Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business
The welcome offer, the seat and bag benefits, the anniversary points, the protection, and whether the $299 fee pays for itself.
Points Atelier may earn from partner links. Ratings never depend on it.
Business airline cards · Chase
Welcome offer
80,000 points
Annual fee
$299
80,000 bonus points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. Not available to current cardholders of this card or anyone who received its bonus in the past 24 months.
Employee cards: No feeForeign transaction fees: NoneRewards: Southwest Rapid Rewards points
The Atelier Take
The business twin of the Priority card: the seat benefits and 9,000 anniversary points are the reason to pay $299.
Who it suits
Business owners who fly Southwest often and want a Preferred seat at booking and Extra Legroom upgrades. It also suits anyone working toward A-List through spending.
Who should skip it
Businesses whose main costs are advertising, software or phone bills: those now earn 1x. Anyone who only wants the free bag can get it on the $149 Premier Business.
Annual benefits, and the catch
Anniversary points
9,000 points a year
About $113 at TPG’s 1.25¢ valuation.
Preferred seat at booking
Every booking, when available
Subject to availability; employee cards don’t get it.
Extra Legroom upgrade
Unlimited, within 48 hours
Only in the 48 hours before departure, subject to availability.
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS
Up to $120 every 4 years
What it earns
Rewards: Southwest Rapid Rewards points, which book Southwest flights with no blackout dates and unlimited reward seats.
4x
Southwest purchases
Flights, inflight, gift cards and Getaways by Southwest packages
2x
Hotels booked directly with the hotel
2x
Gas stations and restaurants
2x
Local transit and commuting
Including rideshare
1x
Everything else
TPG values Rapid Rewards points at 1.25¢ each. Southwest award prices move with cash fares, so a point is worth roughly the same on most flights. The 2x on social media and search advertising and on internet, cable and phone ended on December 31, 2025; those now earn 1x.
Southwest benefits
Free first checked bag
For the cardholder and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation. Chase puts the saving at $45 per bag per trip.
Group 5 boarding
For the cardholder and up to 8 passengers on the same reservation.
A-List progress
2,500 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 spent each year.
Companion Pass boost
10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year.
25% back in flight
On inflight drink purchases paid with the card.
Will the $299 fee pay off?
Enter what would go on this card. The result values points at TPG’s valuation, adds the credits that would actually be used and, in year one, the welcome offer, then sets the total against a no-fee card that pays 2% back on everything.
1 · Spending on this card
Example figures are filled in; replace them with real ones.
Advertising
1x
Shipping
1x
Internet, cable and phone
1x
Office supplies
1x
Software and cloud services
1x
Southwest flights and other Southwest purchases
4x
Other flights
1x
Hotels booked directly
2x
Restaurants
2x
Gas stations
2x
Local transit and commutingIncluding rideshare
2x
Everything else
1x
2 · Credits that would be used
Tick only what would be used anyway, at full value.
3 · Assumptions
The result
Not counted: Preferred and Extra Legroom seats, A-List progress, the Companion Pass boost and the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit.
Insurance and protections
Chase lists only these on the card’s page, with no trip cancellation, trip delay or car rental cover. Pay for the trip or purchase with the card to be covered.
Lost luggage
Up to $3,000 per traveler for lost, damaged or stolen bags.
Baggage delay
Up to $100 a day for 3 days for essentials when bags are delayed more than 6 hours.
Purchase protection
Damage or theft within 120 days of purchase, up to $10,000 per item.
Extended warranty
Adds one year to U.S. manufacturer warranties of three years or less.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Preferred seat at booking and Extra Legroom upgrades
- 9,000 anniversary points a year
- 4x on Southwest purchases
- Purchase protection up to $10,000 per item
Cons
- $299 fee
- Advertising and phone bills dropped to 1x at the end of 2025
- Seat, bag and boarding benefits don’t extend to employee cards
- No trip cancellation, trip delay or car rental cover listed
Card terms change often and some offers are personalized; the issuer’s page is the final word.