Southwest Business Card Reviews
Chase offers two Southwest business cards that can help you get the coveted Southwest Companion Pass, the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card and the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card. But Companion Pass aside, how valuable are these cards? In this Southwest business card reviews we will take a look at the welcome offer, card perks and share our overall thoughts for both cards.
Southwest Business Cards: Current Welcome Offers
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business has the following welcome offer:
- Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- You can earn the Companion Pass (BOGO flights – Southwest Companion Pass) with just one welcome offer!
- The card has a $299 annual fee which is NOT waived.
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business has the following welcome offer:
- Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- The card comes with a $149 annual fee which is NOT waived.
Chase Application Rules
As with any other Chase card, you cannot qualify for either card if you have opened more than 5 credit cards with any bank in the last 24 months. In addition, you cannot open a Southwest business card if you are a current holder of that specific card. Also, you cannot receive a welcome offer for a card that you have received one on in the last 24 months, even if you no longer hold that card.
Lastly: having one Southwest business card does not affect your eligibility for the other card.
Southwest Business Card Reviews: Earning Rates
Both cards offer bonus points per dollar spent on multiple categories:
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Neither card is known for its earning prowess. Earning 4x or 3x on Southwest is not that valuable, considering how many cards earn multiple points per dollar on airline purchases. It could be a useful earning option for anyone going after a Southwest Companion pass though.
Southwest Business Card Benefits
The Performance and the Premier cards each have their own set of benefits, with a few overlapping:
| Southwest® Premier Business | ||
| Points earned every year on your Cardmember anniversary | 9,000 | 6,000 |
| Board with group 5 (plus for up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Seating choices (plus for up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation) | – Standard or Preferred Seat Selection at booking (when available)- Extra Legroom seats within 48 hours prior to departure (when available) | Standard or Preferred Seat Selection within 48 hours prior to departure (when available) |
| Flight discount promo code each year | – | 15% |
| First bag free (plus for up to 8 additional passengers on the same reservation) | ✔ | ✔ |
| 25% back on inflight purchases | ✔ | ✔ |
| No foreign transaction fees | ✔ | ✔ |
| Earn tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent | 2,500 | 2,000 |
Southwest Performance Business Card Perks
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business offers stronger perks than the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business, which is expected due to a higher annual fee. The gap is a lot closer than it used to be with these new changes though. People will be happy about getting the ability to select seats at the time of booking, and a potential for extra legroom closer to the flight, but that is about the only difference now. The loss of the WiFi credits for the Performance Business at the end of 2025 is going to loom large here.
Southwest Premier Business Card Perks
Meanwhile, the Premier card's perks are more modest. This card is a way to get a free bag while flying and potentially pick a seat for free a few days out from booking. It lacks any other meaningful perks outside of maybe the 15% flight discount you get yearly. You would need to be booking a $1,000+ flight to offset the annual fee though.
Chasing Status
The last line in the table above shows that both cards can be used to achieve A-List or A-List Preferred status through spend. This perk is a nice little boost for those nearing A-List or A-List Preferred status at the end of the year. For those looking to earn status solely through spend, this is not a very good deal. Cardholders can earn 2,000 – 2,500 qualifying points for ever $5,000 in spend on either card. At this rate, cardholders would have to spend at least $70,000 with the Performance Business in one year to achieve A-List. A-List Preferred requires twice as much!
ToP Analysis
Sadly, the annual fee for the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business is no longer easy to justify given the reduction in the card's benefits. Raising the fee, while cutting the best perks, is a way to entice no one. However, with the larger-than-normal sign-up bonus, this card is probably the winner for everyone right now.
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business on the other hand, has become the more compelling long-term option by default. If you value free bags, and would like a shot to select a seat for free, then this could be an option for you. The 15% flight discount, plus the 6,000 yearly bonus points, could help offset a lot of the annual fee.
Southwest Business Card Reviews: ToP Thoughts
The Southwest® Performance Business and the Southwest® Premier Business are less useful for frequent Southwest flyers than they used to be. Much of their value now is based on seat and bag fees that people didn't even have to pay a little while ago. Raising the annual fees to offset other fees you just added to your business model is a strange concept to encourage long term retention.
How do the Southwest business cards fit within your Companion Pass strategy? Do you consider either card to be a keeper? Come join the discussion in our Facebook group!
