For small business owners who fly with Southwest Airlines often, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Card is worth a look. It comes with a high-value welcome offer, decent rewards for Southwest loyalists, and several airline-focused perks. But it also has a $99 annual fee, so you need to ensure you’ll get enough value from it to recoup that cost.

This Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card review will provide an in-depth look at this card’s features, pros, and cons so you can decide if it’s right for you.

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Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

• Annual fee
  $99
• Welcome offer
  Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
• Card type(s)
  Travel, Airline, Business
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  20.99% - 27.99% Variable
• Recommended credit score
  Excellent Credit

• Rewards rate
  • 3x on Southwest purchases
  • 2x on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
  • 2x on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
  • 1x on all other purchases

• Benefits
  • 6,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary
  • 2 EarlyBird Check-In each year

How to earn rewards

The easiest way to get big value from the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card is to spend enough to earn its valuable welcome bonus. You can earn 60,000 points once you spend $3,000 within the first three months.

To reach the $3,000 threshold within three months, you’ll need to spend around $1,000 on your card each month. But if you spend that amount anyway as part of your regular budget, earning the welcome offer is worth your time. It’s valued at around $600, which easily offsets the $99 cost of this card during the first year.

Besides earning the bonus, you’ll need to fly Southwest regularly to maximize your rewards with this card. Qualifying Southwest purchases will net you 3X points per $1 spent, and you’ll earn 2X points on hotel and rental car purchases through Rapid Rewards partners.

That said, general purchases also earn bonus rewards. For instance, you can get 2X points on every $1 spent on commuting, rideshare, and local transit purchases. This could be a great opportunity to earn extra points if you rely on public transportation to get to and from work daily.

All other qualifying purchases you make with your card will net you 1X points per $1 spent.

How to redeem rewards

You can redeem points for flights on Southwest-operated airlines for yourself or a companion. Simply choose the pay with points option when booking airline tickets via the Rapid Rewards program. You can also use a combination of cash and points if your rewards balance isn’t enough to cover the full cost of a flight.

You won’t get much flexibility in terms of redemptions with this card, so if you’d rather use your rewards for other things, a general travel card is probably a better choice.

Learn more: Are travel credit cards worth it?

Additional benefits

Southwest perks

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business cardholders get two free Early-Bird check-ins each anniversary year. This flight add-on allows you to check into a flight before the standard 24-hour window and get a better boarding position. You’ll also get 25% back (as a statement credit) on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi purchases made with your card.

The points you earn with your card can help you earn the famous Southwest Companion Pass benefit. If you accumulate 135,000 points or make 100 eligible flights during a calendar year, you can qualify for the Companion Pass, which allows you to bring a companion with you on Southwest flights for the cost of taxes and fees; their actual fare is free.

Bonus points

If you decide to keep your card long-term, which could be a good move for frequent Southwest fliers, you’ll get 6,000 bonus points annually on your cardmember anniversary.

Faster elite status

With this card, you’ll earn 1,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) for each $5,000 you spend in a year. These TQPs can help you work toward Southwest A-List or A-List Preferred status, which gives you benefits like same-day flight changes and priority boarding. You’ll need 35,000 TQPs or 20 eligible flights to earn A-List status and 70,000 TQPs or 40 eligible flights to earn A-List Preferred status.

Reimbursed transfer fees

If you opt to transfer your points to another Rapid Rewards member, there could be fees associated with the transfer. Fortunately, Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business cardmembers can get reimbursements of up to $500 in a given year.

No foreign transaction fees

You won’t pay any extra fees when you buy things abroad using your card, as it has no foreign transaction fees. This can come in handy if you’re a frequent international traveler.

Complimentary DashPass

Cardholders get one free year of DashPass, which offers unlimited deliveries with Caviar and Doordash, $0 delivery fees, and lower service fees (when eligible.) You must enroll by Jan. 31, 2025 to get this benefit; after the first year, you’ll be charged for DashPass membership at the regular monthly rate unless you cancel.

After you activate your DashPass membership, you’ll also get up to $10 in quarterly statement credits for eligible non-restaurant DoorDash orders charged to your card.

Free employee cards

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business cardmembers can get employee cards with no extra annual fee cost. You can set spending restrictions on employee cards if you prefer.

Who is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card best for?

If Southwest is your preferred airline for business travel, this card could be ideal for your wallet. Its affordable annual fee, generous bonus, rewards structure, and array of perks make it a great choice. If you fly a lot for work, you could quickly rack up Rapid Rewards points — all of which can be used towards an enviable companion pass on the airline.

Those who aren’t loyal to Southwest or prefer a card with miles that can be redeemed with multiple airlines should look elsewhere.

Learn more: Which credit card is best for me? A guide to help you choose

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card pros

• Lucrative welcome bonus

• Generous rewards

• Several Southwest-focused perks

• Free employee cards

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card cons

• Has annual fee

• No 0% introductory APR offer

• Limited reward redemptions

Where can you use Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card ?

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card is part of the Visa payment network, which means you can use it wherever Visa cards are accepted. This is good news because Visa is accepted mostly everywhere—in over 200 countries and territories.

How to make a Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card payment

• Online via your Chase account

• By phone: 1-800-436-7958

• At a local Chase branch

• Through the Chase mobile app

• By mail:
  Cardmember Services
  P.O. Box 6294
  Carol Stream, IL 60197-6294

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card customer service info

If you need help with your card, you can get in touch with Chase’s customer service team by calling 1-800-432-3117 or by messaging the bank through its social media profiles on Instagram or Facebook. You can also log into the Chase portal for assistance.

Alternative cards to consider

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card may not be the right choice if you’re looking for a small business credit card but aren’t loyal to Southwest. Here are some excellent alternatives to consider before you apply.

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Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

• Annual fee
  $95
• Welcome offer
  Earn 90,000 points after spending $8,000 in first 3 months (that's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠)
• Card type(s)
  Business, Travel
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  20.74% - 26.74% Variable
• Recommended credit score
  Good, Excellent

• Rewards rate
  • 3x on the first $150,000 spent each account anniversary year in the following categories: shipping purchases; advertising purchases via social media sites and search engines; internet, cable, and phone services; and travel
  • 1x on all other purchases with no earning cap

• Benefits
  • Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more
  • Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel
  • Covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account

Why we like it: If you’re looking for more flexibility with rewards redemptions, the Chase Ink Business Preferred is an excellent choice. You can use your rewards for flights with several carriers, hotel reservations, car rentals, and more through Chase Travel. Redemptions even get a 25% boost when you redeem points for travel through Chase. Gift cards and statement credits are also options.

With this Chase credit card, you can earn a valuable welcome bonus, plus get 3X points on up to $150,000 combined shipping; social media and search engine advertising; internet, cable, and phone services; and travel purchases each year.

Read our full review of the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.

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Capital One Spark Miles for Business

• Annual fee
  $0 for the first year, then $95
• Welcome offer
  Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 within the first 3 months
• Card type(s)
  Business, Travel
• Purchase APR
  25.74% variable
• Recommended credit score
  Good, Excellent

• Rewards rate
  • 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 2x miles on all other purchases

• Benefits
  • Get a statement credit of up to $120 to cover the application fee for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry
  • Transfer your miles to more than 15 travel partners
  • Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad

Why we like it: The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is another great choice if you’re seeking flexibility. As with the Ink Business Preferred, you can redeem your rewards for flights with several airlines, car rentals, hotel reservations, and more with Capital One Travel.

Get 5X miles on prepaid hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other qualifying purchases. You’ll pay a $0 introductory annual fee your first year, then a $95 annual fee afterward.

Read our full review of the Capital One Spark Miles for Business.

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United℠ Business Card

• Annual fee
  $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
• Welcome offer
  Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months
• Card type(s)
  Travel, Airline, Business
• Ongoing Purchases APR
  21.49% - 28.49% Variable

• Rewards rate
  • 7x total miles on United flights: Earn 5x miles as a United as a MileagePlus member, plus 2x miles with the United Business Card
  • 3x miles on hotel stays booked through United Hotels
  • 2x miles on other United purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting
  • 1x miles on all other purchases

• Benefits
  • $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
  • Receive a 5,000-mile "better together" bonus each anniversary when you have both the United Business Card and a personal Chase United credit card
  • Enjoy a free first checked bag, 2 United Club one-time passes per year, and priority boarding privileges

Why we like it: If United Airlines is your preferred carrier, the United Business Card could be an excellent choice. New cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months. You can also get up to 7X miles on United flights (and 2X on other United purchases); up to 3X miles on hotel stays booked through United Hotels; 2X miles at gas stations, office supply stores, on dining, and on local transit; and 1X miles on all other eligible purchases.

Besides generous rewards, you’ll also get United-focused perks like priority boarding, your first checked bag free, two complimentary United Club lounge passes annually, $100 in United travel credits after purchasing seven flights over $100 each anniversary year, and more.

This article was edited by Kendall Little

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