Citi Diamond Preferred Card vs Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority
Both are well-respected travel cards. The Citi Diamond Preferred Card comes from Citi at $0/yr; the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority from Chase at $229/yr. Below: side-by-side specs, an opinionated verdict, and the FAQs people actually ask before applying.
For most people the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority is the stronger pick today, the sign-up bonus is meaningfully larger ($840 more in estimated value) than the Citi Diamond Preferred Card's. Get the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority first; revisit the Citi Diamond Preferred Card after you've earned that bonus.
| Feature | Citi Diamond Preferred Card | Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $229 |
| Sign-up bonus | No welcome bonus; product is a 0% intro APR balance-transfer card with no rewards program | 60,000 points |
| Bonus value (est.) | - | $840 |
| Min spend to unlock bonus | - | $2,000 in 3 mo |
| Issuer | Citi | Chase |
| Card category | airline | |
| Transfer partners | None | None |
| Headline benefits |
|
Editorial take: Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority
If Southwest is your airline, this is the card to have. The anniversary points and $75 travel credit help offset the annual fee, and the 4x earning on Southwest is class-leading among airline cards.
Common questions
- Which card has the bigger sign-up bonus, Citi Diamond Preferred Card or Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority?
- The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority has a public bonus (60,000 points, worth roughly $840), while the Citi Diamond Preferred Card doesn't advertise one right now.
- Is the Citi Diamond Preferred Card's $0 annual fee worth it compared to the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority?
- The Citi Diamond Preferred Card has no annual fee, so the question is whether the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority's $229 fee is justified by its perks. If you'll use enough of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority's benefits to clear $229 in value annually, it's worth it; otherwise stick with the Citi Diamond Preferred Card.
- Can I have both the Citi Diamond Preferred Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority?
- Yes, since they're from different issuers (Citi and Chase) the application rules don't conflict. Many points enthusiasts hold both, they pair well when one earns flexible bank points and the other earns a different currency.
- Should I get the Citi Diamond Preferred Card or the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority first?
- Get the one whose sign-up bonus you can hit comfortably without overspending. Citi Diamond Preferred Card: no published min spend. Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority: $2,000 in 3 months. Pick the easier minimum spend if you're new to points; pick the larger bonus if you have planned big purchases coming up.
Card details on this page reflect the most recent data we've verified against the issuer's own site. Sign-up bonuses and fees can change at any time, confirm the current offer on the issuer's page before applying.
