How to earn the Southwest Companion Pass with a single credit card sign-up bonus

The Southwest Companion Pass lets you bring a companion for free on all Southwest flights, including both paid and award tickets. You’ll only need to cover taxes and fees, which start at just $5.60 per flight.

For those who fly Southwest regularly, the Companion Pass can offer thousands of dollars in value each year.

With the best-ever sign-up bonuses available on both the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, you can qualify for the Companion Pass through 2025 by meeting the spending requirements on one of these cards.

Qualify for the Companion Pass with a single card bonus

To earn the Companion Pass, you can either accumulate 135,000 qualifying points or complete 100 qualifying one-way flights. You need to fulfill one of these conditions within a calendar year.

Fortunately, the sign-up bonuses from Southwest's cobranded credit cards contribute toward meeting the Companion Pass qualification requirements.

For a limited time, both of these cards are offering up to 120,000 points to new applicants:

• Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card: Earn 60,000 points after spending $3,000 within the first three months of opening your account, plus an additional 60,000 points after spending $15,000 in the next nine months.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card: Earn 80,000 points after spending $5,000 within the first three months, plus 40,000 points after spending $15,000 in the next nine months.

These are the top offers we've encountered on these cards, with each one valued at an impressive $1,560 according to TPG's June 2024 valuations. This is exceptional value for cards with affordable annual fees ($99 for the Premier and $199 for the Performance). Although the spending requirement is steep, the rewards can be extraordinary.

If you apply for one of these cards now and meet the $15,000 spending threshold by year-end, you'll enjoy the Companion Pass for the remainder of 2024 (after qualifying) and all of 2025.

This is possible because you’ll earn 120,000 points from the tiered sign-up bonus. Additionally, spending $15,000 will also generate at least 15,000 points through the regular earning rate (or more, depending on your spend category).

Remember, all Southwest credit cardholders receive an automatic boost of 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points each year.

In other words, you’ll earn a minimum of 135,000 redeemable Rapid Rewards points and at least 145,000 qualifying points, which will grant you the Companion Pass for the rest of this year and throughout 2025.

Timing is crucial. Since the Companion Pass qualification resets on January 1, you must ensure that you meet the spending requirement and that all points are posted before the new year. You must reach the $15,000 spending goal before your December statement closes. To be safe, it’s best to aim for October or November.

Other key card perks to note

As a Southwest Premier Business cardholder, you’ll enjoy the following benefits:

• Two EarlyBird check-in passes annually
• 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 you spend on the card
• Up to a $500 annual fee credit for transferring points to another Rapid Rewards member’s account
• 25% back on inflight purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• 6,000 bonus points each year on your cardmember anniversary

On the other hand, the Southwest Performance Card provides the following perks:

• Four Upgraded Boardings annually (subject to availability)
• Earn 1,500 tier qualifying points toward A-List status for every $5,000 spent on the card
• Up to a $500 annual fee credit for transferring points to another Rapid Rewards member’s account
• Up to 365 inflight Wi-Fi credits per year
• Up to $100 in credits for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus every four years
• No foreign transaction fees
• 9,000 bonus points annually on your cardmember anniversary

Here’s a breakdown of the earning rates on both cards:

As shown, the Performance card offers slightly higher earning rates and a broader range of benefits. Whether those extra perks justify the additional $100 annual fee is for you to decide.

Who is eligible for the Southwest business card sign-up bonuses?

It’s essential to know if you’re eligible for a bonus before applying. First, these cards fall under Chase’s 5/24 rule. If you've been approved for five or more new credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months, you’re likely to be denied right away.

Additionally, both cards share the same language for these offers:

"This new cardmember bonus offer is not available to (i) current cardholders of this business credit card, or (ii) previous cardholders who received a new cardmember bonus for this business card within the last 24 months."

However, the Premier and Performance cards are considered separate products, meaning you could be approved for one even if you already have the other.

In fact, you might not need a formal business to qualify for one of these cards. If you run a side hustle or are a sole proprietor, you could be eligible for a business card using just your Social Security number. Be sure to check our guide on how to apply for a Chase business card for more information.

Earn extra points with Southwest

You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points from cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve® to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. However, unlike the points earned through Southwest’s cobranded credit cards, these transferred points do not count toward qualifying for the Companion Pass.

That being said, you can still transfer those points to Southwest and increase your Rapid Rewards balance, which you can use to “pay” for your flights. Your companion can then join you for just the taxes and fees.

Final thoughts

With the current sign-up bonuses for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card and the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card, you can earn the Companion Pass without any flight requirements. Simply apply for (and get approved for) one of these cards and meet the spending threshold by year-end.

Just a reminder: You can change your companion up to three times each calendar year, but you must complete all travel with your current companion before switching.

To find out more about these cards, check out our detailed reviews of the Premier Business and Performance Business.