Southwest Rapid Rewards Points can be earned in many way, but there may be times in which none of these options work for you. Luckily, you can buy Southwest Points to top off your account if you need points sooner than later.
Southwest points cost
Southwest Points will cost you between 2.75 and 3 cents per point based on how many you buy in a single purchase. In order to get the best rate of 2.75 cents, you'll need to buy at least 6,000 Southwest Points.
| Points Purchased | Cost Per Point |
|---|---|
| 2,000 - 5,000 Points | 3 Cents Each |
| 6,000 - 60,000 Points | 2.75 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 $1,650 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 in a calendar year.
| Base Cost Per Points | 2.75-3 Cents |
|---|---|
| Taxes? | No. |
| Min Purchase Per Transaction | 2,000 Points |
| Max Purchase Per Transaction | 30,000 Points |
| Max Points Per Calendar Year | 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.
| Total Cost 2.75-3 Cents Each |
$0 |
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.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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:
- Earn 10X points on hotels and car rentals booked through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 5X points on flights booked through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3X points on travel worldwide and dining at restaurants
- Earn 1X points on all other purchases
- $300 statement credit for travel purchases charged to the card each anniversary year
- Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership
- Up to $100 towards a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee
- 50% boost to point value on travel booked through Chase Travel
- $550 annual fee
- Card Value & Chase Sapphire Reserve Points Calculator
- 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
- 25% boost to point value on travel booked through Chase Travel
- $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
- 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
- 25% boost to point value on travel booked through Chase Travel
- $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 when buying between 2,000 and 5,000 points and will cost you 2.75 cents each when buying 6,000 points or more.
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.
Can Southwest points be gifted?
Yes. Southwest points can be gifted through the Southwest Buy Points Portal.
We've run the calculations and checked them twice — here are the credit cards that consistently provide outstanding value to our users:
- Best flexible travel card: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Best overall value year after year: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Best for high cash back: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- Best for lounge access & luxury travel: The Platinum Card® from American Express
- Best for business travel rewards: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Best for heavy business spend: Capital One Spark Cash Plus
