Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus: is the $99 fee worth it?

The honest math on the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus: which credits you'd actually use, what its points earn beyond a plain 2% card, and what its protections would cost to buy — against the $99 annual fee.

Chase · $99 annual fee · earns Southwest Rapid Rewards points

Earning rates

2x Southwest Airlines purchases
2x Grocery stores (on the first $5,000 combined with gas stations per anniversary year, then 1x)
2x Gas stations
2x Lyft (in-app)
1x Everything else

Statement credits (3)

3,000 Anniversary Points — Bonus points every account anniversary year — valued at your selected cents-per-point.
$10/quarter DoorDash Promo — Up to $10 off quarterly on non-restaurant DoorDash orders, with DashPass enrollment — through Dec 31, 2027.
$10/month Instacart Credit — Up to $10 back each month on Instacart purchases (up to $120/yr), plus a complimentary 3-month Instacart+ membership.

Protections and perks (13)

DashPass Membership — Complimentary DashPass ($0 delivery fees) for both DoorDash and Caviar for one year, a roughly $120 value, if activated by Dec 31, 2027.
First Checked Bag Free — Your first checked bag flies free on Southwest — the airline now charges $45 each way for it.
Standard Seat Selection & Group 5 Boarding — Complimentary Standard seat selection within 48 hours of departure (when available), plus Boarding Group 5 for you and up to 8 others on the same reservation.
25% Back on Inflight Purchases — 25% back as a statement credit on Southwest inflight WiFi, drinks, and movies.
10% Annual Flight Discount Code — A 10% promo code each Cardmember anniversary for a Southwest flight booking (excludes Basic fare).
Companion Pass Qualifying Points Boost — 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each calendar year — a progress boost, not redeemable points. Unlike Premier and Priority, this card earns no A-List tier qualifying points.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement — Up to $3,000 per covered traveler for checked or carry-on luggage that's lost, damaged, or stolen during a covered trip.
Baggage Delay Insurance — Reimburses up to $100/day for 3 days for essential purchases when your bags are delayed more than 6 hours.
Rental Car Coverage — Collision/damage coverage on rentals paid with the card — secondary to your personal auto insurance in the US (acts as primary if you carry none), primary outside the US.
Purchase Protection — New purchases covered against damage or theft for 120 days from purchase.
Extended Warranty — Adds a year to eligible manufacturer warranties of 3 years or less.
Travel Accident Insurance — Accidental death or dismemberment coverage for common-carrier and other covered travel accidents.
No Foreign Transaction Fees — No surcharge on purchases abroad.

Recent changes to this card's data

2026-09-04 — Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus

Verified accurate — no changes. Fee, earning rates and caps, credits, partner promos, and the $45 checked-bag fee anchor re-confirmed against chase.com and southwest.com.

2026-08-21 — Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus

New card added (southwest-plus). $99 annual fee. Source: https://creditcards.chase.com/travel-credit-cards/southwest/plus
Earning: 2x Southwest Airlines, 2x gas stations & grocery stores (combined $5,000/yr cap, then 1x), 2x total on Lyft in-app through 12/31/2027, 1x everything else. Source: https://creditcards.chase.com/travel-credit-cards/southwest/plus
Benefits: 3,000 anniversary points, first checked bag free, Standard seat selection within 48h + Group 5 boarding, 25% back on inflight purchases, 10% annual flight discount code, 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost/year (no tier-qualifying points on this tier — confirmed as the only Southwest personal card without them), no foreign transaction fees. Source: https://creditcards.chase.com/travel-credit-cards/southwest/plus
Partner credits: $10/quarter DoorDash promo through 12/31/2027 (stacking with other cards' DoorDash promos), one-year complimentary DashPass (activate by 12/31/2027), $10/month Instacart credit + 3-month Instacart+. Source: https://creditcards.chase.com/travel-credit-cards/southwest/plus
Coverages: lost luggage ($3,000/traveler), baggage delay ($100/day x3, 6hr trigger), purchase protection ($500/item, 120 days), extended warranty (+1yr, 4yr total), rental car CDW ($60,000, secondary in the US/primary abroad), travel accident insurance ($500,000 common-carrier / $100,000 24-hour). Source: https://static.chasecdn.com/content/services/structured-document/document.en.pdf/card/benefits-center/product-benefits-guide-pdf/BGC11359_v2.pdf (Visa Signature/Platinum Guide to Benefits, eff. 10/01/24 — linked from the card's own page; rental car and travel accident coverage aren't on the marketing page itself but are confirmed in this linked guide).

Card data verified against Chase on 2026-09-04.

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