Key takeaways

  • Choosing between the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card comes down to your airline preferences and spending habits.
  • Although both are good travel credit cards, the Rapid Rewards is a better choice if you’re a Southwest loyalist hoping to earn the airline’s coveted Companion Pass.
  • The Sapphire Preferred offers greater flexibility and a wide network of transfer partners, including Southwest, and more redemption options — potentially making your points more valuable.

Finding the perfect travel credit card can be difficult because of the vast number of choices out there, including different premium cards, issuers, rewards structures, co-branded cards and more.

In this battle, we’re going to take a look at the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card versus the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Both of these credit cards offer rewards for avid travelers, but the difference comes down to how you travel.

If you are loyal to the Southwest brand and their travel partners, then the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus might appeal to you more. However, if you want more flexibility in terms of redeeming your rewards and the ability to earn more rewards on more bonus categories, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card could suit you better.

While this is a simplified breakdown of these cards, it helps to look at additional card details, perks and benefits to choose the one that best fits your lifestyle. Here’s how these cards stack up against one another based on your spending habits.

Main details

Cards Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card points Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card points
Welcome bonus Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate
  • 2X points on Southwest purchases; Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners; local transit and commuting (including ride-shares); and internet, cable, phone and select streaming services
  • 1X points on all other purchases
  • 1X points on balance transfers, up to $10,000, made within 90 days of account opening
  • 3X points on dining (including eligible delivery services), select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs)
  • 5X points on travel through Chase Travel and Lyft Rides (Lyft offer through September 2027)
  • 5X points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases (through December 2027)
  • 2X points on other travel
  • 1X points on other purchases
Intro APR N/A N/A
Annual fee $69 $95

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred highlights

Which card earns the most?

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred spending example

Here’s a spending example of what you could earn with each card. Of course, if your spending habits are much different than this example, your rewards yield could be much different, too.

Spending category Annual Spending Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card rewards Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards
Groceries purchased in-store $2,343.50 2,344 2,344
Groceries purchased online $2,343.50 2,344 7,031
Dining $2,375.00 2,375 7,125
Gas $1,313.00 1,313 1,313
Apparel & services $1,434.00 1,434 1,434
Streaming** $1,200.00 2,400 3,600
Entertainment $1,200.00 1,200 1,200
Internet, cable and phone $1,200.00 2,400 1,200
Personal care products and services $646.00 646 646
Travel booked directly with Southwest and Rapid Rewards partners $1,440.00 2,880 2,880
Travel booked through the Chase Travel portal $720.00 720 3,600
All other travel $720.00 720 1,440
Account anniversary bonus   3,000 1,694
Total $16,935.00 23,776 Southwest Rapid Rewards points 35,507 Chase Ultimate Rewards points

* All point earnings have been rounded to the nearest whole number

**This example assumes all streaming purchases fall under the “select streaming services” category to earn bonus points on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus and the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

In this example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred outearns the Southwest Rapid Rewards card, even without the cards’ welcome bonuses. Don’t forget Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth more on average than Southwest Rapid Rewards points when redeemed for travel — according to Bankrate’s valuations — helping the Chase Sapphire Preferred pull further ahead in value.

One thing that hasn’t yet been mentioned is the anniversary bonus that each card offers, which is also factored into the spending example above. The Rapid Rewards Plus has a 3,000-point annual account anniversary bonus, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a 10 percent annual bonus. You’ll earn bonus points on 10 percent of your total spend the previous account anniversary year, calculated at a rate of 1 point per dollar spent. For example, $25,000 of spending would get you 2,500 bonus points at the end of the year.

Why you should get the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Why you should get the Chase Sapphire Preferred

The bottom line

Getting the right credit card can be a great path to travel discounts, perks and benefits — but not all travel cards offer the same benefits for the same type of traveler. In this case, if you’re a die-hard Southwest fan with a buddy who shares the same affinity, this card wins out, mainly for the potential to earn qualifying points towards a Southwest Companion Pass, plus extra Southwest perks here and there.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a slightly higher annual fee, a wider range of redemption options for points and annual credits that help offset the annual fee — plus more travel protections and no foreign transaction fees. These characteristics make it ideal for international travelers looking for a wider range of travel benefits and greater flexibility in redeeming rewards.

All said, your final choice between these cards will come down to the kind of traveler you are — which is up to you to decide.

Did you find this page helpful?

Help us improve our content


Read the full article here

FilippoBacci/Getty Images

Key takeaways

  • Choosing between the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card comes down to your airline preferences and spending habits.
  • Although both are good travel credit cards, the Rapid Rewards is a better choice if you’re a Southwest loyalist hoping to earn the airline’s coveted Companion Pass.
  • The Sapphire Preferred offers greater flexibility and a wide network of transfer partners, including Southwest, and more redemption options — potentially making your points more valuable.

Finding the perfect travel credit card can be difficult because of the vast number of choices out there, including different premium cards, issuers, rewards structures, co-branded cards and more.

In this battle, we’re going to take a look at the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card versus the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Both of these credit cards offer rewards for avid travelers, but the difference comes down to how you travel.

If you are loyal to the Southwest brand and their travel partners, then the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus might appeal to you more. However, if you want more flexibility in terms of redeeming your rewards and the ability to earn more rewards on more bonus categories, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card could suit you better.

While this is a simplified breakdown of these cards, it helps to look at additional card details, perks and benefits to choose the one that best fits your lifestyle. Here’s how these cards stack up against one another based on your spending habits.

Main details

Cards Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card points Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card points
Welcome bonus Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate
  • 2X points on Southwest purchases; Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners; local transit and commuting (including ride-shares); and internet, cable, phone and select streaming services
  • 1X points on all other purchases
  • 1X points on balance transfers, up to $10,000, made within 90 days of account opening
  • 3X points on dining (including eligible delivery services), select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs)
  • 5X points on travel through Chase Travel and Lyft Rides (Lyft offer through September 2027)
  • 5X points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases (through December 2027)
  • 2X points on other travel
  • 1X points on other purchases
Intro APR N/A N/A
Annual fee $69 $95

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred highlights

Which card earns the most?

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred spending example

Here’s a spending example of what you could earn with each card. Of course, if your spending habits are much different than this example, your rewards yield could be much different, too.

Spending category Annual Spending Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card rewards Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards
Groceries purchased in-store $2,343.50 2,344 2,344
Groceries purchased online $2,343.50 2,344 7,031
Dining $2,375.00 2,375 7,125
Gas $1,313.00 1,313 1,313
Apparel & services $1,434.00 1,434 1,434
Streaming** $1,200.00 2,400 3,600
Entertainment $1,200.00 1,200 1,200
Internet, cable and phone $1,200.00 2,400 1,200
Personal care products and services $646.00 646 646
Travel booked directly with Southwest and Rapid Rewards partners $1,440.00 2,880 2,880
Travel booked through the Chase Travel portal $720.00 720 3,600
All other travel $720.00 720 1,440
Account anniversary bonus   3,000 1,694
Total $16,935.00 23,776 Southwest Rapid Rewards points 35,507 Chase Ultimate Rewards points

* All point earnings have been rounded to the nearest whole number

**This example assumes all streaming purchases fall under the “select streaming services” category to earn bonus points on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus and the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

In this example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred outearns the Southwest Rapid Rewards card, even without the cards’ welcome bonuses. Don’t forget Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth more on average than Southwest Rapid Rewards points when redeemed for travel — according to Bankrate’s valuations — helping the Chase Sapphire Preferred pull further ahead in value.

One thing that hasn’t yet been mentioned is the anniversary bonus that each card offers, which is also factored into the spending example above. The Rapid Rewards Plus has a 3,000-point annual account anniversary bonus, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a 10 percent annual bonus. You’ll earn bonus points on 10 percent of your total spend the previous account anniversary year, calculated at a rate of 1 point per dollar spent. For example, $25,000 of spending would get you 2,500 bonus points at the end of the year.

Why you should get the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Why you should get the Chase Sapphire Preferred

The bottom line

Getting the right credit card can be a great path to travel discounts, perks and benefits — but not all travel cards offer the same benefits for the same type of traveler. In this case, if you’re a die-hard Southwest fan with a buddy who shares the same affinity, this card wins out, mainly for the potential to earn qualifying points towards a Southwest Companion Pass, plus extra Southwest perks here and there.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a slightly higher annual fee, a wider range of redemption options for points and annual credits that help offset the annual fee — plus more travel protections and no foreign transaction fees. These characteristics make it ideal for international travelers looking for a wider range of travel benefits and greater flexibility in redeeming rewards.

All said, your final choice between these cards will come down to the kind of traveler you are — which is up to you to decide.

Did you find this page helpful?

Help us improve our content


Read the full article here

Key takeaways

  • Choosing between the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card comes down to your airline preferences and spending habits.
  • Although both are good travel credit cards, the Rapid Rewards is a better choice if you’re a Southwest loyalist hoping to earn the airline’s coveted Companion Pass.
  • The Sapphire Preferred offers greater flexibility and a wide network of transfer partners, including Southwest, and more redemption options — potentially making your points more valuable.

Finding the perfect travel credit card can be difficult because of the vast number of choices out there, including different premium cards, issuers, rewards structures, co-branded cards and more.

In this battle, we’re going to take a look at the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card versus the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Both of these credit cards offer rewards for avid travelers, but the difference comes down to how you travel.

If you are loyal to the Southwest brand and their travel partners, then the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus might appeal to you more. However, if you want more flexibility in terms of redeeming your rewards and the ability to earn more rewards on more bonus categories, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card could suit you better.

While this is a simplified breakdown of these cards, it helps to look at additional card details, perks and benefits to choose the one that best fits your lifestyle. Here’s how these cards stack up against one another based on your spending habits.

Main details

Cards Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card points Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card points
Welcome bonus Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate
  • 2X points on Southwest purchases; Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners; local transit and commuting (including ride-shares); and internet, cable, phone and select streaming services
  • 1X points on all other purchases
  • 1X points on balance transfers, up to $10,000, made within 90 days of account opening
  • 3X points on dining (including eligible delivery services), select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs)
  • 5X points on travel through Chase Travel and Lyft Rides (Lyft offer through September 2027)
  • 5X points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases (through December 2027)
  • 2X points on other travel
  • 1X points on other purchases
Intro APR N/A N/A
Annual fee $69 $95

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred highlights

Which card earns the most?

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred spending example

Here’s a spending example of what you could earn with each card. Of course, if your spending habits are much different than this example, your rewards yield could be much different, too.

Spending category Annual Spending Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card rewards Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards
Groceries purchased in-store $2,343.50 2,344 2,344
Groceries purchased online $2,343.50 2,344 7,031
Dining $2,375.00 2,375 7,125
Gas $1,313.00 1,313 1,313
Apparel & services $1,434.00 1,434 1,434
Streaming** $1,200.00 2,400 3,600
Entertainment $1,200.00 1,200 1,200
Internet, cable and phone $1,200.00 2,400 1,200
Personal care products and services $646.00 646 646
Travel booked directly with Southwest and Rapid Rewards partners $1,440.00 2,880 2,880
Travel booked through the Chase Travel portal $720.00 720 3,600
All other travel $720.00 720 1,440
Account anniversary bonus   3,000 1,694
Total $16,935.00 23,776 Southwest Rapid Rewards points 35,507 Chase Ultimate Rewards points

* All point earnings have been rounded to the nearest whole number

**This example assumes all streaming purchases fall under the “select streaming services” category to earn bonus points on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus and the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

In this example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred outearns the Southwest Rapid Rewards card, even without the cards’ welcome bonuses. Don’t forget Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth more on average than Southwest Rapid Rewards points when redeemed for travel — according to Bankrate’s valuations — helping the Chase Sapphire Preferred pull further ahead in value.

One thing that hasn’t yet been mentioned is the anniversary bonus that each card offers, which is also factored into the spending example above. The Rapid Rewards Plus has a 3,000-point annual account anniversary bonus, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a 10 percent annual bonus. You’ll earn bonus points on 10 percent of your total spend the previous account anniversary year, calculated at a rate of 1 point per dollar spent. For example, $25,000 of spending would get you 2,500 bonus points at the end of the year.

Why you should get the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Why you should get the Chase Sapphire Preferred

The bottom line

Getting the right credit card can be a great path to travel discounts, perks and benefits — but not all travel cards offer the same benefits for the same type of traveler. In this case, if you’re a die-hard Southwest fan with a buddy who shares the same affinity, this card wins out, mainly for the potential to earn qualifying points towards a Southwest Companion Pass, plus extra Southwest perks here and there.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a slightly higher annual fee, a wider range of redemption options for points and annual credits that help offset the annual fee — plus more travel protections and no foreign transaction fees. These characteristics make it ideal for international travelers looking for a wider range of travel benefits and greater flexibility in redeeming rewards.

All said, your final choice between these cards will come down to the kind of traveler you are — which is up to you to decide.

Did you find this page helpful?

Help us improve our content


Read the full article here

FilippoBacci/Getty Images

Key takeaways

  • Choosing between the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card comes down to your airline preferences and spending habits.
  • Although both are good travel credit cards, the Rapid Rewards is a better choice if you’re a Southwest loyalist hoping to earn the airline’s coveted Companion Pass.
  • The Sapphire Preferred offers greater flexibility and a wide network of transfer partners, including Southwest, and more redemption options — potentially making your points more valuable.

Finding the perfect travel credit card can be difficult because of the vast number of choices out there, including different premium cards, issuers, rewards structures, co-branded cards and more.

In this battle, we’re going to take a look at the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card versus the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Both of these credit cards offer rewards for avid travelers, but the difference comes down to how you travel.

If you are loyal to the Southwest brand and their travel partners, then the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus might appeal to you more. However, if you want more flexibility in terms of redeeming your rewards and the ability to earn more rewards on more bonus categories, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card could suit you better.

While this is a simplified breakdown of these cards, it helps to look at additional card details, perks and benefits to choose the one that best fits your lifestyle. Here’s how these cards stack up against one another based on your spending habits.

Main details

Cards Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card points Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card points
Welcome bonus Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate
  • 2X points on Southwest purchases; Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners; local transit and commuting (including ride-shares); and internet, cable, phone and select streaming services
  • 1X points on all other purchases
  • 1X points on balance transfers, up to $10,000, made within 90 days of account opening
  • 3X points on dining (including eligible delivery services), select streaming services and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs)
  • 5X points on travel through Chase Travel and Lyft Rides (Lyft offer through September 2027)
  • 5X points on eligible Peloton equipment and accessory purchases (through December 2027)
  • 2X points on other travel
  • 1X points on other purchases
Intro APR N/A N/A
Annual fee $69 $95

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred highlights

Which card earns the most?

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred spending example

Here’s a spending example of what you could earn with each card. Of course, if your spending habits are much different than this example, your rewards yield could be much different, too.

Spending category Annual Spending Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card rewards Chase Sapphire Preferred rewards
Groceries purchased in-store $2,343.50 2,344 2,344
Groceries purchased online $2,343.50 2,344 7,031
Dining $2,375.00 2,375 7,125
Gas $1,313.00 1,313 1,313
Apparel & services $1,434.00 1,434 1,434
Streaming** $1,200.00 2,400 3,600
Entertainment $1,200.00 1,200 1,200
Internet, cable and phone $1,200.00 2,400 1,200
Personal care products and services $646.00 646 646
Travel booked directly with Southwest and Rapid Rewards partners $1,440.00 2,880 2,880
Travel booked through the Chase Travel portal $720.00 720 3,600
All other travel $720.00 720 1,440
Account anniversary bonus   3,000 1,694
Total $16,935.00 23,776 Southwest Rapid Rewards points 35,507 Chase Ultimate Rewards points

* All point earnings have been rounded to the nearest whole number

**This example assumes all streaming purchases fall under the “select streaming services” category to earn bonus points on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus and the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

In this example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred outearns the Southwest Rapid Rewards card, even without the cards’ welcome bonuses. Don’t forget Chase Ultimate Rewards points are worth more on average than Southwest Rapid Rewards points when redeemed for travel — according to Bankrate’s valuations — helping the Chase Sapphire Preferred pull further ahead in value.

One thing that hasn’t yet been mentioned is the anniversary bonus that each card offers, which is also factored into the spending example above. The Rapid Rewards Plus has a 3,000-point annual account anniversary bonus, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a 10 percent annual bonus. You’ll earn bonus points on 10 percent of your total spend the previous account anniversary year, calculated at a rate of 1 point per dollar spent. For example, $25,000 of spending would get you 2,500 bonus points at the end of the year.

Why you should get the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

Why you should get the Chase Sapphire Preferred

The bottom line

Getting the right credit card can be a great path to travel discounts, perks and benefits — but not all travel cards offer the same benefits for the same type of traveler. In this case, if you’re a die-hard Southwest fan with a buddy who shares the same affinity, this card wins out, mainly for the potential to earn qualifying points towards a Southwest Companion Pass, plus extra Southwest perks here and there.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a slightly higher annual fee, a wider range of redemption options for points and annual credits that help offset the annual fee — plus more travel protections and no foreign transaction fees. These characteristics make it ideal for international travelers looking for a wider range of travel benefits and greater flexibility in redeeming rewards.

All said, your final choice between these cards will come down to the kind of traveler you are — which is up to you to decide.

Did you find this page helpful?

Help us improve our content


Read the full article here
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