The Southwest card makes sense if you fly Southwest regularly and spend enough to earn a free flight each year

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card comes in two versions — the standard card and the Priority card — and whether it pays for itself depends almost entirely on how often you fly Southwest and what you spend on the card outside of flights.

The standard card charges no annual fee. The Priority card charges $99 per year. Both earn points on every purchase: 2 points per dollar on Southwest flights and at Southwest.com, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. You need 25,000 points for a free one-way flight in most markets, though some routes cost more during peak travel times.

The card also includes a sign-up bonus — typically 40,000 to 60,000 points after you spend a set amount in the first few months. That bonus alone covers one free flight on most routes, which means the card pays for itself on day one if you were already planning to meet that spending threshold.

Key Takeaways

  • The standard Southwest card has no annual fee, so there is no cost to keep it open even if you do not use it for a year.
  • A sign-up bonus of 40,000 to 60,000 points typically covers one free one-way flight, meaning the card breaks even when ready if you meet the spending requirement.
  • You need to earn at least one free flight per year from card spending and bonuses to justify keeping the Priority card, which costs $99 annually.
  • The card's value drops sharply if you do not fly Southwest regularly or if you book through third-party sites instead of Southwest.com.

When the sign-up bonus covers the entire value

Most people who open a Southwest card do so for the sign-up bonus, not the ongoing rewards. The bonus typically requires you to spend $2,000 to $3,000 in the first three months. If you were already planning to spend that amount on a credit card anyway — groceries, gas, subscriptions, travel — then the bonus is essentially information programs in the form of a flight.

That bonus alone is worth roughly $150 to $250 in flight value, depending on the routes you fly. If you close the card after earning the bonus, you come out ahead. Many people treat Southwest cards this way: open it, hit the bonus, book a flight, then move on.

The risk is that Southwest's sign-up bonuses change frequently, and the card issuer (Chase) sometimes lowers them during slow travel seasons. If you are considering opening the card, check the current bonus on Chase's website before you explore, because the bonus you see in an advertisement may not match what you actually receive.

The math on the standard card with no annual fee

The standard card costs nothing to keep open, so the question is whether your everyday spending generates enough points to earn a free flight each year. At 1 point per dollar on non-Southwest purchases, you would need to spend $25,000 per year on the card to earn one free flight. That is roughly $2,100 per month.

If you spend that much on the card and fly Southwest at least once a year, the card likely pays for itself. You earn a free flight worth $150 to $250, which exceeds the zero annual fee. If you spend less than $25,000 per year on the card, or if you never fly Southwest, the card offers no advantage over a general-purpose rewards card.

The standard card also earns 2 points per dollar on Southwest flights themselves. If you book directly through Southwest.com and pay with the card, you earn points on the ticket price, which accelerates your path to the next free flight. This benefit disappears if you book through a third-party site like Google Flights or Kayak, because those sites do not report the purchase to Southwest's rewards program.

The Priority card requires higher spending to justify the $99 fee

The Priority card costs $99 per year and includes a few perks beyond the standard card: priority boarding on every Southwest flight, a free checked bag on every flight, and a $75 statement credit toward Southwest purchases once per year. The statement credit effectively reduces the annual fee to $24, since you can use it on a flight, seat upgrade, or baggage fee.

To justify the $99 fee (or $24 after the statement credit), you need to earn at least one additional free flight per year compared to what you would earn with the standard card. That means you need to spend roughly $25,000 per year on the card, plus fly Southwest enough times to use the priority boarding and free checked bag benefits.

The Priority card makes sense if you fly Southwest more than three or four times per year and check a bag regularly. Each free checked bag is worth $35 to $70 per flight, depending on whether it is your first or second bag. If you check a bag on four flights per year, that benefit alone is worth $140 to $280, which covers the annual fee several times over. If you fly Southwest once or twice per year, the Priority card is not worth the cost.

How the card compares to other airline cards

Southwest cards compete mainly with cards from other airlines — United, American, Delta — and with general-purpose rewards cards that earn cash back or flexible points. The key difference is that Southwest cards lock you into one airline, while a cash-back card lets you book any airline and spend your rewards however you want.

If you are loyal to Southwest because of its route network, low fares, or free checked bags, a Southwest card makes sense. If you are indifferent between airlines and book based on price, a 2% cash-back card like the Citi Double Cash or Chase Freedom Unlimited will give you more flexibility. You can earn cash back on any purchase and use it toward any airline, which is more valuable than points locked into Southwest's program.

Southwest cards also do not offer travel protections like trip delay reimbursement or lost luggage coverage that some premium airline cards include. If you value those protections, compare the full benefit package, not just the rewards rate.

Red flags that the card is not right for you

The Southwest card is a poor fit if you book through third-party travel sites instead of Southwest.com. Sites like Kayak, Google Flights, and Expedia do not report your purchase to Southwest's rewards program, so you earn no points on the ticket. You only earn points on the card's base rate (1 point per dollar) if you use a third-party site, which is the same as any other credit card.

The card is also not worth it if you fly Southwest fewer than once per year, or if you live in a city where Southwest does not operate. Southwest's route network is strong on West Coast and Texas routes but thinner in the Northeast and Midwest. If your nearest Southwest airport is a connecting hub rather than a direct flight, the card's value drops.

Finally, the card is not a good choice if you are trying to minimize the number of credit cards you carry or if you are concerned about hard inquiries on your credit report. Opening a new card triggers a hard inquiry, which can temporarily lower your credit score by a few points. If you already have several cards open, the benefit of a Southwest card may not justify the inquiry.

How to decide: a straightforward framework

Start with the sign-up bonus. If you can meet the spending requirement in the first three months and you plan to fly Southwest at least once in the next year, open the card. The bonus alone makes it worth it.

Next, decide between the standard and Priority versions. If you fly Southwest more than three times per year and check a bag regularly, the Priority card's benefits (priority boarding, free checked bag, $75 annual credit) likely cover the $99 fee. If you fly fewer than three times per year, stick with the standard card.

Finally, estimate your annual spending on the card. If you spend more than $25,000 per year on the card and fly Southwest at least once annually, the ongoing rewards will earn you a free flight each year, which justifies keeping the card open. If you spend less than that, close the card after the first year and reopen it later when you are ready to earn another sign-up bonus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the sign-up bonus on a flight I already booked?

No. Points must be in your account before you book the flight. Once you earn the bonus, you can use it on any future booking, but you cannot explore it retroactively to a flight you already paid for. Plan your card opening around your travel schedule, not the other way around.

What happens to my points if I close the card?

Your points stay in your Southwest Rapid Rewards account. Closing the card does not erase your points balance. You can use them on future flights even after you close the card, so there is no penalty for canceling after the first year.

Does the card earn points on seat upgrades or baggage fees?

Yes. Any purchase you make through Southwest.com or at the airport — including seat upgrades, baggage fees, and in-flight purchases — earns points at the same rate as a flight ticket. This can add up if you regularly upgrade or check multiple bags.

Is the Priority card worth it if I only fly once per year?

Probably not. The $99 annual fee is hard to justify on a single flight per year, even with the free checked bag and priority boarding. Stick with the standard card, which has no annual fee, and use the Priority card only if your travel frequency increases.

Can I earn the sign-up bonus twice?

Chase typically allows you to earn a sign-up bonus once every 24 months per card product. You can open the standard card, earn the bonus, close it, and reopen it two years later for another bonus. However, Chase's rules change, so check their current policy before planning a second process.