September 18, 2024: The sign-up bonus on the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card card is now back down to its business-as-usual offer. Fortunately, Chase recently increased the bonuses on the personal Southwest credit cards, making now a great time to get one of those cards.
Here’s the best available sign-up bonus on the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card:
Annual fee: annual_fees
Best sign-up bonus: bonus_miles_full
This bonus is earned as Southwest Rapid Rewards points.
In this article…
Our take: Card offers the best value for frequent WiFi users, not great timing for companion pass
Yes, the last limited-time offer just ended, but unless you were planning on spending $15,000 on the card in the first 9 months, the deal Chase is offering now isn’t substantively worse.
The previous deal offered a two-tiered bonus and the bonus after spending $5,000 matches the current offer on the card.
Of course, if you’re looking for a new Southwest Airlines credit card the bonuses on the personal Southwest cards currently match the best-ever bonuses that we’ve seen since on these cards we started tracking them.
Which card to get: This card is the best for WiFi, but not the best for everyone
If you frequently pay to use Southwest WiFi, then the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is likely the best Southwest credit card for you. The Performance Business card gives you up to 365 inflight WiFi credits each year. If you’re paying for WiFi on more than a dozen flights a year, the marginal increase in annual fee pays for itself.
If you don’t pay for WiFi, but fly Southwest often, then the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card will probably offer the best value. You can compare all of the benefits and rewards of the Southwest credit cards in our guide to the Southwest credit cards.
Companion pass: Not the best time to earn it
One of the best features of a Southwest credit card bonus is that the bonus points count toward earning a companion pass. When you earn a companion pass, you’ll earn it for the remainder of the current calendar year, plus the following calendar year. This makes January the ideal time to earn a companion pass, since you’ll get it for almost two full years.
Needless to say, if you’re looking to earn a companion pass with a Southwest welcome bonus, the best time to get the card very early in the year (or late in the year if you’re sure you’ll earn the bonus after January 1.)
About the card: Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card at a glance
Annual fee: annual_fees
Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is the card to get if you frequently purchase WiFi access onboard Southwest Airlines flights.
Sign-up bonus
Best sign-up bonus: bonus_miles_full
This bonus is earned as Southwest Rapid Rewards points.
Rewards
- 4x on Southwest Airlines® purchases.
- 3x on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases.
- 2x on social media and search engine advertising.
- 2x on internet, cable, and phone services.
- 2x on local transit and commuting, including rideshare services.
- 1x on everyday purchases.
Rewards are earned as Southwest Rapid Rewards points.
Benefits
Southwest Airlines benefits
- 9,000 point cardmember anniversary bonus.
- 4 upgraded boardings per year, when available.
- Up to 365 InFlight WiFi credits per year.
- 25% back on inflight purchases.
- Earn 1,500 tier-qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent.
- Up to $500 in fee credits for points transfers.
Consumer insurance benefits
Travel insurance benefits
- Lost luggage reimbursement.
- Baggage delay insurance.
Partner benefits and statement credits
- Complimentary DashPass for one year.
After one year, you are automatically enrolled in DashPass at the current monthly rate. You must activate by 1/31/25. - Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit up to $100 every 4 years.
Eligibility: Can you earn a new Southwest sign-up bonus?
In most cases, you should be eligible to earn a sign-up bonus on the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card if it’s been more than 24 months since you last earned sign-up bonus on the card and you do not currently have the card. Holding or earning a bonus on any of the other Southwest credit cards does not seem to impact your bonus eligibility.
Here’s the exact language from the bonus terms and conditions:
This new Cardmember bonus offer is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of this business credit card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of this business credit card who received a new Cardmember bonus for this business credit card within the last 24 months.
Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card offer terms
How to use Southwest Rapid Rewards points
The Southwest Rapid Rewards points you’ll earn with the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card are incredibly easy to use for flights. Here’s what we like best about Rapid Rewards points:
- You’ll get consistent value. On average, you’ll get about 1.3-1.4 cents per point of value from each of your points. (10,000 points can get you a flight with a cash price of around $130-$140.)
- Rapid Rewards points don’t expire.
- If you cancel your flight, you get your points back. Any Southwest flight can be canceled up to 10 minutes prior to departure. If the flight was booked with your Rapid Rewards points, the points will be returned to you account.
To use Southwest Rapid Rewards points for flights, simply select “Points” when booking any flight at Southwest.com. You can also toggle between seeing flights priced in dollars and flights priced in points during the booking process.
Frequently asked questions
No. Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points cannot be converted to cash.
Yes. The bonus points you earn with this card’s new cardmember incentive count toward companion pass.
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Read more about the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
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