As Southwest’s premium personal credit card, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card offers a bunch of useful benefits that you won’t find on some of its other cards. These include a $75 annual Southwest credit and four upgraded boardings for the $149 annual fee. For true Southwest fans, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card is a value magnet, whether you fly the airline exclusively or only when a particularly good deal pops up on your radar.

Here’s how you can maximize benefits of the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card.

Apply when the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card bonus is high

Currently, the bonus is: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

That's a great deal because it provides a huge shortcut to earning a Companion Pass in less time and by spending less money than the typical requirements.

Because it is essential to earn the initial sign-up bonus, you should prioritize spending on this card in the early days, especially if you have upcoming travel plans that could involve Southwest.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card earns:

3 points per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines including flights, in-flight purchases, gift cards, Southwest Airlines Vacations packages and purchases at participating Rapid Rewards hotel and rental car partners.

2 points per $1 on local transit and commuting (including rideshares), internet, cable, phone services and select streaming services.

1 point per $1 on everything else.

There are plenty of ways to meet a credit card’s minimum spend if you’re stumped for ideas.

Use your $75 Southwest annual travel credit

Every year, you’ll get $75 back in the form of a statement credit for purchases made with Southwest. There’s nothing for you to do in advance — just make sure you put some direct Southwest spending on the card so you don’t miss out on this perk. Plus, you'll get 20% back on in-flight purchases of drinks and Wi-Fi that you charge to your card.

The $75 annual credit essentially reduces the $149 annual fee by half.

Renew your card to receive 7,500 anniversary bonus points

On your cardmember anniversary, you’ll earn 7,500 bonus points, which is often good enough for a one-way flight on many of Southwest’s cheaper domestic routes. While there are many ways to earn Southwest points, be sure to factor these into your trip planning.

Additionally, NerdWallet values Southwest points at 1.5 cents each. Thus, the 7,500 anniversary points are worth $112.

Take advantage of 4 upgraded boardings

Every Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card member is eligible for four upgraded boardings every calendar year (based on flight availability). The savings add up quickly since it can cost $30-$80 per flight to access those coveted early boarding positions (A1-A15). Upgrades can be made online via Southwest's upgraded boarding page. Don’t let this benefit go to waste, so plan which flights you might want to use it on.