Link: Apply now for the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Chase and Southwest have a portfolio of co-branded credit cards. The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card is the most premium card in this collection, and I’d argue that it’s also the most lucrative.
While I’ve written a detailed review of this card, in this post, I wanted to share seven reasons you should consider picking up Southwest’s best business credit card, which has a $199 annual fee. In no particular order…
In this post:
A welcome bonus of 80,000 points
A huge upfront welcome offer can be a big motivator to pick up a card, and that’s an area where the Southwest Performance Business Card excels. The card currently has a welcome offer that can earn you 80,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 within the first three months
This is a solid bonus. Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based frequent flyer program, and personally, I value Rapid Rewards points at 1.2 cents each. So to me, the 80,000 points are worth $960.
Eligibility for this welcome offer is unrelated to having any other Southwest card, so you’d be eligible for it even if you have the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Card (review) or Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (review).
A shortcut to Southwest Companion Pass
Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals in travel, and allows you to take a companion with you on your travels, regardless of whether you are paying cash or redeeming points, just by paying taxes and fees for the second ticket. This requires earning 135,000 eligible points in a calendar year.
The first thing to note is that points earned with the Southwest Performance Business Card count toward Companion Pass, whether it’s points from spending or points from the welcome offer. If you completed the minimum spending on the credit card you’d be well on your way to earning the Companion Pass.
Even on ongoing basis, you can receive 10,000 points toward Companion Pass each year just by having a co-branded Southwest card. So having this card gives you a head start to Companion Pass both the first year, and in subsequent years.
An amazing Southwest Wi-Fi benefit
If you ask me, the single best benefit of the Southwest Performance Business Card is the amazing Wi-Fi perk that it offers. Just for having the card, you receive statement credits for up to 365 Wi-Fi purchases on Southwest annually.
Southwest ordinarily charges $8 per flight for Wi-Fi, so you could buy Wi-Fi every single day of the year on Southwest with this benefit. That’s a really nice perk, as it helps to pass the time when flying with the airline. This should prove hugely valuable to anyone who flies with the airline frequently.
9,000 anniversary bonus points
If you’re put off by the $199 annual fee on the card, there’s one perk that will help offset most of that. The Southwest Performance Business Card offers 9,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points on your cardmember anniversary every year. That gets you well over $100 in airfare on Southwest annually, so that should help offset a majority of the fee.
Four upgraded boardings per year
Southwest has an open seating policy, so the important thing on Southwest is what your boarding position is. This is another area where the Southwest Performance Business Card can help. The card offers four upgraded boardings per anniversary year, when available.
Essentially, you can be reimbursed for the purchase of up to four upgraded boardings per year, in positions A1-15. You can purchase this at the departure gate or ticket counter on the day of travel. The price of upgraded boardings varies by flight, but ranges from $30-149. So if you’re able to use this perk, that’s potentially a value of $120-596.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
As any frequent traveler can attest to, there’s huge value to having Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, both of which can help you save a lot of time at the airport. The Southwest Performance Business Card offers a statement credit (up to $100 through 9/30/24 then up to $120 starting 10/1/24) toward the purchases once every four years. Once again, this can help with justifying the annual fee, especially the first year.
Spend your way to A-List status
A-List is the name of Southwest Rapid Rewards’ elite status program, offering perks like priority boarding, a 25% points bonus, same-day standby, priority check-in and security lane access, and a dedicated phone number.
If you’re looking to earn status with Southwest, spending on the Southwest Performance Business Card can help you toward that. You can earn 1,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent on the card. A-List status ordinarily requires earning 35,000 TQPs in a calendar year. While I wouldn’t recommend entirely spending your way toward status, there could be value in this at the margins.
Bottom line
The Southwest Performance Business Card is a compelling business credit card, and this is the ideal time to pick it up. In addition to a nice welcome offer, the card offers all kinds of perks that justify the annual fee on an ongoing basis. These perks include an incredible Wi-Fi benefit, 9,000 anniversary bonus points, four upgraded boardings per year, and much more.
If you have the Southwest Performance Business Card, what has your experience been with the card?
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