Best cards at Southwest Airlines

Good to know at Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines doesn't limit which card network you can pay with, so the ranking here is a straight rewards contest — and since the December 2025 revamp of Chase's Southwest lineup, the airline's own co-brand finally tops it. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card earns 4x Rapid Rewards points on purchases made directly with Southwest, which we value near 5.2% back — just ahead of The Platinum Card from American Express at 5x, which carries an $895 annual fee and a spending cap that drops the rate once you pass it.

The chasing pack comes with homework. The Platinum Card's rate falls after its cap, and Discover it Cash Back only earns 5% if you activate the bonus each quarter, with a cap that is shared across categories. The Priority's own catch is smaller but real: the 4x applies only to purchases made directly with Southwest, and the card costs $229 a year — a fee that makes sense for regulars, not once-a-year flyers. Chase Sapphire Reserve pays a clean 4x with no listed caveats, though its $795 annual fee only earns its keep well beyond a few flights.

If none of the top cards is in your wallet, the no-fee tier still earns respectably: Wells Fargo Autograph pays 3x and both Costco Anywhere Visa cards from Citi pay 3%, with no caveats listed, while Citi Strata Premier matches that 3x for $95 a year. One caution: Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus shows a 4x multiplier, but we value it near 2.8% in cash — which is why it sits below the flat 3% cards. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card earns the same 4x on Southwest purchases as the consumer cards and sits just behind the leader here; at $299 a year it is a business card, so applying needs a business — including a sole proprietorship.

The math

Spend $250 a month at Southwest Airlines and Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card returns about $156 a year at our valuations — a flat 2% card returns $60.