Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of Southwest Rapid Rewards hub · Chase Ultimate Rewards hub
GUIDE
How to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards partner points
Southwest Rapid Rewards partner earning is the part of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards programme that awards points for qualifying purchases with the airline's hotel, car rental, shopping, dining, card and other partners rather than for flying. Southwest says members can collect points from a host of partner programmes all year round, even without booking a flight. [1]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Southwest groups partner earning into credit card, debit card, hotel, car rental, Getaways by Southwest, shop and dine, home and energy, specialty and flight partner categories. [1]
- Partner points are credited for qualifying purchases, and Southwest's rules allow adjustments for returns and cancellations, including a pattern of returning products after points have been credited. [7]
- Partner points generally do not count toward A-List or A-List Preferred status; the exception is tier qualifying points earned on eligible Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards from Chase. [4] [7]
What counts as a Rapid Rewards partner purchase?
Southwest's programme rules name three earning routes: completing travel on Qualifying Flights operated by Southwest, qualifying purchases with Rapid Rewards partners, and Getaways by Southwest vacation bookings. [7] The partner directory breaks the middle route into nine categories. [1]
Credit card partners award points for everyday spending on a Southwest Rapid Rewards card, and debit card partners do the same through the Southwest Rapid Rewards Debit Card. [1] Hotel partners award points on stays, car rental partners on rentals, and shop and dine partners on spending at partner restaurants and retail spots. [1] Southwest also lists home and energy partners for paying bills through a partner provider, specialty partners for sharing feedback and travel wellness, and a flight partner category for booking flights with partner airlines. [1]
The shopping side runs through Rapid Rewards Shopping, which Southwest describes as earning points at more than 1,100 online stores. [2] For general mechanics that apply across retailers and card offers, see shopping portals and card offers; for the concept itself, see partner earning.
How do you earn points with Southwest partners?
Partner earning depends on the purchase being a qualifying purchase, and Southwest's programme rules say that rules and regulations regarding partner transactions may apply, including adjustments for returns and cancellations and for members who show a pattern of returning products after points have been credited. [7] Points earned on a Rapid Rewards credit card post within 30 days of the statement closing date, and the billing cycle dates appear on the first page of the statement under the account summary. [5]
Getaways by Southwest vacation bookings use a different calculation. Each booking accrues points at a set rate established by Southwest, multiplied by the total base price of all eligible components — air, hotel, rental car and airport transportation — excluding taxes, fees, post-pays and optional travel charges. [7] The total is then divided as equally as possible among all persons on the booking, excluding lap children. [7] For car rentals, Southwest says points can be earned and redeemed in various ways across its car rental partner programmes. [1]
Earning on Southwest-operated flights, including the points-per-dollar rates by fare type and the A-List bonus, is covered separately in the Rapid Rewards earning guide.
When do partner points post to your account?
Credit card points appear within 30 days of the statement closing date; Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Cards are issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. [5] For a Getaways booking, the member must have associated their Rapid Rewards number with the booking or must request their share of the accrued points no later than 12 months after the booking is completed. [7] Any portion not linked to a Rapid Rewards number is forfeited 12 months after completion and is not redistributed to other people on the booking who did enter a number. [7]
Points that are bought, gifted or transferred are a separate route rather than partner earning: Southwest asks members to allow 72 hours for these points to post, and the transactions are nonrefundable and nonreversible. [5] As of 18 October 2026, points are sold in blocks of 1,000 during promotional periods and 500 when off promotion, with a minimum purchase of 2,000 points and a daily maximum of 60,000 points combined for personal and gift purchases. [1] [7]
Do partner points count toward A-List or Companion Pass?
A-List requires 20 qualifying one-way flight segments or 35,000 tier qualifying points in a calendar year, and A-List Preferred requires 40 segments or 70,000 tier qualifying points. [7] Those tier qualifying points come from travel on Qualifying Flights or from eligible Southwest Rapid Rewards credit cards from Chase; Rapid Rewards partner points do not count, except for tier qualifying points earned on those cards, and debit card points and bonus points do not count unless specifically designated. [4] [7]
| Card | Tier qualifying points per $5,000 in purchases annually |
|---|---|
| Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card | 1,500 |
| Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card | 2,000 |
| Rapid Rewards Priority or Performance Business Credit Card | 2,500 |
Companion Pass needs 135,000 Companion Pass qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flight segments in a calendar year. [7] Companion Pass qualifying points are earned from revenue flights, points earned on Rapid Rewards credit and debit cards, and base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners. [7] They exclude purchased points, points transferred between members, points transferred from partner programmes including hotel and car loyalty programmes, e-Rewards, Valued Opinions and Diners Club, tier bonus points, flight bonus points, promotion bonus points, partner bonus points other than those from Chase credit cards, and points earned from Getaways by Southwest bookings. [6] [7] Points from a Getaways by Southwest booking count toward tier status but not toward Companion Pass. [7]
Exceptions and limits
- Points do not expire, but a member who closes their Rapid Rewards account forfeits the points in it. [7]
- Membership is for individual travellers: members enrol separately, may not pool or combine points with other members, and each member is limited to one account. [7]
- Purchased, gifted and transferred points do not count toward tier or Companion Pass status. [5]
- Points cannot be redeemed for Getaways by Southwest vacation bookings. [2]
- Suspected fraud, misrepresentation, misuse or violation of applicable rules, including partner rules, may lead to cancellation of the account and reservations, forfeiture of points, status and Companion Pass qualification, or a delay or suspension of point processing. [7]
- Bonus points and partner promotions are not part of the programme's formal award structure, may be temporary, and may be modified or eliminated at any time; points have no cash value and may not be sold, purchased, brokered or bartered. [7]
- Southwest says a new Rapid Rewards programme begins on 1 January 2027, and reserves the right to change programme rules at any time without notice and to end the programme with six months' notice. [2] [7]
Frequently asked questions
Can you earn Rapid Rewards points without flying?
Yes. Southwest says members can collect points from partner programmes all year round, even without booking a flight, across credit card, hotel, car rental, shopping and dining and other categories. [1]
Which hotel and car partner points count toward Companion Pass?
Base points earned from Rapid Rewards partners count as Companion Pass qualifying points, but partner bonus points do not, with the exception of Chase credit cards, and points converted from hotel and car loyalty programmes are excluded. [6] [7]
Do points bought or transferred count toward status?
No. Purchased, gifted and transferred points do not count toward tier or Companion Pass status. [5]
How many Rapid Rewards points can you buy at a time?
Points are offered in blocks of 1,000 during promotional periods and 500 when off promotion, with a minimum purchase of 2,000 points and a daily combined maximum of 60,000 points for personal and gift purchases. [1] [7]
Can Rapid Rewards points be combined with another member's points?
Not directly: members may not pool or combine points, but points can be transferred to another member for a fee in blocks of 1,000 during promotional periods and 500 off promotion, with a minimum transfer of 2,000 points and a daily maximum of 60,000. [7]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Other programmes, including American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus, are not covered here; see the glossary for cross-programme terms.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards partner directory, checked 18 October 2026
- Southwest Rapid Rewards programme overview, checked 18 October 2026
- Rapid Rewards status match terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- How to redeem Rapid Rewards points, checked 18 October 2026
- How to earn Rapid Rewards points, checked 18 October 2026
- Rapid Rewards terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026