How Much Will It Cost To Buy Southwest Points?

Looking to buy Southwest Rapid Reward points? Use our simple calculator to get an estimate on how much it could cost—complete with tips for getting the best value!

Written By: Robert Flowers III

Updated On: 10-27-2024

Quick Overview

Southwest Rapid Rewards points can be purchased through the Southwest Buy Points portal to easily top off your account.
Southwest points cost 3 cents per mile, regardless of the quantity purchased.
You can buy as few as 2,000 points for $60 or as many as 60,000 points for $1,800.
The maximum limit for buying Southwest points is 60,000 points per day.
Buying points may be worthwhile if you’re just shy of a redemption or can redeem them at a value higher than your purchase price.
Southwest points go on sale several times per year, making these sales the best time to buy.

Use our Buy Southwest points calculator to find out how much it will cost you to buy Southwest points at the standard rate. You can check the Southwest Buy points portal to see if there is an active promotion.

Southwest points cost

Southwest Points will cost you 3 cents per point no matter how many you purchase.

Buying Southwest Points
Points Purchased	Cost Per Point
2,000 - 60,000 Points	3 Cents Each

How many Southwest points can you buy?

You can buy as little as 2,000 points for $60 and as many as 60,000 Southwest points for $1,800 per transaction. They can be purchased in 1,000-point increments.

You cannot buy or receive as a gift more than a total of 60,000 Southwest Points per day.

Buying Southwest Points
Base Cost Per Points	3 Cents
Taxes?	No.
Min Purchase Per Transaction	2,000 Points
Max Purchase Per Transaction	60,000 Points
Daily Maximum Limit	60,000 Points
Purchase Increments	1,000-point increments

Do note that buying Southwest Points do not count towards A-List, A-List Preferred, or the Companion Pass.

Are buying Southwest points worth it?

Southwest points are worth about 1.3 cents per point on average and they don't fluctuate too much in value like other airline miles. You may find a redemption here and there that will give you slightly higher value, but it's not often.

This basically means that you'll always be buying Southwest points for higher than what they are worth. For this alone, buying large amounts of Southwest points will be a bad investment.

The only time I recommend buying Southwest points is if you're a few points of redemption and need to top off your account... and this is best done when they are on sale and can be purchased for a much more reasonable price.

Buy Southwest points calculator

Use the Buy Southwest Points Calculator to find out how much it will cost you to buy Southwest Points at the standard rate. Do note that the cost of Southwest Points can change at any time, so you'll want to log into your Rapid Rewards account and check their Buy Points page to see the actual cost.

Enter any amount of Southwest Points to calculate the cost at the standard rate.

Points

Total Cost

3 Cents Each

Buy Points

The Point Calculator values Southwest Points at 1.3 cents each

How to buy Southwest points

Head to Southwest's Buy Points page.
Log into your Southwest Rapid Rewards account.
Select how many Southwest Points you want to buy.
Enter your payment details.
Review the purchase and agree to the terms and conditions.
Click Pay Now.

Earn more Southwest points

If you need a large amount of Southwest points or you're in no rush to buy them, you should consider picking up a credit card that earns Southwest points. You can earn lots of points via intro bonuses and everyday spending across Southwest credit cards and Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards.

Southwest credit cards

Southwest offers five co-branded credit cards that consists of three personal consumer credit cards and two business credit cards. If you fly Southwest, I highly recommend picking up at least once Southwest credit card as they offer fantastic benefits.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card

Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting (including rideshare) and on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
Earn 1X points on all other purchases
Receive up to $75 back on Southwest purchases made throughout the anniversary year with the card
Receive 4 upgraded bookings per anniversary year that applies to positions A1-A15 on Southwest Airlines
Receive 7,500 anniversary points just for being a cardholder
Earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $10,000 you spend on the card
$149 annual fee
Card Value & Rewards Calculator

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card

Best For Southwest Travelers

Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting (including rideshare) and on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
Earn 1X points on all other purchases
Receive 2 EarlyBird Check-In per year.
Receive 6,000 anniversary points just for being a cardholder
Earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $10,000 you spend on the card
$99 annual fee
Card Value & Rewards Calculator

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting (including rideshare) and on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming
Earn 1X points on all other purchases
Receive 2 EarlyBird Check-In per year
Receive 3,000 anniversary points just for being a cardholder
$69 annual fee
Card Value & Rewards Calculator

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card

Best Southwest Business Card For Benefits

Earn 4X points on Southwest® purchases
Earn 3X points on purchases made with Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners
Earn 2X points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, social media and search engine advertising, and internet, cable, and phone services
Earn 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Receive 4 upgraded bookings per anniversary year that applies to positions A1-A15 on Southwest Airlines
Receive 9,000 anniversary points just for being a cardholder
Get reimbursed for up to $8 per day when you use the card to pay for In-Flight Wi-Fi on Southwest flights
Earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $10,000 you spend on the card
$199 annual fee
Card Value & Rewards Calculator

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

Best For Southwest Business Travelers

Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases
Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare
Earn 1X points on all other purchases
Earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points for every $10,000 you spend on the card
Receive 6,000 anniversary points just for being a cardholder
Receive 2 EarlyBird Check-In per year
$99 annual fee
Card Value & Rewards Calculator

Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards

Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred directly to your Rapid Rewards account at a rate of 1,000 Chase points for 1,000 Southwest points. There are several credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points, but you must have one of these three credit cards in order to transfer them to Southwest:

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Best For High Value & Travel Benefits

Earn 8X points on all purchases through Chase Travel, including The Edit℠
Earn 4X points on flights and hotels booked directly
Earn 3X points on all dining purchases worldwide
Earn 1X points on all other purchases
Enjoy over $1,200 in annual travel value and over $1,500 in annual lifestyle value
Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership including access to Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club and select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafés
Up to $120 towards a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee
Top-notch travel and shopping insurance
$795 annual fee
Card Value & Chase Sapphire Reserve Points Calculator

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Best For Flexible Travel Rewards

Earn 5X points on travel booked through Chase Travel℠
Earn 3X points on dining, online grocery purchases, and on select streaming services
Earn 2X points on other travel purchases
Earn 1X points on all other purchases
$50 credit every cardmember anniversary good towards hotel stays booked through Chase Travel
10% bonus points based on how much you spend the prior cardmember year
$95 annual fee
Card Value & Chase Sapphire Preferred Points Calculator

The New Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ Credit Card

Best Business Card For Travel Benefits

Earn 8X points on all purchases through Chase Travel, including The Edit℠
Earn 5X points on Lyft rides through 9/30/27
Earn 4X points on flights and hotels booked directly
Earn 3X points on social media & search engine advertising
Earn 1X points on all other purchases
Enjoy a $300 annual travel credit and a $500 credit for stays with The Edit
Over $1,200 in annual business credits
Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership including access to Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club and select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges and Air Canada Cafés
Up to $120 towards a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee
Top-notch travel and shopping insurance
$795 annual fee

Chase Ink Business Preferred®

Best For Flexible Business Travel Rewards

Earn 3X points on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year
Earn 1X points on all other purchases
$95 annual fee
Card Value & Chase Ink Preferred Points Calculator

FAQs

How much does it cost to buy Southwest Points?

Southwest points will cost you 3 cents each no matter how many you buy.

How many Southwest Points can you buy?

You can buy up to 60,000 Southwest Points in a single transaction and up to 60,000 Southwest Points per day.

Where do you buy Southwest Points?

Southwest points are purchased through the Southwest Buy Points Portal.

When should you buy Southwest points?

Southwest points should only be purchases to top off your account if you're a few points shy of a redemption. Buying large amounts of Southwest points will usually be a bad investment.