Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Card Review
About.com Rating
The annual fee on this version of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Card is lower, but so are the bonus points you can earn.
Who the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card Is For: People who want to earn rewards for spending at Southwest Airlines.
Credit Rating Required: Good to Excellent (700+)
Pros
Cons
Rewards
APRs
Fees
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card Review
This is a slightly less generous - and less expensive - version of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Card. It has the same basic rewards packages as the Premier. The main difference is that the annual fee is $30 lower, at $69.
Likewise, the bonus points you get with the Premier card either aren't here or are less rich on this card.
The basic rewards package is the same on both cards: Two points per dollar spent at Southwest Airlines and its hotel and car rental partners, one point on all other purchases. The 15.99% APR is the same on both cards. You earn the same 25,000 bonus points if you meet the initial spending requirement.
However, the anniversary bonus is 3,000 points per year with the Plus version, which is worth $50 toward a "Wanna Get Away" fare. The Premier card rewards you with 6,000 points on your anniversary. You have the opportunity to earn one point per dollar on balance transfers during the first 90 days you have the card, although that is capped at 10,000 points - the cap is 15,000 points on the Premier card.
Unlike the Premier card, you don't earn any Tier Qualifying Points with this card. Tier Qualifying Points let you graduate to the A-List and A-List Preferred status where you get priority boarding, standby status and other benefits.
With both cards, there are no blackout dates, no limits on the points you can earn, and points never expire.
Recommendation
If you fly frequently on Southwest and are interested in either card, the Premier card is probably the better choice. It seems to be worth the extra $30 to get the extra anniversary bonus points.
Unlike most other frequent flyer credit cards, this one doesn't reward you in miles, but in points. While you can use the points to get free flights on Southwest, you also have the option to redeem them for hotel stays and car rentals, vacation packages or gift cards at various retailers.
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Last updated October 21, 2014. Credit card terms and sign-up bonuses are subject to change from the time of this review. Refer to the application for current terms and conditions.
The annual fee on this version of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Card is lower, but so are the bonus points you can earn.
Who the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card Is For: People who want to earn rewards for spending at Southwest Airlines.
Credit Rating Required: Good to Excellent (700+)
About the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
Pros
- Generous purchase rewards.
- Relatively low APR.
- No limits on points earned.
Cons
- High annual fee.
Rewards
- 25,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 within the first 3 months.
- Two points per dollar spent at Southwest Airlines, AirTran Airways, and hotel and car rental partners.
- One point per dollar on all other purchases.
- One point per dollar on all balance transfers during first 90 days of account opening (limit 10,000 points).
- 3,000 bonus miles each year on card anniversary date.
- 1 point per $1 on balance transfers within the first 90 days, 10,000 point maximum
APRs
- 15.99%. on purchases and balance transfers
- 19.24% on cash advances
- Penalty APR: 29.99%.
Fees
- Annual fee: $69.
- Late fee: Up to $35.
- Returned payment or check fee: Up to $35.
- Balance transfer fee: $5 or 3% of the transfer
- Cash advance fee: $10 or 3% of the advacne
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card Review
This is a slightly less generous - and less expensive - version of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Card. It has the same basic rewards packages as the Premier. The main difference is that the annual fee is $30 lower, at $69.
Likewise, the bonus points you get with the Premier card either aren't here or are less rich on this card.
The basic rewards package is the same on both cards: Two points per dollar spent at Southwest Airlines and its hotel and car rental partners, one point on all other purchases. The 15.99% APR is the same on both cards. You earn the same 25,000 bonus points if you meet the initial spending requirement.
However, the anniversary bonus is 3,000 points per year with the Plus version, which is worth $50 toward a "Wanna Get Away" fare. The Premier card rewards you with 6,000 points on your anniversary. You have the opportunity to earn one point per dollar on balance transfers during the first 90 days you have the card, although that is capped at 10,000 points - the cap is 15,000 points on the Premier card.
Unlike the Premier card, you don't earn any Tier Qualifying Points with this card. Tier Qualifying Points let you graduate to the A-List and A-List Preferred status where you get priority boarding, standby status and other benefits.
With both cards, there are no blackout dates, no limits on the points you can earn, and points never expire.
Recommendation
If you fly frequently on Southwest and are interested in either card, the Premier card is probably the better choice. It seems to be worth the extra $30 to get the extra anniversary bonus points.
Unlike most other frequent flyer credit cards, this one doesn't reward you in miles, but in points. While you can use the points to get free flights on Southwest, you also have the option to redeem them for hotel stays and car rentals, vacation packages or gift cards at various retailers.
Visit Their Website
Last updated October 21, 2014. Credit card terms and sign-up bonuses are subject to change from the time of this review. Refer to the application for current terms and conditions.
