Southwest personal credit cards offering elevated 60k sign-up bonus

The Southwest Companion Pass is one of the most sought-after travel perks in the industry. It requires 110,000 Southwest points earned in one calendar year to score it, but there’s a move you can make right now to earn those points with just two credit cards.

Right now, all three personal Southwest credit cards are offering a tiered sign-up bonus of up to 60,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points: 40,000 after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months, and another 20,000 after spending $12,000 total on purchases in your first year.

Meanwhile, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card has a sign-up bonus of 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months. Pair the Performance card with one of the other three cards, and you’ve made it to the magic threshold to earn that coveted Companion Pass.

Sign-up offer details

Based on TPG’s valuations (1.5 cents), the full 60,000-point bonus is worth $900, and all of these points count toward the 110,000 needed to earn the Companion Pass the “traditional” way.

Southwest is joining the trend of tiered sign-up bonuses that try to increase customer spending and drive engagement beyond the initial three-month period. Although $12,000 sounds like a lot up front, you have a whole year to hit that threshold, so you really only need to spend $1,000 a month. Here are the three cards offering the current 60,000-point sign-up bonus:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

The names don’t exactly clarify how these three cards differ, but they have annual fees ranging from $69 to $149 and varying perks. Here’s more info on how they stack up:

	Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card	Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card	Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card
Annual fee	$69	$99	$149
Anniversary points bonus	3,000 Rapid Rewards points	6,000 Rapid Rewards points	7,500 Rapid Rewards points
Earning rates	2x on Southwest flights and hotel and car rental partners 1x everywhere else	2x on Southwest flights and hotel and car rental partners 1x everywhere else	2x on Southwest flights and hotel and car rental partners 1x everywhere else
Other perks	N/A	N/A	$75 annual Southwest travel credit Four upgraded boardings per year (when available) 20% back on inflight drinks and Wi-Fi
Tier Qualifying Points	N/A	Earn up to 15,000 TQPs a year, 1,500 for each $10,000 spent	Earn up to 15,000 TQPs a year, 1,500 for each $10,000 spent
Foreign-transaction fee	3%	None	None

 

As all three cards are offering an identical welcome bonus, you should pick the one with the annual fee and benefits to match your needs. Not everyone will need the extra perks like four upgraded boardings with the Priority Card, for example.

Eligibility

You won’t be able to earn this sign-up bonus, let alone open one of these personal Southwest cards, if:

• You already hold a personal Southwest credit card.
• You’ve earned a new card member bonus on a Southwest consumer credit card in the last 24 months.
• You’re over 5/24 — meaning you’ve opened five or more credit cards in the last 24 months. This is a Chase policy that means there’s virtually zero chance you’ll be accepted for most of its cards if you’re over the 5/24 limit.

Using points

The number of Southwest Rapid Rewards points required to book a flight is directly tied to the current fare of the flight, so they’re the best way to redeem them. Southwest is great for families traveling with lap children as well as flexible travelers, since there aren’t any cancellation or change fees on its flights.

Bottom line

Especially with Southwest’s recent addition of service to Hawaii, boosting your Rapid Rewards points balance could be a smart move. With 60,000 points, you could be well on your way to the islands or to any of the destinations (including some international gems) the airline flies to, so this offer on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card is worth a look. And if you tack on the 80,000 additional points from the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card, you’ll soon be flying with a companion anywhere Southwest flies.

Additional reporting by Katie Genter. Featured photo of Southwest aircraft at Houston Hobby by Stephen M. Keller / Southwest.