Southwest Plus vs Southwest Premier
By Alex Compton · Updated
The Southwest Plus and Premier are separated by $50 in annual fee and a short list of upgrades. Both earn the same welcome bonuses that make Companion Pass math work, so the real question is which card is cheaper to keep in year two and beyond.
Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
Chase
- Our rating
- 7.8/10
- Welcome bonus
- 50,000 points
- Bonus value
- ≈$675
- Annual fee
- $99
- Credits, max/yr
- $0
- Foreign txn fee
- None
Top earning rates
- 2x Southwest purchases
- 2x Gas stations and grocery stores
- 1x All other purchases
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier
Chase
- Our rating
- 7.8/10
- Welcome bonus
- 55,000 points
- Bonus value
- ≈$743
- Annual fee
- $149
- Credits, max/yr
- $0
- Foreign txn fee
- None
Top earning rates
- 3x Southwest purchases
- 2x Grocery stores and restaurants (first $8,000 combined per anniversary year)
- 1x All other purchases
Where Each Wins
Annual fee
SW PlusThe Plus costs $99, the cheapest door into Southwest points. The Premier costs $149.
Anniversary points
Southwest PremierThe Premier deposits 6,000 points every anniversary, worth about $81 against $149. The Plus deposits 3,000, worth about $40 against $99.
Net carrying cost
SW PlusFee minus anniversary points: the Plus nets about $59 a year, the Premier about $68. After the 2026 fee increases the gap is small, but the Plus is now slightly cheaper to hold.
Foreign transaction fees
TieNeither card charges foreign transaction fees any more.
Earning
Southwest PremierThe Premier earns 3x on Southwest purchases, 2x on the first $8,000 at grocery stores and restaurants, and adds tier qualifying points (1,500 per $5,000 spent) toward A-List status. The Plus earns 2x on Southwest and on the first $5,000 at gas stations and grocery stores.
Companion Pass math
TieBoth cards' bonuses and spending count toward the Companion Pass, and both add a 10,000-point qualifying boost each year. Neither has an edge in the chase itself.
The Compound Verdict
After the 2026 fee increases the two cards cost nearly the same to hold, so pick on perks. The Premier earns 3x on Southwest, adds Preferred seat selection, a 15% flight discount and tier qualifying points that matter to anyone flirting with A-List. The Plus is the lower sticker price with a free first bag of its own. Take whichever card is offering the bigger bonus during a Companion Pass run; if terms are equal, the Premier is the better keeper for regular Southwest flyers.
Our ratings score these dead even. The right pick depends on your spending. On current welcome offers, the Southwest Premier brings the bigger first-year haul at ≈$743. The fee gap is $50 a year, so make sure the extra credits and multipliers actually fit your spend.
Read the full reviews for the complete math: SW Plus review and Southwest Premier review, or put them side by side in the comparison tool.
Common Questions
Which Southwest card is best for earning the Companion Pass?
Whichever is running the biggest welcome bonus when you apply, since bonuses count toward the pass's qualifying points. The classic play is timing the application so the bonus posts in January, banking most of the roughly 135,000 qualifying points early in a calendar year. Card choice matters less than timing.
Is the Southwest Premier worth $50 more than the Plus?
For regular Southwest flyers, usually: the Premier's 6,000 anniversary points are worth roughly $81 against its $149 fee, a net cost near $68, versus about $59 for the Plus. The $9 difference buys 3x Southwest earning, Preferred seat selection, a 15% flight discount and A-List tier points.
Do Southwest points expire, and does a card protect them?
Southwest points no longer expire from inactivity, so you do not need a card to protect a balance. Hold a Southwest card for the anniversary points, free checked bag, and Companion Pass boost, not for balance protection.