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PROGRAMME PROFILE
Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards: earning and tiers
Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards are the Southwest Airlines co-branded cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., which earn Rapid Rewards points on everyday spending, add tier qualifying points on the cards named in Southwest's programme terms, and count toward Companion Pass qualification. [1] [5] [7]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards are issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Member FDIC. [1] [7]
- Card spending earns Rapid Rewards points, and on the eligible cards it also earns tier qualifying points toward A-List and A-List Preferred. [6] [7]
- Points earned on the cards are Companion Pass qualifying points, subject to a list of exclusions in the programme terms. [7]
- Card points post within 30 days of the statement closing date. [5] [6]
- Purchased, gifted and transferred points do not count toward tier or Companion Pass status. [6]
How do Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards earn points?
Southwest lists spending on a Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card as one of the ways to earn points, alongside flying, the Rapid Rewards Debit Card, Getaways by Southwest vacation bookings, and hotel, car rental and other partners. [6] Chase groups its Southwest-branded cards on a single Southwest brand page, which listed five Southwest cards as of 18 October 2026. [3] Points earned with a Rapid Rewards Credit Card post to the Rapid Rewards account within 30 days of the statement closing date. [5] [6]
Tier qualifying points are earned from revenue flights booked through Southwest, and also when the cardmember, an authorised user or an employee uses one of the eligible Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase to make purchases, minus returns or refunds. [7] The rate is set per card: [7]
| Card named in Southwest's terms | Tier qualifying points per US$5,000 |
|---|---|
| Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card | 1,500 |
| Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card | 2,000 |
| Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card | 2,500 |
| Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card | 2,500 |
For these rates, Southwest defines "annually" as the year starting with the account open date and running to the first December statement date of that year, then each 12 billing cycles from that December statement date through the following December statement date. [7] Tier qualifying points earned in a billing cycle become available for qualification only once they are posted to the Rapid Rewards account, and they cannot be redeemed for travel on Southwest or through the More Rewards site. [7]
Do card purchases count toward A-List or A-List Preferred?
A member who flies 20 qualifying one-way flight segments, or earns 35,000 tier qualifying points, in a calendar year qualifies for A-List, and 40 segments or 70,000 tier qualifying points qualifies for A-List Preferred. [7]
| Status | Tier qualifying points | Qualifying one-way flight segments |
|---|---|---|
| A-List | 35,000 | 20 |
| A-List Preferred | 70,000 | 40 |
Rapid Rewards partner points generally do not count toward A-List or A-List Preferred, with the exception of tier qualifying points earned on the eligible Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase. [7] Qualification runs on the calendar year: once earned, A-List or A-List Preferred is held for the remainder of the year in which it was earned and for the whole of the following calendar year, and the member must re-qualify each calendar year. [7] A member may hold only one A-List membership in a calendar year, however many flights or points are earned. [7] See the definition of status points for how these currencies work elsewhere.
How does card spending count toward Companion Pass?
A member who earns 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points, or flies 100 qualifying one-way flight segments, in a calendar year qualifies for Companion Pass. [6] [7] Companion Pass qualifying points are earned from completed qualifying one-way flight segments operated by Southwest, points earned on Rapid Rewards Credit Cards and the Rapid Rewards Debit Card, and base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners. [7] Southwest puts the same point in shorthand on its programme page: every point earned also counts toward Companion Pass. [1]
The terms set out what does not count: purchased points, points transferred between members, points transferred from partner programmes, e-Rewards, Valued Opinions and Diners Club, points from reward flights, enrolment points, tier bonus points, flight bonus points, promotional bonus points other than those from the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards and the Southwest Business Refer a Company promotion, points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards, purchased promotional tier qualifying points, points from Getaways by Southwest vacation bookings, and partner bonus points other than those from the Rapid Rewards Credit Cards from Chase. [6] [7]
Timing decides which year a card point lands in. Points earned in a billing cycle are not available for Companion Pass qualification until they are posted on the statement and to the Rapid Rewards account, and only points posted during the same calendar year count for that year's qualification. [7] No points, tier qualifying points or Companion Pass qualifying points are awarded for flights taken by the Companion on a Companion Pass reservation. [7] Companion Pass itself is held for the remainder of the calendar year in which it was earned and for the whole of the following calendar year, and must be re-qualified each year. [7] The Companion Pass page covers the travel rules.
What benefits do Rapid Rewards cardmembers get?
Southwest lists Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers as boarding no later than Group 5. [4] Cardmembers receive their first checked bag free, though checked bag benefits do not apply on flights booked with a partner carrier and weight and size limits apply. [4]
Cardmembers can redeem points through Pay Yourself Back for a statement credit covering the annual Rapid Rewards Credit Card fee or other eligible transactions. [5] Points can also be used for Cardmember experiences through Rapid Rewards Access Events and the More Rewards site. [1] [5] For how fees work on co-brand cards generally, see card annual fee.
Paying with Cash + Points also earns on the cash portion: for flights completed after 3:00 AM CST on 1 January 2026, the cash portion of a Cash + Points booking earns Rapid Rewards points, tier qualifying points for A-List or A-List Preferred, and Companion Pass qualifying points, while bookings whose final flight was completed before 2:59 AM CST on 1 January 2026 earned none of these. [1]
Exceptions and limits
- Rapid Rewards points do not expire, but they are forfeited if a member closes the account, and Southwest may cancel an account and forfeit points, A-List or A-List Preferred status and Companion Pass qualification where it finds fraud, misrepresentation, misuse or a breach of the rules. [7]
- Membership is for individual travellers: members must enrol separately and may not pool or combine points with other members. [7]
- Southwest says it may offer promotional tier or Companion Pass status from time to time, that such offers are not part of the programme's formal award structure, and that they may be temporary. [7]
- The 2026 Status Match promotion is a separate, dated route: registration runs until 30 December 2026, matched A-List or A-List Preferred status lasts 120 days, and it can be extended for 12 months by earning 11,500 tier qualifying points (A-List) or 23,000 (A-List Preferred) from qualifying flights or qualifying purchases made during that 120-day period. [4]
Frequently asked questions
Do Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card points count toward Companion Pass?
Yes. Points earned on Rapid Rewards Credit Cards are Companion Pass qualifying points if they post to the account in the same calendar year, while purchased and transferred points and points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards do not count. [7]
How many tier qualifying points does a Southwest card earn per US$5,000?
1,500 on the Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card, 2,000 on the Premier Business card, and 2,500 on the Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card and Performance Business Credit Card, per US$5,000 in purchases annually. [7]
When do card points appear in a Rapid Rewards account?
Within 30 days of the statement closing date. [5] [6]
Can Rapid Rewards points pay a card's annual fee?
Cardmembers can redeem points through Pay Yourself Back for a statement credit covering the annual Rapid Rewards Credit Card fee or other eligible transactions. [5]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Cards issued outside the United States, and the co-brand cards of other US airlines such as United MileagePlus, AAdvantage and Delta SkyMiles, are not covered here; see the Rapid Rewards profile for the programme itself.
- Rapid Rewards programme page, Southwest Airlines, checked 18 October 2026
- Compare credit card offers, Chase, checked 18 October 2026
- Status Match terms and conditions, Southwest Airlines, checked 18 October 2026
- How to redeem Rapid Rewards points, Southwest Airlines, checked 18 October 2026
- How to earn Rapid Rewards points, Southwest Airlines, checked 18 October 2026
- Rapid Rewards terms and conditions, Southwest Airlines, checked 18 October 2026
Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards on Flyerfolio
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