Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Card

This is generally described as the sweet-spot personal card in Southwest's lineup, sitting right between the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card in both annual fee and perks. The 3X earning on Southwest purchases and the 15% annual promo code are standout perks, since that discount alone can offset a meaningful chunk of the $149 fee if you fly Southwest even a couple times a year.

Where you might want to consider the Priority card is when it comes to the seat selection perk — you get a Preferred seat within 48 hours of departure, not guaranteed at booking the way the Priority card offers it, which is "good, not great" for travelers who want to lock in their seat early. For someone building toward the Companion Pass who wants a bit more everyday earning power than the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card offers, without stepping all the way up to Priority's fee, this one is the practical middle choice.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Card's welcome bonus generally sits between the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, typically in the 50,000–60,000 point range with a modest spend requirement. Chase occasionally runs elevated versions across its Southwest personal card lineup, so it's worth checking the current offer against this baseline before applying — and worth noting the spend requirement tends to move along with the point total.