Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Review 2026
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier is worth comparing if the rewards, welcome offer, annual fee, APR, and approval fit match how you actually spend.
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Your card estimate
Net first-year value
First year
+$151
Rewards + bonus - fee - interest drag
Ongoing year
+$151
Excludes one-time welcome offer
SwitchWize take
Rewards credit card
Bonus value
See terms
Everyday rewards
1x points
Up to 3x in some categories
Annual fee
$149
APR
19.49% to 27.99%
Quick summary
What this card is, in plain words
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has a $149 annual fee and a variable purchase APR of 19.49% to 27.99%. It earns 1x points on everything else, and more on 5 categories (the highest is 3x points on southwest purchases). It charges no foreign transaction fee.
What to consider
- The $149 annual fee is charged every year, so the rewards have to be worth more than that.
- The APR is 19.49% to 27.99% and it can change. Interest on a carried balance is usually larger than the rewards.
- The 2x points rate on grocery stores and restaurants stops after the cap. Up to $8,000 in purchases per cardmember_year.
Pros & cons
No standout advantages in the data we track.
- Annual fee: $149
Derived from the current rate, fees, and terms we track for this product. Confirm the latest details on the provider’s site.
Card truth label
Terms that decide whether this card fits
Fees
What this card can cost you
- Annual fee
- $149
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
- Balance transfer fee
- Greater of $5 or 5% of each transfer
- Cash advance fee
- Greater of $10 or 5% of each advance
- Late payment fee
- Up to $40
- Authorized user fee
- Not verified yet
Earning rates
What you earn, by purchase type
Southwest purchases
3x points
Southwest airlines purchases
3x points
Dining
2x points
Groceries
2x points
Grocery stores and restaurants
Up to $8,000 in purchases per cardmember_year
2x points
Everything else
1x points
Fee Reality
What the credits on this card are actually worth
This card advertises $439 in annual credits. We scored how hard each credit is to use: signing up, how often it resets, which stores it works at, and how you redeem it. We estimate a typical cardholder realizes about $173 (40%) of that value against a $149 annual fee.
Estimated credits exceed the fee by $24/yr
Our verdict: worth keeping — realized value covers the fee.
Confidence grade C — an estimate from our scoring model, not a survey. See how we worked this out.
Points value
What Southwest Rapid Rewards points are actually worth
This card earns Rapid Rewards points, currently valued at 1.25¢/point based on a sourced editorial estimate — not a marketed "up to" number.
Marketed value. See the full Southwest Rapid Rewards program page or the full valuation methodology.
Reality Score
What this card is really worth, by spend profile
Reality Score compares this card's advertised first-year value against what our model estimates a typical cardholder actually realizes in rewards and credits, net of the annual fee — not a marketing score.
High, diversified spender
A percentage would mislead here: the dollar amount is the number to read.
Frequent traveler
A percentage would mislead here: the dollar amount is the number to read.
Typical everyday spender
Advertised $439/yr
Light everyday spender
Advertised $439/yr
Point value uses a marketed/editorial estimate — no observed or sourced redemption data exists for this program yet.
Reality Score is currently scored for a subset of cards, not the full catalog. See the Reality Score methodology for how this is calculated across spend profiles.
Benefits and protections
Each item below was checked against the issuer's own published terms. Coverage limits and exclusions apply, so confirm them with the issuer.
Protections
- Baggage Delay Insurance
- Extended Warranty Protection
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement (per trip)
- Purchase Protection
Perks and credits
- 3X Points on Lyft Purchases
- A-List Status Tier Qualifying Points Boost
- A-List Tier Qualifying Points Boost
- Anniversary Bonus Points (annual)
- Annual Flight Discount (annual)
- Companion Pass Qualifying Points Boost (annual)
- Complimentary DashPass Membership (annual)
- Complimentary Preferred Seat Selection (per trip)
- DoorDash Quarterly Credit (quarterly)
- DoorDash Quarterly Discount on Non-Restaurant Orders (quarterly)
- First Checked Bag Free (per trip)
- Group 5 Boarding Benefit (per trip)
- No Change Fees
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Points Never Expire
- Unlimited Reward Seats with No Blackout Dates
Offer history
How today's bonus compares
Current public welcome offer
85,000 points
Observed Nov 13, 2026
12-month best
See terms
1 tracked observation
Signal
At or near tracked best
Last history update Nov 13, 2026
Terms history
Has the fee or APR changed?
Since tracking began (Jun 21, 2026), APR range moved from 19.24%–27.74% to 19.49%–27.99%. Tracked since Jun 21, 2026 across 30 tracked readings — not a signal to act by any deadline, just context on whether today's terms match what was first tracked.
Full change history (5 changes tracked) →
- Oct 13, 2026 — APR range moved from 19.49%–29.99% to 19.49%–27.99%.
- Oct 11, 2026 — APR range moved from 19.49%–27.99% to 19.49%–29.99%.
- Oct 4, 2026 — APR range moved from 19.24%–27.74% to 19.49%–27.99%.
- Sep 27, 2026 — APR range moved from 19.24%–29.99% to 19.24%–27.74%.
- Jul 10, 2026 — APR range moved from 19.24%–27.74% to 19.24%–29.99%.
Best for
- People whose spending matches the rewards structure
- Applicants who can use the welcome offer responsibly
- Cardholders who pay in full
- People comparing net first-year value
Not for
- Carrying a balance long term
- Applying only for a bonus without a payoff plan
- Spending more to earn rewards
- Anyone who cannot meet issuer approval requirements
Decision checks
Apply only if these checks pass
$149 annual fee
19.49%-27.99% variable
Verify spend requirement
Chase terms control approval, pricing, and rewards
How you earn
Caps, exclusions, merchant coding, and redemption values can change the real return. Verify issuer terms before applying.
If you carry a balance, compare payoff cost before rewards. Interest can erase rewards quickly.
The $149 annual fee needs to be offset by rewards, credits, or travel value.
Comparison set
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Questions
Common questions
What is the annual fee for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier?
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier has a $149 annual fee, according to Chase's page checked Nov 13, 2026.
Does the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier charge foreign transaction fees?
No. Chase lists no foreign transaction fee for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier.
How do I earn rewards with the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier?
3x points on southwest purchases; 3x points on southwest airlines purchases; 2x points on dining; 2x points on groceries; 2x points on grocery stores and restaurants.
What is the APR on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier?
The purchase APR is 19.49% to 27.99%, and it is variable. Your rate depends on your credit.
Sources
Where these figures come from
Fees and APR, Earning rates, Benefits and protections
https://creditcards.chase.com/travel-credit-cards/southwest/premier · checked Nov 13, 2026
Earning rates
https://creditcards.chase.com/ · checked Jun 21, 2026
We could not verify the authorized user fee for this card yet, so we do not show a figure.
Bottom line
Is Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier worth it?
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier is worth comparing if the rewards, welcome offer, annual fee, APR, and approval fit match how you actually spend.
Worth it if: People whose spending matches the rewards structure
Skip it if: Carrying a balance long term