Current offer
Earn 80,000 points
After spending $5,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. Offer terms apply.
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See how this card stacks up side by side.
Current offer
Earn 80,000 points
After spending $5,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. Offer terms apply.
The point.me verdict
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Card is the top business tier and strongest seat play: a free preferred or standard seat at booking and a free extra-legroom seat 48 hours out. Add the free checked bag, group 5 boarding, A-List and Companion Pass through spend, and the widest bonus categories of any Southwest card. The $299 fee suits high-spending loyalists.
What we love
- Free preferred or standard seat at booking plus free extra-legroom seat within 48 hours of departure
- Widest bonus categories of any Southwest card: 2x gas, dining, transit/rideshare, and hotels booked direct
- Free checked bag and group 5 boarding for you and up to 8 on the reservation
- Earns A-List and Companion Pass through business spend, plus 9,000 anniversary points
What we don't
- High $299 annual fee, double the Premier Business card
- Earning is solid but not the strongest; heavy spenders can out-earn it elsewhere on the same categories
Southwest Rapid Rewards
Southwest Rapid Rewards points can only be used on Southwest-operated flights, since the airline does not maintain any partnerships with other carriers when it comes to award tickets. As a result, this program has a notable blind spot when it comes to travel outside the United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, which limits its usefulness for members focused on international travel.
Rewards on this card
- 4xSouthwest® purchases
- 2xGas stations
- 2xRestaurants
- 2xHotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
- 2xLocal transit and commutingIncludes rideshare
- 1xAll other eligible purchases
Card Benefits
Discover the perks included with this card, on top of what you earn.
- $430
Free Checked Bag
First checked bag is free for Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.
- $108
Anniversary Bonus Points
Earn 9,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary each year.
- $50
Priority Boarding (Group 5)
Cardmembers and up to 8 passengers in the same reservation will board with Group 5, giving earlier access to overhead bins.
Dollar values shown are estimates used to calculate the card’s first-year value, not the actual value of each benefit.
See what you’d earn
Set your monthly spend to see what you’d earn in year one, and what it’s worth.
Assumes caps apply per year and capped spend falls back to the base rate.
107,600 pts ≈ $1,291
Your first year in annual value