Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card Review: Elevate Your Business Travel With Solid Rewards and Perks

Annual fee: $299

Regular purchase APR: 19.99% - 28.49% Variable

Foreign transaction fee: $0

Sign-up bonus: Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Rewards: 1X - 4X points

• Earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases.
• Earn 2 points per $1 spent on gas station and restaurant purchases.
• Earn 2 points per $1 spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel.
• Earn 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
• Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Other benefits:

• 9,000 anniversary points on your cardmember anniversary
• First checked bag free for cardmembers and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation on eligible Southwest flights
• Preferred or standard seat at booking for no additional charge for you and eight additional passengers on the same reservation when available on eligible Southwest flights<
• Unlimited upgrades to an extra legroom seat within 48 hours before departure for you and eight additional passengers on the same reservation when available on eligible Southwest flights<
• Group 5 boarding for you and eight additional passengers on the same reservation on eligible Southwest flights<
• 2,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually
• 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points bonus every year
• 25% off in-flight purchases
• Up to $120 Global Entry/Nexus/TSA PreCheck® credit

Recommended credit: Excellent

• Generous sign-up bonus

  The Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card currently offers a very generous sign-up bonus: Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

  That’s the highest sign-up bonus among co-branded Southwest credit cards. If you have a business trip coming up and you’ll use the card’s other benefits, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card could be valuable. Note that these points count toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass® (more on that below).

  → See the biggest credit card sign-up bonuses.

• High rewards rate on Southwest purchases

  Along with the sign-up bonus, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card offers the highest rewards rate on Southwest purchases of the two Southwest business cards. You’ll earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on gas station and restaurant purchases. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

  The rewards rate is valuable, but not much different from other Southwest credit cards. So unless you’re flying very frequently, the higher rewards rate may not be worth the annual fee for you and your business.

  Tip: If you’re aiming to earn points for Southwest flights, you should consider non-branded cards like the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card and Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ (see rates & fees)
  . These cards earn flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, which can be transferred to Southwest.

  → Learn more about transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.

• First checked bag free

  The Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card offers a first checked bag free on eligible Southwest flights for you and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation. A checked bag normally costs $35, so if you regularly fly with several companions, these savings can add up quickly.

• Large anniversary bonus

  Cardholders receive 9,000 bonus points each year on their cardmember anniversary. In comparison, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card, only offers 6,000 bonus anniversary points.

  This bonus is worth around $126* in airfare by our estimates, so it can cover a large part of the annual fee each year.

  *Based on LendingTree’s value methodology

• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck®/NEXUS credit

  You’ll receive a statement credit of up to $120 every four years for either Global Entry, Nexus or TSA PreCheck®. This is a great perk that can cover up much of the card’s $299 annual fee if you’re already paying for this benefit.

  LendingTree survey: Is Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® worth it?

  9 in 10 enrollees (89%) say expedited screening is worth the money, according to a recent LendingTree survey.

  

• Elite status boost

  You can earn 2,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent — with no limit on the amount of TQPs you can earn. This is a step above the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card, which only earns 2,000 TQPs per $5,000 spent.

  A-List status comes with perks, including:

  • Priority boarding*
  • Preferred or standard seat at booking when available and an extra legroom seat within 48 hours of departure when available to help you save on seating fees*
  • 25% earning bonus on every qualifying flight
  • First checked bag free, second checked bag $35
  • Same-day standby (taxes and fees may apply)/li>
  • Priority and express lanes at Southwest check-in counters and airport security checkpoints
  *For flights on or before Jan. 26, 2026

• Earn the Southwest Companion Pass®

  The points earned from your Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card count toward the coveted Southwest Companion Pass®, which allows a designated person to fly with you for free (except taxes and fees) each time you purchase or redeem points for a Southwest flight for a full calendar year, plus the remainder of the year in which you earned it. To qualify for the Companion Pass®, you must earn 135,000 points or take 100 one-way flights in a calendar year.

  With the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card, you’ll earn 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points bonus every year. Your sign-up bonus also contributes to the points requirement for the Companion Pass®. Plus, if you combine your points with a sign-up bonus from a Southwest consumer card, you can earn all the points you need in a year.

• Save on seating fees

  The Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card lets you pick your seat on eligible Southwest flights — and possibly even score an extra legroom seat — for no fee. You’ll get a complimentary Preferred or standard seat for you and eight additional passengers at the time of booking. And you’re eligible for unlimited upgrades to an extra legroom seat within 48 hours before departure for you and eight additional passengers on the same reservation when available.

  The seat upgrades are a new feature for the card, so it’s not clear yet how often the upgrades are available. However, it’s a unique benefit, so this may be a good fit for you if you value having extra legroom.

• Additional Southwest Airlines benefits

  The Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card comes with several other Southwest Airlines perks to help you save, including:

  • 25% off in-flight purchases
  • 9,000 anniversary points on your cardmember anniversary
  • Group 5 boarding for you and eight additional passengers on the same reservation

• Annual fee

  At $299, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card’s annual fee is on the high side — especially when compared with the annual fees of the other consumer Southwest Rapid Rewards cards. If you use the perks like the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck®/Nexus fee credit, you can more than make up for the annual fee in the first year.

  The fee is a bit lower compared to similar cards like the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card (see rates & fees). But the card also lacks all the extra perks and credits that most mid-tier airline cards offer to justify their high fees.

• Limited flight locations

  Because Southwest Airlines flies to a limited number of destinations, it may not be the most convenient airline for your travel needs. But keep in mind that Southwest adds new flight destinations from time to time. To see where Southwest Airlines flies, visit their route search tool here.

• Rewards aren't very flexible

  The most valuable way to use your Southwest points is on Southwest flights. Unlike general business travel cards, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card doesn’t have a wide variety of hotel and airline transfer partners. Outside of Southwest flights, you can redeem points for some merchandise, international flights operated by other airlines, hotel stays, gift cards and rental cars, but the value is poor.

  → Learn more about Southwest Rapid Rewards

Southwest’s business card portfolio also includes the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card. Both cards offer bonus points on Southwest Airlines purchases. However, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card has a lower annual fee ($149), anniversary bonus (6,000 miles) and initial sign-up bonus.

If you don’t need the extra TQPs or complimentary seat upgrades, it’s likely a better fit than the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card. You’ll get mostly the same perks, including a first checked bag free and 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points.

	Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card	Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Annual fee	$299	$149
Rewards rate	1X - 4X points Earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on gas station and restaurant purchases. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.	3X points Receive 6,000 anniversary points each year. Enjoy benefits including 3X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases, First checked bag free, 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points boost each year, and more.
Sign-up bonus	80,000 points Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	60,000 points Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Anniversary points	9,000	6,000
Upgrade to extra legroom seat	48 hours before departure	N/A
Complimentary seat assignment	At booking	Up to 48 hours before departure
Tier qualifying points	2,500 for every $5,000 spent	2,000 for every $5,000 spent
Other benefits	First checked bag free Group 5 boarding 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points every year 25% back on in-flight purchases Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or Nexus fee credit	First checked bag free Group 5 boarding 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points every year 25% back on in-flight purchases 15% promo code on your anniversary

Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card vs. Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card is a $350 annual fee card that packs a ton of value for business owners who fly with Delta frequently (see rates & fees).

It comes with a generous welcome offer and rewards rate on Delta flights. Plus, it comes with several perks and credits, including:

• An annual companion certificate for one select flight for just the taxes and fees (baggage charges and other restrictions apply)
• Up to $200 Delta Stays statement credit after using your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays
• Up to $120 Resy credit for eligible purchases*
• Up to $120 rideshare credit via $10 back each month on select U.S. rideshare purchases*
• Up to $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® credit every four years

If you’re looking for more credits and benefits, the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card is likely a better fit for you. Despite its slightly higher annual fee, it’s easy to make up for it with its practical credits.

---

 

Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card vs. Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card is a business travel credit card that isn’t tied to any specific hotel or airline brand. You can transfer your points to any of Chase’s transfer partners — including Southwest — and often boost the value of your points.

One of the best features of this card is its sign-up bonus: Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900* cash back or $1,125* toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.

That alone could more than make up for the $95 annual fee, depending on how you redeem it. You won’t get airline perks like free checked bags. But you will get more flexible and valuable points that you can use for Southwest flights.

If you’re a Southwest loyalist who wants the best seating on Southwest Airlines and wants to earn TQPs at the highest rate possible, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card is the best choice. If your business can meet the required minimum spending to earn the sign-up bonus, you’ll also earn a large number of points that can help you earn the Southwest Companion Pass®.

However, if you’re less concerned about seat assignments, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card offers many of the same benefits, including free checked bags and Group 5 boarding, for a lower annual fee. And, if you’re just looking to earn points for Southwest flights, you should consider the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card, which lets you transfer points to Southwest and offers more flexibility.

We take a comprehensive, data-driven approach to identify the best travel cards. We use an objective rating and ranking system that evaluates over 200 credit cards from more than 50 issuers. All recommendations are made by LendingTree’s editorial team, completely independent of affiliate partnerships or compensation. Every card is selected based on its merit and ability to help people achieve their financial goals. We use the following criteria to make our picks:

• Average value over two years (80% of rating): We calculate the value of rewards and perks for the average cardholder using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and an annual spend of $20,000, minus the annual fee. This value includes the card’s sign-up bonus, annual bonus (including free night certificates) and travel perks like lounge access and travel credits. We look at the average rewards earned over two years to balance out a card’s ongoing value with its first-year value.
• Flexibility of rewards (15% of rating): We consider how easy the rewards are to use, looking at factors like expiration dates, minimum thresholds to redeem, blackout dates and the availability of flexible redemption options like travel statement credits and cash back.
• Other features (5% of rating): We also compare a card’s benefits, such as purchase protections, travel protections and elite status benefits against benefits from other cards.