If you are a business owner who frequently travels to locations serviced by Southwest Airlines, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card should be on your radar.

Along with providing a generous sign-up bonus, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card offers accelerated rewards earning in popular business spending categories, such as internet, cable and phone services.

We breakdown the pros and cons of the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card, as well as show how it compares with Southwest Airlines’ other business rewards card.

• 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.

• Rewards rate

  Along with the sign-up bonus, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card offers rewards on everything you buy: Earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest^® purchases. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

• Anniversary bonus

  Cardholders receive 9,000 bonus points each year on their cardmember anniversary.

• 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 up to two years. To qualify for the Companion Pass, you must earn 125,000 points or take 100 one-way flights in a calendar year.

• Annual fee

  At $199, 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 (which currently range from $69 to $149 per year). However, when compared to the annual fees of some premium business credit cards — which can be as high as $595 — this card’s fee appears much more reasonable.

• Spend threshold required to earn bonus

  The Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card’s generous sign-up bonus comes at a high price. Cardholders will have to spend an average of $1,667 in charges each month for three months to meet the required spend for the bulk of the bonus or $5,000 a month for six months to meet the spending requirement to get the full bonus.

• 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. For example, it added select destinations to Hawaii in March 2019. To see where Southwest Airlines flies, visit their route search tool here.

Compare it to the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card

Along with the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card, Southwest’s business card portfolio 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 ($99), anniversary bonus (6,000 miles) and sign-up bonus — earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Keep in mind, though, that you will be required to spend much less in the first three months to earn the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card‘s sign-up bonus.

For ongoing rewards, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card offers the following: Earn 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car partners. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

If you’re a Southwest Rapid Rewards loyalist who wants to earn the most amount of points in a short period of time and your business is able to meet the required minimum spending to earn the signup bonus, the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card is the best choice. But if your goal is to get a Southwest business card but spend less money upfront, the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card could be a better fit.

The information related to Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Cardhas been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.