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Southwest Airlines just launched a new sale on Rapid Rewards points. Targeted members can buy up to 60,000 points with a discount of up to 50%. With this deal, you can purchase points for as little as 1.5¢ each through July 22, 2025.
On average, AwardWallet users redeem Rapid Rewards points for 1.52¢ each. So, this isn’t exactly a slam-dunk deal — and it's a little more questionable now that Southwest has rolled out variable award pricing and charges for checked bags. Still, there are a few situations where buying Southwest points can make sense. Here's when it might be worth considering.
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Southwest Buy Points Key Terms
- This promotion offers up to a 50% discount through July 22, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. CT.
- The minimum purchase amount is 2,000 points, but you must purchase at least 3,000 points to receive a discount.
- Members can buy up to 60,000 Southwest points per day, with no annual maximum.
- Purchased points do not count towards A-List, A-List Preferred, or Companion Pass qualification.
- Purchased points may take up to 72 hours to post in the applicable Rapid Rewards Account.
- Transactions are non-refundable and non-reversible.
Southwest says points will be deposited within 72 hours of purchase. However, data points from AwardWallet users show that points purchases are processed immediately.
Based on offers seen by AwardWallet writers and editors, this buy Southwest points offer has just two tiers:
- 2,000 points: No discount (3¢ each)
- 3,000–60,000 points: 50% discount (1.5¢ each)
Southwest promotions are routinely targeted. Therefore, instead of receiving a 50% discount, some Rapid Rewards members may see a different discount amount (such as 40%) when purchasing varying amounts of points. Before proceeding, make sure to check your account to confirm the discount percentage you see.
How to Buy Southwest Points
If you are wondering how to buy Southwest points, the good news is that it's quick and easy.
To buy Southwest points, click here and log in to your Southwest account. Select the number of points you want to purchase and click “Buy points.” Ensure your email address is correct, check the box agreeing to the terms, and then click “Continue to payment.” Enter your payment details and then complete your purchase.
Should You Buy Southwest Points?
Southwest's loyalty program is a bit different from the rest, and in some ways, that's a good thing. You can redeem points for any flight with available seats, and if you need to cancel, you can do so without penalty. The airline will return your Rapid Rewards points to your account if you cancel your flight at least 10 minutes before the flight’s original scheduled departure time.
That said, Southwest dropped its long-standing “Bags Fly Free” policy, so keep that in mind as you weigh your options.
Southwest also uses what it calls a “variable pricing” model for award flights. It’s similar to dynamic pricing, where the number of Rapid Rewards points needed tracks with the cash price of the ticket. But unlike before, redemption values no longer fall into a mostly defined range.
These days, you can expect to get anywhere from about 1.15¢ to 1.72¢ per point — give or take a bit on the margins. Generally speaking, it only makes sense to buy Southwest points if you know you can redeem them for more than what you paid or just need to top off your account. Otherwise, you’re better off just booking with cash.
Buy Southwest points if you can redeem them for more value than you paid
The situation where it makes the most sense to buy points or miles — Rapid Rewards included — is when you can redeem them for more than what you paid.
Say you can buy Southwest points for 1.5¢ each and redeem them for a flight that gives you 1.72¢ per point. That’s a solid deal. But if the redemption value is closer to 1.15¢, you’re better off just booking with your travel rewards card.
To determine the value you’ll get, take the cash price of the flight, subtract the award taxes and fees (usually $5.60), and divide that number by the points required. That gives you the cents-per-point value for that redemption. If it’s higher than Southwest charges for points, then buying points can be a financially savvy move.
It’s also worth noting that buying points speculatively isn’t a great idea. These sales come around pretty frequently, and Southwest (like any loyalty program) can devalue its points without much warning (it's done so in the past!). Unless you’re booking something soon and need the points now, it’s better to wait.
Buy Southwest points to top off your account
The second instance where buying Southwest points makes sense is when you're just a few points shy of your next redemption and have a time constraint, and don't have any better options to grow your balance. AwardWallet tracking shows that Southwest points are immediately deposited into a Rapid Rewards account.
If you're topping off your account, buying points during a sale is far better than paying full price.
Related: Current Promotions for Buying Points and Miles
Southwest Buy Points History
Southwest has been offering promotions for buying points for quite some time now. Initially, Southwest would switch between a bonus and a discount, but lately, it's stuck to just offering a discount — this time for up to 50%.
The best rate we've seen from Southwest is 1.5¢ per point, so the current promotion matches the best we've seen from the airline. However, with a new promotion coming out roughly once every month or so, you might be better off waiting to buy Southwest points when you need them:
| Promotion Ended | Max Bonus/Discount | Min Cents per Point |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-22 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2025-05-24 | 45% Discount | 1.65 |
| 2025-04-04 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2025-02-23 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2024-12-31 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2024-10-22 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2024-09-25 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2024-08-19 | 45% Discount | 1.65 |
| 2024-07-21 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2024-06-13 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2024-05-15 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2024-04-14 | 40% Discount | 1.8 |
| 2024-04-02 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2024-02-23 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2023-12-24 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2023-10-25 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2023-09-20 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2023-08-20 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2023-06-20 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2023-05-19 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2023-04-04 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2023-02-20 | 45% Discount | 1.65 |
| 2022-12-22 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2022-11-22 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2022-10-25 | 50% Discount | 1.5 |
| 2022-09-22 | 45% Discount | 1.65 |
| 2022-08-20 | 45% Discount | 1.65 |
| 2022-06-20 | 45% Discount | 1.51 |
| 2022-05-20 | 45% Discount | 1.51 |
| 2022-04-05 | 40% Discount | 1.65 |
| 2022-02-15 | 75% Bonus | 1.57 |
| 2022-02-02 | 45% Discount | 1.51 |
| 2021-12-21 | 40% Bonus | 1.65 |
| 2021-11-16 | 75% Bonus | 1.57 |
| 2021-10-03 | 30% Discount | 1.93 |
| 2021-09-21 | 40% Discount | 1.65 |
| 2021-09-05 | 30% Discount | 1.93 |
| 2021-08-26 | 65% Bonus | 1.67 |
| 2021-07-06 | 45% Discount | 1.51 |
| 2021-05-28 | 75% Bonus | 1.57 |
| 2021-03-31 | 40% Discount | 1.65 |
| 2021-01-27 | 70% Bonus | 1.62 |
| 2020-12-31 | 70% Bonus | 1.62 |
| 2020-11-30 | 45% Discount | 1.51 |
| 2020-11-20 | 70% Bonus | 1.62 |
| 2020-09-28 | 75% Bonus | 1.57 |
| 2020-08-26 | 45% Discount | 1.51 |
| 2020-06-25 | 45% Discount | 1.51 |
Other Ways to Earn Southwest Points
Southwest Rapid Rewards is a 1:1 transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards. That means that points earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), or The Bilt Mastercard® (Rates & Fees) can be transferred (instantly) to Southwest to top off your account.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 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
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Southwest at a 3:1 transfer ratio. Plus, score a 5,000-point bonus for every 60,000 Bonvoy points transferred in one transaction. For example, sending 60,000 Marriott points nets 25,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points.
If you aren't pressed for time, you could sign up for a Southwest co-branded credit card. Chase offers a full portfolio of Southwest credit cards. Among the best of these offerings is the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card. The current sign-up bonus offers 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 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
- Rates & Fees
- 3X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on all Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
- 2X points per $1 spent on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming services
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: How to Choose the Right Southwest Airlines Credit Card
Maximize Your Southwest Points Purchase
Like many other loyalty programs, Southwest uses Points.com (a third party) to process point purchases. Why does this matter? Though the purchase is made on Southwest's website, it won't post as travel, so you won't earn bonus points if you use most of the best cards for travel purchases.
As such, we recommend using your best credit card for everyday spending, such as the Citi Double Cash® Card or Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, when you buy Southwest points.
It's also worth noting that one of the payment options is “Rapid Rewards Credit Card” when you buy Southwest points. While not guaranteed, this should trigger the applicable multiplier for a Southwest purchase if you pay with a co-branded Southwest credit card. These bonus points would change the math on the value you get from the purchase, so it's something to consider.
Related: Which Credit Card Should You Use to Buy Points and Miles?
Bottom Line
A few years ago, you wouldn't find many buy Southwest points promotions, yet Southwest has offered quite a few recently. This up-to-50% discount — which means Rapid Rewards points on sale for as little as 1.5¢ apiece — matches the best Southwest buy-points promotion we've ever seen.
But it is always worth doing the math for your specific situation. In many cases, buying Southwest points won't make sense, though it can be a relatively good deal for the right redemption. If your situation permits it and you're looking to buy Southwest points during this promotion, you have until July 22, 2025, to do so.
Do you plan on buying Southwest points for 1.5¢ each?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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