Southwest Personal Credit Cards Compared: Priority vs Plus vs Premier 2026
Southwest’s three personal Rapid Rewards credit cards from Chase — Plus ($99), Premier ($149), and Priority ($229) — sit in the same product family with different fee and perk ladders.
They diverge mainly on earn rates, anniversary points, seat-selection timing, annual flight-discount promo codes, and Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List.
All three still deliver the same free first checked bag for the cardmember plus up to eight passengers on the same reservation, Group 5 boarding, 25% back on inflight purchases, no foreign-transaction fees, and a 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying-point boost each calendar year.
Written by JP · Roaming Cactus editorial · verified to September 21, 2026 (PT). Annual fees, welcome offers, anniversary points, earning rates, seat-selection rules, flight-discount promo codes, and TQP amounts below track Chase and Southwest official consumer product pages as of September 21, 2026 date. Personal cards only (Priority, Premier, Plus). Confirm live terms on issuer pages before you apply — offers change.
At a Glance
- Annual fees (applied to first billing statement): Plus $99 · Premier $149 · Priority $229 .
- New-cardmember offers: Plus 50,000 points after $1,000 spend in 3 months · Premier 55,000 after $1,500 · Priority 60,000 after $2,000.
- Anniversary points each cardmember year: Plus 3,000 · Premier 6,000 · Priority 7,500.
- Southwest Airlines earn rates: Plus 2× · Premier 3× · Priority 4× per $1.
- Free first checked bag for the cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation (all three cards).
- Boarding: all three cards board no later than Group 5 (cardmember + up to 8).
- Companion Pass: each card grants one 10,000 qualifying-point boost per calendar year; points earned on all three count toward qualification.
- TQP paths: Plus none · Premier 1,500 TQPs per $5,000 spent · Priority 2,500 TQPs per $5,000 spent.
Real-World Examples
Example 1 — Occasional Southwest flyer who wants the lowest fee
You fly Southwest a few times a year and mainly want a free first bag for a family of four plus Group 5 boarding. The Plus card’s $99 annual fee, 50,000-point welcome after $1,000 spend in three months, Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure, and 10% anniversary flight-discount promo code keep the entry bar low without giving up the shared bag and boarding perks.
Takeaway: Lowest fee + simplest welcome spend + free first bag for the household → start with Plus.
Example 2 — Grocery and restaurant spender who wants Preferred seats
You swipe regularly at grocery stores and restaurants and care about Preferred seat selection plus a larger annual flight discount. Premier’s $149 fee, 55,000-point welcome after $1,500 spend, 2× grocery/restaurant earn on the first $8,000 combined per anniversary year, Preferred or Standard seat within 48 hours, 15% anniversary promo code, and 1,500 TQPs per $5,000 spent line up with that profile.
Takeaway: Mid-tier fee + Preferred seats + 15% promo + TQP path → evaluate Premier.
Example 3 — Frequent Southwest flyer chasing earn and Extra Legroom
You book Southwest often, want the highest Southwest earn rate (4×), Preferred or Standard seats at booking, Extra Legroom upgrades within 48 hours, and the strongest card TQP path (2,500 per $5,000 spent). Priority’s $229 fee, 60,000-point welcome after $2,000 spend, and 7,500 anniversary points match that frequent-flyer brief — noting that official pages do not list an annual % flight-discount promo code for Priority.
Takeaway: Highest Southwest earn + seat priority + strongest TQP path → weigh Priority.
TL;DR – Verdict
Verdict: Lowest fee and simplest entry = Plus ($99, 50k after $1k, Standard seat within 48 hours, 10% anniversary promo). Middle ground with Preferred seats and the largest listed annual flight-discount promo = Premier ($149, 55k after $1.5k, 15% promo, 1,500 TQPs per $5k). Highest Southwest earn, seat priority at booking plus Extra Legroom upgrades, and the strongest TQP path = Priority ($229, 60k after $2k, 4× Southwest, 2,500 TQPs per $5k; no listed annual % promo). All three share free first bag (cardmember + up to 8), Group 5 boarding, 25% inflight credit, no foreign-transaction fees, and the 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying-point boost each calendar year.
Last updated: September 21, 2026 (PT).
Introduction
This page is a pure head-to-head of the three current Southwest Rapid Rewards personal credit cards issued by Chase: Plus, Premier, and Priority. Business cards are out of scope. This is not a “best Southwest cards” ranking and not a full Rapid Rewards program explainer — just the three personal products side by side so you can match fee, earn, seats, and Companion Pass contribution to how you actually fly.
Annual fees, welcome offers, anniversary points, earning rates, seat-selection rules, flight-discount promo codes, and Tier Qualifying Point amounts below are those advertised on Chase and Southwest consumer card pages as of September 21, 2026. The decision factors that actually differ across the trio are fee level, welcome bonus size and spend threshold, anniversary points, category earn rates, seat-selection timing and Extra Legroom access, whether an annual flight-discount promo code is listed, and TQP earning toward A-List.
Companion Pass qualifying points from card spend count on all three cards, and each card supplies its own annual 10,000-point boost. When you are shopping award space on Southwest or partner itineraries, a dedicated award-availability tool can help you see what is bookable before you lock a redemption.
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Search award availability on Seats.aero when you are comparing how far bonus points and anniversary points might go on a future Southwest award trip.
Annual Fees, Welcome Offers & Anniversary Points Side-by-Side
Fee and welcome math is the first filter. All three annual fees hit on the first billing statement. Welcome offers below are the public new-cardmember structures advertised on Chase and Southwest consumer pages as of September 21, 2026; anniversary points post each cardmember year after that.
| Feature | Plus | Premier | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $99 | $149 | $229 |
| Welcome bonus (as advertised) | 50,000 points after $1,000 in first 3 months | 55,000 points after $1,500 in first 3 months | 60,000 points after $2,000 in first 3 months |
| Anniversary points | 3,000 each cardmember year | 6,000 each cardmember year | 7,500 each cardmember year |
Offers and fees are subject to change. The numbers above reflect official consumer product pages as of September 21, 2026 September 21, 2026 verification date. Eligibility for a new-cardmember bonus also depends on Chase 5/24 and Southwest personal-card bonus rules covered later in this comparison.
Earning Rates by Card
Everyday and Southwest earn ladders are where the three personal cards diverge most clearly after the fee. Southwest Airlines purchases scale from 2× to 4×. Everyday categories and caps differ by product.
| Category | Plus | Premier | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 2 points per $1 | 3 points per $1 | 4 points per $1 |
| Everyday bonus categories | 2× gas stations + grocery stores on first $5,000 combined per anniversary year, then 1× | 2× grocery stores + restaurants on first $8,000 combined per anniversary year, then 1× | 2× gas stations + restaurants (no annual cap stated on official pages) |
| All other purchases | 1 point per $1 | 1 point per $1 | 1 point per $1 |
If most of your bonus spend is Southwest tickets, Priority’s 4× headline rate is the clearest differentiator. If grocery and restaurant spend dominates and you are fine with a mid-tier fee, Premier’s larger combined category cap ($8,000) is the practical middle. Plus keeps gas and grocery at 2× with a lower $5,000 combined cap and the lowest annual fee.
Shared Benefits: Free First Bag, Group 5 Boarding & 25% Inflight
Before the seat and TQP ladders pull the cards apart, remember what all three personal cards deliver the same way. These shared perks are often the real reason a household keeps any Southwest personal card at all.
- Free first checked bag: cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation. Include your Rapid Rewards number at booking and allow up to 14 days for card status to update.
- Boarding: cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers board no later than Group 5.
- Inflight purchases: 25% back as a statement credit on all three cards.
- Foreign transaction fees: none on any of the three personal cards.
Benefits such as seat selection and boarding apply when available and require an open account in good standing at the time of travel. The bag and boarding coverage for up to eight companions on the same reservation is identical across Plus, Premier, and Priority — fee level does not shrink that shared footprint.
Seat-Selection Ladder: Plus vs Premier vs Priority
For flights starting in 2026 and beyond, when seats are available, Southwest’s assigned-seating era benefits for cardmembers (and up to eight passengers on the same reservation) step up clearly from Plus to Priority.
| Card | Seat benefit (when available) |
|---|---|
| Plus | Complimentary Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure |
| Premier | Complimentary Preferred or Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure |
| Priority | Complimentary Preferred or Standard seat at booking; unlimited upgrades to Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to departure |
Timing is the practical difference. Plus and Premier unlock complimentary seats inside the 48-hour window; Priority can take Preferred or Standard at booking and still chase Extra Legroom inside that same final window. If assigned seating comfort is why you are paying a higher fee, this ladder — not the shared bag benefit — is the section to re-read.
Flight Discount Promo Codes
Each cardmember anniversary, Plus and Premier include an annual flight-discount promo code that excludes Basic fare. Priority’s official product pages do not list an annual % flight-discount promo code.
| Card | Anniversary flight-discount promo |
|---|---|
| Plus | 10% promo code (excludes Basic fare) |
| Premier | 15% promo code (excludes Basic fare) |
| Priority | No annual flight-discount promo code listed on official product pages |
If a once-a-year percentage off a non-Basic ticket is part of how you justify the fee, Premier’s 15% code is the strongest listed option and Plus still offers 10%. Priority leans on earn rates, seat priority, anniversary points, and TQPs instead of a listed annual % promo.
Companion Pass: 10k Annual Boost + Card Points Count
Companion Pass is one of the biggest reasons travelers keep a Southwest personal card in the wallet. On the card side, the rules are refreshingly consistent across Plus, Premier, and Priority.
- All three personal cards grant one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year.
- Points earned with all three personal cards count toward Companion Pass qualification .
- The annual 10,000-point boost applies to each card separately — holding more than one personal Southwest card means each can supply its own calendar-year boost.
This comparison does not invent Companion Pass qualification thresholds or break-even math beyond those card facts. If you are building toward a Companion Pass year, treat the card boost and card spend as contribution paths, then confirm the rest of the program rules on Southwest’s Rapid Rewards pages.
When you are ready to turn points into tickets for yourself and a Companion Pass companion, check award availability on Seats.aero so you know what dates still have space.
Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) Toward A-List
Card spend can contribute Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List on Premier and Priority. Plus does not earn TQPs from card spend.
| Card | TQPs from card spend |
|---|---|
| Plus | None from card spend |
| Premier | 1,500 TQPs for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually |
| Priority | 2,500 TQPs for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually |
If A-List progress via card spend matters to you, Priority’s 2,500 TQPs per $5,000 is the stronger listed path; Premier still contributes at 1,500 per $5,000. Plus is not a TQP vehicle — its case rests on fee, bag, boarding, and the lower welcome-spend threshold.
Who Should Pick Plus vs Premier vs Priority
Match the card to flying frequency, category spend, and how much you care about Preferred or Extra Legroom seats versus keeping the annual fee as low as possible. All three still share free first bag, Group 5 boarding, 25% inflight, no foreign-transaction fees, and the 10,000 Companion Pass boost.
Choose Plus if…
You want the lowest annual fee ($99), the simplest welcome-spend threshold ($1,000), Standard seat selection within 48 hours, a 10% anniversary flight-discount promo, and the shared free-bag / Group 5 package without paying for Preferred seats or Extra Legroom upgrades.
Choose Premier if…
You are comfortable with a mid-tier $149 fee for Preferred or Standard seats within 48 hours, a 15% anniversary flight-discount promo, 1,500 TQPs per $5,000 spent, stronger grocery/restaurant earn (2× on the first $8,000 combined), and a 55,000-point welcome after $1,500 spend.
Choose Priority if…
You fly Southwest often enough to value 4× on Southwest purchases, Preferred or Standard seats at booking, unlimited Extra Legroom upgrades within 48 hours when available, the strongest TQP path (2,500 per $5,000), and 7,500 anniversary points — and you accept the $229 fee plus the absence of a listed annual % flight-discount promo code.
Cash hotel nights around a Southwest trip are a separate decision from which card you hold. If you are booking a paid hotel stay rather than an award night, compare cash hotel rates on Expedia or browse stays via Stay22 before you lock dates.
Chase 5/24 Rule & 24-Month Southwest Personal Bonus Eligibility
Approval and bonus eligibility sit outside the fee/perk table but decide whether the advertised welcome offer is even available to you.
- Chase 5/24: approval is unlikely if you have opened 5 or more new credit cards in the last 24 months from any issuer.
- Southwest personal bonus rule: you are not eligible for a new-cardmember bonus if you currently hold any Southwest personal card, or if you received a new-cardmember bonus on any Southwest personal card within the past 24 months.
That second rule matters if you already have Plus and are eyeing Premier or Priority for a fresh welcome bonus — current personal-card holders (and recent bonus recipients) are blocked from a new personal Southwest bonus under the advertised eligibility language. Confirm your own 5/24 count and Southwest personal-card history before you apply.
Conclusion / Final Thoughts
The three personal Southwest Rapid Rewards cards differ principally on annual fee, welcome offer size and spend threshold, anniversary points, everyday and Southwest earn rates, seat-selection timing and Extra Legroom access, presence of an annual flight-discount promo code, and TQP earning toward A-List. Plus is the low-fee on-ramp; Premier is the Preferred-seat and 15% promo middle; Priority is the high-earn, high-seat, high-TQP option at the top of the personal ladder.
The shared core stays the same on every card: free first bag for the cardmember plus up to eight passengers on the same reservation, Group 5 boarding for that same party size, 25% inflight statement credit, zero foreign-transaction fees, and a 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying-point boost each calendar year. Pick based on how often you fly Southwest, where your everyday spend lands, and whether Preferred or Extra Legroom seats are worth the step up in fee.
All numbers in this comparison are as advertised on official Chase and Southwest consumer pages as of September 21, 2026, and can change. When you are ready to turn points into flights, check award space on Seats.aero before you commit a redemption.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the current annual fees for the Southwest Plus, Premier, and Priority personal cards?
As of September 21, 2026, annual fees applied to the first billing statement are $99 for Plus, $149 for Premier, and $229 for Priority.
What welcome bonuses are currently advertised for each personal Southwest card?
Plus: 50,000 bonus points after $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Premier: 55,000 after $1,500. Priority: 60,000 after $2,000. Offers are as advertised on Chase and Southwest consumer pages and are subject to eligibility and change.
Do all three cards give a free first checked bag, and for how many passengers?
Yes. On all three personal cards, the cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation can check their first bag at no additional cost. Include your Rapid Rewards number at booking and allow up to 14 days for card status to update.
How do the seat-selection benefits differ among Plus, Premier, and Priority for 2026+ flights?
When seats are available for the cardmember and up to 8 on the same reservation: Plus gets a complimentary Standard seat within 48 hours prior to departure; Premier gets complimentary Preferred or Standard within 48 hours; Priority gets complimentary Preferred or Standard at booking plus unlimited Extra Legroom upgrades within 48 hours prior to departure.
Which cards offer an annual flight-discount promo code, and at what percentage?
Each cardmember anniversary (excluding Basic fare): Plus includes a 10% promo code and Premier includes a 15% promo code. Priority has no annual flight-discount promo code listed on official product pages.
Do points earned on these personal cards count toward Companion Pass, and is there an annual boost?
Yes. Points earned with all three personal cards count toward Companion Pass qualification, and each card grants one boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year (the boost applies to each card separately).
Which cards earn Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs) toward A-List, and at what rate?
Plus earns no TQPs from card spend. Premier earns 1,500 TQPs for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually. Priority earns 2,500 TQPs for every $5,000 spent in purchases annually.
Can I get a new-cardmember bonus if I already hold a Southwest personal card or recently received one?
No under the advertised eligibility language: you are not eligible for a new-cardmember bonus if you currently hold any Southwest personal card, or if you received a new-cardmember bonus on any Southwest personal card within the past 24 months. Chase 5/24 also applies separately to approval odds.
Do these cards charge foreign transaction fees?
No. None of the three personal cards charges foreign transaction fees.
What boarding group do cardmembers receive on Southwest?
On all three personal cards, the cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation board no later than Group 5 (when the benefit applies and the account is open and in good standing at travel).
Written by JP
Miles & Points Expert and Enthusiast | 200,000+ Points Redeemed in 2026
I personally test every credit card, redemption, and loyalty program strategy so you get honest, up-to-date 2026 advice and real results.
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