Link: Apply now for the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card or the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Chase and Southwest Airlines offer a number of co-branded credit cards, including two business cards. In this post, I wanted to compare the two business cards. While they have a lot of overlap, there are also some big differences. So which is the most lucrative?
Southwest Business Credit Cards Comparison
The Southwest Premier Business Card with an annual fee of $99 and the Southwest Performance Business Card with an annual fee of $199 are Southwest’s two business cards.
Both offer lucrative perks, but still have very different value propositions. Let me start by saying that both earn Rapid Rewards points, Southwest’s revenue-based currency that can be redeemed for a seat on any flight operated by the airline. Additionally, the welcome bonuses as well as spending on both cards count toward the Companion Pass, one of the best deals in travel.
Let’s go through the basics of these two cards.
Southwest Premier Business Card Basics
Here are the details of the Southwest Premier Business Card with an annual fee of $99:
- The card offers a welcome bonus of up to 120,000 points – you’ll earn 60,000 points when you spend $3,000 within three months and another 60,000 points when you spend a total of $15,000 within nine months.
- The card offers 3x points on purchases at Southwest, 2x points on purchases at Rapid Rewards hotels and car rental partners, 2x points on local transit and commuting, and 1x points on all other purchases
- The card offers 6,000 anniversary bonus points every year with no spending requirement
- The card offers 25% off beverages and Wi-Fi purchases on board Southwest
- The card offers two EarlyBird check-ins per anniversary year, which can help secure a better boarding position
- The card allows you to achieve A-List elite status, as you will earn 1,500 A-List Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) for every $5,000 you spend.
Read a full review of the Southwest Premier Business Card.
Southwest Performance Business Card Basics
Here are the details of the Southwest Performance Business Card with an annual fee of $199:
- The card offers a welcome bonus of up to 120,000 points – you’ll earn 80,000 points if you spend $5,000 within three months and another 40,000 points if you spend a total of $15,000 within nine months.
- The card offers 4x points on purchases at Southwest, 3x points on purchases at Rapid Rewards hotels and car rental partners, 2x points on social media and search advertising, internet, cable, phone services, and transit and commuting, and 1x points on all other purchases
- The card offers 9,000 anniversary bonus points every year, with no spending requirement
- The card offers an incredible in-flight Wi-Fi benefit that allows you to earn Wi-Fi credits up to 365 times a year, each worth up to $8 (that’s how much Southwest charges for Wi-Fi per segment).
- The card offers four upgraded boardings per anniversary year, which can secure you a seat in boarding position A1-15, subject to availability.
- The card allows you to achieve A-List elite status, as you will earn 1,500 A-List Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) for every $5,000 you spend.
- The card offers a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit every four years
Read a full review of the Southwest Performance Business Card.
How to choose between Southwest business credit cards
How would I choose between the Southwest Premier Business Card and the Southwest Performance Business Card? Well, I should mention that you don’t actually have to choose because you may be eligible for both cards. So it is possible to take both cards and get the bonus on both cards. However, if you only want to take one card, let me give you my thought process in deciding between the two cards.
I think the simpler Southwest Premier Business Card with an annual fee of $99 might make sense if you only travel with Southwest occasionally:
- The welcome bonus is a great incentive to get the card and will get you plenty of reward trips; it should be a no-brainer to at least try the card once.
- The card’s annual fee is largely offset by the 6,000 anniversary bonus points, which typically get you nearly $80 worth of flights on Southwest.
- The two EarlyBird check-ins will make your Southwest travel more enjoyable, as will the 25% savings on in-flight beverages and Wi-Fi purchases, and that should represent above-average value compared to the annual fee.
Meanwhile, I think the Southwest Performance Business Card, with an annual fee of $199, is significantly better value if you travel frequently with Southwest, and if you regularly purchase WiFi from Southwest, it’s an incredible option:
- Similar to the other card, the welcome bonus is a significant incentive to apply
- The card’s annual fee is largely offset by the 9,000 anniversary bonus points, which typically get you nearly $120 worth of flights on Southwest.
- This card allows you to save $8 on every Southwest Wi-Fi purchase, so everyone can see how much value they can get.
- The four upgrade boardings are potentially very valuable as they give you a prime boarding position, assuming they are available for sale
So if you only fly Southwest once or twice a year, the Southwest Premier Business Card might be a better choice as it will give you some basic perks. But if you fly Southwest frequently, and especially use Wi-Fi a lot, the Southwest Performance Business Card is a phenomenal bargain.
Of course, we’ll see how the value for money of these cards changes over the next year as Southwest moves to reserved seating…
Conclusion
The Southwest Premier Business Card and the Southwest Performance Business Card are both lucrative calling cards for anyone who flies with Southwest.
I think both cards have their advantages – the Premier Business Card with a $99 annual fee is ideal if you only fly Southwest occasionally, while the Performance Business Card with a $199 annual fee makes sense if you fly Southwest more frequently, in my opinion, especially if you would otherwise purchase WiFi.
Which Southwest business credit card do you prefer?
