Want to earn maximum Southwest Points? The Southwest Performance Business is your BEST option! It earns the most points of ANY Southwest card.
Current offer: 120,000 points after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months
All of those points qualify toward the 135,000 points you need to earn the Southwest Companion Pass!
The Southwest Companion Pass lets one person fly FREE with you from the time you earn it until the END of the FOLLOWING year.
To apply for credit cards in this post, please click on Cards in the Main Menu at the top of the page (shown below) to help support my small business. For Southwest and Capital One, you can also use the links within the post. I greatly appreciate it!
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card Breakdown
Here are the details about this card:
Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business
Bonus Offer: 120,000 points after spending $10,000 in the first 3 months
Annual Fee: $299
Benefits include:
- 1 free checked bag for you and up to 8 people on your reservation + a Companion (regularly $35 per bag for 1st checked bag)
- Free Standard or Preferred seat at booking (if available) for you and up to 8 people on your reservation + a Companion
- Extra Legroom seat for you and up to 8 people on your reservation + a Companion if available 48 hours ahead of departure
- Board with Group 5 (out of 8 boarding groups) for you and up to 8 people on your reservation + a Companion
- 9,000 anniversary points each year (Worth ~$135) – These points DO qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass
- Earn 2,500 tier qualifying points (TQPs) for each $5,000 in purchases. TQPs can be used to count toward qualification for Rapid Rewards A-List (35,000 TQPs needed) or A-List Preferred (70,000 TQPs needed) status. Note: This is NOT how I recommend earning A-List if that’s something you want to strive for.
- 4 points per $1 on Southwest purchases
- 2 points per $1 on gas stations and restaurants
- 2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2 points per $1 on hotel accommodations booked directly with a hotel
- 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
- 9,000 anniversary points (these DO qualify for the Companion Pass)
- $120 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit every 4 years
- 25% back on inflight purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
Check out 7 AMAZING ideas for how to use the points that come with this card’s first minimum spend bonus.
[7 Ways to Use the Southwest Business Performance Bonus]
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Can I Qualify for a Small Business Card?
The key here is that you have an “intention” to make a profit, but you can have ANY kind of side hustle (as well as a small business) and be approved for a business card.
This includes…
- Pet-sitting
- Selling furniture on Facebook Marketplace
- Selling items on Ebay or Amazon
- Charging up Bird or Lime scooters
- Driving Uber or Lyft
- Consulting
- Freelancing
- Renting real estate
- Mowing lawns
- Selling timeshare points
- Etc.
You can be approved as a sole proprietor, which means you operate under your social security number.
You may be initially DECLINED for this card. Don’t panic! I was declined for Southwest’s other business card and I’ve had a corporation for more than 15 years! Simply call the Reconsideration Line and find out what the problem is.
They may just want to see more paperwork (that’s what they needed from me; the IRS paperwork above) or you may have applied for more than 1 card in 30 days. Either way, you can still be approved!
Can I Apply for This Card If I Already Hold a Southwest Business Card?
The good news is that ANYONE can qualify for this card EVEN if you currently have a Southwest business card or earned a bonus on another Southwest business card in the last 24 months.
The restrictions only state you can’t be approved for this card if you already hold THIS card or earned a bonus on THIS card specifically in the last 24 months.
Things to Keep in Mind When Applying for This Card
Chase will NOT approve you if you’ve applied for more than 1 of their cards in 30 days. So wait until 30 days have passed after you last applied for a Chase card before applying for this one.
Some readers have had success going to a Chase bank, if you bank with them, to bypass this 30-day rule and get approved for more than 1 card within 30 days.
Chase will not approve you if you’ve opened 5 or more cards from ANY bank in the last 24 months (excluding Chase, Citi an AMEX business cards).
To see where you fall on 5/24 (ie how many cards you’ve opened in the last 24 months), check out Travel Freely, a FREE way to manage your credit cards and track 5/24, which I highly recommend, and a Secrets of a Travel Journalist partner.
You can hold BOTH business cards.
You won’t be eligible for this card bonus only if you’ve already earned it within the past 24 months. Otherwise, if you have good credit, you should be good!
My Assessment
If you fly Southwest frequently and have ANYTHING that can qualify as a business, grab the Southwest Performance Business card or the Southwest Premier Business card!
These are nice-sized bonuses that grant you easy points for free flights and that qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass.
I love the high anniversary miles, TSA Precheck/Global Entry credit and A1-15 upgraded boardings on the Southwest Performance Business card for just another $100/year.
Together those will make back the annual_fees annual fee!
I also like that you can earn double points on Internet, cable, phone and social media advertising.
Read More:
- 5 Amazing Southwest Airlines Destinations for Your Next Vacation
- Reader Question: Can I Refer Myself to Apply for a Southwest Card?
- Other Southwest Credit Card Options
