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Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Review: A Low-Cost, Introductory Airline Card

Review Updated
Lyle Daly
By: Lyle Daly

Our Credit Cards Expert

Eric McWhinnie
Check IconFact Checked Eric McWhinnie
Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is a travel card that doesn't break the bank. It has a $69 annual fee, making it one of the more affordable airline credit cards. For that, you'll get a solid sign-up bonus and an extra 3,000 points every year. But because of the low cost, it also lacks some of the benefits you'd get with Southwest's other card options. Explore our Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card review for a full breakdown of this card's features.

Ratings Methodology

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Apply Now for Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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= Excellent
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Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Apply Now for Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

21.49%-28.49% variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Receive 3,000 anniversary points each year. Enjoy benefits including 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming, 2 Early Bird Check-In® each year, 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year, and more.

1X-2X points

Annual Fee Circle with letter I in it. N/A

$69

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Earn 50,000 points

  • This card has competitive benefits and bonus offers, and the annual fee is easy on the wallet. However, it gets overshadowed by the other Southwest credit cards that offer more valuable features for the airline's frequent flyers.

    • Sign-up bonus
    • Travel rewards on purchases
    • Yearly points bonus
    • Consumer and travel protections
    • Annual fee
    • Foreign transaction fee
    • Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
    • 3,000 anniversary points each year.
    • Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases.
    • Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
    • Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
    • 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
    • Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
    • Member FDIC

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. Circle with letter I in it. N/A 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on travel purchases 		Up to $300 cash back Circle with letter I in it. Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. 1.5% - 5% cash back Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months

Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months

Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable

Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®

On Chase's Secure Website.

Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for travel and points transfers 		75,000 bonus points Circle with letter I in it. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases Circle with letter I in it. Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. N/A

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular: 21.49%-28.49% Variable

Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

On Chase's Secure Website.

Full Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus review

This credit card is a good fit for: Domestic travelers who fly with Southwest and are looking for the most budget-friendly card option.

Top perks

There are several benefits that come with this Southwest credit card.

50,000 bonus points

Earn 50,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases with this card in the first 3 months. While there are bigger sign-up bonuses out there, this one isn't bad considering the card's low annual fee. It also has a low, easy-to-meet spend requirement.

Up to 2 points per $1

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card earns:

  • 2 points per $1 on Southwest purchases
  • 2 points per $1 on purchases with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
  • 2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
  • 2 points per $1 on internet, cable, and phone services, as well as on select streaming services
  • 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases

Overall, this is a reasonable rewards rate for the annual fee. However, there are other top credit cards that offer more bonus rewards.

RELATED: Best Credit Cards for Streaming Services

3,000 bonus points per year

You'll get a bonus of 3,000 points each account anniversary year. We've done the math and found that Rapid Rewards points are worth about $0.014 to $0.016 each. Using that value, a 3,000-point bonus is worth $42 to $48, wiping out a big chunk of this card's annual fee.

Two Early Bird Check-In credits per year

Each anniversary year, you'll be reimbursed for the purchase of up to two Early Bird Check-In services. Prices otherwise start at $15. An Early Bird Check-In helps you get an earlier boarding position, which is useful with Southwest, since you choose your seat when you board.

25% back on in-flight purchases

When you purchase in-flight drinks or wifi with your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, you'll receive a 25% statement credit. Statement credits appear within one to two billing cycles.

Free one-year DashPass membership

DashPass, the membership service for DoorDash and Caviar, offers a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees for your eligible orders over $12. This Southwest credit card gets you one year free of DashPass. After that, you're automatically enrolled in the service at the monthly rate unless you decide to cancel. To get your free year of service, you must activate the benefit by Dec. 31, 2024.

Travel protections

On eligible travel bookings paid for with your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, you'll get:

  • Lost luggage reimbursement
  • Baggage delay insurance

MORE OPTIONS: Best Airline Credit Cards

Purchase protections

Eligible purchases made on your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card get complimentary purchase protection coverage against damage or theft. This card also offers extended warranty coverage.

What could be improved

If you're thinking about applying for this card, you should also know about its downsides.

Annual fee

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card will cost you $69 per year. That's not very expensive, but it does mean you should consider whether the annual fee is worth it for this card. Assuming you'll use the 3,000 annual bonus points and those two Early Bird Check-In credits, you should come out ahead.

Foreign transaction fee

The most frustrating flaw of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is a 3% foreign transaction fee. Most travel credit cards, especially those with annual fees, don't charge extra for foreign transactions. There are even plenty of no annual fee credit cards without this fee. A top-notch travel card is one that you can take anywhere. Since the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card costs you more on international travel, it's only a good option for domestic trips.

Value compared to other Southwest credit cards

There are two other Southwest credit cards with higher annual fees and better yearly benefits:

Even though these cards cost more, they also offer more annual value. If you can afford to spend more, it's worth comparing credit cards in Southwest's lineup.

Find the best credit card for your needs

Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.

Compare Cards

Suggested credit score

We recommend a 670 or higher FICO® Score to open the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. Consumers who get approved typically have good credit. Keep in mind that your credit score is one of many factors that determines whether your application is a success.

Because this is a Chase credit card, you'll also need to be aware of Chase's 5/24 rule. This rule generally results in an automatic denial if you've opened five or more credit accounts already during the previous 24 months.

LEARN MORE: A Guide to Chase's 5/24 Rule

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is right for you if:

You fly with Southwest Airlines every year and you want an inexpensive credit card that earns Southwest Rapid Rewards® points.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card works best for budget-conscious consumers who only travel domestically. It may be best to check out more credit card reviews or at least consider an upgrade in the future. Other Southwest credit cards offer better perks that more than make up for their annual fees. They also don't have foreign transaction fees, so they won't cost you more on international trips.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • The minimum starting credit limit for the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is $2,000, but some cardholders have gotten limits of $25,000 or more. Your credit limit is determined by multiple factors, most importantly your income and credit history.

  • No, you can't have two Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Cards. You can only apply for the card if you don't currently have any personal Southwest Rapid Rewards® credit cards.

  • Yes, you can use the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. However, it charges a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.

Our Credit Cards Experts

Lyle Daly
By: Lyle Daly

Writer

Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.

Eric McWhinnie
Check IconFact Checked Eric McWhinnie

Eric McWhinnie has been writing and editing digital content since 2010. He specializes in personal finance and investing. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance.