Best card for Southwest
The highest rate on paper is American Express® Business Gold Card at 8.00% -- but it is a business card. For personal cards, Chase Sapphire Reserve leads at 6.00%. On $100, that is about $6.00 back (estimate).
Southwest is America's largest domestic airline, and its flights are travel spend. General travel cards compete directly with Southwest's own cards -- and on earn math alone, the general cards win. Perks are a separate question, covered below.
Best card · Travel
Chase Sapphire Reserve
4x × 1.5¢ = 6.00%
On $100, that is about $6.00 back (estimate).
Annual fee: $795/yr.
Highest rate overall: American Express® Business Gold Card at 8.00% (business card). Its 4x applies to your top 2 of 6 business categories each billing cycle, not to every category at once.
Best no-fee personal card: U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card (4.00%).
Top 3 compared
| Card | Earn math | Estimated return | Annual fee | Foreign transaction fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express® Business Gold Card (business card)Its 4x applies to your top 2 of 6 business categories each billing cycle, not to every category at once. | 4x × 2¢ | 8.00% | $375/yr | None |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | 4x × 1.5¢ | 6.00% | $795/yr | None |
| Chase Ink Business Preferred (business card)Its 3x categories are capped at $150,000 per year (catalog note). | 3x × 1.5¢ | 4.50% | $95/yr | None |
How is this ranking computed?
Effective return = category earn rate × point value. Example: 4x × 2.0¢ = 8.00% back (estimate).
Ranked across 91 cards open to new applicants in DanHana's catalog (debit cards and cards closed to new applicants excluded).
Every % here is an estimate: point values are catalog assumptions, and actual value depends on how you redeem.
A payment place's category comes from DanHana's merchant map; if a specific location codes differently, the card falls back to its everything rate.
This page ranks the full catalog. Inside DanHana, the same math re-ranks by the cards in your own wallet -- so your personal best at Southwest may differ.
Some bonus rates have annual caps -- the panel flags the ones that matter for the winners above.
Questions about paying at Southwest
What is the best card for Southwest?
The highest rate on paper is American Express® Business Gold Card at 8.00% -- but it is a business card. For personal cards, Chase Sapphire Reserve leads at 6.00%. On $100, that is about $6.00 back (estimate).
Isn't the Southwest co-brand card better for Southwest flights?
On earn math, no: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card earns 5.60% on Southwest purchases, below Chase Sapphire Reserve at 6.00%. Co-brand perks are not counted in earn math, so if you fly Southwest often, weigh the perks alongside the rate.
I already have the Citi Strata Premier® Card. Should I switch?
Citi Strata Premier® Card earns 4.50% -- about $1.50 less per $100 than the top card (estimate). No need to switch for this one category alone; it only pays if you spend a lot here.
Are these returns guaranteed?
No -- every figure here is an estimate. Point values are catalog assumptions (e.g. Membership Rewards 2.0¢, Ultimate Rewards 1.5¢, cash back 1.0¢), and your actual value depends on how you redeem. Bonus rates can have annual caps, and issuers change terms -- check the card's official terms before applying.
Sources
- How DanHana ranks cards (Methodology)
- About DanHana
- Smart recommendations (feature)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve official page
Page updated: October 28, 2026