Chase and Southwest just announced pretty big welcome offers for their pair of co-branded Rapid Rewards® Business Credit Cards.
Both the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, allow new applicants to earn 120,000 bonus points. But the earning structures are different.
Plus, the points you earn spending your way there will help score you a Southwest Companion Pass — if you meet the ultimate minimum spending requirement.
120k Offers + Spending = Southwest Companion Pass!
With the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, you can earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases within three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Then, earn an additional 40,000 points when you spend $15,000 within the first nine (9) months of being approved.
Meanwhile, you can earn 60,000 bonus points if you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases within three (3) months of being approved for the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card. Then, earn an additional 60,000 points when you spend $15,000 within the first nine (9) months of being approved.
Each card earns at least 1X point per dollar spent on eligible purchases. That means you’ll be (again, at least) 15,000 points richer if you reach the $15,000 minimum spending requirement. That’s a total of 135,000 points — which is enough to earn the legendary Southwest Companion Pass!
Note that all 135,000 points must be earned within a calendar year. The Companion Pass is good for the rest of the year in which you earn it plus all the following calendar year. So, you could knock out the spending out ASAP and have the Companion Pass through the rest of 2024 and all of 2025.
Or, if you think you can spend big in the early part of 2025, you could get a card while the promotion runs (we haven’t been told an end date), hold on to the card, then start spending like crazy on January 1, 2025. If you reach the $15k, you’d have the rest of 2025 and all of 2026 to enjoy the Companion Pass!
Which Southwest Business Card is Better? Which One Should You Get?
The Southwest Performance Business Card features decidedly better benefits — but it also carries a higher annual fee. ($199 vs. the Southwest Premier Business Card‘s $99.)
Five big features about the Southwest Performance Business Card give it the edge:
- Four Upgraded Boardings (A1-A15) each year
- The Premier offers two EarlyBird Check-ins which isn’t nearly as good
- 9,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points each anniversary year
- The Premier gives cardholders 6,000 each anniversary year
- 365 inflight WiFi credits each years
- There are none on the Premier
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit
- This is not offered on the Premier
- Better points earning
- The Performance Business Card earns 4X on Southwest purchases (vs. the Premier Business Card‘s 3X). Plus, it offers more bonus points categories such as social media and search engine advertising, Internet, cable, and phone services.
I hate checking in exactly 24 hours before my flight in the hopes I don’t get relegated to somewhere in B30 or beyond. Those A1-A15 boardings are worth it, as are the WiFi.
These Are Chase Cards, Which Means 5/24. But…
Keep in mind these are Chase products, which means you probably will be declined if you’ve been approved for five or more personal credit cards within the past 24 months. But we’ve heard tales of people being well over 5/24 and still being approved for Chase business cards.
Here’s a quick rundown of each card.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
- 4X on Southwest Airlines purchases
- 3X on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
- 2X on on local transit and commuting purchases (including rideshare, passenger trains, buses, taxis, tolls, and parking lots and garages)
- 2X on social media and search engine advertising
- 2X on Internet, cable, and phone services
- 1X on all other eligible purchases
Travel Features:
- Earn 9,000 bonus points every card membership anniversary year (beginning year two)
- Earn 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year.
- Four Upgraded Boardings (A1-A15) each year
- 365 inflight WiFi credits each year
- Earn 25% back in statement credit for inflight purchases
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit
- Unlimited tier qualifying points
- Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-list status for each $5,000 you spend
- $500 fee credit for points transfers each year
$199 annual fee. Read more and learn here how to apply for the Southwest Performance Business Card.
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
- 3X on Southwest Airlines purchases
- 2X on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
- 2X on local transit and commuting purchases (including rideshare, passenger trains, buses, taxis, tolls, and parking lots and garages)
- 1X on all other eligible purchases
Travel Features:
- Earn 6,000 bonus points every card membership anniversary year (beginning year two)
- Earn 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year.
- Two (2) EarlyBird Check-Ins each year
- Earn 25% back in statement credit for inflight purchases
- Unlimited tier qualifying points
- Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-list status for each $5,000 you spend
- $500 fee credit for points transfers each year
$99 annual fee. Read more and learn here how to apply for the Southwest Premier Business Card.
Final Approach
The two Southwest business cards — the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card — feature promotions offering up to 120,000 bonus points. But given the cards’ several bonus categories, it’s possible to earn far more then that.
Even though the Southwest Performance Business Card has a higher annual fee than the Southwest Premier Business Card, its benefits, points earnings, and features make it worth the difference.
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