The Southwest Premier Business Card Jumped to 80,000 Points. The Spend Stayed at $3,000.
Chase raised the welcome offer on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card to 80,000 points, up from the usual 60,000. The spending requirement did not move, so you still earn it after $3,000 of purchases in the first three months. The annual fee is $149.
The short version
The welcome offer is 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after $3,000 of spend in three months, up 20,000 from the standard 60,000
The annual fee is $149, billed on the first statement
The card pays 6,000 anniversary points every year, worth roughly $84 at 1.4 cents a point
It earns 3x on Southwest purchases and 2x on gas, dining, transit and rideshare, capped at the first $8,000 a year combined
The card contributes 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points a year and 1,500 A-List tier points per $10,000 spent
How much is 80,000 Southwest points worth?
Southwest Rapid Rewards points price awards against the cash fare rather than an award chart, which keeps their value steady near 1.3 to 1.5 cents each. At 1.4 cents, the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business welcome offer of 80,000 points is worth about $1,120 in Southwest flights. Subtract the $149 annual fee and the first-year value lands near $971 before you count anniversary points or category earning. Our guide to what points and miles are worth explains where that 1.4 cent figure comes from.
Southwest points do not transfer to airline partners, so the valuation is simple. What a Southwest flight costs in cash is what your points are worth.
Is the $149 annual fee worth paying?
Every year you hold the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card, Chase returns 6,000 points on your anniversary, described on the card page as "6,000 bonus points each year after your Cardmember anniversary". At 1.4 cents that is roughly $84 against a $149 fee. The gap closes if you fly Southwest twice a year, because the card also carries no foreign transaction fees, 25% back on inflight purchases and employee cards at no extra cost.
For a business that never flies Southwest, the fee is a loss after year one. The welcome offer is the reason to apply and the anniversary points are the reason to keep it, and only one of those repeats.
Does this card help with the Companion Pass?
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card contributes 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points a year, and the 80,000 welcome points also count toward the threshold. Southwest's Companion Pass lets a designated person fly with you for taxes only, and earning it takes 135,000 qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. An 80,000-point welcome offer covers more than half of that in one application.
Timing decides everything here. Earn the bonus in January and the Companion Pass runs almost two full years. Earn it in November and you burn most of the benefit before it starts.
Who should skip it?
Skip the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card if Southwest does not serve your home airport well, or if you are within one card of Chase's 5/24 limit and want a Sapphire or Ink product instead. Southwest also began charging $45 for a first checked bag on tickets issued after April 9, 2026, a change we covered in our post on the Southwest bag fee. The personal Rapid Rewards cards waive that fee. This business card does not carry the same waiver language, so confirm before you count on it.
What this means for you
An 80,000-point offer on a $149 business card is a strong entry point if you fly Southwest and have $3,000 of business spending over three months. Chase has not published an end date, and offers at this level historically last weeks rather than months. If you are chasing a 2027 Companion Pass, opening late this year and hitting the spend in January is the move worth planning. Our best travel credit cards guide compares this against the other business cards running elevated offers.
FAQ
How long does the 80,000-point offer last?
Chase has not announced an expiration date for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business 80,000-point offer. Elevated Southwest business offers typically run a few weeks.
Does a business card count toward Chase 5/24?
A Chase business card does not add to your 5/24 count, because Chase business cards do not report to personal credit bureaus. You still need to be under 5/24 to be approved for one.
Do the welcome points count toward the Companion Pass?
Yes. Rapid Rewards points earned from a credit card welcome offer count toward Companion Pass qualification, which requires 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year.
What does the card earn on everyday spending?
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business card earns 3x on Southwest purchases, 2x on gas, dining, transit, rideshare and Rapid Rewards hotel and car partners, and 1x elsewhere. The 2x categories cap at the first $8,000 a year combined.
Do I need a registered business to apply?
No. Sole proprietors qualify for Chase business cards using a Social Security number and their own legal name as the business name. Use truthful information on the application.
Sources: Chase Southwest Premier Business card page, Danny the Deal Guru, Upgraded Points, Southwest Companion Pass, Southwest baggage policy.
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