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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

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card Review

Sign-Up Bonus
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Bonus Miles
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 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 may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.

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

If you’re running a business and find yourself flying on Southwest Airlines routinely, you should take a serious look at the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card.

In addition to a valuable sign-up bonus and anniversary bonus, the card offers the ability to earn 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. Southwest Rapid Rewards points can be redeemed for flights, gift cards, hotel stays, car rentals, merchandise and more.

We break down the pros and cons of the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card, as well as show how it compares to another travel rewards card — the Capital One Spark Miles for Business.

Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card overview

    • 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 partners.
    • Earn 2X points on rideshare.
    • 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
    • 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
    • Earn unlimited tier qualifying points towards A-List status.
    720 850
    Excellent
  • First and second checked bags free
  • No change fees (fare difference may apply)
  • Path to A-List status
  • Lost luggage reimbursement
  • Baggage delay insurance
  • Purchase protection
  • Extended warranty protection
  • Free employee cards
  • Foreign transaction fees: None

Intro Purchase APR

N/A

Regular Purchase APR

20.49% - 27.49% Variable

Intro BT APR

N/A

Regular BT APR

20.49% - 27.49% 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

Pros

  • Sign-up bonus
  • Rewards rate
  • Anniversary bonus
  • Southwest Companion Pass
  • Two EarlyBird Check-Ins

Cons

  • Annual fee
  • Modest rewards on non-travel purchases
  • No intro APR

What we like about the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® 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. That can get you far on Southwest Airlines. For example, we found a round-trip Wanna Get Away fare from New York to San Diego for 16,366 points.

    Know that the amount of points required to purchase a ticket is subject to change at any time until the ticket is booked and may vary based on numerous factors, including destination, time, date of travel, demand and fare class. In addition, you cannot use points to purchase special fares, such as senior, infant, child, military and government fares.

  • Rewards rate

    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 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.

  • 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.

  • Southwest Companion Pass

    The points earned from your Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card count toward the highly coveted Southwest Companion Pass, which 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 125,000 points or take 100 one-way flights in a calendar year.

  • Two EarlyBird Check-Ins

    When you use EarlyBird Check-In, 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 (the cost ranges from $15 to $25 per passenger on one-way flights). But withthe Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card, you get two free EarlyBird Check-Ins per year.

What to watch out for with the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

  • 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 related 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.

  • 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.

Alternate business travel card

Compare it to the Capital One Spark Miles for Business

| Disclosures
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
on Capital One's secure site
N/A
25.74% (Variable)
$0 intro for first year; $95 after that
2 Miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere
  • 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 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
  • Fly through security with one statement credit for either the $85 TSA PreCheck® application fee or the $100 Global Entry application fee
  • $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 are 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
Excellent/Good

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.

Miles can be redeemed for flights, hotels, vacation packages and more. Or you can transfer miles to 19 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.

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

Compare the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card to similar cards

Comparison of four different credit cards
Southwest<sup>®</sup> Rapid Rewards<sup>®</sup> Premier Business Credit Card Southwest<sup>®</sup> Rapid Rewards<sup>®</sup> Performance Business Credit Card Capital One Spark Miles for Business Ink Business Preferred<sup>®</sup> Credit Card
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card Capital One Spark Miles for Business Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Read Review
Read Review
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site
Read Review
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. 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 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards Rate
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. 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. 2 Miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere 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.
Annual Fee
$99 $199 $0 intro for first year; $95 after that $95
Intro Purchase APR
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Regular APR
20.49% - 27.49% Variable 20.49% - 27.49% Variable 25.74% (Variable) 20.49% - 25.49% Variable
Recommended Credit
Excellent Excellent Excellent/Good Excellent
Card Details
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card Capital One Spark Miles for Business Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Is the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card right for you?

If you regularly travel for business to one of the cities where Southwest Airlines flies, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card could be a good fit. 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.

But if you’d prefer more flexibility in where you can use your travel rewards, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business may be a better choice. Along with redeeming miles for travel, the card lets you transfer miles to 19 hotel and airline partners.

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.

 

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