AutoPay Discount with T-mobile can be lost with most credit cards.
T-Mobile Has Officially Killed the AutoPay Credit Card Loophole: Here’s Why Every “Workaround” Fails
T-Mobile is no longer the un-carrier charging “fees” for using credit cards.
For years, award travelers, credit card maximizers, and savvy consumers used a reliable “cheat code” to handle their T-Mobile bills. When T-Mobile stripped standard credit cards of AutoPay discount eligibility the community quickly found a loophole: link a valid debit card or checking account to secure the $5-per-line discount, but log into the app early to manually pay the statement with a high-yield rewards credit card. Because the balance dropped to $0 before the AutoPay date, the debit card was never charged, and consumers got to stack credit card points and mobile insurance perks while keeping their discounts.
That era is officially over. T-Mobile quieted the community with a massive system update that permanently welded that loophole shut. If you are reading online forums or talking to customer service agents who claim you can still bypass this system, you are getting outdated or flat-out wrong advice.
Here is an exhaustive, highly detailed breakdown of how T-Mobile’s modern billing engine works, why customer service representatives are leading people into costly mistakes, and the only viable strategies left.
The Core Rule: It’s the Payment Method, Not the Timing
Apple Pay and Credit Cards are ineligible for AutoPay discounts
According to T-Mobile’s official AutoPay policy, the billing system is entirely binary. The automated system no longer evaluates your eligibility based solely on what payment method is linked to your account profile; it evaluates the actual method used to pay the bill.
The moment a manual, one-time payment is processed, the system triggers a simple validation check: Is this an ineligible payment method (like a standard credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay)? If the answer is yes, the system retroactively strips the AutoPay discount from that specific billing cycle and sends an automated text alert warning you that your discount has been forfeited.
Debunking the Myths: 3 Representative “Tricks” That Will Cost You Money
Frontline customer support agents frequently guess how the backend billing system handles code changes. If you call in, you are highly likely to receive one of three suggestions. Every single one of them is an automated trap that will cost you your hard-earned discounts.
Myth 1: “Pay early with a credit card, then flip your AutoPay settings back to a bank account before next month.”
Why it fails: Representatives assume the system looks forward, but it actually looks backward at the current bill. Flipping your AutoPay settings back to a bank account a few days later will successfully restore your eligibility for the following month’s statement. However, it cannot retroactively undo the penalty triggered on the current statement the moment your credit card touched the system. You will lose the discount for the current month entirely.
Myth 2: “Pay the majority of the bill with your credit card, and leave a partial balance for AutoPay to pull from your debit card.”
Why it fails: People often try to leave a portion—say, $100—on the bill to let the linked debit card sweep it up, thinking the system will see the debit transaction and grant the discount. The billing code explicitly states that any manual payment made with an ineligible method on a statement cycle invalidates the discount for that entire cycle. The moment the credit card processes, the discount is stripped, your remaining balance instantly inflates by $5 per line, and your debit card is simply forced to auto-pay a higher remaining balance on the scheduled date.
Myth 3: “Just overpay the bill by the exact amount of the lost discount to beat the system.”
Why it fails: Let’s look at the math for a standard $253.63 bill that includes a $30 total AutoPay discount across multiple lines. An agent might tell you to pay $283.63 manually via credit card so that when the $30 penalty hits, the extra money covers it and you break even.
The Reality: You aren’t tricking the system; you are just voluntarily paying the penalty upfront.Starting Bill: $253.63Your CC Payment: $283.63System Reaction: Strips the $30 discount→New Bill Total: $283.63Final Balance: $0.00While your account balance successfully hits zero and avoids past-due fees, you didn’t save the discount. You physically handed T-Mobile $283.63 out of pocket instead of letting them pull $253.63 from a debit card. You effectively paid a 11.8% penalty just to use your credit card—completely wiping out any value your credit card rewards points would have provided.
What Has Been Tried (and Failed) on Reddit
If you browse historical threads on communities like r/tmobile, you will see a trail of dead workarounds that users attempted immediately after the loophole was closed:
Prepaid Visa/Mastercard Gift Cards: Savvy users tried buying prepaid debit cards at grocery or office supply stores using a rewards credit card to mask the transaction as a “debit card” payment to T-Mobile. However, as documented by reports on The Mobile Report, T-Mobile’s merchant processing gateway aggressively updates its Bank Identification Number (BIN) filters. The system now routinely flags and blocks prepaid gift cards or processes them as ineligible commercial cards, automatically dropping the discount.
Overpaying Months in Advance: Some users attempted to load massive statement credits onto their accounts via credit card before the policy went live. While this worked as a temporary shield for a couple of billing cycles, the moment that credit balance runs out and a new credit card hit occurs, the penalty rules apply instantly.
The Real Pivot Strategies: What Actually Works Now
If you want to maximize your value or protect your financial security, you have to abandon the old tricks and choose one of three realistic pathways:
1. The “Math Sacrifice” (Trading Cash for Cell Phone Insurance)
Many credit card rewards enthusiasts carry premium cards (like the Capital One Venture X or select Chase and American Express cards) that feature complimentary Cell Phone Protection Insurance if you pay your monthly wireless bill with that card.
The Calculation: If you only have 1 or 2 lines, losing your AutoPay discount means your bill increases by $5 or $10. Paying $5 to $10 a month to maintain premium device protection is significantly cheaper than buying third-party insurance or T-Mobile’s proprietary protection plans (which can cost upwards of $18 per line).
The Catch: If you have a massive family plan with a $30+ total AutoPay discount, the math flips. It becomes much cheaper to self-insure or buy AppleCare+ directly than it is to forfeit $360+ a year in cash discounts to T-Mobile.
2. The “Buffer” Checking Account Strategy
A massive concern for consumers is security. Giving a carrier direct ACH access to your primary checking account or primary debit card feels highly risky given the telecom industry’s history of data breaches.
The Fix: Open a completely isolated, free secondary checking account or digital debit card (such as a Capital One 360 checking account, a dedicated Venmo/PayPal debit profile, or a Cash App card). Link that specific isolated card to T-Mobile to lock in your AutoPay discount safely. Then, set a recurring transfer from your main bank account to pull only the exact bill amount into that buffer account 24 hours before your AutoPay processes. Your primary money remains completely safe, and you keep your discount.
3. The Branded Ecosystem Route
The absolute only credit card permitted by the billing system to unlock the AutoPay discount while earning credit card rewards is the co-branded T-Mobile Visa Credit Card. If you refuse to use checking accounts or standard debit cards but are unwilling to walk away from your monthly discounts, shifting your line of credit to their internal ecosystem is the final official avenue remaining.
Shifting Strategy: Top Credit Card Alternatives to Outsmart the Policy
If you refuse to give T-Mobile direct access to your bank account, you don’t have to let them win. For many award maximizers, the play is to pivot to a card that completely offsets the lost $5-per-line discount by offering high cash-back/point multipliers or premium Cell Phone Protection Insurance (saving you from paying $18/month for T-Mobile’s protection plans).
Here are the best credit card alternatives on the market that provide enough elite value to counteract T-Mobile’s strict rules:
1. The Official Loophole: The T-Mobile Visa Credit Card (New)
Capital One and T-Mobile partnership credit card offer but it does not include cell phone protection.
If your absolute priority is keeping that $5-per-line AutoPay discount without handing over your routing and checking account numbers, this is your only official option. Co-branded with Capital One, this card is specifically coded to bypass the credit card penalty.
Annual Fee: $0
The Math Counter-Act: Fully preserves your $5 monthly AutoPay discount (up to 8 lines, or $40/month in value).
Rewards Rate: Earns an impressive 5% back on T-Mobile devices, phones, and accessories, alongside a flat 2% back on your monthly T-Mobile statement, groceries, dining, and entertainment, and 2% on all other purchases.
The Catch: Your rewards accumulate as T-Mobile Rewards, meaning they can only be redeemed toward your T-Mobile bill or future device upgrades.
2. The Simple 2% Cash-Back Champion: Wells Fargo Active Cash Card
For those who want straightforward cash back that can be deposited straight into a real bank account, this card pairs an industry-leading flat rate with elite consumer protections.
Annual Fee: $0
The Math Counter-Act: While you will lose the T-Mobile AutoPay discount, this card provides up to $600 of cell phone protection per claim against theft or damage (with a tiny $25 deductible, max 2 claims per year).
Rewards Rate: Unlimited flat 2% cash rewards on every single purchase, every day.
The Verdict: If you have 1 or 2 lines, losing a $5 or $10 discount is completely neutralized by gaining $600 in free phone insurance and earning 2% back on the total inflated bill.
3. The No-Fee Multiplier: Chase Freedom Flex [Highly Recommended for Cell Phone Protection and Everyday Spend]
If you prefer earning flexible rewards points that stack into the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, the Freedom Flex is an absolute powerhouse for a no-annual-fee card.
Annual Fee: $0
The Math Counter-Act: Includes premium cell phone insurance covering up to $800 per claim ($1,000 max per year) against theft or damage with a $50 deductible.
Rewards Rate:5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in quarterly rotating categories (which often include PayPal or wholesale clubs), 5% on Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on everything else.
For high-earning travelers, this premium card makes forfeiting the AutoPay discount an easy pill to swallow by offering elite protection and a massive baseline multiplier.
Annual Fee: $395 (easily offset by a $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles)
The Math Counter-Act: Premium cell phone protection covering up to $800 per claim (maximum 2 claims per 12-month period, $50 deductible).
Rewards Rate: Earns an unlimited 2x miles on every purchase, making it a fantastic card to put your phone bill on if you want to aggressively fund your next vacation.
But wait… The forgotten card that no one mentions is the American Express Simply Cash card that gives 5x back on cell phone purchases but you need to have a business to be qualified which can include a sole proprietorship. Earning 5x back will help pay for the Auto Pay penalty each month but the Simply Cash card does not have cell phone protection included.
The Ultimate Comparison: Forfeiting the Discount vs. Switching Cards
To help your blog readers choose their exact path, here is how the numbers stack up side-by-side:
Pro Tip: We tried to change cards from the Capital One Quicksilver card to the newly introduced TMO Visa and they said they cannot do changes to partnership cards.
Bottom Line
If you have a massive family plan (4+ lines) where losing the AutoPay discount would cost you $20–$40 a month, the T-Mobile Visa Credit Card or the “Buffer Checking Account” strategy are your most financially sound moves.
However, if you only have 1 or 2 lines, stop stressing over the lost $5 to $10. Pay the bill with a card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash or Chase Freedom Flex. You will easily recoup that value by walking away with hundreds of dollars in free cell phone insurance and highly flexible rewards points that T-Mobile can’t touch.
The Bilt Mastercard recently started accepting applications for anyone who wishes to apply after a waitlist program. This is an innovative no annual fee card that virtually anyone who pays rent in the United States should consider picking up.
Bilt June Rewards Promo Madonna Vinyl
The no annual fee Bilt Mastercard is issued by Wells Fargo. The card has lucrative bonus categories, and earns points that can be transferred to popular airline and hotel partners. But the truly unique feature of the card — and really the fundamental value proposition — involves the ability to pay rent with the card with no fee, all while earning rewards.
That’s right, you can pay your rent with no fee even if your landlord doesn’t accept credit card payments, or would otherwise charge a fee. For many people that probably sounds too good to be true.
The Bilt rewards card makes sense for anyone who pays rent and doesn’t currently earn rewards doing it. Rent for many people is the largest monthly expense. The national average or median rents are in the $1100-$1300 range per month
Finally a credit card you can pay your rent with!
Earning points with the Bilt Mastercard
The Bilt Mastercard earns the following rewards when you have at least five posted transactions per billing cycle:
3x points on dining
2x points on travel
1x points on rent payments without any transaction fees, up to a limit of 50,000 points per year
The card also has no foreign transaction fees and is a World Elite Mastercard, so has great global acceptance, and is a good card to use abroad (especially given that a lot of foreign spending is on dining and travel).
Redeeming points with the Bilt Mastercard
You” be earning 1-3x points per dollar spent with a variety of ways to redeem points (ranging from experiences to merchandise). Frequent travelers would be most interested in the ability to transfer these points to airline and hotel partners.
Bilt has the following travel transfer partners, all offering 1:1 transfers:
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
American AAdvantage (the only program that transfers to American Airlines 1:1)
These transfer partners are competitive with what you’ll find with major transferable points currencies. What some might find most exciting is the World of Hyatt partnership, as well as the American AAdvantage partnership. That’s because the former only otherwise partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards, while the latter doesn’t otherwise partner with any major transferable points currencies.
Disadvantages of the Bilt Rent Payment Card
The most intriguing aspect of the Bilt Mastercard is the ability to pay rent by credit card without fees and earn up to 50,000 points per year. This works even if your landlord doesn’t accept credit card payments, as Bilt will send a check. We assume that Bilt loses money when giving out rewards and then mailing a check to a landlord it has no relationship with. They most likely hope to get rental companies on its platform, hoping that being associated with Bilt gets more renters, and streamlines the payment process.
My two biggest cons with the card is that The Bilt Mastercard doesn’t offer any sort of a welcome bonus, some apartments do not take anything but money orders or cashier’s checks, and you have to spend a certain amount ($250) to get the cash back on your rent payment. You also have a minimum redemption of $50 which is more than most programs including Discover where you can redeem at any amount.
Is the Bilt Mastercard worth it?
Is it worth getting the Bilt Mastercard? If you’re a renter in the United States and you can’t currently pay your rent by credit card, or have to pay a fee to make such a payment by credit card, then yes, this card is absolutely worth it. You can earn valuable rewards for money you have to spend anyway, so that’s a complete no-brainer.
If you don’t pay rent and have a mortgage it may still make sense for some because of the transfer partners. Given that you can’t make fee-free payments for mortgages, HOAs, etc., could it still make sense to get the card? Earning 3x transferable points on travel and 2x transferable points on dining on a no annual fee card is still a great deal.
For someone looking to earn transferable points without an annual fee, I’d say this is an excellent option, especially if you spend a lot on dining and travel.
Bottom line
The no annual fee Bilt Mastercard is issued by Wells Fargo, and recently opened to applicants without a waitlist. This card is mostly targeted for those who rent an apartment who can pay up to $50,000 per year in rent without fees. This happens when you pay through the Bilt app, and a check will be sent to your landlord on your behalf. A fascinating way to earn money when paying rent.
The Bilt card offers 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel, and those points can be transferred to several valuable partners, ranging from American AAdvantage to World of Hyatt.
I think this card is absolutely worth it for renters, and even for non-renters this could be a great no annual fee card option, assuming you’re looking for travel rewards and spend a lot on dining and travel.
IHG (International Hotel Group) is a global hotel chain that has a hotel in most cities you travel from Holiday Inn to boutique Kimpton hotels. They also partner with Las Vegas strip hotels for perks and free nights. The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card is a newish card that everyone should have because they have hotels everywhere and you get a free night each year along with elite perks. This rewards card not only has a great sign up bonus but great benefits year after year making it one of those cards where the benefits surpass the annual fee.
IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card
Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. $89 annual fee. GO here to apply!
Top 6 Reasons We Love the IHG Rewards Premier Rewards Card:
1. Free Night Every Single Year
With this credit card you’ll receive a free night certificate with every anniversary year at eligible hotels. This perk pays for the small annual fee and then some! You just need to book the free night certificate before it expires at the end of the year. For example, you can use this free night certificate at the Z Ocean in South Beach Miami which is right on the beach and can easily go for a free $300+ a night.
2. 4th Night Free on Award Stays
When you book with your IHG points, you’ll receive your 4th night free just by being a cardmember. With many other chains, such as Marriott and Hilton, your free night doesn’t appear until the 5th night. There is no maximum number of times you can take advantage of this benefit.
3. Global Entry or TSA Precheck Fee Credit
You normally have to pay a $400+ annual fee for a credit card that gives you this perk. When you pay for your Global Entry application fee you’ll receive a $100 statement credit — ultimately giving you free Global Entry to avoid lines at airports. This also gives you TSA Precheck. If you already have Global Entry all you have to do is pay for another friend or family members application and you’ll still get the $100 statement credit. You can receive this statement credit every 4 years.
4. Platinum Elite Status
One of my favorite benefits of this card from Chase is the included IHG Platinum status, such as:
Your points will never expire. Typically IHG points expire if there is no activity in the account for a 12 month period. When you have Platinum status (even if it is just earned from having the credit card), your points will not expire even if there has not been any activity in 12 months. This is definitely one of the shorter expiration periods amongst hotel chains, so not having to remember to keep your account active is nice.
Raid the Bar Credit. Platinum status also matches to Kimpton’s “Tier 3” status which will get you a $10 Raid the Bar credit when staying at Kimpton properties. Who doesn’t love a mini-bar they can raid?
Discount at Shell Gas stations. You’ll save 6 cents per gallon at Shell Gas stations due to the Fuel Rewards partnership.
5. Chase Offers
This is a new thing going on with Chase cards that no one is really talking about. Chase has offers in the Chase App or on the Chase Pay app where you can order food and pick it up and get freebies or save in cash back at certain retailers. For example, I had a Chase offer where it saved me $10 after making 3 purchases from any of the order ahead restaurants near me using the Chase Pay app which is better than calling ahead. The other version of Chase offers may include Starbucks at 10% back or Applebee’s at 8% you just have to look in the app to see what comes up! This perk alone adds up to huge savings if you use it often.
Earn a FULL Five times back on Gas, Groceries, and Dining.
6. 20% Discount on Purchasing Points
This is yet another benefit to get more bang for your buck when it comes to booking stays at IHG ran hotels. Sometimes it may be better to book buying points than paying directly. Note this discount is not on top of any other purchasing points promotions that might be running at the time but if you need a last minute hotel it sometimes helps to go this route.
There’s More: 10,000 Extra Points a Year for Big Spending
This is a benefit many of us will not use but it’s nice to have if you use it as your only card and want a annual bonus without having to sign up for a new card. If you spend $20,000 on your card within the year, you’ll receive 10,000 bonus points. Although for everyday spending such as groceries we have other cards that we recommend with better cash back.
Southwest Airlines has a few co-branded credit cards with Chase to choose from but one sticks out for us. Of the three personal cards, our favorite one is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card.
This card offers some exceptional perks for anyone who flies Southwest frequently or a few times a year. We have to say it is the best Southwest Airlines Visa Card to have in your wallet or at least attached to your Southwest Airlines account to book flights.
50,000 Bonus Southwest Points with the Priority Card
The Southwest Priority Card is offering a welcome bonus of 50,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $1,000 within the first three months.
Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based frequent flyer program,valued at around 1.2 cents each. So basically, the 50,000 Rapid Rewards points are worth $600+.
Earning Points With The Southwest Priority Card The Southwest Priority Card offers the following points for credit card spending:
3x points on Southwest purchases
2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
2x points on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
Happy Baby Companion flying A-list on Southwest Airlines flight
One of the very best values in travel is the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass. With Southwest Companion Pass you can have someone travel with you for the entire year (whether on a cash ticket or award ticket), and just pay taxes and fees for them. This is such an incredible deal, and basically doubles the value you can get from flying Southwest.
Southwest Companion Pass requires earning 135,000 Rapid Rewards points in a calendar year, though you get a boost of 10,000 points toward that just for having a co-branded Southwest card.
Only certain types of points accrual qualify, including Southwest credit card spending, as well as Southwest credit card welcome bonuses. So this bonus would get you a good way toward earning Companion Pass.
Earn Southwest A-List Status
In addition to being able to earn Companion Pass through spending on the card, the Southwest Priority Card also lets you earn unlimited Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs). Specifically, you can earn 1,500 TQPs toward A-List status for every $10,000 spent on the card.
A-List is Southwest Airlines’ version of status, and offers perks like priority boarding, a 25% points bonus, same-day standby, priority check-in and security lane access, and a dedicated phone number.
A-List status requires earning 35,000 TQPs in a calendar year, so spending on a Southwest Priority Card could help you earn that. This is the only personal Southwest card that offers that feature. Whether or not that’s worth it depends on how much you’d otherwise fly with Southwest.
Major Perk: No Change fees with Southwest airlines ever!
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Southwest Priority Card has no foreign transaction fees, so this could be a useful card for your spending abroad. This is a Visa as well, and Visas are accepted pretty widely around the globe.
Incredible Southwest Priority Card Perks
Free Drink Coupons get mailed out to Southwest airlines patrons now and then just to reach out.
The reason to get the Southwest Priority Card (beyond the welcome bonus) is because of the perks, including anniversary bonus points, upgraded boardings, a $75 annual Southwest travel credit, 25% savings on eligible inflight purchases, and more.
Let’s take a look at what you need to know about each of these perks.
On your cardmember anniversary each year you’ll receive 7,500 bonus points. For context, Southwest Rapid Rewards is a revenue-based frequent flyer program, and generally speaking you need to redeem 83 points per dollar of airfare. That means each Rapid Rewards point gets you roughly 1.2 cents toward the cost of an airline ticket.
In other words, you can get around $90 worth of Southwest airfare with those 7,500 points, and that recoups almost two-thirds of the annual fee on an ongoing basis.
Get anniversary bonus points with the card every year
Southwest Priority Card $75 Annual Credit
The Southwest Priority Card offers a $75 credit every anniversary year. While the 7,500 point anniversary bonus only kicks in after 12 months, this credit kicks in immediately.
The way this works, the first $75 in Southwest flight purchases each cardmember year will be reimbursed. The statement credit should post as soon as the eligible charge posts to your account. Assuming you spend at least $75 per year on Southwest Airlines tickets (or even taxes and fees, if redeeming points), then this should more or less be worth face value.
Between this benefit and the 7,500 point annual bonus, we’re talking about $165 worth of value, which is more than the annual fee.
Southwest Priority Card Upgraded Boardings
Just for having the Southwest Priority Card, you get four upgraded boardings per anniversary year (starting with your first year), when available. The way this works, you’ll be reimbursed for the purchase on the day of departure of up to four upgraded boardings in positions A1-15.
The upgraded boarding fees will be reimbursed within eight weeks, though in reality generally post much faster than that. Since the price of upgraded boardings varies by flight, it’s hard to put a dollar value to this benefit.
Southwest Priority Card Drink & Wi-Fi Savings
If you pay with your Southwest Priority Card you can save 25% on inflight Wi-Fi and drink purchases. You’ll receive statement credits for the 25% within two billing cycles of your purchase (though usually much faster than that).
Southwest Priority Card Travel & Purchase Protection The Southwest Priority Card offers a variety of travel & purchase protection benefits, including:
Auto rental collision damage waiver coverage; it’s secondary within the United States, and primary internationally
Baggage delay insurance, which can reimburse you up to $100 per day for three days when your bag is delayed by at least six hours
Lost luggage reimbursement, which reimburses you up to $3,000 if your bag is damaged or lost
Travel accident insurance, with the maximum coverage ranging from $250,000-500,000, depending on the situation
Extended warranty protection, which extends your United States manufacturer warranty by a year on eligible warranties of three years or less
Purchase protection, which covers you for up to 120 days for damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account
The Cons of Applying for Chase Southwest Credit Cards
Chase and Southwest have some pretty strict rules when it comes to who is eligible for the card. The card is not available to anyone who currently has a Southwest Rapid Rewards personal card, or anyone who has received a welcome bonus on a Southwest Rapid Rewards personal card in the past 24 months. However, you are eligible if you have a Southwest business credit card.
This is in addition to Chase’s general application rules, including the 5/24 rule, whereby you typically won’t be approved for a Chase card if you’ve opened five or more new card accounts in the past 24 months.
Southwest Priority Card $149 Annual Fee The Southwest Priority Card has a $149 annual fee. As a point of comparison, the other personal cards have annual fees of $69 and $99, so the annual fee on this card is a bit higher. However, as I’ll explain below, the benefits justify the premium annual fee.
No Question The Southwest Priority Card Is Worth It for You and Your Family
If you’re eligible for the Southwest Priority Card and fly Southwest with any frequency, then this card is absolutely worth it. I’d argue this card is a better value all around than the two other Southwest personal cards.
Many people love flying Southwest for the ability to earn the Southwest Companion Pass, the lack of change fees and vouchers that don’t expire, and the two free checked bags. For others, Southwest a practical airline to fly on occasion, given its massive route network. Regardless, there’s lots of value in having points and benefits on Southwest.
For the card’s $149 annual fee you’re getting a 7,500 point anniversary bonus annually, a $75 Southwest credit, and much more. Let’s look at a few other things to consider regarding this card, and Southwest cards in general.
If you’re looking to complement your Southwest Priority Card with a Southwest business card, consider the incredible Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (review). This card has outstanding perks, including:
A welcome bonus of 80,000 Rapid Rewards points after spending $5,000 within three months
A 9,000 point anniversary bonus
Four upgraded boardings per year
Up to 365 $8 Wi-Fi credits per year on Southwest, which could get you a lot of Wi-Fi
$500 toward points transfer fees per anniversary year
A Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
The ability to earn A-List status or Companion Pass with spending
This card is the single best Southwest card because of the Wi-Fi credit, as far as I’m concerned.
How Do Southwest’s Personal Bonus Cards Compare?
In addition to the Priority Card, Chase and Southwest also have the $69 annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card and the $99 annual fee Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card. All cards have the same welcome bonuses, but the perks are significantly different.
Why do I think the $149 annual fee Priority Card is almost universally better?
Neither the Plus nor Premier offer a $75 annual Southwest credit, which should more or less be worth face value; so to do a direct comparison, that’s almost like lowering the “out of pocket” on the Priority Card from $149 to $74.
The Priority Card offers 7,500 anniversary bonus points, while the Plus offers 3,000 bonus points and the Premier offers 6,000 bonus points. Those two perks alone should show why the Priority Card is worth the annual fee by comparison, and that doesn’t even account for upgraded boardings, a better rewards structure, the ability to earn A-List status through spending, and more.
Chase has the best portfolio of credit cards overall but for everyday spending the Freedom card really stands out. Freedom cards we have talked about on our site since it first came out and they can earn Ultimate Rewards points without the annual fee.
The Freedom cards from Chase are more rewarding than ever before. Both cards are currently offering improved welcome bonuses that are among the best we’ve seen.
Chase Freedom Unlimited gets you 3x on dining, restaurants, takeout, drugstores, and more.
Both Freedom Cards are Similar but Chase Freedom Flex is Our Pick
The cards have most things in common. Identical sign-up bonuses & eligibility requirements, Both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited offer excellent bonuses for no annual fee cards, which were recently improved. Each card currently offers:
20,000 points or $200 BONUS after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months
Additionally, earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases including Target (not Walmart purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year
Furthermore, both cards have identical eligibility requirements:
Earn $250 cash back with Chase Freedom Unlimited or Chase Freedom Flex credit card.
Each card is only available to those who don’t currently have that specific card, and those who haven’t received a new cardmember bonus on that specific card in the past 24 months Both cards are subjected to Chase’s typical eligibility restrictions, including the 5/24 rule Overlapping bonus categories Both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited offer the following overlapping bonus categories on spending:
5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on dining, takeout, and eligible delivery services
3x points on drugstores
Flexibility to earn cash back or Ultimate Rewards points
Both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited accrue the same types of rewards:
Each point earned on either card can be redeemed for one cent cash back If you have either card in conjunction with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, or Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, then points can also be transferred to the Ultimate Rewards program; Ultimate Rewards points have a value around ~1.7 cents each, so to me that increases the value of these points by 70%
Earn Ultimate Rewards points with Chase Freedom cards
Differences between Chase Freedom cards
There is one primary area where the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited differ, and that’s one aspect of the bonus categories. Both cards offer:
5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on dining, takeout, and eligible delivery services
3x points on drugstores
But each card has one unique bonus category:
The Freedom Flex offers 5x points in rotating quarterly categories, on up to $1,500 of spending per quarter The Freedom Unlimited offers 1.5x points on everyday spending, making it one of the best cards for non-bonused categories, and beating the Freedom Flex in that regard by 50%
The Freedom Unlimited offers a better return on everyday spending
Which Chase Freedom card is better?
Deciding whether the Chase Freedom Flex or Chase Freedom Unlimited makes more sense comes down to one very simple question — would you rather earn 1.5x points on all purchases (with the Freedom Unlimited), or would you rather earn 5x points in rotating quarterly categories and 1x points on non-bonused purchases?
Everyday spending will work out differently for everyone, but here are a few general considerations:
What card do you otherwise use for non-bonused spending, and how much do you spend in categories that don’t otherwise qualify for bonus categories? If you don’t have a great card and you spend a lot in non-bonused categories, then the Freedom Unlimited is the obvious choice Do you have another great card for non-bonused spending but think you could get value from the 5x points categories on the Freedom Flex? Then the Freedom Flex is the obvious choice The good thing is that you don’t have to choose — you can get both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited, and that’s a great way to maximize your rewards, especially since neither card has an annual fee. Personally, that’s my approach, but I also get that lots of people want a simpler credit card strategy than that.
Bottom line Both the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited are great no annual fee cards that can help you maximize the Ultimate Rewards points that you earn. For savvy consumers they’re an essential complement to a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Which Freedom card makes more sense depends on your circumstances. The Freedom Unlimited is the all-around more rewarding card, given that it offers one of the best returns of any card for non-bonused spending. But some may get more value out of the Freedom Flex’s 5x points categories.
One great thing is that you don’t have to choose, as you can always pick up both cards at the same time or upgrade from another card if you change your mind by calling Chase.
