Southwest Plus vs Southwest Premier

Southwest Premier currently has the stronger offer: 55,000 Rapid Rewards (~$688 value) after $1,500 spend in 3 months, vs 50,000 Rapid Rewards (~$625) after $1,000 in 3 months for Southwest Plus. Welcome offers change frequently — verify the current offer on the issuer's application page before applying.

For first-year cardholders the answer is usually yes — the welcome bonus (~$625) and statement credits alone typically cover the $99 fee several times over. After year one, the math depends on your spending patterns. Use our Annual Fee Calculator with your actual numbers to verify before renewing.

For first-year cardholders the answer is usually yes — the welcome bonus (~$688) and statement credits alone typically cover the $149 fee several times over. After year one, the math depends on your spending patterns. Use our Annual Fee Calculator with your actual numbers to verify before renewing.

Yes — Chase allows holding both Southwest Plus and Southwest Premier simultaneously. Each card has its own welcome bonus and statement credits, so they don't conflict. Chase's welcome bonus eligibility rules may require waiting between applications; check current policy before applying for the second card. Keep Chase's application rules in mind: personal cards count toward your 5/24 limit, and Chase generally approves at most one new card per 30 days — space the applications out.

Neither card transfers points to World of Hyatt. Only Chase Ultimate Rewards, Bilt Rewards and the co-branded World of Hyatt card transfer to Hyatt at 1:1. To stack Hyatt points without leaving these two ecosystems you'd need to add a Chase Sapphire or Bilt card alongside.

Based on first-year math (welcome bonus + tracked statement credits − annual fee), Southwest Premier comes out ahead at ~$577 of net value vs ~$545 for the other card. After year one, the better card for YOU depends on how naturally you'll use the credits and category bonuses.

Yes — both cards are issued by Chase, so the 5/24 rule applies to both. If you've opened 5 or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the last 24 months, Chase will likely deny your application regardless of credit score. Check your 5/24 count before applying for either.

Southwest Plus has the easier bar — $1,000 in 3 months — vs $1,500 in 3 months for Southwest Premier. Don't manufacture spend just to hit a higher threshold — if you can't reach it through normal spending, the card isn't the right fit right now.

Every comparison uses the same fixed methodology: welcome offer value (bonus × current points valuation minus AF), category earning rates, annual fee vs benefit math, transfer-partner depth + redemption value, lounge tier, travel protections, and foreign transaction handling. Card facts come from issuer pages (verified via Playwright on the "Last reviewed" date), card-program award charts, and TPG monthly valuations. Nothing on this page is paid-placement — the Quick Winners, Real-World Scenarios, and Comparison Table are deterministic outputs from the data, not editorial opinion.

The comparison data regenerates on every site build (typically multiple times per week as offers change). Welcome offer terms, annual fees, and category multipliers are verified against issuer pages and refreshed as part of the catalog. Welcome bonuses, annual fees, and benefits can change at any time at the issuer's discretion — always confirm current terms on the issuer's application page before applying. The "Last reviewed" date in the trust strip below shows the most recent manual methodology + data-source audit.