Southwest Performance Business card review: Full d...

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) is Southwest Airways’ top-tier enterprise bank card. It has stable incomes charges throughout numerous classes. Southwest’s most frequent enterprise flyers will take pleasure in this card’s helpful perks when flying. Card score*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating is predicated on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.

The Southwest Efficiency Enterprise card is a step up from the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees) as probably the most premium enterprise card providing. It affords a powerful welcome bonus, a greater rewards construction and a pleasant array of day-of-travel perks.

All of the credit cards in the Southwest portfolio have been lately refreshed, and the Efficiency Enterprise is not any exception. With this refresh got here a brand new set of journey advantages and a modified earnings construction.

These days, sadly, most bank card refreshes include an annual payment improve. The Southwest Efficiency Enterprise elevated its annual payment by roughly 50% from $199 to $299.

The advisable credit score for this product is 670 or above.

Notice that Southwest is in the course of sweeping modifications that embrace rolling out a brand new boarding process, including bag fees and implementing assigned seating. Holding a Southwest bank card is now extra useful than ever.

Let’s dive into the professionals and cons of this up to date enterprise card.

Proper now, the Southwest Performance Business card affords 120,000 bonus factors after spending $10,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

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TPG’s September 2025 valuations assign Southwest factors a price of 1.35 cents every, which means this bonus is price $1,620. That is the best welcome bonus we have seen on the cardboard. You possibly can earn the best quantity of factors within the card’s historical past after spending at a decrease spending threshold than its earlier affords.

Bear in mind to verify your eligibility earlier than making use of for this card. It’s topic to Chase’s 5/24 rule, and there are restrictions on how typically you’ll be able to earn a Southwest welcome bonus, together with having not acquired a welcome bonus on this card prior to now 24 months.

Associated: How to quickly earn the Southwest Companion Pass

The Southwest Performance Business card comes with a $299 annual payment, however the perks accompanying the cardboard make up for the associated fee if you happen to take full benefit of them, even after the primary yr of card membership.

• 9,000 anniversary bonus factors: Annually after your account anniversary, you will mechanically obtain 9,000 bonus factors. Meaning you are basically getting $122 price of factors annually after the primary yr only for being an lively cardholder, primarily based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations. This helps offset greater than 40% of the annual payment.
• Free first checked bag: Southwest began charging for luggage Could 28. Fortunately, Efficiency Enterprise cardholders obtain a free first checked bag for the first cardholder and as much as eight passengers touring on the identical reservation. (A regular first checked bag prices $35, which might save a household of 4 $280 on a round-trip itinerary.)
• 4 Upgraded Boardings (ends Dec. 31): For flights working in 2025, you will have the flexibility to improve your boarding place as much as 4 instances.
• Inflight Wi-Fi credit (ends Dec. 31): Southwest will reimburse you for as much as 365 inflight Wi-Fi purchases (every costing $8) as a press release credit score. In different phrases, you could possibly buy an all-day inflight Wi-Fi move each day of the yr, and your card will cowl it.
• Most well-liked seat choice at reserving: When accessible, you and as much as eight passengers touring on the identical reservation can choose most well-liked seating on the time of reserving (for flights working in 2026 and past).
• Precedence boarding: Cardholders and as much as eight passengers touring on the identical reservation will obtain Group 5 precedence boarding (for flights working in 2026 and past). When you’ve got A-List status, you’ll be able to board with an earlier group.
• Limitless extra-legroom upgrades: You and as much as eight passengers touring on the identical reservation can choose extra-legroom seats inside 48 hours of departure, when accessible (for flights working in 2026 and past). A perk like that is normally solely afforded to airline elite members.
• Free worker playing cards: You pay no payment for added worker playing cards and can earn factors on worker spending. You possibly can set spending limits on worker playing cards by calling cardmember providers.
• World Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus credit score: As soon as each 4 years, you’ll be able to obtain a press release credit score (as much as $120) on your Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus application fee.
• Inflight low cost: Cardholders obtain 25% again on inflight meals, beverage or Wi-Fi purchases.
• No overseas transaction charges
• Standing Enhance: You may earn 2,500 tier qualifying factors per $5,000 you spend on purchases in a calendar yr that will help you attain A-Listing elite standing quicker. There is no restrict on the variety of TQPs you’ll be able to earn.
• $500 payment credit score for factors transfers per yr (ends Dec. 31): Switch factors to a different Southwest Rapid Rewards member, and as much as $500 in charges related to the switch will probably be reimbursed every account anniversary yr.
• 10,000 Companion Move qualifying factors increase yearly: Cardholders obtain 10,000 factors towards a Companion Pass annually. With this increase and the factors earned from the welcome supply, you’ll solely must earn 45,000 extra Companion Move qualifying factors to earn the coveted Companion Move.

Associated: Is the Southwest Performance Business card worth the annual fee?

Because the extra premium enterprise card, the Southwest Performance Business card has a better incomes fee than different Southwest card choices. You may earn:

• 4 factors per greenback spent on Southwest Airways purchases (a 5.4% return primarily based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations)
• 4 factors per greenback spent on Southwest Cruises (a 5.4% return; ends Dec. 31)
• 3 factors per greenback spent on Fast Rewards lodge and automobile rental accomplice purchases (roughly a 4.1% return; ends Dec. 31)
• 2 factors per greenback spent at gasoline stations and eating places (a 2.7% return)
• 2 factors per greenback spent on lodge lodging booked immediately with the lodge (a 2.7% return)
• 2 factors per greenback spent on native transit and commuting, together with ride-hailing providers (a 2.7% return)
• 2 factors per greenback spent on social media and search engine promoting, web, cable and cellphone providers (a 2.7% return; ends Dec. 31)
• 1 level per greenback spent on all different eligible purchases (roughly a 1.4% return)

It is good that two new classes geared extra towards everyday spending have been added; nevertheless, seeing two key business-oriented classes eliminated on the finish of the yr is an enormous draw back for the top-tier enterprise card within the Southwest portfolio.

You may be higher off utilizing the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card for normal journey past Southwest Airways purchases, because it earns 3 factors per greenback spent on as much as $150,000 every account anniversary yr for mixed journey and choose enterprise purchases.

The data for the Ink Enterprise Most well-liked has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

Associated: How to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points

The Southwest Performance Business card earns Fast Rewards factors, so you will get probably the most worth whenever you redeem your factors for award travel on Southwest.

Redeeming factors for Southwest award flights is easy. Log in to your account, enter your search parameters on Southwest’s web site, select your required accessible flight and observe the on-screen steps to take a look at.

You’ll have to pay extra taxes and costs on worldwide routes, however Southwest is clear about these all through the search course of.

Southwest has a journey portal for worldwide flights on different carriers, however you are sometimes not going to get as nice a return whenever you redeem factors that means.

Moreover, you’ll be able to redeem factors on motels, automobile leases or merchandise. Nonetheless, we advocate skipping these choices and utilizing your factors for Southwest award flights to get probably the most worth from them.

TPG senior author Tarah Chieffi used Southwest factors to pay for a portion of the price of her journey to Orlando by redeeming 37,000 factors to complement her out-of-pocket value of two round-trip tickets. Whereas it is not at all times the perfect worth, paying with a mix of money and factors could be an effective way to successfully use a smaller variety of Southwest factors.

Even if you happen to’re a Southwest-loyal enterprise proprietor, the Southwest Performance Business card will not be your only option.

For extra particulars, see our full lists of the best business credit cards and the best airline credit cards.

Associated: How to get a business credit card

Apply right here: Southwest Performance Business Credit Card