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 an...
Edited by: Keri Stooksbury
With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...
33 comments
Chris
July 17, 2018
A word of caution: I have been renting cars through Southwest regularly (20X per year) for 4 years. I used to love the Alamo promos but last year the points stopped posting automatically (you have to email them), so I switched to Dollar. No issues with points posting, usually within 48 hours.
JW
May 24, 2019
Do I understand correctly that you can only get Chase Sapphire Reserve 3x travel points on rental cars if you book directly with the rental car companies? So, if I booked a car through SW, even with a CSR card, that rental would not qualify for 3x bonus points, correct?
Stephen Au
May 24, 2019
Hey JW,
Yes, you must pay with your Chase Sapphire Reserve to get 3x travel points. Thanks for reading.
Nick Kostik
August 25, 2019
Read the fine print on SW vendor terms when you have selected a vehicle. Budget’s terms: Additional Fees: A frequent flyer surcharge of up to $1.00 per day applies to all rentals earning frequent flyer miles, points or credits.
Jonathan Lloyd
September 12, 2019
You state to go through SouthWest’s web page yet on the Budget section you state it must be done through the link. Which is it?
Katie Seemann
September 12, 2019
Hi Jonathan,
The link in the Budget section of the post just takes you to the correct page on the Southwest website. Thanks for reading!
Kendra Parris
September 21, 2019
You state in this article that you can’t redeem Rapid Reward points for car rentals. This is wrong. You most certainly can redeem them for cars. Maybe this is a new thing, but the article should be updated.
Katie Seemann
September 23, 2019
Hi Kendra,
Can you specify which article you are referring to? This post doesn’t say anything about using Rapid Rewards points for car rentals. Please let us know so we can make sure everything is up to date. Thanks!
Ashley
October 20, 2019
I see the same thing located under the FAQ section, as stated:
“Can I use Rapid Rewards points to pay for my car rental?
No, you can’t pay for your rental car using Southwest Rapid Rewards points.”
Stephen Au
October 21, 2019
Hi Ashley,
Yes, you can’t use Rapid Rewards points to pay for car rentals, per Southwest’s terms and conditions.
Concerned Citizen
November 06, 2019
You can though.
It costs 13k to 25k (depending on the car rental company) for a full size car, for example.
Maybe you need to have the Southwest Credit Card, but you can use the points to book.
Log-in to your account. On the upper right click Rapid Rewards -> Redeem points for Car Rental.
Katie Seemann
November 11, 2019
Hi,
The post has been updated to reflect this change. Thanks for noticing!
Kelly
September 29, 2020
Where can you redeem points for cars? I spent a good amount of time trying to figure this out. Can someone help me out?
Katie Seemann
September 30, 2020
Hi Kelly,
You can use Southwest points for car rentals by going to Southwest More Rewards and clicking on Explore Rewards. You’ll then be able to see the rental car options. Hope that helps!
KAREN B
November 10, 2019
Can I earn Rapid rewards points for a car rental in Aruba? What is the point conversion? Will i receive the additional 600 points with certain car rental agencies? Most indicate it is US locations. thanks Karen
Katie Seemann
November 11, 2019
Hi Karen.
Whether or not you’ll earn Rapid Rewards points on a car rental in Aruba and whether you’ll earn the 600 points is based on which car rental agency you use, so you’ll need to refer to the terms for your specific rental agency.
TY
December 21, 2019
Katie,
How soon do the Southwest rapid rewards get posted to my account after a car rental. I am currently 500 points short for my companion pass ( I have 109,550 points). Since it’s already December 21, I was planning to rent a car through one of the Southwest partners. The first comment above from Chris suggested that with Dollar points are posted with 48 hours to the Southwest account. Is this correct or do I have to fly before 12/31. Thank you for your response. TY
TY
December 21, 2019
Any other suggestions for earning 500 rapid rewards points that will post by 12/31/19.
Thanks
Jarrod West
December 23, 2019
Hi TY,
Check out our post on the best ways to earn Southwest Rapid Reward points! There are plenty of great options there to earn 500 points.
Jarrod West
December 23, 2019
Hi TY,
You’re correct that other data points have shown people receiving the points within 48 hours of booking the rental car. However, you may want to contact Southwest to verify this, as it may not be guaranteed.
Thanks for reading!
Jennifer
March 04, 2021
How does a car rental booked through Southwest post on your credit card statement? Does it post as a Southwest charge, the rental car company charge, or something else?
Jarrod West
March 08, 2021
Hi Jennifer,
It should post as a rental company charge.
Angie
September 18, 2021
Can you use Rapid Rewards points to book and pay for car rental in the United Kingdom using the Southwest partner agencies?
Jarrod West
September 22, 2021
Hi Angie,
Southwest allows you to earn its points when renting a car, but they do not appear to allow you to redeem your points towards a rental car.
Nikki Carter
January 03, 2022
Heads up – per Southwest, car rentals DO NOT count towards A-List status. I just fought with them for 3 days about this.
Jarrod West
January 03, 2022
Hi Nikki,
Thanks for pointing that out! I’ve corrected the post.
Tanya
August 28, 2022
Can I use my Southwest credit card to pay for a rental car? Or do I need another form of payment once I get there?
Katie Seemann
August 29, 2022
Hi Tanya,
Yes, you can use your Southwest credit card to pay for a rental car.
Stacey Sutherland
January 04, 2023
Can I use my southwest rapid rewards credit card for rental car at the airport if I did not book one when booking my flight?
Also If I reserved a car with one of southwest partners through my government discount program can I still pay for it and gain points with my RR CC?
Jarrod West
January 11, 2023
Hi Stacey,
Yes, you can pay for your rental car with whatever credit card you’d like.
Nicole
January 13, 2023
I have a Chase Southwest Credit Card, but I am having trouble renting a car with my rapid rewards points. I have done this in the past, but something seems to have changed.
Diane G
July 21, 2023
I am looking to use Southwest Reward points to rent a car. It says that additional car rental fees may apply, fees not included in the rate and must be paid at the counter. Any idea what those fees relate to and how much there are per day.
Christine Krzyszton
August 25, 2023
Hi Diane. The additional fees that first come to mind that aren’t included in the base rate would be additional driver fees, refueling or prepaid fuel fees, additional insurance, navigation system rental, road toll pass, etc. The amount will vary depending on the rental company, type of car chosen, and optional coverage/services selected.
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