Southwest Efficiency Enterprise card evaluate: Stable advantages for a manageable annual price

Southwest Speedy Rewards Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card overview

The Southwest® Speedy Rewards® Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card is Southwest Airways’ top-tier enterprise bank card. It earns 4 factors per greenback on Southwest Airways purchases, 3 factors per greenback on Speedy Rewards lodge and automotive rental companions and a pair of factors per greenback throughout in style enterprise classes. The annual price is manageable, and Southwest flyers will get pleasure from helpful perks. Card Score*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card ranking is predicated on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.

The Southwest Efficiency Enterprise card is a step up from the Southwest® Speedy Rewards® Premier Enterprise Credit score Card, providing a formidable sign-up bonus, a greater rewards construction and a pleasant array of perks that make the upper $199 annual price properly value paying for loyal Southwest flyers.

The beneficial credit score rating for this product is 670 or above.

Let’s dive into the professionals and cons of this enterprise card.

Southwest Efficiency Enterprise Card execs and cons

Southwest Efficiency Enterprise Card welcome provide

Proper now, the Southwest Efficiency Enterprise card is providing 80,000 factors after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

TPG’s October 2024 valuations peg Southwest miles at 1.4 cents every, which means this bonus is value $1,120.

Bear in mind to test your eligibility earlier than making use of for this card. It’s topic to the Chase 5/24 rule, and there are restrictions on how typically you’ll be able to earn a Southwest welcome bonus.

Associated: Methods to shortly earn the Southwest Companion Cross

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Southwest Efficiency Enterprise Card advantages

The Southwest Efficiency Enterprise card comes with a $199 annual price, however the perks accompanying the cardboard make up for the fee in the event you take full benefit of them — even after the primary yr of card membership.

4 Upgraded Boardings: Every anniversary yr, you may be reimbursed for as much as 4 A1-A15 boarding passes, which let you be among the many first to board. As a result of Southwest would not assign seats, Upgraded Boarding allows you to guarantee you’ll be able to seize the seat you need (and have room within the overhead bins). Upgraded Boarding passes are topic to availability.

9,000 anniversary bonus factors: Every year after your account anniversary, you may robotically obtain 9,000 bonus factors. Which means you are primarily getting $126 value of factors every year after the primary yr only for being an lively cardholder, primarily based on TPG’s October 2024 valuations.

Inflight Wi-Fi credit: Southwest will reimburse you for as much as 365 $8 inflight Wi-Fi purchases as an announcement credit score. In different phrases, you may buy an all-day inflight Wi-Fi move daily of the yr, and Southwest would cowl it.

Standing Increase: You may earn 1,500 tier-qualifying factors per $5,000 you spend on purchases in a calendar yr that can assist you attain elite standing sooner. There is no restrict on the variety of TQPs you’ll be able to earn.

World Entry or TSA PreCheck: As soon as each 4 years, you’ll be able to obtain an announcement credit score (as much as $120) to your World Entry or TSA PreCheck utility price.

Free worker playing cards: You pay no price for extra worker playing cards and can earn factors on worker spending. You’ll be able to set spending limits on worker playing cards by calling cardmember companies.

$500 price credit score for factors transfers per yr: Switch factors to a different Speedy Rewards member, and as much as $500 in charges related to the switch shall be reimbursed every account anniversary yr.

Whereas not particular to this card, do not forget that Southwest presents the next perks to all vacationers:

• Free checked baggage: Your first and second checked baggage all the time fly free, offered they match inside sure dimension restrictions
• No change charges: Southwest will not cost you a price for switching your flight itinerary — you may simply be charged the fare distinction when relevant. This even applies to award tickets, and altering your flight may be very easy
• Free cancellations: In case your plans change, you do not have to fret about paying a cancellation price. Enterprise Choose and Anytime fares are totally refundable. Nevertheless, in the event you cancel a Wanna Get Away or Wanna Get Away Plus fare, you may get your refund as a flight credit score towards future Southwest itineraries

Associated: Is the Southwest Efficiency Enterprise Card definitely worth the annual price?

Incomes factors on the Southwest Efficiency Enterprise Card

Because the extra premium enterprise card, the Southwest Efficiency Enterprise card has the next incomes price than different Southwest card choices. You may earn:

• 4 factors per greenback on Southwest Airways purchases
• 3 factors per greenback on Speedy Rewards lodge and automotive rental companions
• 2 factors per greenback for native transit and commuting, together with ride-hailing companies
• 2 factors per greenback for social media and search engine promoting
• 2 factors per greenback for web, cable and cellphone companies
• 1 level per greenback for all different eligible purchases

That is a 5.6% return on Southwest purchases and an virtually 3% return on eligible enterprise purchases.

Nonetheless, you may be higher off utilizing the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Ink Enterprise Most well-liked® Credit score Card for normal journey past Southwest Airways purchases. Each playing cards earn 3 Chase Final Rewards factors per greenback on journey purchases (as much as the primary $150,000 in mixed purchases for the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked), which you’ll switch to Southwest Speedy Rewards for a fair increased redemption price.

Associated: 10 simple methods to earn extra Speedy Rewards factors

Redeeming factors on the Southwest Efficiency Enterprise Card

The Southwest Efficiency Enterprise card earns Speedy Rewards factors, so you may get probably the most worth if you redeem your factors for award journey. As a result of Southwest has no home or worldwide airline companions, you solely get most worth when redeeming on Southwest-operated flights.

Southwest has a easy redemption system: The extra a flight prices in money, the extra it prices in factors. When you’re much less prone to discover out-of-this-world offers, you additionally get assured worth out of your factors.

Redeeming factors for Southwest award flights can also be easy. Simply log in to your account, put in your search parameters on Southwest’s web site, select your required out there flight and comply with the on-screen steps to take a look at. You might have to pay extra taxes and charges on worldwide routes, however Southwest is clear about these all through the search course of.

The airline additionally has a incredible customer-friendly refund coverage: You’ll be able to change or cancel any award ticket anytime and get the factors refunded for no charges, even when redeeming for the most affordable Wanna Get Away tickets.

Southwest has a journey portal for worldwide flights on different carriers, however you are usually not going to get as nice a return if you redeem factors that approach. Moreover, you’ll be able to redeem factors on motels, automotive leases or merchandise. Nevertheless, we advocate skipping these choices and utilizing them for Southwest award flights to get probably the most worth out of your factors.

TPG senior author Tarah Chieffi was in a position to make use of Southwest factors to pay for a portion of the price of her journey. She used 37,000 factors to complement her out-of-pocket price of two round-trip tickets to Orlando. Whereas it is not all the time the most effective worth, paying with a mixture of money and factors will be an effective way to successfully use a smaller variety of Southwest factors.

Associated: Methods to redeem Southwest Speedy Rewards factors

Which playing cards compete with the Southwest Efficiency Enterprise Card?

Even in the event you’re a Southwest-loyal enterprise proprietor, the Southwest Efficiency Enterprise card is probably not your best choice.

For extra particulars, see our full record of greatest enterprise bank cards and greatest airline bank cards.

Learn extra: Methods to get a enterprise bank card

Backside line

If you happen to’re a enterprise proprietor who flies Southwest steadily, the Southwest Efficiency Enterprise card is a superb choice. You may get nice worth from its Southwest-specific perks and the excessive welcome bonus.

Nevertheless, you may wish to select a special product in the event you solely often fly Southwest or spend most of your small business funds exterior the cardboard’s bonus classes.

Apply right here: Southwest Efficiency Enterprise Credit score Card

Associated: 9 causes to get a enterprise bank card