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Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier vs IHG One Rewards Premier: Which Is Better In 2025?
July 1, 2025
Editor's Picks
- The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier is best for frequent Southwest Airlines travelers, providing rewards on flights, groceries, dining, and select monthly bills.
- The IHG One Rewards Premier is ideal for travelers loyal to IHG Hotels & Resorts, offering bonus points on hotel stays, travel, gas, and restaurant purchases.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Breakdown
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Why We Like It
This section breaks down why we like the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier.
- It offers a suite of travel benefits tailored to Southwest flyers, including a free first checked bag and Group 5 priority boarding, despite its annual fee.
- The 6,000 anniversary bonus points can offset a large portion of the annual cost, especially when combined with perks like two EarlyBird Check-Ins each year (publisher-formulated estimate).
Pros
- Offers several day-of-travel benefits, including priority boarding and complimentary checked bags for the cardholder and companions on the same reservation.
- Accelerates progress toward the Southwest Companion Pass® and A-List status with annual qualifying point boosts.
- Provides ongoing value through annual bonus points and flexible redemption options, including no change fees on award flights.
Cons
- Carries an annual fee without offering premium travel benefits like airport lounge access or travel credits.
- The rewards program is less flexible than general travel cards, as points cannot be transferred to other airline or hotel partners.
- Several bonus categories and travel perks are being discontinued, and some ongoing bonus categories have spending caps.
IHG One Rewards Premier Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Here’s a closer look at why the IHG One Rewards Premier card stands out.
- Cardholders receive automatic Platinum Elite status and a fourth reward night free on award stays, all for an annual fee (See Rates & Fees).
- It offers accelerated earning rates on popular spending categories like travel, gas, and dining, plus a solid rate on all other purchases.
- The anniversary free night certificate can easily offset the card's annual fee, as it's valid at properties worth up to 40,000 points per night (publisher-formulated estimate).
Pros
- Cardholders receive automatic Platinum Elite status, unlocking valuable hotel benefits like complimentary room upgrades and late check-out without having to meet stay requirements.
- The card includes a suite of travel protections, such as trip cancellation insurance and lost luggage reimbursement, adding a layer of security to your travels.
- You receive a discount when purchasing IHG points, which can help you top off your balance for a specific award redemption.
Cons
- The card carries an annual fee.
- Its rewards program offers limited flexibility, as points are most valuable when redeemed at IHG properties and have few transfer partners.
- It lacks some of the premium travel protections found on competing travel rewards cards.
IHG One Rewards Premier vs Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier
Categories
Deciding which is better, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier or IHG One Rewards Premier, comes down to your specific travel style. Each card is tailored to a different type of traveler, offering distinct benefits for either frequent flyers or loyal hotel guests.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is best for semifrequent or loyal Southwest Airlines flyers. It helps users earn points toward flights and enjoy day-of-travel perks like priority boarding and inflight discounts.
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is ideal for travelers who regularly stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts. The card provides value through hotel elite status and benefits geared toward stays at properties like Holiday Inn and InterContinental.
Redemption
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card: Points earned with this card are primarily redeemed for flights on Southwest Airlines. Cardholders can use their points to book award travel across the airline's extensive network.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card: Rewards are redeemed for hotel stays across the wide-ranging IHG Hotels & Resorts portfolio. Points can be used to book free nights at thousands of properties worldwide.
Travel Perks
- For globetrotters, the IHG Premier card stands out by not charging foreign transaction fees, making it a cost-effective choice for international spending. The Southwest Premier card, on the other hand, does assess a fee for purchases made outside the United States.
- Each card's perks are tailored to its travel niche. The Southwest Premier card enhances the flight experience with benefits like upgraded boardings. The IHG Premier card focuses on the hotel stay, offering a valuable anniversary free night certificate and automatic Platinum Elite status, which can unlock room upgrades and other on-property benefits.
- The Southwest card's ecosystem is centered entirely on its airline, with points redeemed for flights through the Rapid Rewards program. While straightforward, this limits flexibility. The IHG card's universe is the expansive IHG Hotels & Resorts portfolio, where points translate into free nights; however, it doesn't offer the ability to transfer points to airline partners.
Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos
To make sure you're choosing the right card for your wallet, a tool like Kudos can help you compare top-rated credit cards based on your own spending.
- Test drive a credit card: Preview potential earnings based on your actual spending data before you apply, eliminating the guesswork.
- Personalized recommendations: Get detailed approval odds and card matches based on your unique credit report and spending habits.
- Welcome offer guarantee: If you find a better welcome offer within three months of approval, Kudos will match it.
- Extra rewards: Earn additional rewards through Kudos Boost on top of what your credit card offers when you shop with partner merchants.
- Automated checkout: The Kudos browser extension can automatically select the best card in your wallet at checkout to maximize rewards on every purchase.
Who Should Choose the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier?
The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card is designed for semi-frequent to regular Southwest Airlines flyers looking to maximize their travel rewards. This card is a great fit for travelers who value day-of-travel perks like EarlyBird Check-In and want a faster path to earning the coveted Southwest Companion Pass or A-List elite status. As a mid-tier offering, it strikes a balance between the entry-level Plus card and the premium Priority card, making it a solid choice for many loyal Southwest customers, according to a comprehensive review.
Who Should Choose the IHG One Rewards Premier?
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is tailor-made for travelers who regularly book stays at IHG Hotels & Resorts, such as Holiday Inn or InterContinental. These cardholders will get the most value by taking advantage of the automatic Platinum Elite status and the annual free night certificate, which can easily offset the annual fee. Additionally, those who book longer stays can maximize their points with the fourth reward night free benefit, a key feature highlighted in a comprehensive card review.
Alternatives to Consider
If our Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier vs IHG One Rewards Premier comparison has you feeling like neither card is the right fit, don't worry. There are plenty of other travel rewards cards on the market that might better suit your spending habits and travel goals.
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Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Tips for Application Success
Before You Apply
- Check your credit score: Most rewards cards require a good to excellent credit history for approval.
- Review application rules: Be aware of issuer-specific restrictions, like Chase's 5/24 rule, which can affect your approval odds.
- Confirm bonus eligibility: Many issuers restrict welcome offers if you currently have or recently had a card from the same product family.
Application Strategy
- Time your application to coincide with a large planned purchase to help meet spending requirements.
- Consider your long-term goals, like using a Southwest card to help qualify for elite status or a Companion Pass.
- Choose co-branded cards carefully, ensuring your loyalty to a brand like IHG is strong enough to maximize its benefits.
Our Methodology
We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.
Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer points between Southwest Rapid Rewards and IHG One Rewards?
No, these two loyalty programs operate independently, and you cannot transfer points between them. Southwest points are for flights and airline partners, while IHG points are used for hotel stays within their network.
Which card offers better elite status benefits?
The IHG One Rewards Premier card automatically grants you valuable Platinum Elite status, which includes perks like complimentary room upgrades. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card contributes to earning A-List status, but you'll still need to meet flight requirements to achieve it.
Do points earned with these cards expire?
Southwest Rapid Rewards points do not expire, regardless of account activity. While IHG One Rewards points can expire after 12 months of inactivity, holding the IHG Premier card prevents this as long as your account remains open.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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