Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card Review [2024]: Do the Perks Outweigh the Fee?

The Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card offers a slew of generous rewards, including the opportunity to earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. 

This card also offers 6,000 anniversary points on your cardmember anniversary and you can earn generous rewards for purchases on Southwest Airlines, along with a variety of other travel perks.

The welcome offer points also get you nearly halfway toward earning the Southwest Companion Pass, which allows you to bring a designated guest with you at almost no cost whenever you fly.

But while this card comes with ample perks, those perks are really only valuable if you’re a frequent Southwest flyer and can take advantage of them. You also have to pay a $99 annual fee for the card, which is applied to your first billing statement. So before you sign up, make sure you weigh the pros and cons to decide if this card is the best card for you. This review can help you decide.

Big Rewards For Southwest Travelers

Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card

4.3

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card

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Current Offer

Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open

Annual Fee

$99

Rewards Rate

3X points on Southwest purchases, 2X points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners and on local transit and commuting, including rideshare; plus 1X points on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open
• 6,000 points every year on Cardmember anniversary
• 3X points on Southwest purchases
• Two early bird check-ins per year
• No foreign transaction fees

Drawbacks

• Has annual fee
• Rewards redemption limited to Southwest

Card Details

• 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 rental partners.
• Earn 2X points on rideshare.
• 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
• 2 EarlyBird Check-In® each year.
• Member FDIC

Who should get the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card?

If you’re a business owner and a regular traveler on Southwest, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card could be a great option for you. Not only will you earn 3X points on Southwest purchases purchases, but you’ll also get other perks as well, such as no change fees if your plans shift after you’ve already bought an airline ticket.

If you’re able to use the welcome offer to help you earn a Southwest Companion Pass, there’s serious value to be had, as the Companion Pass allows a person of your choosing to fly with you for free — paying just the cost of airline fees.

Card basics

Southwest Premier Business Credit Card benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, earn an anniversary bonus of 6,000 points each year on your account anniversary.
• Board earlier: As a cardholder, you can take advantage of two upgraded boardings in the form of EarlyBird Check-In each year.

• Free cards for employees: Unlike with some premium travel credit cards, you don’t have to pay to add authorized users or get employee cards for staff members to use.

• Change your plans at no cost: Pay no change fees if you need to switch your airfare — although you’ll pay the difference in the cost of a more expensive ticket.

• Get on the fast track to the Southwest Companion Pass: The Companion Pass allows you to bring along a designated person for free on Southwest flights, paying only taxes and fees. You become eligible by taking 100 qualifying one-way flights or earning 135,000 points on a Southwest card in a calendar year. The 60,000-point bonus on the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Business credit card gets you nearly halfway there.
• DoorDash benefits: Receive a complimentary 12-month DashPass subscription if you activate by Dec. 31, 2024. DashPass benefits include $0 delivery fees for orders over $12.
  

• Travel perks and protections: Cardmembers get coverage for lost luggage and can be reimbursed up to $3,000 per passenger. You’ll also get up to $100 per day for three days to pay for incidentals if your baggage is delayed for six hours or more. And there are no foreign transaction fees charged. 

Drawbacks of the Southwest Premier Business Credit Card

• Annual fee: This card has a $99 annual fee. While it isn't the highest fee around, it still means that having this card comes at a certain cost.
• Fewer luxury perks: This card has fewer luxury perks compared to other Southwest business credit cards. If you're looking for a list of travel benefits, then you might find that the Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Performance Business Credit Card is a better fit.
• Limited redemption options: While this card earns a generous welcome offer, the offer comes in the form of Southwest Rapid Rewards points. You could only use these points through Southwest and its partners.

Earning & redeeming Rapid Rewards points

Best ways to earn

The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card allows you to earn 3X points on all Southwest Airlines purchases. Southwest Airlines purchases that qualify you for triple rewards program points include:

• Flights
• In-flight purchases
• Southwest gift cards
• Southwest Vacations packages

You can also earn 2X points on rideshare purchases, as well as your spending on Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners.

Maximizing your redemptions

Cardmembers not only earn points for their own spending but can also earn points when authorized users make purchases on the card — so consider getting employees their own cards to use. Employee cards are free, unlike some competitor cards.

This card also lets you earn 2X points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners and on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. So look for Rapid Rewards partners when you're booking travel. 

Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card FAQs

Other cards to consider

For all you frequent flyers with Southwest out there, there’s no doubt the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Card can provide you with plenty of value and is one of the best airline credit cards in its class. But what if you’re not so loyal to Southwest?

The United℠ Explorer Card is a similar card in that much of the value relies on how often you’ll travel with United, benefiting those loyal to the airline the most. New cardmembers can earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. The United Explorer Card comes with a $95 (waived first year) annual fee, but the included travel perks — free first checked bag, priority boarding, and up to $100 as a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit — should easily offset this cost.

If you have no desire to be tied down to a specific airline but still appreciate travel benefits, the Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card is a great alternative. Right off the bat, you can earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Additionally, cardmembers can earn 3X points 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; and 1X points per $1 on all other purchases. There is an annual fee of $95, so you should make sure the value of this card outweighs the added cost.

Big Rewards For Southwest Travelers

Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card

4.3

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Southwest^® Rapid Rewards^® Premier Business Credit Card

4.3

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Apply Now

Why We Like It

Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open

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See how these cards compare:

United℠ Explorer Card

• Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open
• Earn 2 miles per dollar on dining, hotel stays, and United purchases
• Free first checked bag
• 2 United Club Passes annually

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

• Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• 3X points on travel and common business spending categories
• Flexible redemption options
• Additional employee cards at no extra cost