How To Earn a Stack of Southwest Points — Without Even Flying!

Updated: September 30, 2023, 7:54am CDT

Edited by:

How To Earn a Stack of Southwest Points — Without Even Flying!

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“I would love to use points for a flight, but I just don’t fly enough to earn the points I need.”

Sound familiar? We hear this all the time from people who don’t travel enough to earn miles by flying alone.

Although flying is one way to earn miles, there are so many other ways to rack up serious frequent flyer miles that don’t involve ever stepping foot inside of a plane.

Today, we are talking about Southwest, one of our favorite airlines for domestic and Caribbean travel. Not only is its Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program easy to use, but its customer service is also top-notch and there are no checked bag fees or change fees.

Southwest Rapid Rewards

Southwest Airlines’ loyalty program, Rapid Rewards, is straightforward and easy to use.

Each flight’s price in Rapid Rewards points is dependent on the cash price of the ticket. You can expect to get right around 1.3 cents per point value. Plus, there are no blackout dates: if a cash ticket is available, you’ll be able to purchase the ticket in points.

You can easily toggle back and forth between the cash price and the price in points for any flight.

Southwest flights in points or cash — You can easily see the price of a Southwest flight in cash or points. Image Credit: Southwest

1. Earn Southwest Rapid Rewards Points With Credit Cards

You can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points through Southwest co-branded credit cards and Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio, so any Ultimate Rewards points you have can be easily turned into Rapid Rewards points.

You might be surprised to know that the best-earning rate for Southwest Rapid Rewards points isn’t on the Southwest credit cards!

Many of the Chase credit cards offer better bonus categories and larger sign-up bonuses and are therefore a better long-term option. Don’t forget, when collecting Chase points you have the option of not only transferring to Southwest but also many of its other Chase travel partners. This makes so much more sense than pooling all your points with just Southwest!

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

POPULAR FIRST CARD

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

21.49%-28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros

5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
2x points on all other travel worldwide
$50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through the Chase Travel portal
6 months of complimentary Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024), plus up to $15 in statement credits each quarter through July 2024
Excellent travel and car rental insurance
10% annual bonus points
No foreign transaction fees
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt

Cons

$95 annual fee
No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Enjoy beneﬁts such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

U.P. Rating

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel.
60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,200

Annual Fee

$550

APR

22.49%-29.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Excellent (740-850)

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options. Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

Pros

10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
10x points on Lyft purchases March 31, 2025
10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025
5x points on airfare booked through Chase Travel^SM
3x points on all other travel and dining purchases; 1x point on all other purchases
$300 annual travel credit
Priority Pass airport lounge access
TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS credit
Access to Chase Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection
Rental car elite status with National and Avis

Cons

$550 annual fee
Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
$300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^®
Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 22.49%-29.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

However, don’t count out the Southwest cards. They have nice sign-up bonuses and points earned from these cards count toward the Southwest Companion Pass.

Recommended Southwest Cards (Personal)

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card

U.P. Rating

This card focuses on the Southwest traveler with anniversary points, travel credit, upgrades, and money back on inflight purchases.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card

This card focuses on the Southwest traveler with anniversary points, travel credit, upgrades, and money back on inflight purchases.

Welcome OfferEarn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 50,000 points.

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$650

Annual Fee

$149

APR

21.49% - 28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Priority Credit Card is the most premium personal Southwest card offering from Chase. When you peel back the curtain, it is easy to see why.

Not only does the card offer multiple bonus categories to help you earn more Southwest Rapid Rewards points, but it is also loaded with benefits that are sure to offer quite a bit of value to Southwest flyers.

Here is a full overview of the card to help you decide if it is a good fit for your wallet.

Pros

3x points per $1 on Southwest purchases
2x points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshare purchases
2x points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming purchases
1x point per $1 on all other purchases
7,500 points each year on your cardmember anniversary
$75 annual Southwest travel credit
4 Upgraded Boardings per year
25% back on inflight purchases
1,500 tier qualifying points towards elite status for every $5,000 spent
Travel and purchase protection

Cons

$149 annual fee
Does not earn transferable points

Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
7,500 anniversary points each year.
Earn 3X points on Southwest^® purchases.
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
$75 Southwest^® travel credit each year.
No foreign transaction fees.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 21.49% - 28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Southwest Rapid Rewards Frequent Flyer Program

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card

U.P. Rating

Earn Southwest points on every purchase, plus anniversary points, Tier Qualifying Points, and points toward the Companion Pass!

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card

Earn Southwest points on every purchase, plus anniversary points, Tier Qualifying Points, and points toward the Companion Pass!

Welcome OfferEarn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 50,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$650

Annual Fee

$99

APR

21.49% - 28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Another week, another flight. Flying weekly can get tiring, but you know that every flight gets you closer to taking some great vacations with your significant other or your favorite travel buddy.

To save money on the flights, you like to use Southwest Airlines.

So why not get the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Premier Credit Card to help you earn extra Rapid Rewards points?

Pros

3x points per $1 on Southwest purchases
2x points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
2x points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
2x points per $1 on Internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
6,000 anniversary points each year on your card renewal
2 EarlyBird Check-In certificates per year
Earn Tier Qualifying Points for your spend
25% back on inflight purchases

Cons

$99 annual fee
Does not earn transferable rewards

Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
6,000 anniversary points each year.
Earn 3X points on Southwest^® purchases.
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
2 EarlyBird Check-In^® each year.
No foreign transaction fees.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 21.49% - 28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: $0

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Southwest Rapid Rewards Frequent Flyer Program

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card

U.P. Rating

This card makes it easy to earn unlimited points and qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card

This card makes it easy to earn unlimited points and qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass.

Welcome OfferEarn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 50,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$650

Annual Fee

$69

APR

21.49% - 28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

If you spend a lot of time in the air, it’s important to get a great deal on your plane tickets.

Southwest Airlines can help you get those deals.

One way to save is by using the Southwest Rapid Rewards^® Plus Credit Card. This card helps you earn points for all your spending, and earning more reward points is always a good thing for a busy traveler!

Pros

2x points per $1 on Southwest purchases
2x points per $1 on local transit and commuting, including rideshares
2x points per $1 on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
3,000 anniversary points each year on your card renewal
2 EarlyBird Check-In certificates per year
25% back on inflight purchases

Cons

$69 annual fee
Does not earn transferable rewards

Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
3,000 anniversary points each year.
Earn 2X points on Southwest^® purchases.
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services; select streaming.
2 EarlyBird Check-In^® each year.
Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 21.49% - 28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Southwest Rapid Rewards Frequent Flyer Program

Referral Bonus From Credit Cards

Did you know you can earn points simply by referring friends and family to sign up for a credit card that you hold? Not all Chase cards have a referral bonus at all times, but they are pretty frequent. Check out our post on Chase’s refer-a-friend program for more info.

To see what referral bonus offers you have, follow these easy steps:

Log on to your online Chase account.
Go to the drop-down menu (≡) at the upper left-hand corner of the screen and select Just for you.
Then click Refer friends now to see the cards you have that are offering a referral bonus. Click on the card to access your referral link.

Chase refer a friend — You can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points (via Chase) through the Chase Refer-A-Friend program. Image Credit: Chase

2. Marriott Bonvoy Airline Transfers

Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to Southwest at a 3:1 ratio. For every 60,000 points transferred, you get an additional 5,000-point bonus.

That means for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer, you’ll get 25,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points. There’s a minimum of 3,000 points required to make a transfer and the transfer can take 1 day to complete.

While this isn’t the best way to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points, it could make sense if you really need Southwest Rapid Rewards points and don’t have much use for Marriott Bonvoy points.

3. Rapid Rewards Dining

You can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points just by going out to eat through Rapid Rewards Dining. When you join Rapid Rewards Dining and dine at a participating restaurant and pay with your registered card, you’ll earn bonus Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

Earn 3 points per $1 when you sign up for email notifications
Earn 1 point per $2 when you opt-out of email notifications

There are participating restaurants all over the country. You can search for a specific restaurant or search by region. Or register your credit card and get surprised when bonus points pop up in your account!

Southwest Rapid Rewards dining — Earn bonus points when you dine at participating restaurants with the Southwest dining program. Dining. Image Credit: Rapid Rewards Dining

How To Earn Points Dining Out

Go to rapidrewardsdining.com and log in with your Rapid Rewards account credentials.
Register a credit card with your Rapid Rewards Dining account.
Visit a participating restaurant and pay with your registered card.

Even More Points From Dining Out

The Rapid Rewards Dining program offers some bonus ways to earn additional points.

New member bonus: 1,000 Rapid Rewards points in your first 30 days
First step bonus: Earn 500 bonus points the first time you earn 1,500 points through dining.
Thank you bonus: Earn 300 bonus points each time you earn 1,000 points by dining.
Review bonus: Earn 10 bonus points each time you complete a review of your dining experience.

Hot Tip: Rapid Rewards Dining occasionally offers even more bonus points for new members who dine and review their experiences in the first 30 days of membership. Visit rapidrewardsdining.com for up-to-date bonus offers.

Another way to increase your points earning through the dining program is by registering a Southwest credit card (or better yet, a Chase card that earns 2x or 3x points on dining) to your account — this way, you can double-dip on Rapid Rewards points. If you happen to hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve card or Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you can max out your points-earning since these cards earn 3x points at restaurants.

4. Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal

If you want to earn lots of Southwest Rapid Rewards points, you should check out the Rapid Rewards shopping portal.

This site allows you to earn points through your everyday online spending. As with its dining program, you can double-dip by using your Southwest credit card or a Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card.

How the Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal Works

Sign up for a Rapid Rewards account if you haven’t already.
Log in at rapidrewardsshopping.southwest.com by clicking the Sign In button in the top right corner of your screen.
Enter your Rapid Rewards account number or username and password.
Start shopping! Search for the store you want to shop at and click through to that website to make a purchase. Points will be posted to your account in about 6 to 8 weeks.

You can earn bonus points by shopping through the Southwest shopping portal. Image Credit: Southwest

Best Offers From the Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal

Each store offers a different number of points per dollar spent plus many offer specials and deals throughout the year. Before clicking through, make sure you know the terms of each offer to verify that your purchase will earn points.

Here are some examples of the lucrative offers that have been offered recently:

4,500 points: Purchase an AT&T fiber U-verse product
4,500 points: Add a new Verizon line
3,900 points: Sign up for AT&T Business wireless service
2,500 points: Sign up for DIRECTV Stream service
1,600 points: Make dinner easier with a Green Chef subscription
1,400 points: Make dinner easier with a Hello Fresh subscription
1,400: Sign up for Factor75 meal service

Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping — There are lots of bonus points opportunities when you shop through Southwest. Image Credit: Rapid Rewards Shopping

This list is by no means complete. There are tons of stores offering bonus Rapid Rewards points! Next time you need to make an online purchase, start at the Rapid Rewards shopping portal to check if the store is offering bonus points. You’ll be on your next Southwest flight in no time.

To find the best offers, click on Extra Rewards in the top menu bar.

Bottom Line: The Southwest Rapid Rewards shopping portal offers bonus points for many different online stores and subscription services.

Get the Rapid Rewards Button

If you tend to forget to start your shopping on a shopping portal, consider getting the Southwest Rapid Rewards Button. The button will allow you to see points earning rates in your search results, plus it will remind you to go through the Rapid Rewards shopping portal.

To get the button, scroll to the bottom of the Rapid Rewards Shopping website and click Get The Button.

The button is currently only available on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

Travel Partners: Hotels

Did you know that you can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points at hotels?

5. SouthwestHotels.com

SouthwestHotels.com is Southwest Airlines’ partnership site with Booking.com which allows you to book a hotel and earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points at the same time. In addition to hotels, you can book apartments, B&Bs, motels, homestays, campgrounds, and even hostels on this site. One quirk we found with this site is sometimes the bonus points you earn can increase exponentially with the number of nights you book.

Check out this listing for The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago. When you book 1 night through SouthwestHotels.com, you can earn 419 bonus points. However, if you book 3 nights, you can earn 20,000 bonus points!

Hot Tip: Base points earned from Southwest Airlines partners count toward Companion Pass qualification.

6. Rocketmiles

Rocketmiles is another website that rewards you with Southwest Rapid Rewards points when you book a hotel. You can expect to earn 1,000 to 10,000 bonus points per night. However, you won’t earn any additional hotel loyalty points.

Searching for a hotel on Rocketmiles is similar to any other OTA. Once you have your list of search results, you will be able to see the number of Rapid Rewards points you can earn with each booking to the right of the screen underneath the price.

The price shown is per night, but the point value shown is for the whole stay.

Earn Southwest points with Rocketmiles — You can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points when you book a hotel stay through Rocketmiles. Image Credit: Rocketmiles

Hot Tip: You will NOT earn hotel loyalty points from any stay booked on Rocketmiles and any elite status you have with a hotel may not be recognized.

7. Best Western Rewards

You can earn Rapid Rewards points each time you stay at Best Western. Just set your Best Western Rewards earning preference to Partner Rewards>Southwest Airlines. Then show your Rapid Rewards account number at check-in.

You can also transfer Best Western Rewards points to Rapid Rewards points.

5,000 Best Western Rewards points = 1,200 Rapid Rewards points

8. Choice Privileges

You can transfer your Choice Privileges points to Southwest.

6,000 Choice Privileges points = 1,800 Rapid Rewards points

9. Marriott Bonvoy

You can earn 600 Southwest Rapid Rewards points per stay at over 7,300 Marriott hotels across the world.

To earn points, you will need to change your earning preference to Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards instead of Marriott Bonvoy. Then, provide both numbers upon check-in.

Marriott Bonvoy points can also transfer to Southwest at the following rates:

9,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 3,000 Rapid Rewards points
30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 10,000 Rapid Rewards points
60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 20,000 Rapid Rewards points (+ 5,000 bonus points)
90,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 30,000 Rapid Rewards points
120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points = 40,000 Rapid Rewards points (+ 10,000 bonus points)

For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred, you’ll get an additional bonus of 5,000 Rapid Rewards points.

10. MGM Rewards

MGM Rewards members staying at ARIA, Bellagio, Delano Las Vegas, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, The Mirage, New York-New York, NoMad Las Vegas, Park MGM, The Signature at MGM Grand, or Vdara can earn 600 Rapid Rewards points per stay.

Both your MGM Rewards and Rapid Rewards membership numbers need to be attached to your reservation to qualify.

11. Radisson Rewards Americas

When you stay at a participating Radisson brand, including Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Park Inn by Radisson, Park Plaza, Radisson, Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson Individuals, and Radisson RED, you can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points. All you need to do is provide your Rapid Rewards number at check-in.

Radisson Rewards Americas points can be transferred to Southwest manually or automatically. To set up an automatic transfer, set the earning preference in your Radisson account to Rapid Rewards. Your points will automatically convert to Rapid Rewards points at a rate of 10,000 Radisson Rewards points to 1,000 Rapid Rewards points. Or you can redeem your points manually in the following increments:

2,000 Radisson Rewards points = 200 Rapid Rewards points
50,000 Radisson Rewards points = 5,000 Rapid Rewards points
100,000 Radisson Rewards points = 10,000 Rapid Rewards points

12. World of Hyatt

If you are a World of Hyatt member, you can earn an additional 600 Rapid Rewards points for each qualifying stay at select Hyatt hotels. Participating brands include Andaz, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt House, Hyatt Place, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva, Park Hyatt, and The Unbound Collection by Hyatt.

To qualify for Rapid Rewards points, each stay must be booked directly through Hyatt, and Rapid Rewards points need to be selected as your currency of choice.

In addition, you can transfer World of Hyatt points to Rapid Rewards points. While the transfer rate isn’t spectacular, it’s good to know your options if you need to top off your account for a redemption and don’t have any other options.

5,000 World of Hyatt points = 2,400 Southwest Rapid Rewards points
50,000 World of Hyatt points = 30,000 Rapid Rewards points (24,000 plus a 6,000-point bonus)

Hot Tip: Points transferred to Southwest Rapid Rewards from hotel partners do NOT count towards the Southwest Companion Pass.

Travel Partners: Rental Cars

Renting a car is something many of us do while on vacation. Why not earn some extra Rapid Rewards points at the same time?! You can do just that when you rent your car through Southwest and its partners.

Hot Tip: When booking a rental car through any of the below Southwest links, be sure to add your Rapid Rewards number to earn your bonus points.

13. Alamo

Earn 600 points on each Alamo car rental at participating locations worldwide by requesting Rapid Rewards points at the time of rental.

14. Avis

Earn up to 2,400 points and save up to 35% on each car rental at participating U.S. airport locations through February 28, 2023. Book via Southwest’s Avis page and use MUAA042 in the Coupon Code field and K024700 in the Avis Worldwide (AWD) field.

1- to 2-day rentals = 600 bonus points
3- to 6-day rentals = 1,200 bonus points
7+ days = 2,400 bonus points

15. Budget

Earn up to 2,400 points and save up to 30% on each car rental at participating U.S. airport locations through February 28,, 2023. Reservations must be made through Southwest to receive bonus points.

1- to 2-day rentals = 600 bonus points
3- to 7-day rentals = 1,200 bonus points
8+ days = 2,400 bonus points

16. Dollar

Earn up to 1,200 points and save up to 15% on each Dollar car rental at participating locations worldwide, by booking through Southwest and providing your Rapid Rewards number.

1- to 2-day rentals = 600 points
3+ days = 1,200 points

17. Hertz

Earn up to 2,400 points on each car rental. Book through Southwest or use Promotion Code 210374 and CDP 205418.

1- to 2-day rentals = 600 bonus points
3- to 6-day rentals = 1,200 bonus points
7+ days = 2,400 bonus points

Earn Southwest points through Hertz — You can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points when you rent a car through Hertz. Image Credit: Southwest

18. National

Earn 600 points on each National car rental at participating locations worldwide by requesting Rapid Rewards points at the time of rental.

19. Payless

Earn 1,200 Rapid Rewards points and save 10% on your next rental booked and completed by February 28, 2023. Click here to book and use promotion code A060913.

20. Thrifty

Earn up to 1,200 points on and save 10% off of base rates for each Thrifty car rental at participating locations worldwide through June 30, 2023, by booking through Southwest and providing your Rapid Rewards number.

1- to 2-day rentals = 600 points
3+ days = 1,200 points

In addition, you’ll earn 600 bonus points after 3 rentals at a U.S. airport location within a 12-month period.

Bottom Line: View the most up-to-date rental car points offers or book a rental car through Southwest.

Shopping and Dining Partners

21. Laithwaite’s Wine

Earn Rapid Rewards points with any Laithwaite’s Wine purchase:

Earn 2,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points on your introductory wine club case purchase
Earn 1,000 bonus points on each future wine club case purchase
Earn 3x points on non-club purchases

22. Harry & David

You can earn 1,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points with each Harry & David order over $29.99. Visit harryanddavid.com/rapidrewards and enter code SW44 plus your Rapid Rewards number (in the Membership ID field) to earn your bonus points.

23. Home Chef

You can earn 1,200 Rapid Reward bonus points on each of your first 5 Home Chef boxes.

24. 1-800-Flowers

You’ll earn 1,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points with each 1-800-Flowers.com order of $29.99 or more with promo code RR22.

Home and Lifestyle Partners

25. NRG

If you live in Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania you can earn Rapid Rewards points by choosing NRG Home as your electricity supplier. After being a customer for 2 months, you can earn a 10,000-point enrollment bonus. If you continue to be a customer, you can earn 2 points per dollar on the supply portion of your energy bill.

You can sign up in 2 ways:

Sign up online
Call NRG Home at 855-674-7697 and mention offer code SWA-7202-047 (have your Rapid Rewards number and a recent energy bill available)

26. Reliant

If you live in Texas, you can enroll in the Reliant Secure 24 Plan with Rapid Rewards. You will earn a 15,000-point enrollment bonus plus 500 points each month for 24 months for a total of 27,000 Rapid Rewards points over a 24-month term. Sign up online or call Reliant at 866-222-7100 and mention offer code XW1193. Have your Rapid Rewards account number available.

27. MakeItCount via Marathon Gas

Sign up for the MakeItCount program to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points at Marathon gas stations. Sign up online at makeitcount.com/rapidrewards to earn 1 Rapid Rewards point for every gallon of fuel purchased.

Specialty Partners

These bonus point opportunities take a little more time than just clicking through a shopping portal, but when points are involved, sometimes you have to get creative to earn all that you can!

28. Rewards for Opinions

Earn Rapid Rewards points just for participating in various market research surveys. This program is free to join, and you can participate as much or as little as you want. The catch is that enrollment happens during random times of the year. Southwest’s website has more info and you’ll be able to keep track of the next enrollment opportunity.

After signing up, you can earn 500 bonus points after taking your first survey.

29. e-Rewards

You can earn points by participating in the e-Rewards Opinion Panel. You will earn e-Rewards Currency for participating in market research surveys which can then be transferred into Rapid Rewards points.

$15 e-Rewards Currency = 300 Rapid Rewards Points
$25 e-Rewards Currency = 600 Rapid Rewards Points
$50 e-Rewards Currency = 1,200 Rapid Rewards Points
$100 e-Rewards Currency = 2,400 Rapid Rewards Points

This one also has limited enrollment periods. Visit Southwest’s website to keep track of the next enrollment opportunity.

30. EA+ Emergency Assistance Plus

Each active EA+ member can earn 1,200 bonus Rapid Rewards points for the first full year of membership, and an additional 1,200 points for each year of membership.

31. Southwest Vacations Packages

Southwest Vacations offers package deals including flight, hotel, car rental, and activities. With Southwest Vacations, you’ll earn points on the hotel, car, and activity portion of your package, in addition to the flights.

You’ll be able to see how many points your vacation package earns on the review page before you enter payment information. Since packages are priced per person, each person will earn bonus points.

Earn points with Southwest Vacations — You can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points on vacation packages. Image Credit: Southwest Vacations

32. Buying Southwest Rapid Rewards Points

While certainly not a primary tactic to accrue points, there’s always the opportunity to flat-out buy Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

To help you decide when to buy points and how to do it we’ve created a guide on buying Southwest Rapid Rewards points to help you out.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are tons of ways to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points without flying a single mile! Don’t forget you can also earn points the old-fashioned (but still fun) way — taking a Southwest flight.

Some of these earning methods take a little bit of effort and planning, but if Southwest Rapid Rewards points are what you’re after — it can be worth it!

Featured Image Credit: Eliyahu Yosef Parypa via Shutterstock

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I earn Southwest points without flying?

To earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points without flying, try one of these ways: get a Southwest credit card, get a Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card, transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy points to Southwest, stay in a hotel, rent a car, do some online shopping, go out to eat, order wine, send someone flowers, or participate in a market research survey.

Can I transfer points to Southwest from another program?

Yes, you can transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, Choice Privileges, Best Western Rewards, and Radisson Rewards to Southwest.

How can I earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points with a credit card?

You can earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points through the Southwest Plus card, Southwest Premier card, or the Southwest Priority card. Or sign up for a Chase card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or a Marriott Bonvoy-branded card. The points you earn with this card can be transferred to Southwest.

Do Southwest Rapid Rewards points expire?

No, Southwest Rapid Reward points don’t expire.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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