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Southwest just rolled out its latest way to help travelers fast-track to earn the coveted Southwest Companion Pass. Originally launched in 2025 and now continuing into 2026, Rapid Rewards credit cardholders can earn double Companion Pass-qualifying points on rotating categories each quarter.
During Q1 2026, Southwest cardholders can earn 2X points at gym/fitness memberships and drugstore purchases — a timely perk if you have some New Year's resolutions to tackle. Here are the details of how this promotion works.
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Earn 2X Companion Pass-Qualifying Points on Select Purchases This Quarter
Again in 2026, Southwest is offering quarterly bonus categories for Rapid Rewards cardholders to earn double Companion Pass-qualifying points. If you have a Rapid Rewards credit card, check your email or Southwest account to see if you’ve been targeted for this offer.
Q1 2026: Gym/fitness membership and drugstore purchases
The quarterly card spending category for Q1 is on gym/fitness memberships and drugstore purchases. Between January 1 and March 31, 2026, all eligible purchases using a registered Rapid Rewards card will earn double Companion Pass-qualifying points.
Southwest has a long list of terms and conditions for what types of purchases are eligible:
Drugstore purchases: Merchants in this category specialize in selling prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines, supplements, and various health-related items. These merchants may also sell cosmetics, toiletries, greeting cards, and various household items such as cleaning supplies and packaged foods and drinks. Some merchants that sell a wide variety of goods including these items, and which may contain an onsite pharmacy, for example, warehouse clubs, discount stores, or grocery stores, are not included in this category.
Gym/fitness memberships: Merchants in this category include health clubs, exercise, or athletic facilities requiring membership and offering access to services related to physical fitness, such as fitness clubs, fitness centers, fitness studios, gyms, aerobics, cardio fitness, and other services such as yoga and cross fit training. Merchants that specialize in offering personalized or therapeutic services such as massage therapy, dietary and weight management counseling and personal training are not included in this category. In addition, some merchants that sell a wide variety of general goods, which may include fitness or athletic apparel, sporting goods, dietary food, health food or similar supplements are not included in this category. Also, certain lodging, hotel, motel, resort, and central reservation services offering access to third party facilities that include fitness clubs or gyms are not included in this category unless they classify as a fitness club or gym membership merchant.
You must register for this promotion using your email or via this promotion landing page. Once registered, earn 2X Companion Pass-qualifying points per dollar on eligible purchases. Cardholders can earn up to 10,000 bonus points per quarter. That would require $10,000 of spending in the eligible category, resulting in 20,000 total qualifying points.
The bonus points you earn through this offer just count for the Companion Pass. They will not double as redeemable Rapid Rewards points. However, what you earn from spending on the card will count as both redeemable points and toward the Companion Pass — just like your normal purchases do.
Eligible Southwest cards
The following cards are eligible for this promotion:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
Key terms
- Rapid Rewards cardholders must register for this promotion from their email or this promotion landing page by March 31, 2026.
- Earn double Companion Pass-qualifying points on gym/fitness memberships and drugstore purchases with a Rapid Rewards credit card between January 1 and March 31, 2026.
- Balance transfers, cash advances, traveler's checks, foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers, lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, and racetrack wagers purchased through these merchants are also excluded.
- This promotion is capped at 10,000 bonus qualifying points per quarter.
- Bonus points are in addition to base points, so $10,000 in spending would net 20,000 qualifying points in one quarter.
- Receive the bonus points within 6-8 weeks after the quarter ends.
- Southwest Companion Pass-qualifying points do not count as Rapid Rewards points.
Not a Southwest Cardholder Yet?
If you've got eyes on earning the Companion Pass and plan to make significant purchases in eligible categories, now might be an excellent time to get a Southwest credit card. Not only will you earn double Companion Pass qualifying points on eligible purchases, but those purchases can help you earn the welcome bonus on the card!
Here are the current Southwest card bonuses on offer:
- 2X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2 points for every $1 you spend at gas stations and grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 4X points per $1 spent on all Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- 4X points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases
- 2X points per $1 spent at gas stations and restaurants
- 2X points per $1 on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel
- 2X points per $1 spent on rideshare
- 1X point per $1 spent on all other purchases
Our Take
Earning a Southwest Companion Pass with flight activity alone can be out of reach for many travelers. 135,000 qualifying points or 100 flights is a tall task for most travelers. That’s why these quarterly bonus categories are such a welcome addition, especially if your spending aligns with the selected category.
If you’ve got a Rapid Rewards credit card and plan to spend on gym/fitness memberships and drugstore purchases this winter and spring, make sure to register by March 31 to lock in those bonus qualifying points and get one step closer to flying for nearly free with a companion.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
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