Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
- Best for: Business owners, side businesses included, who fly Southwest for work and check bags
- What Sets It Apart: Free first checked bags for up to 9 travelers on a reservation and a seat pick within 48 hours of departure for $149, about half the Performance Business card’s $299 fee
- Cost: $149 annual fee; no foreign transaction fees; 19.49% to 27.99% variable interest rate
- Features: 80,000 bonus points after $3,000 in purchases in 3 months; 3 points per $1 on Southwest; 2 points per $1 on the first $8,000 a year spent at gas stations and restaurants; 6,000 anniversary points; a yearly 15% flight discount code
- Pros: Anniversary points worth about $84; $90 saved per traveler on each round trip with a checked bag; 1 elite-status point per $1 starting in 2027; free employee cards
- Cons: No bag, seat, or boarding perks for employees flying alone; no seat choice at booking; no lounge access; bonuses stop counting toward the Companion Pass in 2027
Get the Southwest Premier Business card if you fly Southwest for work a few times a year and check bags. For $149 a year, you and up to eight companions on your reservation each check a first bag free, and you get 6,000 anniversary points. Step up to the $299 Performance Business card only if you fly Southwest often.
Chase issues the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card to sole proprietors as well as companies, so a side business you run yourself can qualify.
Key Features
- $149 annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and a 19.49% to 27.99% variable interest rate
- 80,000 bonus points after $3,000 in purchases in your first 3 months, an offer ending Oct. 26, 2026
- 3 points per $1 on Southwest purchases, 2 per $1 on the first $8,000 a year spent at gas stations and restaurants, and 1 per $1 elsewhere
- 6,000 bonus points each card anniversary, plus a 15% flight discount code that excludes Basic fares
- For you and up to 8 people on your reservation, a free first checked bag, Group 5 boarding, and an open Standard or near-front Preferred seat picked in the 48 hours before departure
Pros
- Anniversary points worth about $84 a year, at NerdWallet’s 1.4 cents a point
- Free first bags save each traveler $90 a round trip, since most Southwest fares charge $45 a bag each way
- From 2027, each $1 spent earns a point toward elite status, up from 2,000 points per $5,000, so $35,000 a year earns Silver, which replaces A-List
- Free employee cards, and their spending earns points for you
Cons
- Employees flying without you pay their own bag fees and get no seat or boarding perks
- No seat choice at booking or Extra Legroom upgrades, which the Performance Business card adds
- No lounge access, which Southwest says will come with a new premium card in 2027
- From 2027, card bonuses stop counting toward the Companion Pass, which lets one companion travel with you for just taxes and fees
If you check a bag on even one Southwest round trip a year, the $90 saved plus $84 in anniversary points beats the $149 fee by $25. At NerdWallet’s 1.4 cents a point, the Performance Business card’s extra points and Global Entry credit cover its $150 higher fee once you spend about $5,600 a year with Southwest, by our math.
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