Citi Double Cash® vs Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business
Side-by-side comparison
| Citi Double Cash® | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | $299 |
| Welcome offer | $200 cash back | 80,000 points |
| Advertising | 2% | 1% |
| Shipping | 2% | 1% |
| Office supplies | 2% | 1% |
| Phone & internet | 2% | 1% |
| Travel | 2% | 4% |
| Everything else | 2% | 1% |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $900 | $636 |
| Points type | Pools with Citi → transferable | Locked to Southwest Rapid Rewards |
| Network | Mastercard | Visa |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified June 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
The verdict
On a typical year of business spending, the Citi Double Cash® earns about $900 a year in rewards and the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business about $636, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Citi Double Cash® has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business charges $299, which you clear through its rewards and perks. Counting rewards, fees, and any credits, the Citi Double Cash® delivers more total value, about $563 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and advertising. The bigger difference is the ceiling: the Citi Double Cash® earns points you can move to travel partners for outsized value, while the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business stays locked to a single airline or hotel program. Favor the Citi Double Cash® if you will use travel transfers, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business if you want simplicity. On the sign-up bonus, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the Citi Double Cash® if your spending leans toward advertising, shipping, office supplies. Pick the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business if your spending leans toward travel.