Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card overview
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) is Southwest Airlines’ top-tier business credit card. It has solid earning rates across various categories. Southwest’s most frequent business flyers will enjoy this card’s useful perks when flying. Card rating*:
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The Southwest Performance Business card is a step up from the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) as the most premium business card offering. It offers an impressive welcome bonus, a better rewards structure and a nice array of day-of-travel perks.
All the credit cards in the Southwest portfolio were recently refreshed, and the Performance Business is no exception. With this refresh came new day of travel benefits and a modified earnings structure.
Nowadays, unfortunately, most credit card refreshes come with an annual fee increase. The Southwest Performance Business increased its annual fee by approximately 50% from $199 to $299.
The recommended credit score for this product is 670 or above.
Note that Southwest is in the middle of sweeping changes, including a new boarding process, added bag fees and assigned seating. Holding a Southwest credit card is now more beneficial than ever.
Let’s dive into the pros and cons of this updated business card.
Southwest Performance Business Card pros and cons
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Southwest Performance Business Card welcome offer
Right now, the Southwest Performance Business card is offering new applicants 80,000 points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
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TPG’s August 2025 valuations peg Southwest miles at 1.35 cents each, meaning this bonus is worth $1,080. This is the standard welcome offer we typically see on this card.
Remember to check your eligibility before applying for this card. It is subject to the Chase 5/24 rule, and there are restrictions on how often you can earn a Southwest welcome bonus, including having not received a welcome bonus on this card in the past 24 months.
Related: How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass
Southwest Performance Business Card benefits
The Southwest Performance Business Card comes with a $299 annual fee, but the perks accompanying the card make up for the cost if you take full advantage of them, even after the first year of card membership.
- 9,000 anniversary bonus points: Each year after your account anniversary, you’ll automatically receive 9,000 bonus points. That means you’re essentially getting $122 worth of points each year after the first year just for being an active cardholder, based on TPG’s August 2025 valuations. This helps offset more than 40% of the annual fee.
- Free first checked bag: Southwest started charging for bags on May 28. Luckily, Performance Business cardholders receive a free first checked bag for the primary cardholder and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation. (A standard first checked bag costs $35, which would save a family of four $280 on a round-trip itinerary.)
- Four Upgraded Boardings (ends Dec. 31): For flights operating in 2025, you’ll have the ability to upgrade your boarding position up to four times.
- Inflight Wi-Fi credits (ends Dec. 31): Southwest will reimburse you for up to 365 $8 inflight Wi-Fi purchases as a statement credit. In other words, you could purchase an all-day inflight Wi-Fi pass every day of the year, and your card will cover it.
- Priority boarding: Cardholders and up to 8 passengers traveling on the same reservation will receive Group 5 priority boarding (for flights operating in 2026 and beyond). If you have A-list status, you can board with an earlier group.
- Preferred seat selection at booking: When available, you and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select preferred seating at the time of booking (for flights operating in 2026 and beyond).
- Unlimited extra-legroom upgrades: You and up to eight passengers traveling on the same reservation can select extra-legroom seats within 48 hours prior to departure when available (for flights operating in 2026 and beyond). A perk like this is usually only afforded to airline elite members.
JESSICA PUCKETT/THE POINTS GUY
- $500 fee credit for points transfers per year (ends Dec. 31): Transfer points to another Rapid Rewards member, and up to $500 in fees associated with the transfer will be reimbursed each account anniversary year.
- Status Boost: You’ll earn 2,500 tier-qualifying points per $5,000 you spend on purchases in a calendar year to help you reach A-List elite status faster. There’s no limit on the number of TQPs you can earn.
- 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost annually: Cardholders receive 10,000 points toward a Companion Pass each year. With this boost and the points earned from the welcome offer, you will only need to earn 45,000 more companion qualifying points to earn the coveted Companion Pass.
- Inflight discount: Cardholders receive 25% back on inflight food and beverage or Wi-Fi purchases.
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus credit: Once every four years, you can receive a statement credit (up to $120) for your Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus application fee.
- Free employee cards: You pay no fee for additional employee cards and will earn points on employee spending. You can set spending limits on employee cards by calling cardmember services.
- No foreign transaction fees
Related: Is the Southwest Performance Business Card worth the annual fee?
Earning points on the Southwest Performance Business Card
As the more premium business card, the Southwest Performance Business Card has a higher earning rate than other Southwest card options. You’ll earn:
- 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases (5.4% return based on TPG’s August 2025 valuations)
- 4 points per dollar spent on Southwest Cruises (5.4% return; ends Dec. 31)
- 3 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners (approximate 4.1% return; ends Dec. 31)
- 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants (2.7% return)
- 2 points per dollar spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel (2.7% return)
- 2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including ride-hailing services (2.7% return)
- 2 points per dollar spent on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable and phone services (2.7% return; ends Dec. 31)
- 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases (approximate 1.4% return)
It’s important to note that current cardholders will have access to both the new and expiring bonus categories.
It’s nice that two new categories geared more toward everyday spending were added; however, seeing two key business-oriented categories removed at the end of the year is a big downside for the top-tier business card in the Southwest portfolio.
You’ll be better off using the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees) for general travel beyond Southwest Airlines purchases as it earns 3 points per dollar spent on up to $150,000 each account anniversary year for combined travel and select business purchases.
Related: 10 easy ways to earn more Rapid Rewards points
Redeeming points on the Southwest Performance Business Card
The Southwest Performance Business Card card earns Rapid Rewards points, so you’ll get the most value when you redeem your points for award travel on Southwest.
Redeeming points for Southwest award flights is simple. Log in to your account, enter your search parameters on Southwest’s website, choose your desired available flight and follow the on-screen steps to check out.
You may have to pay additional taxes and fees on international routes, but Southwest is transparent about those throughout the search process.
Southwest has a travel portal for international flights on other carriers, but you’re typically not going to get as great a return when you redeem points that way.
Additionally, you can redeem points on hotels, car rentals or merchandise. However, we recommend skipping these options and using your points for Southwest award flights to get the most value from them.
TPG senior writer Tarah Chieffi used Southwest points to pay for a portion of the cost of her trip to Orlando by redeeming 37,000 points to supplement her out-of-pocket cost of two round-trip tickets. While it isn’t always the best value, paying with a combination of cash and points can be a great way to effectively use a smaller number of Southwest points.
Which cards compete with the Southwest Performance Business Card?
Even if you’re a Southwest-loyal business owner, the Southwest Performance Business Card card may not be your best option.
For additional details, see our full list of best business credit cards and best airline credit cards.
Related more: How to get a business credit card
Bottom line
If you’re a business owner who flies Southwest frequently, the Southwest Performance Business card is a great option. You’ll get great value from its Southwest-specific perks and its welcome bonus.
However, you’ll want to choose a different product if you only occasionally fly Southwest or spend most of your business budget outside the card’s bonus categories.
Apply here: Southwest Performance Business Credit Card
