The Southwest Rapid Plus card is the most affordable option out of the three co-branded credit cards that the airline, which consistently receives top scores for customer satisfaction, gives its customers. If you don't mind that it doesn't come with any luxury travel advantages, this Southwest credit card might be the best value out of the three since it has a reasonably cheap annual fee of $69 and quite excellent points. However, this is only the case if you don't plan on using any of the perks. However, frequent fliers with Southwest Airlines or those who travel internationally may do better with one of the other credit cards offered by Chase.

Pros

1. The benefits are pretty good

When you buy something from Southwest, you get two points for every dollar you spend. You'll earn two points for every dollar you spend on local public transportation, commuting, or ridesharing. For every dollar you spend on anything else, you'll get one point. Based on what we've learned, each Southwest Rapid Rewards point is worth 1.5 cents.

1. The anniversary incentive helps to justify the yearly charge

The card costs $69 each year. In the first year, this fee is not waived. But after the first year and every year after that, this fee makes sense because every time you renew your account, you get 3,000 bonus points. At 1.50 cents per point, that's about $45 in value, making it easier to pay the annual fee after the first year.

Cons

1. Options for redemption are limited

Since the card is only for Southwest, there are fewer ways to use the points you earn. If you only fly southwest, this might not be a big deal, but if you want to use your card and rewards for things other than Southwest, this will probably be a problem.

This Card Is Perfect For

• Seeker of loyalty and position
• Flyer in action
• Regular diner
• The world traveller

The Southwest Rapid card is the least expensive of the three co-branded cards the airline offers. It's for Southwest customers who want a card but are willing to pay less and get less in return. After the first year, when the card costs $69, the 3,000-point anniversary bonus makes it a little easier to pay. That is less than the bonuses on the other Southwest cards, at least one of which also has more travel perks.

But this card is better for people who don't want to or need to pay more upfront for a card. This is especially true if they don't know when or where they'll use their points to fly. Some of the other big U.S. airlines fly to more countries than Southwest does. Most of its routes are in the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, and utilizing points with its worldwide companions gives you much lower cost per point rather than using points straight with Southwest.

Watch out for Hidden Charges

The Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card has a 3% fee for transactions made outside the United States. Most travel credit cards don't charge this fee for purchases made outside the country. So, if you're going abroad, you might want to get a different kind of travel card.

Security Features

If you have a Chase card, you can lock your account with the bank's mobile app. This can help if you lose your card or if someone steals it. Then you can open the card if you find it. Not every credit card company does this, but Chase is one of the few. You can also pay with the card without having to touch anything. This means you can tap your card instead of swiping it or putting it in a contactless card reader. This way of paying is faster than the other two, and your information is still as safe as it is on the chip in your card.

Conclusion

This credit card is the cheapest of the 3 co-branded credit cards the airline offers. It lets you get valuable rewards from Southwest Airlines without paying a high annual fee. But it's not a very good card regarding travel perks. If you're willing to pay more, even up front, to get more out of your Southwest card, you might want to look into the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority credit card. As with any airline credit card, you should think about what it would be like to have less freedom with your rewards.