Southwest Fast Rewards Precedence Credit score Card evaluation: Full particulars

Southwest Fast Rewards Precedence Credit score Card overview

The Southwest Fast Rewards® Precedence Credit score Card is essentially the most rewarding of Southwest Airways’ private bank cards, providing a $75 annual Southwest credit score and seven,500 anniversary bonus factors. With essentially the most advantages of any of the airline’s choices, that is the cardboard to get should you’re a Southwest loyalist. Card Ranking*: ⭐⭐⭐½

*Card score relies on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.

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Southwest Airways has a legion of followers — largely attributable to its versatile change/cancellation insurance policies and providing two free checked luggage for all passengers. In contrast to different airways, Southwest does not supply lounges, premium cabins and even seating with further legroom.

But it surely does supply a full suite of cobranded bank cards to assist frequent flyers fulfill their Southwest journey objectives.

This card gained the Finest Airline Cobranded Credit score Card award within the 2023 TPG Awards.

The Southwest Precedence card has a really useful credit score rating of 670 or above and is essentially the most premium private bank card within the Southwest lineup.

However are its advantages helpful sufficient to warrant the $149 annual price? And is now the precise time so that you can apply? Let’s discover out.

Southwest Precedence Credit score Card professionals and cons

Southwest Precedence Credit score Card welcome supply

New Southwest Precedence cardholders can earn a welcome bonus of 40,000 bonus factors and a $400 assertion credit score after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 4 months of account opening. This supply ends Dec 16.

In keeping with TPG’s November 2024 valuations, this welcome supply is value as much as $960 when together with the assertion credit score. The bonus factors may also assist you get a lot nearer to securing a Companion Move, which requires incomes 135,000 factors in a calendar 12 months.

In an effort to maximize the Companion Move for 2025 and 2026, it is best to attend to use for the cardboard till December. Then, after your December assertion date, full the minimal spending requirement to obtain your bonus factors in January. This could assist you receive a Companion Move for 2025 and 2026 (reasonably than the remainder of 2024 and 2025 in case your bonus factors arrive in December).

Notice that Southwest playing cards are topic to Chase’s 5/24 rule. In case you’ve opened 5 or extra bank cards prior to now 24 months (from all banks, not simply Chase), you might not be authorized.

As well as, you’ll be able to’t open a brand new private Southwest card if in case you have one open. You additionally will not be capable of get a brand new welcome bonus from a private Southwest card should you’ve acquired one prior to now 24 months.

Associated: 15 classes from 15 years’ value of Southwest Companion Passes

Southwest Precedence Credit score Card advantages

The Southwest Precedence card presents the next advantages, with the primary two greater than offsetting the annual price:

• Anniversary bonus: In your card anniversary annually, you may obtain 7,500 Fast Rewards factors, value $105 based mostly on TPG’s November 2024 valuations.
• Annual Southwest journey credit score: Throughout every cardmember 12 months, you may obtain a $75 journey credit score that can be utilized on most Southwest purchases, together with tickets (excluding upgraded boardings and inflight purchases).

• 25% inflight financial savings: Obtain 25% again (as an announcement credit score) after you employ your card to buy inflight drinks and Wi-Fi.
• Tier qualifying factors enhance: Earn 1,500 TQPs that depend towards A-Listing and A-Listing Most well-liked standing for every $5,000 you spend in a calendar 12 months.
• 4 upgraded boardings per 12 months

Along with the Southwest-specific advantages, the cardboard comes with misplaced baggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance coverage, prolonged guarantee safety and buy safety.

These perks are helpful to 1 TPG reader, who mentioned they frequent a Southwest hub:

“Nice journey advantages and insurance coverage plus Southwest perks like free upgrades and alternatives to earn a variety of factors. It is the one I’ll decide so long as I dwell close to a Southwest hub.” — Trisha M by way of a TPG E-newsletter survey

Notice: Reader-submitted responses haven’t been edited, reviewed or authorized by the issuers nor replicate TPG’s opinions of those playing cards.

The cardboard additionally has no overseas transaction charges, so it is a sensible choice for spending overseas.

Associated: Easy methods to get airline elite standing

Incomes factors with the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card

This is what you may earn with the Southwest Precedence card:

• 3 factors per greenback on Southwest purchases
• 2 factors per greenback spent with Fast Rewards lodge and automobile rental companions
• 2 factors per greenback on native transit and commuting, together with ride-hailing apps
• 2 factors per greenback on web, cable and telephone companies; choose streaming
• 1 level per greenback on all different purchases

This airline bank card presents a greater variety of bonus classes than different airline bank cards, although prime journey playing cards are usually much more profitable.

You will earn 4.2% again on Southwest purchases and a couple of.8% again on choose purchases (in accordance with TPG’s November 2024 valuations), which isn’t a foul price of return for a cobranded bank card.

Nevertheless, this might not be the perfect Southwest card for you should you do not e-book Southwest flights typically or choose to make use of different portals for lodge and rental automobile bookings.

Associated: One of the best rewards bank cards for every bonus class

Redeeming factors with the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card

Redeeming Fast Rewards factors with the Southwest Precedence card may be very simple. Southwest award costs are straight tied to the money worth of the ticket, which means the variety of factors you want for a flight will fluctuate, however you may hardly ever encounter occasions when you’ll be able to’t use your factors. Plus, you’ll be able to redeposit your award with out penalty in case your plans change.

Whereas Southwest’s factors will not assist you fly in first-class suites, they’ll present nice worth. For example, you’ll be able to fly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Chicago-Halfway (MDW) for as few as 4,701 factors one-way, relying on the time of 12 months. In the meantime, different airways typically cost 10,000 miles or much more (assuming yow will discover availability).

In case you e-book throughout one among Southwest’s flash gross sales, you could possibly rating awards for lower than 2,500 factors one-way. You may even fly to enjoyable faraway locations like Hawaii, Costa Rica and Mexico along with your Southwest factors.

For example, TPG bank cards editor Emily Thompson lately took benefit of one among these gross sales to e-book a round-trip ticket between Nashville (BNA) and San Jose, California (SJC) for beneath 25,000 factors. In case you’re flying to one among Southwest’s locations, yow will discover an excellent deal on factors.

Associated: Why I select Southwest each time

Which playing cards compete with the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card?

Southwest Airways presents three private playing cards, so you’ll be able to select the one that matches you finest.

• If you’d like Southwest advantages with a extra modest price: The Southwest Fast Rewards® Premier Credit score Card is the mid-tier card within the Southwest lineup, with a $99 annual price. Its advantages embody 6,000-anniversary bonus factors, two EarlyBird Verify-ins per 12 months and 25% again on inflight purchases. To be taught extra, learn our full evaluation of the Southwest Premier card.
• If you’d like a Southwest card with an excellent decrease annual price: The Southwest Fast Rewards® Plus Credit score Card has a $69 annual price and an anniversary bonus of three,000 factors. You will additionally obtain two EarlyBird Verify-ins yearly and 25% again on inflight purchases. To be taught extra, learn our full evaluation of the Southwest Plus card.
• If you’d like transferable factors to make use of with Southwest and different airways: The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card earns Chase Final Rewards factors, which you’ll be able to switch 1:1 to Southwest and a variety of different airways for making flight redemptions. You will get quite a few journey protections, a $50 annual lodge credit score on lodge bookings made by means of Chase Journey℠ and strong incomes classes for a $95 annual price. To be taught extra, learn our full evaluation of the Sapphire Most well-liked.

The data for the Southwest Fast Rewards Premier has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

For extra choices, take a look at our full checklist of journey bank cards.

Associated: Evaluating the Southwest Fast Rewards Precedence, Premier, and Plus Credit score Playing cards

Is the Southwest Precedence Credit score Card value it?

In case you fly Southwest not less than a number of occasions annually, you’ll come out forward with the Southwest Precedence card. The cardboard’s on a regular basis incomes charges aren’t essentially the most profitable, however spectacular built-in perks like upgraded boardings, a $75 annual journey credit score and a 7,500-point anniversary bonus simply make up for it. Nevertheless, should you fly Southwest much less typically, you may seemingly choose one other of our different favourite airline playing cards.

Backside line

The Southwest Precedence card is essentially the most rewarding of Southwest Airways’ private bank cards, permitting you to earn a great stash of factors and get essentially the most advantages of any of the airline’s choices. In case you fly Southwest typically, that is the perfect Southwest card for you.

Nevertheless, should you do not fly Southwest typically or need to maintain your annual price prices decrease, you could need to go for one of many different Southwest cobranded playing cards or a card that earns transferable rewards.

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Apply right here: Southwest Fast Rewards Precedence Credit score Card

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Associated: Easy methods to decide the precise journey bank card for you