Your Ultimate Guide: How Many Gift Cards Can You Use on Southwest Airlines?
Ever found yourself with a stack of Southwest gift cards, perhaps from a birthday, a thoughtful friend, or even a clever Costco deal, and wondered, "How many of these can I actually use for one flight?" You're not alone! This is a super common question for Southwest flyers, and the answer can sometimes feel a little less straightforward than you'd hope.
But don't worry! We're here to demystify the process and give you a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to maximizing your gift card usage on Southwest Airlines. Get ready to turn those gift cards into amazing travel experiences!
Step 1: Understanding Southwest's Payment Policy – The Golden Rule
Let's start with the most crucial piece of information. Southwest Airlines has a specific policy regarding the number of payment methods you can use for a single reservation.
The golden rule for Southwest is: You can use a maximum of three forms of payment per passenger per reservation.
What does this mean for gift cards? This means that for each individual passenger on your reservation, you can apply up to three Southwest gift cards. If your purchase exceeds the combined amount of these three gift cards, you will only be allowed to use two Southwest gift cards and then a third form of payment (like a credit card or digital wallet) will be required for the remaining balance.
Let's break that down further with some scenarios in the following steps.
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| How Many Gift Cards Can You Use On Southwest Airlines |
What Counts as a "Form of Payment"?
It's important to differentiate between various payment types accepted by Southwest:
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Southwest Gift Cards
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Southwest LUV Vouchers
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Flight Credits / Transferable Flight Credits (formerly "Held Funds")
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Credit Card (only one allowed per reservation)
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Digital Wallets (Apple Pay, PayPal - these count as your single credit card option)
Step 2: Planning Your Purchase – The Single Passenger Scenario
Let's say you're booking a flight for just yourself. This is the simplest scenario.
QuickTip: Skim the ending to preview key takeaways.
Sub-heading: Using Three Gift Cards (or Less!)
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Calculate Your Flight Cost: Before you start, get a clear idea of the total cost of your desired flight, including taxes and fees.
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Gather Your Gift Cards: Have your gift card numbers and security codes (PINs) ready.
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Initiate Booking: Go to Southwest.com or use their mobile app and proceed with your flight search and selection as usual.
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Navigate to Payment: Once you reach the "Payment Method" section, you'll see an option to "Apply Gift Cards."
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Enter Gift Card Details: Enter the 16-digit card number and the 4-digit security code for your first gift card.
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Add More (Up to Three!): You'll see an option to add more gift cards. Repeat the process for your second and third gift cards.
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Check Remaining Balance: The system will automatically deduct the gift card amounts from your total. If there's a remaining balance after applying three gift cards, you'll be prompted to use an additional form of payment.
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Finalize with Another Payment (if needed): For any outstanding amount, you will then need to use a single credit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay to cover the difference. Remember, only one credit card/digital wallet can be used per reservation.
Example: Your flight costs $250. You have three $100 gift cards. You can easily use all three ($300 total) to cover the cost, and the remaining $50 will stay on one of the cards for future use (Southwest gift cards do not expire!).
Example 2: Your flight costs $250. You have two $100 gift cards and one $20 gift card. You can apply all three ($220 total). You'll then need to pay the remaining $30 with a credit card.
Example 3: Your flight costs $250. You have four $100 gift cards. You can only apply three of them ($300 total). The remaining $50 from the third card will be used, and you'll have one $100 gift card left over for a future trip. The system will not allow you to apply the fourth gift card directly to this reservation.
Step 3: Booking for Multiple Passengers – Expanding Your Gift Card Usage
This is where things get a little more interesting and offer more flexibility if you have a lot of gift cards.
Sub-heading: Leveraging "Per Passenger" Limits
The key here is that the "three forms of payment" limit applies per passenger on a reservation.
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Initial Flight Search: Begin by searching for your desired flight for all passengers.
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Proceed to Payment: When you reach the payment screen, Southwest's system is designed to allocate the payment across passengers.
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Applying Gift Cards Strategically:
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If you have enough gift cards to cover the entire cost for one passenger, you can apply up to three gift cards for that individual's portion of the fare.
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Then, you can apply up to another three gift cards for the next passenger, and so on.
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This effectively means you can use more than three gift cards in total for a multi-passenger reservation, as long as you're applying a maximum of three per person's portion of the fare.
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Example: You're booking for two passengers, and the total cost is $500 ($250 per person). You have five $100 gift cards.
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You can apply three $100 gift cards ($300) to Passenger 1's fare, covering their $250. The remaining $50 stays on one of those cards.
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Then, you can apply two $100 gift cards ($200) to Passenger 2's fare, covering their $250. You'll then need to pay the remaining $50 for Passenger 2 with a credit card.
Important Note: While the system allows for this, it might not always clearly delineate "Passenger 1's payment" vs. "Passenger 2's payment" on the payment screen. What typically happens is that you'll apply gift cards, and the system will allocate them to the passengers up to their individual fare limits, enforcing the three-payment-method rule for each person. If you have more than three gift cards that would cover the entire reservation, you might still run into a wall and need to use a credit card for any remaining balance after applying the maximum allowable gift cards across all passengers.
Step 4: Alternative Strategies for Using More Than Three Gift Cards (Advanced)
QuickTip: Read actively, not passively.
What if you have many Southwest gift cards, perhaps small denominations, and want to use more than the per-passenger limit on a single reservation? This requires a bit of a workaround.
Sub-heading: Option 1: Breaking Up Your Trip
This is a common strategy if you have an abundance of gift cards.
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Book One-Way Flights: Instead of booking a round trip, book two separate one-way flights (e.g., your outbound journey as one reservation, and your return journey as a separate reservation).
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Utilize Gift Cards Per Leg: For each one-way booking, you can now apply up to three new Southwest gift cards (per passenger on that specific one-way reservation). This effectively doubles your gift card capacity for a round trip.
Considerations: * This might not always be ideal for flight flexibility if you need to change both legs of a trip. * It also means managing two separate confirmation numbers.
Sub-heading: Option 2: Combining Gift Card Balances (Limited Availability)
While Southwest doesn't officially offer a widespread service to combine multiple small gift card balances onto one larger card, some users have reported success by:
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Calling Customer Support: In some cases, if you have a significant number of low-value gift cards, Southwest Customer Support may be able to assist you in transferring balances onto a single card. However, this is not a guaranteed service and depends on their discretion and current policies. It's always worth a polite call!
Step 5: Checking Your Gift Card Balance and Terms
Before you start booking, it's always a good idea to know exactly how much value you have.
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Visit Southwest.com: Go to the Southwest Airlines website.
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Find the Gift Card Section: Scroll to the bottom of the page and look for "Southwest gift card" under "Southwest Products."
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Check Your Balance: Click on the "Check Your Balance" tab.
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Enter Details: Input your gift card number and security code.
Key Terms to Remember:
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No Expiration Dates: Southwest gift cards themselves do not expire. This is fantastic news, as it gives you plenty of time to use them.
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Non-Refundable: Gift cards are generally non-refundable for cash, except where required by law.
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Not for Ancillary Services: Southwest gift cards are typically only valid for airfare. They cannot be used for things like:
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Southwest Vacations packages
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EarlyBird Check-In
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Pet fares
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Unaccompanied Minor service charges
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Upgraded Boarding at the airport
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Inflight purchases (food, drinks, Wi-Fi)
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Baggage fees (unless included in the initial fare)
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
QuickTip: Stop to think as you go.
How to use multiple Southwest gift cards for one person?
You can use a maximum of three Southwest gift cards per passenger on a single reservation. If your flight cost exceeds the total of those three, you'll need to use an additional payment method (like a credit card) for the remaining balance.
How to use more than three Southwest gift cards for a family trip?
For a family or multiple passengers on one reservation, the three-gift-card limit applies per passenger. This means you can effectively use more than three gift cards in total if each passenger's portion of the fare is covered by up to three gift cards.
How to check the balance of a Southwest gift card?
You can easily check your Southwest gift card balance by visiting Southwest.com, navigating to the "Southwest gift card" section, and selecting "Check Your Balance." You'll need the card number and security code.
How to combine Southwest gift card balances?
Southwest does not have an official online tool to combine gift card balances. However, some users have reported success by politely calling Southwest Customer Service and requesting a balance transfer onto one card, especially for numerous small-value cards. This is not guaranteed.
How to use a Southwest gift card for EarlyBird Check-In?
Southwest gift cards cannot be directly used for EarlyBird Check-In or other ancillary services. They are primarily for the purchase of passenger air travel.
QuickTip: Re-reading helps retention.
How to apply Southwest gift cards online?
During the payment step of your online booking on Southwest.com or the mobile app, look for the "Apply Gift Cards" option. Enter the 16-digit card number and the 4-digit security code. You can add up to three per passenger.
How to use a Southwest gift card if the flight is more expensive than the card's value?
If your flight cost exceeds the value of your gift card(s), you can combine the gift card(s) with another accepted form of payment, such as a credit card or digital wallet, to cover the remaining balance.
How to use a Southwest gift card with a LUV Voucher or Flight Credit?
Southwest allows you to combine up to three forms of payment per passenger, which can include a mix of Southwest gift cards, Southwest LUV Vouchers, and Flight Credits, plus one credit card if needed. The exact combination limits for LUV Vouchers and Flight Credits can differ slightly from gift cards (e.g., two LUV Vouchers per passenger).
How to get a refund for a flight paid with a Southwest gift card?
If a flight purchased with a Southwest gift card is canceled at least 10 minutes prior to departure, any remaining funds are typically held as a flight credit or Transferable Flight Credit under the confirmation number, not refunded back to the gift card. For tickets purchased with a gift card and canceled on or after August 9, 2024, funds will be held as a Transferable Flight Credit.
How to use a Southwest gift card for international flights?
Southwest gift cards can be used for international passenger travel on Southwest Airlines, subject to the same redemption limits (up to three gift cards per passenger per reservation) as domestic flights. Taxes and fees may require a separate payment method if not covered by the gift card balance.
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