In recent years, Southwest Airlines has evolved from a primarily leisure airline into a carrier that serves both vacationers and business travelers. Enter the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card, which offers extra perks for business owners flying with the airline.
The Southwest Premier Business card earns Rapid Rewards points that can be redeemed for future flights across the airline’s strong domestic network.
But the biggest opportunity to earn a lot of points at once comes from the introductory welcome offer. We’ll review what’s currently available and compare that to previous welcome offers since 2020.
When To Apply for the Southwest Premier Business Card
The Southwest Premier Business card is the business counterpart to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card. It carries the same $149 annual fee and similar perks, but the Southwest Premier Business card allows you to add employee cards for no additional cost.
If you’re thinking of applying, the Southwest Premier Business card features this public welcome bonus offer:
- Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Below, we’ve documented the available welcome offers since 2020:
|
Offer Date |
Welcome Offer Details |
Value* |
|
Current offer (September 2024 to now) |
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. |
$780 |
|
June 2024 to September 2024 |
Earn up to 120,000 bonus points: 60,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months and an additional 60,000 points after spending $15,000 in the first 9 months. |
$1,560 |
|
August 2023 to June 2024 |
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. |
$780 |
|
July 2023 to August 2023 |
Earn up to 120,000 bonus points: 60,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months and an additional 60,000 points after spending $15,000 in the first 9 months. |
$1,560 |
|
September 2020 to July 2023 |
Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months. |
$780 |
* Value based on our latest valuations of Southwest Rapid Rewards points estimated at 1.3 cents each. This value isn’t provided by the card issuer.
Unlike other Southwest consumer credit cards, the Southwest business cards don’t offer as many new welcome offers throughout the year. The best welcome offer we’ve seen is up to 120,000 bonus points, though the minimum spending requirement is much steeper to match.
While it’s hard to predict whether this welcome offer will ever return, if it does, know it’s worth considering if you’re looking to earn a ton of Southwest Rapid Rewards points at once.
Southwest Premier Business Card Benefits
In the fall of 2025, Southwest overhauled its entire credit card portfolio. These changes came about as Southwest eliminated its longstanding free checked-bag policy.
Fortunately, the Southwest Premier Business card offers travelers a free checked bag and Group 5 boarding, which gives you earlier access to the overhead bin for your carry-on. Other benefits of the Southwest Premier Business card (which has a $149 annual fee) include:
- 15% promo code for each year on your cardmember anniversary (excluding the Basic fare)
- Earn 3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases and 2x points at grocery stores and restaurants (on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year, and 1x points on everything else)
- 2,000 Tier Qualifying Points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent
- Automatic 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points every year
- 25% discount on inflight purchases
Final Thoughts
The Southwest Premier Business card doesn’t feature as wide a range of welcome offers throughout the year as some other cards, but that actually makes it easier to gauge whether the current bonus offer is worth applying for. While the welcome bonus may drive the initial decision, the card’s long-term value comes from its ongoing perks — especially if you frequently fly with Southwest.