Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Review: A Low-Cost, Introductory Airline Card

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is a travel card that doesn't break the bank. It has a $69 annual fee, making it one of the more affordable airline credit cards. For that, you'll get a solid sign-up bonus and an extra 3,000 points every year. But because of the low cost, it also lacks some of the benefits you'd get with Southwest's other card options. Explore our Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card review for a full breakdown of this card's features.

This credit card is a good fit for: Domestic travelers who fly with Southwest and are looking for the most budget-friendly card option.

Top perks

There are several benefits that come with this Southwest credit card.

Limited-time offer: 75,000 bonus points

For a limited time, you earn 75,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases with this card in the first three months. While there are bigger sign-up bonuses out there, this one isn't bad considering the card's low annual fee.

Rewards

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card earns:

• 2 points per $1 on Southwest purchases
• 2 points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
• 2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
• 2 points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
• 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases

Overall, this is a reasonable rewards rate for the annual fee. However, there are other top credit cards that offer more bonus rewards.

See more: Best Credit Cards for Streaming Services

3,000 bonus points per year

You'll get a bonus of 3,000 points each account anniversary year. We've done the math and found that Rapid Rewards points are worth about $0.014 to $0.018 each. Using that value, a 3,000-point bonus is worth $42 to $54, wiping out a big chunk of this card's annual fee.

Two Early Bird Check-In credits per year

Each anniversary year, you'll be reimbursed for the purchase of up to two Early Bird Check-In services. Prices otherwise start at $15. An Early Bird Check-In helps you get an earlier boarding position, which is useful with Southwest, since you choose your seat when you board.

25% back on in-flight purchases

When you purchase in-flight drinks or wifi with your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, you'll receive a 25% statement credit. Statement credits appear within one to two billing cycles.

Free one-year DashPass membership

DashPass, the membership service for DoorDash and Caviar, offers a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees for your eligible orders over $12. This Southwest credit card gets you one year free of DashPass. After that, you're automatically enrolled in the service at the monthly rate unless you decide to cancel. To get your free year of service, you must activate the benefit by Dec. 31, 2024.

Travel protections

On eligible travel bookings paid for with your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, you'll get:

• Lost luggage reimbursement
• Baggage delay insurance

Read more: Best Airline Credit Cards

Purchase protections

Eligible purchases made on your Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card get complimentary coverage against damage or theft. This card also offers extended warranty coverage.

What could be improved

If you're thinking about applying for this card, you should also know about its downsides.

Annual fee

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card will cost you $69 per year. That's not very expensive, but it does mean you should consider whether the annual fee is worth it for this card. Assuming you'll use the 3,000 annual bonus points and those two Early Bird Check-In credits, you should come out ahead.

Foreign transaction fee

The most frustrating flaw of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is a 3% foreign transaction fee. Most travel credit cards, especially those with annual fees, don't charge extra for foreign transactions. There are even plenty of no annual fee credit cards without this fee. A top-notch travel card is one that you can take anywhere. Since the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card costs you more on international travel, it's only a good option for domestic trips.

Value compared to other Southwest credit cards

There are two other Southwest credit cards with higher annual fees and better yearly benefits:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: $99 annual fee; 6,000 yearly bonus points
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: $149 annual fee; 7,500 yearly bonus points and a $75 annual credit for Southwest purchases

Even though these cards cost more, they also offer more annual value. If you can afford to spend more, it's worth comparing credit cards in Southwest's lineup.

We recommend a 670 or higher FICO® Score to open the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. Consumers who get approved typically have good credit. Keep in mind that your credit score is one of many factors that determines whether your application is a success.

Because this is a Chase credit card, you'll also need to be aware of Chase's 5/24 rule. This rule generally results in an automatic denial if you've opened five or more credit accounts already during the previous 24 months.

LEARN MORE: A Guide to Chase's 5/24 Rule

You fly with Southwest Airlines every year and you want an inexpensive credit card that earns Southwest Rapid Rewards® points.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card works best for budget-conscious consumers who only travel domestically. It may be best to check out more credit card reviews or at least consider an upgrade in the future. Other Southwest credit cards offer better perks that more than make up for their annual fees. They also don't have foreign transaction fees, so they won't cost you more on international trips.