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3. Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Plenty of upgrades for loyal flyers

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14

reviews

3.4

Rating: 3.4 out of 5.

Great for maximizing Southwest perks

Annual Fee: $149

This content is curated by Intuit Credit Karma’s Editorial team using data from members who were approved for this card or similar cards, or who self-matched this card or similar cards. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse this content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.

Here’s the average credit limit of members who matched their Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or similar cards.

% of members by credit limit range

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The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $13,855, with $1,000 being the most common.

Here's the average credit score of members who matched their Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or similar cards.

% of members by credit score range

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The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 708, with 810 being the most common. Note this is just one of the deciding factors when it comes to getting approved.

Member stats

Updated daily

29.7%

Average credit utilization (or what percent of the card's credit limit is being used) of members who matched with this card or similar cards.

46 years

Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.

$107,758

Average annual income of members who matched this card or similar cards. Note: Income may be estimated for some members by Credit Karma and may differ from members' actual incomes.

Pros and cons

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No blackout dates for flight redemptions

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Four boarding group upgrades per year, when available

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Annual point bonus and Southwest travel credit

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Costly annual fee

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Only right for frequent Southwest Airlines travelers, as others may not take full advantage of the card’s benefits

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is loaded with features for frequent flyers

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card has numerous features aimed at Southwest flyers chasing the airline’s A-List status. The card also offers the chance for all flyers to earn extra miles and flight credits annually.

Here’s a quick look at the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card’s most standout features — and one notable drawback.

4 upgraded boardings per year

Unlike travelers on many airlines, Southwest flyers only get to pick their seats once they’re already on the plane. If you board late, you may get stuck in a middle seat or be forced to sit apart from your traveling companion. Worse yet, there might not be any room for your carry-on bag in the overhead bins.

Thankfully, when you use the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, you will receive a statement credit for the purchase of up to four upgraded boardings each account anniversary year. The upgrade allows you to board in positions A1 to A15 — the airline’s top boarding group. You can purchase an upgraded boarding online (within 24 hours of your flight) or at the departure gate or ticket counter (on the day of travel only), when available.

Earn tier qualifying points toward A-List status

A-List status is Southwest's version of airline elite status, with benefits including priority boarding and check-in. Traditionally, this status is earned by accruing 35,000 tier qualifying points or flying 25 qualifying one-way Southwest flights in a calendar year.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card gives frequent Southwest flyers a way to speed up the A-List qualification process: Cardholders earn 1,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 in purchases with no limit on the number of qualifying points you can earn.

$75 travel credit and 7,500 bonus Rapid Rewards® points per year

Cardholders get two annual benefits: a $75 Southwest annual travel credit and 7,500 bonus Rapid Rewards® points, which are awarded each cardholder account anniversary.

When you use your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card for purchases (excluding upgraded boardings and in-flight purchases) the travel credit will be automatically applied to your account, and the 7,500 bonus points can be redeemed like any other Rapid Rewards® points.

The sign-up bonus brings real value

If you don’t like to wait for perks, you’ll probably want to take advantage of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card’s sign-up bonus. You’ll earn 50,000 bonus points once you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Rewards

With this card you’ll earn ...

• 3 Rapid Rewards® points per $1 spent on purchases made directly with Southwest Airlines
• 2 points per $1 spent with participating Rapid Rewards® hotel and rental car partners
• 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting
• 2 points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
• 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases

What else you need to know about the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card has additional features worth mentioning for Southwest loyalists. Here’s a quick look.

• There’s no foreign transaction fee, so you can use your credit card abroad without worrying about the 1% to 3% fee that some other cards charge.
• The card offers a 25% statement credit on in-flight purchases of drinks and Wi-Fi.

Understanding your points and redemption options

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card earns Southwest Rapid Rewards® points that can be used for a variety of redemption possibilities.

As with many airline rewards programs, your Rapid Rewards® points can be used to buy flight tickets. Because the prices of airline tickets fluctuate, the value of Southwest Rapid Rewards® points also varies.

But the good news is that you can use these points for any Southwest-operated flight. This means you won’t need to adjust your plans — just book the flight you want with no blackout dates.

You can redeem Southwest Rapid Rewards® points for hotels, car rentals, merchandise and gift cards — but at a less favorable rate. Gift card redemptions generally hover around 1 cent per point or below and should be treated as a last-ditch option for redeeming points.

Who this card is good for

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is great for frequent Southwest flyers. Having the ability to earn points toward A-List status means that you can earn this status more quickly with less flying. Additionally, the statement credit for four upgraded boardings makes it easy for Southwest flyers to secure a better seat and overhead storage space on their way toward A-List status.

However, this card isn’t our top pick for less-frequent travelers. If you only fly Southwest once or twice a year, the upgraded boardings benefit may go to waste. Likewise, the ability to earn extra points toward A-List status is only a worthwhile benefit if you’re already chasing Southwest elite status.

Not sure this is the card for you? Consider these alternatives.

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card:
This card could be the right option for those who travel less frequently and who are still loyal to Southwest Airlines.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card:
This card could be more attractive to frequent travelers who aren’t loyal to one airline.