2020 Review: The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card – Is It The Best Value?
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Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
Our Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
We give the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card three out of five Stars. For a relatively small annual fee, you’ll be able to make your traveling experiences more rewarding, and earn the chance to bring along a friend for a whole year. But it doesn’t quite stack up to the other cards in the Southwest Airlines family.
Why We Like It
- 2X points per dollar for Southwest Airlines and Rapid Rewards purchases
- 3,000 annual bonus points awarded on your account opening anniversary
- 40,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
- Expedites earning the Companion Pass
- No blackout dates for award flights
Why It Could Be Better
- Foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars
- Doesn’t offer much for the annual fee, compared to the other Southwest cards
- Limited benefits
The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card is one of many cards offered through the airline. It’s the lowest annual fee card, but therefore carries the fewest benefits.
It still can be somewhat useful. It’ll help you earn a Companion Pass faster, which is an additional ticket for one person of your choosing to fly with you for an entire year.
Although they have higher annual fees, the other Southwest Airlines cards offer better perks, including travel credits that bring their effective annual fees down.
So for around the same price as this card, you could gain better perks and a travel credit, all the while earning extra points towards a Companion Pass. It’s a good idea to check out the other options before settling on this one.
Here’s an overview of all the cards co-branded with Southwest Airlines:
| Card | Annual Fee | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (This review) | $69 |
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| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card (Review) | $99 |
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| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Review) | $149 |
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| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card | $99 |
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| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card | $199 |
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Insider tip
If you prefer a different airline or don’t want to be tied to one at all, take a look at our favorite travel cards.
Insider Advice: Getting the Most Out of Your Card
- Travel through Southwest: You’ll earn the most points from purchases of Southwest flights and with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners (2X per dollar). That’s how your card will reward you best, so as long as you can’t find a better price elsewhere, be sure to book all of your traveling needs through Southwest.
- Get the Companion Pass: Once you earn 125,000 points or go on 100 one-way flights, you’ll be able to bring a friend with you for a full year. That is a pretty high cap, but the intro bonus of 40,000 bonus points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months could help you get there quicker.
- Happy anniversary: Southwest will award you 3,000 bonus points every year on your cardmember anniversary.
- Redeem your points for airfare: You’ll find the best value for your points when you redeem them for airfare through Southwest.
- Watch the fee when you’re abroad: This card has a foreign transaction fee, so if you plan on leaving the country, you’ll be responsible for 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars when making purchases overseas.
Insider tip
If you do have plans to leave the U.S., there are other travel cards available with no foreign transaction fee, including the other Southwest cards above.
The Rewards
You can earn 2X points per dollar for all purchases made through Southwest Airlines, or with Southwest’s hotel and car rental partners. You’ll get 1X point for everything else.
If you redeem your points through Southwest they’ll likely be worth around 1.3 cents, or more. At that rate, you’ll get a cash back equivalent of around 2.6% for the 2X categories and about 1.3% everywhere else.
Earning
| Spending Rewards |
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| Introductory Bonus Offer |
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The points you earn — whether you’re spending with Southwest or anyone else — will also count towards a Southwest Companion Pass. However, you’ll need to either fly 100 one-way flights or earn 125,000 points in order to unlock it.
That’s a tall order, but if you manage to reach it, every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight, you’ll get a free ticket for a friend or family member. You’ll have the opportunity to take someone along for the remainder of the year you hit the spending cap, and for the full duration of the following calendar year.
The welcome bonus with this card is pretty great, and has a relatively low spending requirement to reach.
There are no limits to the points you can earn.
Redeeming
Your points, on average, are worth about 1.3 cents according to our research, but you might be able to find more (or less) value depending on the flight you’re using them to book. Just like ticket prices, redemption values may fluctuate.
You have a few options available when it comes to how to use your points. You can redeem them for:
- Booking Southwest Airlines flights and international flights on global carriers
- Booking hotels and rental cars through Rapid Rewards partners
- Merchandise, gift cards, and exclusive cardmember experiences
You’ll get the best value when redeeming for flights through Southwest or its travel partners. There are no blackout dates for Southwest award flights.
We found most award flights produce a point value of around 1.3 cents, which isn’t too high but it’s still pretty good.
Southwest Travel Partners
See the travel partners right here.
| Rental Car Partners | Hotel Partners |
|---|---|
| Alamo | Southwest Hotels |
| AVIS | Best Western |
| Hertz | Radisson Rewards |
| Budget | Choice Hotels |
| Dollar Car Rental | Rocketmiles |
| National Car Rental | MGM Resorts International |
| Payless Car Rental | Mariott Bonvoy |
| Thrifty Car Rental | World of Hyatt |
Redeeming Rapid Rewards Points for Flights
Take a look at a few point value calculations we’ve done for different flights, which all come out to around 1.3 cents:
| Flight | Cash | Point Cost | Point Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester to Denver | $481.48 | 36,417 + $5.60 | 1.32 cents |
| Cleveland to Philadelphia | $508.48 | 38,523 + $5.60 | 1.32 cents |
| Orlando to Chicago | $516.48 | 39,147 + $5.60 | 1.32 cents |
| Houston to Phoenix | $578.48 | 43,983 + $5.60 | 1.32 cents |
| Chicago to Indianapolis | $242.48 | 17,775 + $5.60 | 1.36 cents |
How you redeem your points will affect their value, making them worth more or less. If you’re planning your trip far enough ahead, you may be able to wait to book and look for a better deal. If you can’t find a good point value, consider paying with your card and saving your points for later.
The Benefits
The benefits attached to the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus card are minimal unfortunately, but you will gain some useful travel and shopping protections. Some cards will be issued with expanded Visa Signature benefits, while others will be issued the less impressive Visa Platinum benefits. Check the Guide to Benefits that comes with your card to make sure you understand which benefits your specific account has.
- Anniversary points: As an added bonus, Southwest will give you 3,000 points every year on your account’s anniversary.
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Provides coverage for collision damage and theft of eligible rented vehicles, when you decline the rental company’s own insurance
- Roadside Dispatch: Should you ever break down while driving, you can get help like towing and fuel delivery. Third-party fees will apply, however.
- Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered from damage and theft for 120 days, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Extended Warranty Protection: Get an additional year of manufacturer’s warranty on eligible products (if the warranty is three years or less).
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement: If you or a family member suffers damage to your luggage or the carrier loses your bags, you’re covered up to $3,000 per person.
- Baggage Delay Insurance: If your luggage is delayed for more than six hours you’ll be reimbursed for up to $100 per day, for three days, so you can make essential purchases like toiletries.
- Travel Accident Insurance: You’ll be covered for accidental death or dismemberment while traveling for no additional cost, up to $500,000 ($250,000 for Visa Platinum).
- Travel and Emergency Assistance Services: Get help coordinating medical, legal, and travel services while you’re away from home (Visa Signature only).
The Terms & Fees
| Purchase APR | Balance Transfer APR | Cash Advance APR |
|---|---|---|
| 15.99% - 22.99% Variable | 15.99% - 22.99% Variable | 24.99% Variable |
| Annual Fee | Foreign Transaction Fee |
|---|---|
| $69 | 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars |
| Balance Transfer Fee | Cash Advance Fee |
|---|---|
| Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. | Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater. |
| Penalty APR | Late Fee | Returned Payment Fee |
|---|---|---|
| None | None | Up to $38 |
Take note of the foreign transaction fee, which is rare to find on airline cards. If you’re going to be traveling outside the country, it’d be a good idea to consider a travel card that doesn’t carry a fee.
Insider tip
There are other cards in the Southwest Airlines family that you may wish to look at first, like the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Review).
Its annual fee is a bit higher, but it offers a $75 annual travel credit that effectively drops it to $74.
That’s pretty close to what the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card asks, but the Premier offers more cost-saving benefits. It also doesn’t have a foreign transaction fee, so you won’t have to worry about using your card overseas.
The Bottom Line
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card can be pretty rewarding, if you fly with Southwest Airlines. The bulk of its value comes from the ability to expedite the unlocking of a Companion Pass, and earning more points to fund your travels.
It’s probably best used as a beginner travel card, as it doesn’t have very many benefits like travel credits or priority boarding. However, you’d be better off choosing the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Review), which offers more for your money.
But if you like the Plus card and start to travel more often, you could upgrade to better cards in the Southwest Airlines family. For a more sizable annual fee, you’ll get some handy benefits to make your traveling experiences more enjoyable and cost effective.
How Do I Apply for the Southwest Airline Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card?
Just follow the link below. You’ll be able to securely get to the credit card issuer’s site where you can fill out an application. You’ll typically hear back instantly if you’ve been approved or not.
What Credit Scores Do I Need to Qualify?
The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card is designed for people with good credit.
If you’re within 670–739 for FICO or 700–749 for VantageScore, you’re considered to have good credit.
But having good credit doesn’t mean you’re definitely going to get the card. When deciding if you’re eligible for a card or not, credit card issuers take more into account than just your credit scores, like income.
You’ll have a better chance the higher your scores, but even people within the recommended range might not get the card. And, people outside the range still have a shot.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Must be 18 to apply (19 in Alabama/Nebraska, 21 in Puerto Rico)
- Personal identifying information: Birth date, Social Security number
- Address and contact information: Email, phone number, address
- Financial information: Total annual income, source of income, monthly mortgage/rent payment
- Rapid Rewards account number, if available
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I link my Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus credit card to Rapid Rewards?
Include your Rapid Rewards account number when you apply and your credit card account should be linked to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account. Otherwise, you’ll need to contact Chase card services in order to connect your Rapid Rewards Plus card to your Rapid Rewards account.
Take a look at some of the places you’ll earn Rapid Rewards points, and how to get the best value for them.
What are my Southwest points worth?
On average, your points are worth around 1–1.5 cents. Based on our research, you’ll often find a 1.3 cent value when redeeming through Southwest Airlines, or its travel partners.
Will my Southwest points expire?
No, your points won’t expire.
What’s the annual fee of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card?
The annual fee for this card is $69. There are other cards in the Southwest Airlines family with higher fees but greater benefits.
For example, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Review) has an annual fee of $149 but also features an annual $75 travel credit. So that effectively drops the fee to $74, putting it on par with the Rapid Rewards Plus card’s fee but offering stronger perks.
You might find similar situations with some of the other Southwest Airlines credit cards.
Alternatives to the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Details
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Review) is perhaps the best personal credit card in the Southwest Airlines family.
It features stronger benefits than the Rapid Rewards Plus, but has a higher annual fee. However, one of those benefits, along with a larger anniversary point bonus and 20% back on in-flight purchases, is a $75 annual travel credit. That credit effectively drops the Priority’s annual fee to $74.
That’s pretty close to what the Rapid Rewards Plus card asks, but the Priority offers much more. The reward programs are the same, so all of the redemption options outlined above still apply here, which means you’d be getting a better card for practically the same price.
| Spending Rewards |
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| Introductory Bonus Offer |
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- $75 annual Southwest travel credit: Receive a $75 annual travel credit to use to book your flights, Rapid Rewards hotel stays, or car rentals each year.
- 7,500 anniversary points: Every year you’ll receive 7,500 bonus points.
- Four upgraded boardings: Snag an A1–A15 seat, without the hassle. Each anniversary year, you’ll be reimbursed for up to four Upgraded Boardings for A1 through A15 seats. The price of an Upgraded Boarding varies depending on your flight, but usually costs between $30 and $50.
- 20% back on in-flight purchases: You’ll receive 20% back on in-flight Southwest purchases like drinks, meals, entertainment, and WiFi.
- No blackout dates or restrictions: There are no blackout dates or restrictions on award flights.
- Travel protections: Rental car insurance, roadside dispatch, lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, travel accident insurance, and travel and emergency assistance
- Shopping protections: Purchase protection and extended warranty
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 15.99% - 22.99% Variable
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $149
JetBlue Plus Card
Details
securely on the issuer's website
The JetBlue Plus Card is another example of a co-branded airline travel card.
It features higher rewards than the Rapid Rewards Plus card, and is focused on JetBlue. So your points can be earned and redeemed for JetBlue flights, where they could be worth anywhere from 1–1.5 cents in most cases. You’ll get more useful benefits here, like a big in-flight discount and 10% point refund when you redeem for award flights.
It’s hard to say exactly what kind of shopping and travel protections are attached, but they’ll probably end up being similar to the Rapid Rewards card. If you prefer JetBlue, this card can be pretty rewarding and would save you some money.
| Spending Rewards |
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- Anniversary points: Get 5,000 points on the anniversary of your account opening.
- 50% savings on in-flight food and drink: As long as your account is in good standing, you’ll save 50% on your in-flight drinks and snacks.
- 10% point refund for award flights: You’ll get 10% of your points back if you redeem them for a JetBlue award flight.
- Free first checked bag: You and up to three companions will get your first checked bags free of charge.
- $100 statement credit: Every calendar year you purchase a JetBlue vacation package worth $100 or more, you’ll receive a $100 statement credit.
- Purchase APR: 18.24%, 22.24%, or 27.24% Variable
- Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 12 months (for balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening), then 18.24%, 22.24%, or 27.24% Variable
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $99
- Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first 90 days.
- Earn 6X points per $1 on JetBlue purchases, 2X points per $1 at restaurants and grocery stores, and 1X point per $1 on all other purchases.
- Earn 5,000 bonus points every year automatically after your account anniversary.
- Get 10% of your points back every time you redeem.
- No blackout dates on JetBlue-operated flights & redeem for any seat, any time on JetBlue-operated flights.
- Free first checked bag for you and up to three traveling companions.
- 50% savings on eligible inflight purchases like cocktails and food.
- Enjoy TrueBlue Mosaic benefits after you spend $50,000 or more on purchases each calendar year with your card.
- Enjoy a $100 statement credit after purchasing a JetBlue Vacations package of $100 or more with your JetBlue Plus Card.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- $99 annual fee.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Details
securely on the issuer's website
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Review) is an example of a general travel card, not tied to any airline.
The main focus of this card is the reward program, which includes some excellent redemption options. The bonus categories differ quite a bit from the Plus card, and their redemption options are far from equal. The Sapphire Preferred earns on all things travel, and isn’t consigned to a single airline. There’s also a dining category, and you’ll earn 5X points per dollar on Lyft rides.
Through Chase’s Ultimate Rewards portal, your points will be worth 1.25 cents for travel. That’s pretty comparable to what you’d get with the Rapid Rewards card if you redeem through Southwest Airlines. But with the Sapphire Preferred, you can transfer your points to Chase’s travel partners for a much higher value, potentially 2 cents or more, giving you a 4% cash back equivalent or more.
You’ll also gain the Shop through Chase and Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection benefits, both of which could provide more savings than what the Rapid Rewards Plus card offers.
| Spending Rewards |
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Chase boasts a very rewarding program for point redemption, called Chase Ultimate Rewards. While you’ll get a slight bonus (25%) to your point value if you redeem for travel expenses through that program, you can find an even better deal by transferring your points to Chase’s travel partners.
And, one of Chase’s travel partners is Southwest, so even if you choose this card over the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card, you would still be able to redeem your points for Southwest airfare.
- 1:1 point transfer: 1:1 point transfer to leading frequent travel programs at full value – that means 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points equal 1,000 partner miles/points. The travel and hotel partners include Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, United, World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy, and IHG Rewards Club.
- DoorDash membership: You’ll get a free DoorDash membership for at least a year, known as a DashPass. That’ll get you free delivery and reduced service fees for orders over $12.
- Referral bonus points: You can invite friends to apply for the Sapphire Preferred, and for every friend who’s approved you’ll get 15,000 bonus points. You can earn up to 75,000 bonus points per year in this way.
- Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection: The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection is provided by Chase, and includes benefits at over 1,000 locations around the world.
- Shop through Chase: Cardholders can get more points at select retailers with the Shop through Chase marketplace.
- Chase Offers: Receive exclusive offers from a variety of different merchants through Chase.
- Credit Journey: Monitor your VantageScore 3.0 credit score based on your TransUnion credit report, and get advice to improve your credit.
- Visa Signature Concierge: You can call 1-800-953-7392 to speak with your Visa Signature Concierge, 24/7.
- Travel protections: Trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, travel and emergency assistance, travel accident insurance, primary auto rental collision damage waiver, and roadside dispatch
- Shopping protections: Purchase protection and extended warranty protection
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 15.99% - 22.99% Variable
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $95
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel
- Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on orders over $12 for a minimum of one year on qualifying food purchases with DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
- Earn 5X points on Lyft rides through March 2022. That’s 3X points in addition to the 2X points you already earn on travel.
securely on the issuer's website
The Platinum Card® from American Express (Review) is a high-end card that first popularized the high fee, high reward travel card trend.
The annual fee is far greater than what the Rapid Rewards Plus asks, but its benefits far outshine that card as well.
Don’t be intimidated by the large fee; the Platinum Card features several annual credits that can drop it all the way to $50. That’s even less than the Rapid Rewards Plus. The credits include $200 for Uber, $100 for Saks, and $200 for incidental fees on an airline of your choice.
Not only that, but you can earn over double the rewards when you book through Amex Travel. You can also get more for your points when you transfer them to Amex’s travel partners. You could see 2 cents or more, which is far better than the 1.3 cents you’d often get from the Rapid Rewards card.
| Spending Rewards |
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If you can redeem your points for 2 cents or more, you could earn a minimum 10% cash back equivalent in the 5X categories. To do so, transfer your points to Amex’s travel partners and look for a great deal.
- Global Lounge Collection: Cardholders get the best airport lounge access available on a credit card with the Global Lounge Collection, which includes Priority Pass lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Centurion Lounges, and more.
- $200 annual airline fee credit: Every year you can select an airline, and you’ll get a statement credit for up to $200 in incidental fees (like checked bag fees or in-flight meals) charged by that airline.
- $200 annual Uber credit: You’ll get a statement credit for up to $15 in Uber rides each month, except for December, which has a $35 credit.
- $100 annual Saks credit: Up to $100 in statement credits each year for Saks Fifth Avenue: $50 from January through June, and $50 from July through December
- Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit: Get a statement credit for the application fee for either Global Entry ($100 every four years) or TSA PreCheck ($85 every four-and-a-half years).
- Complimentary elite hotel statuses: Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- The Hotel Collection: A $100 hotel credit and room upgrades when available for every eligible two-night stay
- Fine Hotels and Resorts Collection: Book at least two nights from a list of specific hotels and get a room upgrade when available, daily breakfast for two, complimentary WiFi, up to $100 credit for eligible charges when you check out, and more.
- Point transfer: To airline and hotel loyalty programs, like Delta, British Airways, Marriott Bonvoy, and Hyatt (Southwest is not a partner)
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $550
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
- Enjoy VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status available to Basic Card Member only.
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel.
- 5X Membership Rewards points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com.
- Enjoy access to the Global Lounge Collection, the only credit card airport lounge access program that includes proprietary lounge locations around the world.
- Receive complimentary benefits with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts® program at over 1,000 properties. Learn More.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit, up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline.
- Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $550 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
American Express is a Credit Card Insider advertiser.
Is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card your go-to travel companion? How do you like it? Let us know in the comments below!
Read more 5 Southwest Credit Card Offers That Could Help You Fly for FreeFor rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus card will make your flights more rewarding. You’ll get 2X points per dollar on purchases made with Southwest Airlines and its Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, and 1X point everywhere else.
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