanks to its lack of foreign transaction fees and the fact that it runs on the widely accepted Visa payment network. Using the card to book travel also means you'll get travel benefits like lost luggage reimbursement and travel accident insurance, which can save you money.Drawbacks and alternatives
Lacks redemption flexibility
The
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
doesn’t offer cash redemptions. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
lets you redeem points for cash, gift cards, travel and qualifying products or services. Points are more valuable when redeemed through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal, and through that portal you can transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to several other travel loyalty programs, including Southwest. (Points transferred won’t count toward the Companion Pass, though.)
The card rewards common business expenses, offering 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel and select business expenses (shipping purchases; internet, cable, phone services; and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines) each account anniversary year. All other purchases earn 1 point per $1 spent. It has a
$95
annual fee.Other Southwest cards may be a better fit
While the
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
has a lot to offer for business owners who occasionally fly Southwest, the consumer version of this card can provide similar benefits at a lower annual fee of $99
. It's called the
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
, and it earns 2 points per $1 spent on qualifying Southwest purchases; 2 points per $1 spent at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases; and 1 point per $1 spent on everything else. And unlike with Southwest business cards, Chase amped up its welcome offer for new applicants:
Our best points offer this year, earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 5 months from account opening.
There are no rules against using a personal credit card for business purposes. You'll just want to make sure you keep your spending separate.
How it compares to the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Southwest and Chase offer another small-business credit card: the
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
. The
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
has the lower annual fee, but its rewards and perks aren't nearly as robust as those found on the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
. Frequent Southwest flyers will likely come out ahead with the more expensive card, given the value it can return in the form of higher rewards, as well as reimbursements, tier-qualifying points and credits. For instance, that card includes a $120 credit every four years for Global Entry or TSA Precheck that the
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
lacks. Here's a side-by-side comparison of the two cards:
Annual fee | $149 | $299 |
Rewards |
|
|
Sign-up bonus | Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. |
Anniversary points | 6,000 bonus points. | 9,000 bonus points. |
Foreign transaction fees | None. | None. |
APR | The ongoing APR is 19.99%-28.49% Variable APR . | The ongoing APR is 19.99%-28.49% Variable APR . |
Tier qualifying points | Up to 2,000 tier qualifying points for each $5,000 spent on qualifying purchases (no annual limit). | Up to 2,500 tier qualifying points for each $5,000 spent on qualifying purchases (no annual limit). |
Credits/reimbursements | N/A | Statement credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck programs. |
How we evaluated the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
NerdWallet's business credit card experts compared the
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
to other business travel cards, evaluating how the card's rewards, perks, fees and features stack up to its peers. We also surveyed Chase, the card's issuer, gathering information about employee cards, spending controls, credit limits and how often cardholders are considered for a credit limit increase. Apply now
on Chase's website
