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Southwest’s three personal Rapid Rewards credit cards have new limited-time welcome offers as of October 27, 2026:
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card: Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
These bonuses could also help you earn a Companion Pass valid through December 31, 2027. The timing matters: normally, qualifying bonus points must post during 2026, but Southwest is allowing eligible applicants extra time to finish their spending in early 2027.
Starting January 1, 2027, Southwest’s new points-based Companion Pass qualification system will use Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs). Welcome bonuses won’t earn those qualifying points.
However, welcome bonuses can currently still count toward 2026 Companion Pass qualification. The rules depend on when you apply and when your bonus points post:
Apply by December 2, 2026 and get approved: Under Southwest’s transition exception, your eligible welcome bonus can count toward 2026 qualification even if you finish the required spending in early 2027. You must still complete the purchases within your offer’s three-month window.
Apply after December 2, 2026: You miss that early-2027 exception. Under the normal 2026 rules, your bonus points would need to post to your Rapid Rewards account by December 31, 2026. Completing the spending before year-end alone isn’t enough.
That said, don’t get confused. December 2 is the deadline for the exception; not the date the normal 2026 qualification rules end.
You still need at least 135,000 total qualifying points for 2026, including any eligible welcome bonus. None of these three bonuses reaches that threshold on its own.
If you qualify under the 2026 rules or this exception, your Companion Pass is valid through December 31, 2027. Finishing the spending in January won’t turn it into a pass valid through 2028.
With the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card, you can earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The card has a $99 annual fee, making it the least expensive option of the three consumer cards. Ongoing benefits include a first checked bag free for eligible travelers and 3,000 points each cardmember anniversary.
For someone primarily interested in earning a large welcome bonus with a manageable spending requirement, the Plus is a good choice. It offers just 10,000 fewer bonus points than the Priority while requiring $2,000 less in purchases.
With the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card , you can earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The Premier has a $149 annual fee. Its ongoing benefits include 6,000 points each cardmember anniversary and complimentary Preferred seat selection within 48 hours before departure, when available.
Compared with the Plus, you’ll earn an additional 5,000 bonus points for $1,000 more in required purchases. Whether that tradeoff makes sense depends on your spending plans and how much you’ll use the card’s ongoing benefits.
With the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, you can earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
The Priority has the largest bonus and the highest annual fee at $229. Benefits include 7,500 points each cardmember anniversary, complimentary Preferred seat selection at booking, and upgrades to Extra Legroom seats within 48 hours before departure, when available.
This is the offer to consider if you want the most bonus points and expect to use the additional travel benefits enough to justify the higher annual fee. But note that you would need to spend three times as much as the Southwest Plus card just to earn a slightly bigger bonus.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card is particularly compelling here: 80,000 bonus points after $1,000 in purchases is a substantial offer with the lowest annual fee and spending requirement of the three consumer Southwest cards. And all 80,000 of those points count towards earning a Companion Pass (assuming you applied in time).
The Premier and Priority offer more points, but we’d choose between them based on the benefits you’ll use after earning the bonus.
If you’re already working toward a Companion Pass for 2027, compare your existing qualifying balance with the bonus available on each card. The larger offer could make a difference if you’re close to qualifying.
No, you’ll earn Southwest points with these welcome offers. You still need to meet the applicable Companion Pass qualification requirements (requires 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points).
If you currently hold a personal Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card, you generally aren’t eligible for another personal Southwest card’s welcome offer. If you held a personal Southwest card and received a welcome bonus in the past 24 months, you won’t be eligible for a new welcome bonus.
Starting January 1, 2027, points from welcome bonuses and referral bonuses, card anniversary points, bonus points from spending categories, and points earned through partner spending, such as hotel stays and car rentals, will no longer count toward Companion Pass qualification. These points will remain redeemable Rapid Rewards points, but they won’t earn Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs).
No. You have three months from account opening to complete the required purchases. Applying by December 2, 2026 and getting approved allows your eligible welcome bonus to count toward 2026 qualification even if you finish spending in early 2027.
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Advertiser Disclosure: nextcard may receive compensation from card issuers. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain. For the most up-to-date terms & conditions, refer to the official credit card application on the issuer's website.
