Southwest is running a promotion to buy points with up to a 45% discount on points purchases through June 20, 2022. Loyalty members who buy at least 3,000 points will score Rapid Rewards points for just 1.51¢ per point. While this seems like a good deal at first glance, it may be worth thinking twice before pulling out your wallet.
Full Answer
Is purchasing southwest points worth it ever?
Purchasing Southwest Rapid Rewards is often not the best idea because you’re purchasing points at a price that’s twice as high as the amount of value you might be getting from them. However, if you need to top-off your points or if you’re able to jump on a good promo, it might not be the worst idea ever.
How much does it cost to buy southwest points?
The price of Southwest points depends on how many points you’re purchasing as well as whether or not there are any current promotions. Normally, buying between 2,000 and 4,000 points will cost 3 cents a point. Purchases of 5,000 – 60,000 points cost 2.75 cents each.
Should I buy southwest points?
You’ll earn 6 Rapid Rewards points per $1 spent on airfare, rather than the 10 or 12 Rapid Rewards points you can earn on other Southwest fares. However, the earning potential of just four or six extra points per dollar is pretty nominal, so we wouldn't recommend choosing a higher fare to earn more points.
Where to buy southwest points?
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. ...
- Earn 2X points on dining including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel. ...
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. ...
Is it worth it to purchase Southwest points?
Generally, no. Southwest points are worth about 1.5-1.7 cents per point, but they sell for 2.75-3 cents per point. However, there are some instances when it might make sense to purchase points. For example, if you need to quickly top off your account for a specific redemption, buying points can be a good idea.
How much does it cost to buy 5000 Southwest points?
2.75 cents eachHow much do Southwest points cost? The price of Southwest points depends on how many points you're purchasing as well as whether or not there are any current promotions. Normally, buying between 2,000 and 4,000 points will cost 3 cents a point. Purchases of 5,000 – 60,000 points cost 2.75 cents each.
How much is 50000 Southwest points worth?
about $700How much are 50,000 Southwest points worth? According to NerdWallet's analysis, 50,000 Southwest points are worth about $700.
How do I earn 40000 Southwest points?
Southwest Priority card recent changes40,000 points after you spend $1,000 in first 3 months.Earn 3 points per dollar on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services, for the first year.
How much is $15000 Southwest points worth?
70% bonusBuy pointsDiscount/bonusPrice per pointBuy 15,000 — 60,000 points70% bonus1.62 centsOct 8, 2020
Can you buy Southwest points to get a list?
From time to time, Southwest may offer a special promotion to purchase 'tier qualifying points' which count toward A-List status but are not redeemable. On the other hand, purchased 'points' do not count toward A-List, A-List Preferred, or Companion Pass but they are redeemable.
What is the fastest way to earn Southwest points?
Southwest credit cards Using a co-branded credit card is one of the fastest ways to earn Rapid Rewards points quickly, since the cards often have generous welcome offers. Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Can I cash out my Southwest points?
Rapid Rewards is Southwest's frequent flyer program, which can be used not only for flights, but also for Southwest cruises, Southwest car rental services, and Southwest rewards shopping mall. Not only that, but you can sell Southwest miles or rewards for cash.
Do southwest rewards expire?
No, your Rapid Rewards points do not expire. However, if you choose to close your account, the points in your account will be terminated. When do the points I earn after each qualifying activity post to my account? It takes up to 72 hours after completion of your flight for points to post to your account.
What does 65000 points get you Southwest?
TPG valuations peg Southwest points value at 1.5 cents each, making this 65,000-point bonus worth $975. These points also count toward the 125,000 points you need to earn the Southwest Companion Pass, hands-down one of the best deals in travel.
What is the highest bonus for Southwest credit card?
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card For example, new cardholders who spend $5,000 within 3 months of opening an account get a bonus of 75,000 points. The Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card is the most expensive Southwest credit card for personal use, charging an annual fee of $149.
How much money is 125000 Southwest points?
Earning 125,000 points should get you around $1875 in Southwest Airlines travel (which can be doubled via Companion Pass), and 9000 more points should get you $135 in travel on and ongoing basis. That's most of the annual fee right there as well.
How many points do you need to buy Southwest?
That's not much, but it narrows the advantage. Also, you need to buy Southwest points in increments of 1,000 points. That makes it hard to buy just the right amount of points for a flight.
How many points does Southwest give per dollar?
This means that the award price is directly tied to the revenue price. After a recent Southwest devaluation, Southwest now charges between 81-83 points per dollar of base fare.
How long does it take to get Rapid Rewards points?
Purchased points may take up to 72 hours to post in the applicable Rapid Rewards Account. Transactions are non-refundable. The 65% bonus will get you a 39,000 bonus on the maximum purchase of 60,000 points.
Do you have to pay for PFC points?
When redeeming points for a flight , you don't have to pay the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) that's collected by the airline and remitted to airports. On really cheap flights, the PFC can be a significant amount of the cash price. And, on connecting itineraries, you have to pay the PFC to multiple airports.
Does Southwest use points?
Like many other loyalty programs, Southwest uses Points.com (a third party) to process point purchases. This means that although the purchase occurs on Southwest's website, it won't qualify for any travel category bonus offered by some credit cards.
Can you buy points and miles on AwardWallet?
At AwardWallet, we don't generally recommend buying points and miles speculatively. Most loyalty programs sell points at a price point that makes it difficult to receive outsized value, so you're often better off holding onto your cash. However, there are at least a few exceptions.
Buy Rapid Rewards points and more
At Southwest ®, we give you the power to control your balance. If your balance needs a little love, you can buy points any time. But it doesn’t stop there. You can gift points or transfer your points to others, or donate them to charity—talk about making someone’s day!
Claim points from a business or merchant
If you’re not a Member, enroll now and come back to claim your points.
Southwest Rapid Rewards selling points with a discount
Through Tuesday, February 15, 2022, Southwest is offering a bonus of up to 75% when you purchase Rapid Rewards points. The discount is tiered, as follows:
How much are Southwest points worth?
Southwest Rapid Rewards is a revenue based frequent flyer program, and the number of points required for a flight is directly correlated to the revenue cost of a flight. Back in April 2021, Southwest devalued Rapid Rewards points, and now you need to redeem roughly 83 Rapid Rewards points for each dollar of airfare on Southwest.
Is buying Southwest Airlines points worth it?
Let me cut to the chase — there are few situations where it makes sense to purchase Rapid Rewards points. Even at the discounted cost, there’s not usually value in buying points for ~1.57 cents each when you can only redeem them for ~1.2 cents each.
Which credit card should you buy Southwest points with?
If you’d like to buy Southwest Airlines points, note that purchases are processed by points.com, meaning they don’t count as an airfare purchase for the purposes of credit card spending.
Other ways to earn Rapid Rewards points
If you’re looking to earn Southwest Airlines points, there are a couple of best ways to do so:
Bottom line
Southwest is selling Rapid Rewards points with up to a 75% bonus, which brings the cost down to 1.57 cents per point.
Are these promotions a good deal?
For better or worse, Southwest points have a fairly defined value. You won’t be able to get spectacular value out of buying points and redeeming them for first-class awards like you can with Alaska miles. Instead, Southwest award flights are redeemable based on the following general formula:
Other ways to earn Southwest points
If you’re short of an award and have some time before booking a flight, I’d recommend generating more points by signing up for a Southwest credit card — or spending on an existing one — like one of the three below:
Will buying points help you earn the Companion Pass?
One of the most valuable airline perks around is the Southwest Companion Pass. It allows its holder to bring a companion on any Southwest flight along with them for just the cost of taxes and fees. For couples, the Companion Pass practically means two-for-one flights on Southwest — even if you’re using Southwest points for the flight.
Do you get double points with the Southwest card?
Southwest point purchases are processed by Points.com instead of Southwest directly, so the purchase won’t code as “airfare” on credit cards that offer a bonus for travel purchases.
Does it ever make sense to buy Southwest points?
While you theoretically may be able to buy Southwest points for roughly the same as TPG’s valuation, typically, the only one time I’d suggest someone take advantage of a Southwest buy points offer is if you’re trying to book a great S outhwest deal before it sells out or have an urgent flight need and:
How to buy Southwest points
Southwest Airlines partners with Points.com to sell its Rapid Rewards points. Follow these steps to learn how to buy Southwest points for your next award flight.
How much do Southwest points cost?
The base cost to buy Southwest points starts at $60 for 2,000 points, which is 3 cents per point. As you buy larger amounts of points, the price per point decreases. Sometimes Southwest offers a bonus points promotion, like 40% off when you buy more than 15,000 points, which can make the price per point drop even further.
When you should buy Southwest points
Unlike United Airlines or American Airlines miles, Southwest points have a fairly fixed value. Because of this, it's hard to find outsize value that justifies the cost to buy Rapid Rewards points. That being said, buying Southwest points can still make sense in a few scenarios, like:
Alternatives to buying Southwest points
Because the price per point is higher than the average redemption value of Southwest Rapid Rewards points, you may be hesitant to purchase them. Thankfully, there are alternative ways to earn additional Southwest points without flying:
So should you buy Southwest points?
For travelers who need extra points, Southwest Airlines allows Rapid Rewards members to buy points to boost their account balance. While these points can be used to book travel, they do not count toward earning the Companion Pass or A-List elite status. Buying Southwest points can be significantly more expensive than the value of those points.
How many points do you need for Southwest companion pass?
To earn the standard 125,000 points you’d normally need for the Companion Pass®, you’d have to pay for up to $125,000 in purchases with your Southwest card. (We estimated broadly, since cardholders earn varying points per purchase — 2x points on Southwest purchases and 1x points on all other purchases). Eligible cards include: ...
When is Southwest companion pass valid?
However, this promotional Companion Pass is only valid through February 28, 2022. While the new Southwest welcome bonus doesn’t let you earn the previous 80,000-point offer, ...