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How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.
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Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card Review

Updated on:
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
LendingTree's Review

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3.4
Southwest<sup>®</sup> Rapid Rewards<sup>®</sup> Premier Business Credit Card
Sign-Up Bonus
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Bonus Points
6,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary
Rewards Rate
Earn 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 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 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It was not reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.

Key Takeaway

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is a good card for business owners who like to fly Southwest and aren’t looking to pay a huge annual fee. It comes with decent airline benefits, but not as many as some other Southwest cards.

Is the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card worth it?

If you’re running a business and find yourself flying on Southwest Airlines routinely, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card would likely be a good card for you. Its high earning rate on Southwest flights, good sign-up bonus, anniversary bonus and Southwest benefits can be worth the reasonable annual fee.

You can earn 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 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 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

Plus, its sign-up bonus lets you earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

However, if you’re looking for even more Southwest benefits, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card might be a better fit for your business.

Quick facts

    • Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
    • 6,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
    • Earn 3X points on Southwest Airlines® purchases.
    • Earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
    • Earn 2X points on rideshare.
    • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
    • 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
    • Member FDIC
  • Recommended Credit
    Credit scores ranges may vary. Your individual chance at approval may vary due to factors such as creditors using a particular variation at their discretion
  • 720 850
    Excellent
  • Path to A-List status
  • Lost luggage reimbursement
  • Baggage delay insurance
  • Purchase protection
  • Extended warranty protection
  • Free employee cards
  • No foreign transaction fees

Intro Purchase APR

N/A

Regular Purchase APR

20.99% - 27.99% Variable

Intro BT APR

N/A

Regular BT APR

20.99% - 27.99% Variable

Annual Fee

$99

Cash Advance Fee

Either $15 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.

Foreign Transaction Fee

$0

Balance Transfer Fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Pros and cons

  • Large sign-up bonus
  • Bonus rewards on a variety of purchases
  • Points are valuable and easy to redeem
  • Anniversary bonus
  • Helps earn the Southwest Companion Pass
  • Two EarlyBird Check-Ins
  • Elite status boost
  • Annual fee
  • Modest rewards on non-travel purchases
  • Limited redemption options
  • No intro APR

What we like about it

  • Large sign-up bonus

    Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. This a fairly large sign-up bonus for an airline card, that can help you get far on southwest Airlines.

    For example, we found a round-trip Wanna Get Away fare from New York to Dallas for 28,480 points.

    It can also help you earn the Southwest Companion Pass (more on that below).

  • Bonus rewards on a variety of purchases

    The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card lets cardholders earn 3 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2 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 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

    This includes Southwest Airlines flights, in-flight purchases, Southwest gift cards and Southwest Vacations® packages, as well as purchases at participating Rapid Rewards hotel and rental car partners.

  • Points are valuable and easy to redeem

    Southwest Rapid Rewards points are more valuable than the average rewards point and Southwest makes them simple to redeem. There are no blackout dates, and you can redeem points for most Southwest flights with seats available. You’ll get a reliable value of around 1.4 cent per point for Wanna Getaway fares. Also, Southwest has a flexible cancellation policy, and will fully refund your points if you need to cancel.

  • Anniversary bonus

    Receive 6,000 bonus points each year after your account anniversary. “Account anniversary year” refers to the year beginning with your account open date through the anniversary of your account open date — and every 12 months after that. This bonus — which is worth around $84 by our estimates — can cover most of your annual fee each year.

  • Helps earn the Southwest companion pass

    The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card can help you earn the highly coveted Southwest Companion Pass. This allows a designated person to fly with you at no cost (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 135,000 points or take 100 one-way flights in a calendar year. All the points that you earn with the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card — including its sign-up bonus — count toward the pass. Also, you can combine the bonus on this card with the bonus from a personal Southwest card, like the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card, to more easily earn the pass.

  • Two EarlyBird Check-Ins

    The card gives you two free EarlyBird Check-Ins per year. With this benefit, you get an automatic check-in before Southwest’s traditional 24-hour check-in. You’ll also get an earlier boarding position. Typically, you have to pay $15 to $25 per passenger on one-way flights, so the free check-ins are worth between $30 to $50 each year.

    This perk is something the higher-annual-fee Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card doesn’t offer.

  • Elite status boost

    The card can help you spend your way to A-list status with Southwest airlines with unlimited Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs). You’ll earn 1,500 tier qualifying points for every $10,000 you spend on your card. A-list status gives you:

    • Priority boarding
    • 25% earning bonus
    • Same-day change with no change in base fare depending on availability
    • Priority and express lanes at Southwest check-in counters and airport security checkpoints

What to watch out for

  • Annual fee

    The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card comes with a $99 annual fee. However, you can add employee cards at no additional cost, plus earn rewards on the purchases your employees make using the card.

  • Modest rewards on non-travel purchases

    While the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card offers more points per $1 spent on Southwest purchases, cardholders only earn 1 point per $1 spent in other popular business spending categories, such as dining, office supplies and wireless services.

  • Limited redemption options

    If you prefer to fly many different airlines, or if your seeking to earn rewards for an international trip, this is not the card for you. You’re restricted to redeeming points on Southwest Airlines if you want to get a good return on them. And, while Southwest has a great domestic flight network, it’s international routes are limited. Also, since Southwest has no airline partners, you can’t travel anywhere beyond its flight network.

    For more flexible options, you’re better off with a general travel card, like the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, that lets you redeem points for travel on any airline.

  • No intro APR

    If you want to finance business and travel expenses and pay them off over time, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card may not be ideal, since it doesn’t offer a 0% intro APR on purchases.

    If you’re looking for a business card with a long intro APR, the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is a good choice. You can access a 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, then a 17.99% - 25.99% Variable APR.

Alternate business travel cards

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card vs. Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

| Disclosures
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Chase's secure site
N/A
20.99% - 27.99% Variable
$199
Earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases. Earn 3 points
  • Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • 9,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
  • Earn 4X pts on Southwest® purchases.
  • Earn 3X points on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners.
  • Earn 2X points on rideshare.
  • Earn 2X points on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services and 1X points on all other purchases.
  • 4 Upgraded Boardings per year when available.
  • Member FDIC
720 850
Excellent

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.


 
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is a tier above the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and is a better value for frequent Southwest flyers.

It has a higher annual fee of $199, but offers a much better value. You’ll get a higher rewards rate on Southwest flights, an anniversary bonus of 9,000 points, four upgraded boardings per year and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit of $100.

You can 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.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card vs. Capital One Spark Miles for Business

| Disclosures
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site
Rates & Fees
N/A
25.74% (Variable)
$0 intro for first year; $95 after that
2 Miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere; 5 Miles per dollar
  • Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
  • Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
  • Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
  • Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
  • $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
  • Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
  • For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
660 720 850
Good / Excellent

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.


 
If you aren’t loyal to Southwest Airlines and want more flexibility on which airlines to use your earned miles on, you may want to look at the Capital One Spark Miles for Business.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business cardholders earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, earn 2 Miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Miles can be redeemed for a variety of travel-related purchases, including flights and hotels. Or you can transfer miles to more than 10 travel partners, including Accor Live Limitless, Air France, Emirates Skywards and JetBlue TrueBlue.

While the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card offers a slightly larger sign-up bonus, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business allows you to earn more miles per dollar spent on general purchases. Additionally, because the Capital One Spark Miles for Business comes with an annual fee of $0 intro for first year; $95 after that, you can try out the card for a full year without a financial commitment (see rates & fees).

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

| Disclosures
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Chase's secure site
N/A
20.74% - 26.74% Variable
$95
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined
  • Earn 90k 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℠
  • Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
  • Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
  • With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
  • Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
  • Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
  • Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
  • Member FDIC
720 850
Excellent

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.


 
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a better choice for travelers who are looking for flexible rewards. You’ll earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Instead of being limited to redeeming these points for Southwest flights, you can transfer your points to Chase’s many airline partners, including Southwest, at a higher value.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card also comes with a valuable rewards rate: Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn.

However, it doesn’t offer airline-specific benefits. But if you solely fly with with Southwest and want perks like the Southwest Companion pass, then the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card could be a better fit.

Is it right for you?

If you regularly travel for business to one of the cities where Southwest Airlines flies, which are mostly in the U.S., the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card could be a good option. In addition to a generous sign-up bonus and annual bonus, the card offers an elevated rewards rate on Southwest purchases — which can help get you that much closer to earning the Southwest Companion Pass and free flights.

But if you’d prefer more flexibility in where you can use your travel rewards, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business or Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card might be better cards for you. With both cards, you can transfer points to many other airlines for a better value.

apply-now-icon Apply Now
on Chase's secure site

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

The information related to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.

The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.