There are many ways to earn Rapid Rewards points. Our earn 100k+ Southwest points in 90 days shows how fast you can do it!
Flying Southwest
You earn Rapid Rewards points for Southwest flights based on your fare type and price:
- Business Select – 12 points per dollar (excludes taxes and fees)
- Anytime – 10 points per dollar (excludes taxes and fees)
- Wanna Get Away – 6 points per dollar (excludes taxes and fees)
Travelers with A-List status earn additional bonus points:
- A-List — 25% bonus Rapid Rewards points
- A-List Preferred— 100% bonus Rapid Rewards points
Flying Partner Airlines
Southwest does not have partner airlines.
Earn Points With Rental Car Partners
Earn 600 points per rental when you book a car through Southwest’s rental car partners.
These are especially useful for rentals with agencies where many other airlines offer few or no miles: Alamo, Budget, Dollar, Thrifty, and Payless. You can also earn points with Avis, Hertz, and National.
Even better, check out special offers for rental cars. Current offers for Rapid Rewards members include 1,200-2,400 bonus points plus up to 35% off rentals through January 2018!
Earn Points With Other Partners
Rapid Rewards has many additional partners. See Best Ways to Earn Lots of Southwest Rapid Rewards Points for our picks.
Earn Points With Credit Card Partners
Southwest offers 3 credit cards through its bank partner Chase:
- The Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card earns 2x on Southwest purchases and Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases, plus a 3,000-point bonus every card anniversary
- The Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card earns 2x on Southwest purchases and Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases, plus a 6,000-point bonus every card anniversary
- The Chase Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Card earns 2x on Southwest purchases, plus a 6,000-point bonus every card anniversary
Chase credit cards with Ultimate Rewards earn points quickly in bonus categories, which can be seen in the table below.
You need at least 1 premium travel rewards card (“*” in below table) to transfer to Southwest. As long as you have 1 eligible transfer card, you can consolidate all your Ultimate Rewards points to that card.
Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 rate.
Category | Applicable Credit Cards | Bonus miles |
Office Supply Stores | Chase Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card | 5x |
Cell Phones/Landlines | Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card* | 3x |
| Chase Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card | 5x |
Internet/Cable | Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card* | 3x |
| Chase Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card | 5x |
Shipping Purchases | Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card* | 3x |
Select Advertising | Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card* | 3x |
Gas Stations | Chase Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card | 2x |
| Chase Freedom® | 5x (during quarterly bonus) |
Restaurants | Chase Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card | 2x |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card* | 2x |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve℠ Card* | 3x |
| Chase Freedom® | 5x (during quarterly bonus) |
Hotels | Chase Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card | 2x |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card* | 2x |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve℠ Card* | 3x |
| Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card* | 3x |
All Travel | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card* | 2x |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve℠ Card* | 3x |
| Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card* | 3x |
Quarterly Bonus Category | Chase Freedom® | 5x |
All Purchases | Chase Freedom Unlimited℠ | 1.5x |
All Other Purchases | All cards except the Chase Freedom Unlimited℠ | 1x |
Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal

Southwest’s shopping portal allows you to earn points for shopping online. Once registered, check your email for regular promotions to earn extra bonus miles.
See our guide on How to Maximize the Southwest Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal.
The Southwest Rapid Rewards Dining Program

Southwest’s Dining Program earns 3 points per dollar when dining at restaurants in the network. (If you decline to receive email notifications you only earn 1 point per $2.)
Sign-up bonuses range from 300 to 2,000 points and change from time to time. Bonuses typically require at least 1 qualifying dine within 30 days of registration, so plan ahead prior to joining.
Rapid Rewards Dining is provided by Rewards Network, which also manages the other major airline dining programs. You can be in multiple programs, though each credit card can only be registered in 1 program at a time.
See our guide on How to Maximize the Rapid Rewards Dining Program.