Unlocking Southwest Adventures: Your Guide to Buying Rapid Rewards Points
Ever found yourself just a few points short of that dream Southwest flight? Or perhaps a sudden, urgent trip has come up, and you need points now? While buying airline points isn't always the most economical option, there are specific situations where it can be a lifesaver. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about purchasing Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards points, helping you make an informed decision.
Step 1: Are You Ready to Explore the World (or at least, North America) with Southwest?
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of purchasing points, let's make sure you're a Rapid Rewards member! If you're not, take a moment to enroll. It's quick, easy, and essential for earning and redeeming points. Head over to Southwest.com and sign up. Got your Rapid Rewards number? Great! Now, let's explore when buying points makes sense.
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| How Much Is It To Buy Points On Southwest Airlines |
When Buying Points Might Be a Good Idea
While generally not recommended as a primary strategy for accumulating points due to the cost, there are a few scenarios where purchasing Southwest points can be advantageous:
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To Top Off an Account: You're just shy of enough points for a specific redemption, and the cash price of the ticket is significantly higher than the cost of buying the remaining points.
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During a Bonus Points Promotion: Southwest periodically offers promotions where you receive a bonus percentage of points when you buy them. This can significantly reduce your effective cost per point. Always check for current promotions before buying!
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When You Have the Southwest Companion Pass: If you hold the coveted Companion Pass, your designated companion flies for free (only paying taxes and fees) whenever you fly, whether on a paid ticket or a points redemption. This effectively doubles the value of your points, making buying them much more appealing.
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For Immediate Travel Needs: Sometimes, you need to book a flight last minute, and the cash prices are exorbitant. If buying points (especially during a promotion) makes the flight cheaper than paying cash, it's worth considering.
When Buying Points Is Likely Not a Good Idea
Tip: Be mindful — one idea at a time.
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As your primary method of earning points: The standard cost of buying Southwest points is usually higher than their typical redemption value. There are far better ways to accumulate points, such as through Southwest co-branded credit cards, partner activities, or simply flying.
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If you have flexible travel dates: If you can adjust your travel dates, you'll often find cheaper cash fares or point redemptions, negating the need to purchase points.
Step 2: Understanding the Cost of Southwest Rapid Rewards Points
Southwest sells Rapid Rewards points through Points.com, their third-party partner. The base cost of purchasing points is generally not ideal unless a promotion is running.
The Standard Price:
Typically, Southwest points are sold in increments, and the cost per point decreases as you buy more. Without a promotion, the standard price often hovers around 3 cents per point ($30 per 1,000 points).
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For example, 2,000 points might cost $60, equating to 3 cents per point.
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If you buy 10,000 points, it could be $300, still 3 cents per point.
It's crucial to compare this cost to the value you'd get when redeeming them. NerdWallet's analysis suggests Southwest points are generally worth around 1.3 to 1.5 cents each. This means if you buy them at 3 cents per point and redeem them for 1.3 cents, you're losing money. This is why promotions are so important!
The Power of Promotions:
Southwest frequently offers bonus promotions when you purchase points. These can be in the range of a 30% to 50% bonus, or sometimes even more.
QuickTip: Slow down when you hit numbers or data.
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Example: If you buy 10,000 points and get a 50% bonus, you'd receive 15,000 points for the same price. This significantly lowers your effective cost per point.
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With a 50% bonus, that initial 10,000 points costing $300 would effectively give you 15,000 points, bringing your cost down to $300 / 15,000 = 2 cents per point. While still higher than the typical redemption value, it's a much better deal than the standard rate.
Always check the "Promotions" section on the Southwest Rapid Rewards website or sign up for their email alerts to be notified of these offers.
Step 3: The Step-by-Step Process to Purchase Points
Ready to buy? Here's how to do it:
Sub-heading: Accessing the Purchase Portal
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Visit Southwest.com: Open your web browser and go to the official Southwest Airlines website.
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Log In to Your Rapid Rewards Account: On the top right of the homepage, click "Log in" and enter your Rapid Rewards account number or username and password.
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Navigate to Rapid Rewards: Once logged in, hover over or click on "Rapid Rewards" in the top navigation bar.
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Find "Buy, Gift, & Transfer Points": From the Rapid Rewards dropdown menu, look for an option like "Buy, Gift, & Transfer Points" or simply "Buy Points." Click on it.
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Select "Buy Points": You'll likely be redirected to a page powered by Points.com. Here, you'll see options to Buy, Gift, or Transfer points. Select "Buy points."
Sub-heading: Choosing Your Point Quantity and Completing the Purchase
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Select the Number of Points: You'll be presented with various pre-set increments of points you can purchase (e.g., 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 points).
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Pay close attention to any promotional offers displayed on this page. The system should automatically calculate the bonus points if a promotion is active.
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You might also have the option to enter a custom amount within a given range, typically with a daily maximum of 60,000 points.
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Review the Cost: Before proceeding, carefully review the total cost for the points you've selected. This is where you'll see the full price, including any taxes or fees.
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Enter Payment Details: Input your credit card information. Make sure the billing address matches the card details.
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Confirm and Complete Purchase: Review all the details one last time. If everything looks correct, click the "Complete Purchase" or "Buy Now" button.
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Confirmation: You should receive a confirmation email shortly after your purchase. The points are typically credited to your Rapid Rewards account almost instantly, though it can sometimes take a few minutes.
Step 4: Alternative Ways to Accumulate Southwest Rapid Rewards Points
While buying points can be useful in a pinch, it's generally more cost-effective to earn them through other methods. Consider these strategies:
Tip: Let the key ideas stand out.
Sub-heading: Southwest Co-branded Credit Cards
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Welcome Bonuses: This is arguably the easiest and most lucrative way to earn a large sum of Rapid Rewards points quickly. Southwest offers several personal and business credit cards through Chase, often with substantial welcome bonuses after meeting a minimum spending requirement. These bonuses can range from 40,000 to 80,000 points or more!
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Everyday Spending: Southwest credit cards offer accelerated earning rates on Southwest purchases and often on other categories like dining, local transit, and internet/cable/phone services.
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Anniversary Points: Many Southwest credit cards offer an annual bonus of Rapid Rewards points on your cardmember anniversary.
Sub-heading: Transferring Points from Partners
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Chase Ultimate Rewards: Southwest Airlines is a 1:1 transfer partner with Chase Ultimate Rewards. If you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Chase Ink Business Preferred card, you can transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to your Rapid Rewards account instantly and with no fees. This is often the best way to get Southwest points if you need them quickly and already have Ultimate Rewards.
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Marriott Bonvoy: You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Southwest Rapid Rewards, though the transfer ratio is generally not as favorable as Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Sub-heading: Everyday Activities and Partners
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Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal: Earn points by shopping online at hundreds of popular retailers through the Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping portal.
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Rapid Rewards Dining Program: Link your credit cards to the Rapid Rewards Dining program and earn points automatically when you dine at participating restaurants.
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Southwest Hotels & Car Rentals: Book hotels and car rentals through Southwest's partners to earn additional Rapid Rewards points.
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Southwest Vacations: Booking a vacation package can also net you a significant amount of points.
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Flying Southwest: Of course, you earn points every time you fly with Southwest, with the earning rate depending on the fare type you purchase (Wanna Get Away, Wanna Get Away Plus, Anytime, Business Select).
Step 5: Maximizing the Value of Your Purchased Points
If you've decided to buy points, make sure you're getting the most out of them:
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Redeem for High-Value Flights: Look for flights where the points redemption value is at or above the typical 1.3-1.5 cents per point. This usually means comparing the cash price of a ticket to the points price.
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Combine with Companion Pass: As mentioned, the Companion Pass effectively doubles the value of your points, making a purchase much more justifiable.
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Be Flexible with Travel Dates: Even with purchased points, flexibility can help you find better redemption rates. Travel during off-peak times or consider alternative dates if your initial search yields a low-value redemption.
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Consider Cash + Points: Southwest now offers a "Cash + Points" option, allowing you to pay for a flight with a combination of cash and Rapid Rewards points. This can be useful if you don't have quite enough points for a full redemption but want to reduce the cash outlay. You'll also earn points on the cash portion of the fare.
Tip: Pause whenever something stands out.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to check current Southwest Airlines points purchase promotions? You can check for current promotions by visiting the "Rapid Rewards" section on Southwest.com, then looking for "Promotions" or "Buy, Gift, & Transfer Points." Promotions are usually prominently displayed.
How to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Rapid Rewards? Log in to your Chase Ultimate Rewards account, navigate to "Transfer Points," select Southwest Rapid Rewards as the partner, enter your Rapid Rewards account number, and specify the number of points to transfer. Transfers are typically instant.
How to use the Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping portal? Visit RapidRewardsShopping.Southwest.com, log in with your Rapid Rewards account, search for participating retailers, click through to the retailer's website, and make your purchase as usual. Points will be credited to your account after the purchase is confirmed.
How to earn the Southwest Companion Pass quickly? The fastest way to earn the Companion Pass is usually by opening two Southwest co-branded credit cards (one personal and one business, or two personal if allowed) and earning their welcome bonuses within the same calendar year, along with meeting the spending requirements.
How to find the value of my Southwest Rapid Rewards points for a specific flight? To determine the value, find the cash price of the flight and the points price of the same flight. Divide the cash price by the number of points required. For example, if a flight costs $130 cash or 10,000 points, your points are worth 1.3 cents each ($130 / 10,000 = $0.013).
How to use the "Cash + Points" option on Southwest? Log in to your Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com or the app, search for a flight, and during the payment selection process, you'll see "Cash + Points" as an option. You can then choose how many points you want to apply towards the fare.
How to ensure I get the best deal when buying Southwest points? Always wait for a bonus points promotion. Compare the effective cost per point during the promotion to the typical redemption value of Southwest points (around 1.3-1.5 cents). Only buy if the numbers make sense for your specific travel needs.
How to avoid buying Southwest points altogether? Focus on earning points through Southwest co-branded credit card welcome bonuses, everyday spending on those cards, leveraging the Rapid Rewards Shopping and Dining programs, and transferring points from Chase Ultimate Rewards if you have them.
How to gift Southwest Rapid Rewards points to someone else? Go to the "Buy, Gift, & Transfer Points" section on Southwest.com and select the "Gift points" option. You'll need the recipient's Rapid Rewards account number and name.
How to check my Southwest Rapid Rewards points balance? Log in to your Rapid Rewards account on Southwest.com. Your current points balance will be displayed on your account dashboard or "My Account" page.
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