10 Unique Ways To Use Southwest Points (That Don't Involve Flying!)

Southwest is a favorite airline among many travelers because of its customer-friendly policies like free checked baggage, no change fees, and the Southwest Companion Pass. Its loyalty program, Southwest Rapid Rewards, is easy to use as well, making it a great airline for award travel.

Of course, we all know you can use Rapid Rewards points to purchase Southwest flights, but did you know that you can use your Southwest points for gift cards, merchandise, experiences, hotels, and more?

In this post we will show you all the unique ways you can use your Southwest Rapid Rewards points, and whether or not these options are a good use of your points.

Table of contents

Finding the Southwest Airlines More Rewards Portal
Southwest More Rewards — Merchandise
Southwest More Rewards — Gift Cards
- Is This a Good Deal?
Southwest More Rewards — Flights
- Is This a Good Deal?
Southwest More Rewards — Hotels
Southwest More Rewards — Car Rentals
Southwest More Rewards — Cruises
Southwest More Rewards — TSA PreCheck
Southwest More Rewards — Events
Southwest More Rewards — Experiences
Southwest More Rewards — Universal Orlando Tickets
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

Finding the Southwest Airlines More Rewards Portal
1. Southwest More Rewards — Merchandise
2. Southwest More Rewards — Gift Cards
- Is This a Good Deal?
3. Southwest More Rewards — Flights
- Is This a Good Deal?
4. Southwest More Rewards — Hotels
5. Southwest More Rewards — Car Rentals
6. Southwest More Rewards — Cruises
7. Southwest More Rewards — TSA PreCheck
8. Southwest More Rewards — Events
8. Southwest More Rewards — Experiences
10. Southwest More Rewards — Universal Orlando Tickets
Final Thoughts

Finding the Southwest Airlines More Rewards Portal

You can use your Southwest Rapid Rewards points for things other than Southwest flights by visiting the Southwest More Rewards portal. To find all these options on southwest.com, you’ll need to navigate to the More Rewards portal. Here’s a quick step-by-step to get you there.

Visit southwest.com and click on Rapid Rewards in the upper right corner and then click on Redeem Points for Gift Cards & More.
Go to your Rapid Rewards account to redeem your points for gift cards and merchandise. Image Credit: Southwest
Next, you’ll enter the More Rewards portal by clicking Shop exclusive offers if you are a Rapid Rewards credit cardholder or Shop rewards if you do not have a Rapid Rewards credit card. From here you will be able to see all the things you can purchase with your Rapid Rewards points.
Southwest credit cardholders have access to exclusive offers. Image Credit: Southwest

1. Southwest More Rewards — Merchandise

To shop for merchandise using your Southwest Rapid Rewards points, go to the More Rewards portal and select Shop All on the top menu bar.

Southwest More Rewards - Shop All — You can use your Rapid Rewards points to shop for merchandise. Image Credit: Southwest

From here you will be able to see all the items you can purchase using Rapid Rewards points. The main shopping categories are:

Electronics
Fashion, Health, & Beauty
Giving
Home, Garden, & Tools
Kids and Baby
Sporting

Each category has different subcategories. Click on one to see all of the items available.

This brings up a typical shopping page; you’ll see all the items available are listed in the main section with filtering options to the left of the screen. The only difference is that the prices are listed in Rapid Rewards points instead of dollars!

To purchase an item, click on the item then click the yellow Add to Shopping Bag button. You may be prompted to log in to your Rapid Rewards account if you aren’t already logged in.

Shopping for merchandise with Rapid Rewards points — You can use Rapid Rewards points to buy lots of different items. Image Credit: Southwest

Once you’re ready to check out, you’ll see the price for your item listed in Rapid Rewards points. As you move through the checkout process, you’ll see a slide bar that lets you pay for just part of your order in points. You’ll be able to pay for up to 25% of your item with a credit card.

Southwest More Rewards partial payment option — You can pay for up to 25% of your order with a credit card instead of points. Image Credit: Southwest

Click the yellow Submit Order button to complete your order. Orders can not be canceled once placed, so be sure everything is correct before you submit your order!

Shop by Phone

If you prefer not to order online, you can also order over the phone. Call Southwest on 800-833-4861 Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST to place an order.

Product Returns

If you are unhappy with an item purchased through the More Rewards portal, you can return it within 30 days of the ship date.

To return an item, you must call Customer Service at 800-833-4861 for a Return Authorization (RA) number. This number must be included in your return. You’re responsible for return shipping charges and will be charged a 15% restocking fee. Gift cards can not be returned.

If you receive a damaged item, contact Customer Service at 800-833-4861 within 24 hours of receipt.

Is This a Good Deal?

The value you will get for your Rapid Rewards points when shopping through the More Rewards portal varies. We searched lots of products, and the value varied anywhere between 0.2 to 0.7 cents per point. When you consider the fact that you will get 1.3 to 1.4 cents per point in value when using your points to purchase a Southwest flight, you see that these are not great deals.

Bottom Line: You can shop for merchandise using Rapid Rewards points online or by calling 800-833-4861. However, the value isn’t great — you will only get between 0.2 to 0.7 cents per point.

2. Southwest More Rewards — Gift Cards

Gift cards are another item you can purchase through the More Rewards portal using your Rapid Rewards points. Go to the More Rewards portal and select Gift Cards on the top menu bar.

Southwest Rapid Rewards shopping for gift cards — You can use Southwest points to buy gift cards, although it’s not a good deal at all. Image Credit: Southwest

You can search for specific stores or categories using the filtering options at the left, or just scroll through the available cards in the main section of your screen. The price for each gift card will be listed in points instead of dollars. Click on the card you would like to purchase to see details and finalize your transaction.

The price you’ll see will be lower for Rapid Rewards credit cardholders than it will for Rapid Rewards members.

Gift Card Amount	Price for Rapid Rewards Credit CardHolders	Price for Rapid Rewards Members
$100 Gift Card	15,000 points	18,800 points
$50 Gift Card	7,500 points	9,400 points
$25 Gift Card	4,500 points	5,625 points
$15 Gift Card	3,500 points	4,375 points
$10 Gift Card	3,000 points	3,750 points

Hot Tip: You only need to be a Rapid Rewards member to shop using points in the More Rewards portal, however, prices for gift cards are lower for anyone who holds a Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card.

Is This a Good Deal?

When using Rapid Rewards points to purchase airline tickets, you will get about 1.3 to 1.4 cents per point in value.

When you use Rapid Rewards points to purchase a gift card, you’ll get between 0.26 to 0.66 cents per point. Even at the top end of that range, it’s less than half the value you would get using your points to purchase a flight!

Generally, using your points to purchase gift cards is not a good deal. There could be a few occasions when it might make sense, but these times will be few and far between.

Bottom Line: When using Southwest Rapid Rewards points to purchase gift cards, you’ll only get ~0.26 to 0.66 cents per point in value — much less than the 1.3 to 1.4 cents these points are typically worth.

3. Southwest More Rewards — Flights

Hot Tip: The feature that allows you to use Rapid Rewards points for non-Southwest international flights has been temporarily suspended.

Your Rapid Rewards points can be used to purchase non-Southwest international flights through the More Rewards portal. Go to the More Rewards portal and select Travel on the top menu bar, then Airfare from the drop-down menu.

Southwest More Rewards Travel — You can use Southwest points to book non-Southwest international flights. Image Credit: Southwest

Input your search criteria including departure city, arrival city, dates, times, and the number of passengers. Then click the yellow Search button in the bottom right corner.

This search results page should look pretty familiar — the search results are in the middle with filtering options to the left. The main difference you may notice is that the price is listed in Southwest Rapid Rewards points instead of dollars.

Southwest More Rewards Flights — You’ll see the flight’s price listed in points instead of dollars. Image Credit: Southwest

If you don’t have enough points in your account to cover the cost, you will need to earn or buy more.

Is This a Good Deal?

When purchasing non-Southwest International airfare with Southwest points, you’ll get a value of 0.79 cents per point if you don’t have a Southwest credit card and 0.98 cents per point if you do have a Southwest credit card. That’s significantly less than the 1.3 to 1.4 cents that Southwest points are worth, but it’s a much better value than using your Southwest points for merchandise or gift cards.

Bottom Line: When booking a flight through the More Rewards portal, you’ll get 0.79 to 0.98 cents per point in value. This is less than what you get when booking a Southwest flight with your points, but better than other options through the More Rewards portal.

4. Southwest More Rewards — Hotels

To search for hotels, go to the More Rewards portal and select Travel on the top menu bar, then select Hotel Stay from the drop-down menu.

Then enter your basic search criteria including destination, travel dates, number of rooms, and number of guests. Click the yellow Search button to continue.

Just as with flights, the price is listed in Southwest Rapid Rewards points instead of dollars. This price is for your entire stay, not just 1 night. If you don’t have enough points in your account to cover the cost, you will see a Payment Guidelines button that directs you to purchase more points.

Booking a hotel through Southwest More Rewards — The price you see in points is for your entire stay, not for just 1 night. Image Credit: Southwest

If you have enough points in your Rapid Rewards account (and are logged in) you will see a yellow Select button. Click this to enter your info and complete the transaction.

Trying to find a hotel through Southwest More Rewards has some problems. First, be careful what you are choosing — hostels were listed right along with hotels. Also, many of the hotels listed were not actually available to book, but you don’t know until you click on the selection.

In all of our searches for hotels booked through the Southwest More Rewards portal, we got a point value of 0.6 to 0.7. That’s about half the value you get when you book a flight with your Southwest Rapid Rewards points. Plus, if you need to cancel or change a hotel reservation booked through Southwest, you’ll be on the hook for a $35 fee.

Bottom Line: When you book a hotel through Southwest using points, you’ll get ~0.6 to 0.7 cents per point in value, which is about half of what Southwest points are worth. While it’s always good to have different ways to use points, you won’t get as much value when you use them this way.

5. Southwest More Rewards — Car Rentals

To search for a rental car, go to the More Rewards portal and select Travel on the top menu bar, then select Rental Car from the drop-down menu.

Input your search criteria including pick-up and drop-off location, times, dates, and the driver’s age. To include some more specific search criteria click on Advanced Search — you can specify car type, type of transmission, and whether or not the car will have air conditioning.

Click the yellow Search button to continue.

Southwest More Rewards Car Rental — You can use Rapid Rewards points to book a rental car. Image Credit: Southwest

The main search results will be displayed in the middle of the page with filtering options to the left. The price will be shown in Rapid Rewards points. Click on See Details for more information, price breakdown, and any additional fees that might apply.

Southwest More Rewards rental car — You can book a rental car using Rapid Rewards points. Image Credit: Southwest

Bottom Line: Just as with flights, the value you get renting a car with your Rapid Rewards points isn’t great — you will get 0.5 to 0.6 cents per point.

6. Southwest More Rewards — Cruises

After selecting Travel on the More Rewards main menu, you can select Cruises from the drop-down menu. Then you will be prompted to call a Cruise Agent at 888-658-4826 to use your points.

Prices aren’t listed on the website so you’ll need to call to see if this is a good deal.

Hot Tip: Interested in a cruise? Check out these websites for great cruise deals.

7. Southwest More Rewards — TSA PreCheck

You may be surprised to know that you can purchase TSA PreCheck using Southwest Rapid Rewards points. You’ll find it in the More Rewards portal by clicking Travel and then Travel Essentials.

Purchase TSA PreCheck with Southwest points — You can purchase TSA PreCheck with Rapid Rewards points. Image Credit: Southwest

TSA PreCheck usually costs $78 for 5 years. In the More Rewards portal, it costs 13,500 Rapid Rewards points if you’re a Rapid Rewards credit cardholder or 16,920 points if you aren’t. That will give you 0.5 to 0.6 cents in value, just under half of what points are worth when you use them for flights. However, if TSA PreCheck is something you want and you have no plans to use your Southwest points in other ways, it could be a decent option in some circumstances.

Before you use Southwest points to purchase TSA PreCheck, check your credit cards. Many credit cards come with complimentary Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. There’s even a Southwest credit card that includes this perk — the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card.

Keep in mind that TSA PreCheck is included with Global Entry, so if you’ve got a card that covers a Global Entry application fee, it’s usually better to do that since it also includes TSA PreCheck.

Bottom Line: You can purchase TSA PreCheck using 13,500 to 16,920 Southwest Rapid Rewards points. Before you use your points this way, check your credit cards to see if you have one that comes with a TSA PreCheck application fee credit.

8. Southwest More Rewards — Events

If you’re a Rapid Rewards credit cardholder, you can book special events, like concerts, using your Southwest points. Just go to the More Rewards portal and click on Get More, then Access Events.

Book special events with Southwest points — Southwest credit cardholders can book special events with Rapid Rewards points. Image Credit: Southwest

Tickets are limited but if you can snag tickets to an event you really want to go to, this could be a great way to use your Rapid Rewards points.

8. Southwest More Rewards — Experiences

If you’re interested in unique ways to use your Southwest points, check out the More Rewards portal and click on Shop All, then Experiences.

Here you’ll find unique experiences you can book with points, including things like a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade experience or a travel package including tickets to “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.”

Southwest More Rewards experiences — You can use Southwest points to book unique experiences. Image Credit: Southwest

10. Southwest More Rewards — Universal Orlando Tickets

You can purchase 1-Day tickets to Universal Orlando using Rapid Rewards points. You can find these in the More Rewards portal by clicking on Travel, then Seasonal.

Use Southwest points to buy Universal Orlando tickets — You can use Southwest points to buy Universal Orlando tickets. Image Credit: Southwest

According to Universal’s website, the cost for an adult ticket ranges from $164 to $217 and a child ticket ranges from $159 to $209.

That means you’ll get anywhere from 0.3 to 0.6 cents per point in value when you use Rapid Rewards points, which isn’t great.

Universal Ticket Type	Cost for Rapid Rewards Credit Cardholders	Cost for Rapid Rewards Members
Universal Orlando Resort 1-Day Park to Park Anytime Access Adult Pass	36,000 points	45,120 points
Universal Orlando Resort 1-Day Park to Park Anytime Access Child Pass	35,250 points	44,180 points

Final Thoughts

Southwest offers different ways to use your Rapid Rewards points through the More Rewards shopping portal. While the value you will get from your points through this portal is pretty bleak — about 0.4 to 0.7 cents per point on average — it’s always good to have lots of options when it comes to using your points.

If you find yourself with a stack of Rapid Rewards points and no Southwest travel on the horizon, it’s good to know you can exchange your points for something of value, even if it’s not as good of a deal as using them for Southwest flights.

Featured Image Credit: comzeal via Adobe Stock

Frequently asked questions

What is Southwest More Rewards?

Southwest More Rewards is a shopping portal in which you can use Rapid Rewards points to purchase merchandise, gift cards, flights, hotel rooms, rental cars, and more. Access the More Rewards portal by visiting southwest.com and selecting Rapid Rewards, then Redeem Points For Gift Cards & More.

How much are my points worth through the Southwest More Rewards portal?

Your point value will vary depending on what you are purchasing in the More Rewards portal and whether or not you’re a Rapid Rewards credit cardholder. You can expect to get between 0.4 to 0.7 cents per point in value on average.

Is Southwest More Rewards a good deal?

If you are looking to maximize the value of your Rapid Rewards points, then no, the More Rewards portal isn’t a great deal. If you have extra Rapid Rewards points and you have no plans to fly, then the options in the More Rewards portal could be a good alternative.

How do you redeem Southwest points for gift cards?

You can redeem your Southwest points for gift cards through the More Rewards portal. Just go to southwest.com and click on Rapid Rewards, then Redeem Points for Gift Cards & More.

How do you redeem Southwest points for hotels?

You can redeem your Southwest points for hotels through the More Rewards portal. Just go to southwest.com and click on Rapid Rewards, then Redeem Points for Gift Cards & More.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie fell in love with travel during a semester abroad in college spent in Nottingham, England. During that time, she got to see Scotland, Ireland, London, and Amsterdam and knew she wanted to see more of the world. Fast forward to 2015 when Katie discovered the world of points and miles. She jumped in full force and hasn’t looked back. After starting her own blog, Zen Life and Travel, in 2016, she began freelance writing in 2017. In addition to being a contributor to Upgraded Points since 2018, she also writes for Forbes Advisor and has previously written for Million Mile Secrets.

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

23 comments

Megan October 15, 2018

Sending this to my uncle ASAP, since he has so many points to use.

Reply
Sarah Rahall February 5, 2021

It looks like Southwest doesn’t have this option available anymore? You can only redeem points for air travel, unless I missed something?

Reply
- Jarrod West February 8, 2021
  
  Hi Sarah,
  
  If you head to this page on the Southwest website, and click “Explore Rewards”, you’ll see all of the other options you have when it comes to point redemptions.
  
  Reply
  - Ashley Ryan October 18, 2022
    
    FYI: The “Book a Stay” feature that allows using points for hotel stays is down for “maintenance”, but it has been down for over a week. You can call 800-833-4861 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.to book via phone (I emailed them about it).
    
    Reply
Y February 9, 2021

Southwest discontinued the more rewards options due to “COVID”.

“Due to circumstances resulting from COVID-19, we have temporarily paused the ability to redeem points in More Rewards. We are sorry for the inconvenience and hope to resume normal operations soon. Thank you for your patience and grace during this time.”

I will never fly with Southwest again. This is not the way to treat loyal customers when many of us aren’t able to fly and they limit other options to redeem miles.

Reply
- Jarrod West February 9, 2021
  
  Hi Y,
  
  If you head to this page on the Southwest website, click Explore Rewards, and sign-in to your account it appears that you can still access all of the more rewards options.
  
  Reply
  - John March 22, 2021
    
    Doesn’t work.
    
    Reply
    - Jarrod West March 22, 2021
      
      Hi John,
      
      The website appears to be working just fine on my end. Try copying this link directly into your search bar: https://www.southwest.com/rapidrewards/redeem-more-rewards
      
      Reply
      - Chris March 30, 2021
        
        Wrong, you get the stupid Covid message. Shameful business practice by Southwest. Points earned prior to Covid should not be subject to this new restriction.
      - Jarrod West March 31, 2021
        
        Hi Chris,
        
        It does not appear to be wrong on my end. I was just able to log in to the More Rewards portal and can access options to redeem my Southwest points for events, tech items, golf supplies, etc. I’m not sure why you or the previous commenter are experiencing errors with logging in, but I would contact Southwest directly to see how you might be able to get that resolved.
Akhil March 31, 2021

Is it really worth getting a southwest credit card? I am not a frequent flyer but I just want to know whether I should apply or not?

Reply
- Jarrod West April 1, 2021
  
  Hi Akhil,
  
  On the times that you do fly, do you usually fly with Southwest?
  
  Reply
Jane Doe April 12, 2021

This only works if you have the Chase Rapid Rewards credit card. It doesn’t work for the regular rapid rewards account holders.

Reply
Blair September 2, 2021

Holy cow! This is amazing, thanks so much! I was just sitting with my miles doing nothing.. (not traveling anytime soon with Covid) and I see $100 Bath and Body Works gift cards! I no longer have to buy presents for Christmas! I’m just buying gift cards! Thank you so, so much! I’m so happy! You helped me a lot with your knowledge!

Reply
G November 7, 2021

This doesnt work anymore. I want to use my points for a hotel stay and I don’t see this option anymore. Southwest wants me to use my card to buy the room but I want to use the POINTS to redeem a hotel stay and this cant be done, I’m so angry! I don’t want to buy stupid sunglasses and gift cards? What a waste.

Reply
shannon moody December 14, 2021

Can I use my points on Amazon?

Reply
- Jarrod West December 14, 2021
  
  Hi Shannon,
  
  Unfortunately, Southwest has discontinued the ability to use your points through Amazon.
  
  Reply
Mike Sayre August 16, 2022

Can I use my points to fly my granddaughter (age 21) round trip to visit us?

Reply
- Jarrod West August 16, 2022
  
  Hi Mike,
  
  Yes, you can use your points to book a ticket for whomever you’d like.
  
  Reply
Clara September 23, 2022

Was the option to use points for international airline carriers discontinued?

Reply
- Katie Seemann September 26, 2022
  
  Hi Clara,
  That’s a really good question. The option to use points to book non-Southwest international flights was alive and well a few weeks ago when I updated this post, but I am not seeing it now. This could be a glitch so I would check back in a few days. I’ll try to get clarification to see if it was actually discontinued or not.
  
  Reply
Tarah Callis October 24, 2022

The Travel option is not available as of 10/24/22.

Reply
- Katie Seemann October 25, 2022
  
  Hi Tarah,
  Correct. The travel part of the site has been temporarily suspended.
  
  Reply

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Finding the Southwest Airlines More Rewards Portal