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What's The Value of Southwest Points?

Southwest points are worth about 1.3 cents each on average when redeemed for award flights with Southwest.
By Robert Flowers III - 2024-03-01

Southwest points can be redeemed for flights, gift cards, hotels, and car rentals. You will get the best value out of your points when redeeming them for award flights with Southwest.

Southwest Points Value

Based on our valuations, Southwest points are worth 1.3 cents per point. This means that 10,000 Southwest points are worth about $130 in cash value towards flights.

Here our breakdown on Southwest points value:

Redemption Options Redemption Value in cents
Southwest Flights 1.3
Gift Cards 0.27 - 0.531
Hotels 0.52
Car Rentals 0.25
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How To Calculate The Value of Southwest Points

The value of Southwest points will vary depending on the redemption. You will not know the value of your points until you can compare the cash cost versus the award cost.

Southwest points value can be easily calculated by dividing the cash cost of the redemption by the amount of points required for the redemption.

Southwest Points Value = Cost of Flight or Redemption ÷ Points Required.

Check out our Use Southwest Points or Pay Cash Calculator to easily calculate the value of any Southwest redemption.

Redeeming Southwest Points For The Best Value

Southwest points will have the best value when redeemed for flights with Southwest. Using your points for hotel bookings, car rentals, and gift cards will give your points significantly lower value.

Southwest Flights

Southwest Points will have the best value of 1.3 cents per point when redeemed towards flights on Southwest. Rates for award bookings with Southwest are based on the cost of the fare, so the higher the cash price, the higher the cost in Southwest Points.

Since this is the case, Southwest doesn't really offer any "high-point" redemptions or sweet spots like many other airlines. This fits in line with Southwest being a simple, no-frills airline meant to get you where you want to go.

With that being said, Southwest is an excellent option for getting to several popular destinations including several out of country. Here are a few of the top destinations for Southwest:

  • The Caribbean: Southwest flies to many destinations in the Caribbean including the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, Aruba, and Belize. Southwest is one of the few airlines still operating flights to Havana, Cuba as well. If it's on your bucket list, you can easily get there flying from Fort Lauderdale, FL or Tampa, FL.
  • Mexico: Southwest flies to Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Cozumel, and Puerto Vallarta. These are all great options if you're looking for an easy getaway to some fun in the sun.
  • Hawaii: Southwest flies to all of Hawaii's major cities. This includes Hilo, Honolulu, Kahulul, Kauai-Lihue, and Kona.

Gift Cards

Redeeming Southwest Points for gift cards will give your points a value of between 0.266 cents and 0.531 cents per point. You'll get the best value of 0.531 cents when you redeem your points for gift card denominations of $50 or higher.

Hotels

Redeeming Southwest Points for hotel bookings will give your points an average value of 0.52 cents per point. You can book stays with several major hotel brands including Marriott, Hyatt, and Best Western.

Car Rentals

Redeeming Southwest Points for car rentals will give your points an average value of around 0.25 cents per point. The More Rewards portal features all of the major car rental companies such as Enterprise, Hertz, and Alamo.

When renting cars through the portal, you'll find that many rentals will cost significantly more than your standard Southwest flight.

Experiences & Merchandise

Southwest Points can be redeemed for experiences as well as merchandise through the More Rewards portal. The value of these options will vary based on the redemption.

You can use the Use Southwest Points or Pay Cash calculator to calculate the cash value of these redemptions if you know the average retail price in cash and the price in Southwest Points.

Calculator: Convert Southwest points to dollars

The Southwest Points Value Calculator can help you estimate how much your points are worth in cash, whether you decide to redeem those points for flights, hotels, car rentals, gift cards, or other rewards. This will give you an idea of the average value for all the redemption options available with your Southwest points.

Southwest Points Value Calculator

Enter any amount of Southwest Points into our calculator to convert them to dollar value based on our valuations.
Points
Redemption Average Dollar Value
Southwest Flights $0
Hotels $0
Gift Cards $0 - $0
Car Rentals $0

Finding The Best Card For Southwest Points

The best travel rewards card for Southwest will be a Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card or a co-branded Southwest credit card.

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to Southwest at a 1:1 rate. Every 1,000 Chase points you transfer to your Rapid Rewards account will give you 1,000 Southwest points.

Ultimate Rewards credit cards will generally earn you more points than Southwest's co-branded credit cards, especially if you pair them with Chase's cash back credit cards. On top of that Ultimate Rewards points have significantly more flexibility as you can redeem them for 1.25 to 1.5 cents per point through the Chase Travel portal or transfer them to a handful of other partners including Hyatt and United.

There are three Ultimate Rewards credit cards that allow you to transfer points to Southwest. Here are those cards:

Credit Card Highlights
Best For High Value & Travel Benefits
  • Intro Bonus: 60,000 Bonus Points
  • 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
Best For Flexible Travel Rewards
  • Intro Bonus: 60,000 Bonus Points
  • Earn 5X points on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • 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 Ultimate Rewards
  • $50 credit every cardmember anniversary good towards hotel stays booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • 10% bonus points based on how much you spend the prior cardmember year
  • $95 annual fee
Best For Flexible Business Travel Rewards
  • Intro Bonus: 100,000 Bonus Points
  • 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 Ultimate Rewards
  • $95 annual fee

Co-Branded Southwest Cards

Southwest offers 5 co-branded credit cards that will earn you Southwest points on your everyday purchases. The benefit of having a co-branded credit card is that they offer exclusive benefits with Southwest.

This includes the ability to earn Tier Qualifying points towards elite status and their famous Companion Pass, upgraded bookings per year, EarlyBird Check-In, and anniversary points. If you care about these benefits, then you'll want to consider picking up one of their cards.

Here are the credit cards that Southwest offers:

Credit Card Highlights
Best For Southwest Benefits
  • Intro Bonus: 50,000 Bonus Points
  • 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
Best For Southwest Travelers
  • Intro Bonus: 50,000 Bonus Points
  • 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
Best For Low Annual Fee
  • Intro Bonus: 50,000 Bonus Points
  • 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
Best Southwest Business Card For Benefits
  • Intro Bonus: 80,000 points
  • 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
Best For Southwest Business Travelers
  • Intro Bonus: 60,000 points
  • 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

FAQs

How much are Southwest Points worth?

Southwest Points have an average value of 1.3 cents each. This means 10,000 points is worth roughly $130 towards award flights.

How much is 1,000 Southwest points worth?

1,000 Southwest Points is worth around $13 in value towards flights on Southwest Airlines.

How much is 2,000 Southwest points worth?

2,000 Southwest Points is worth around $26 in value towards flights on Southwest Airlines.

How much is 10,000 Southwest points worth?

10,000 Southwest Points is worth around $130 in value towards flights on Southwest Airlines.

How much is 30,000 Southwest points worth?

30,000 Southwest Points is worth around $390 in value towards flights on Southwest Airlines.

How much is 40,000 Southwest points worth?

40,000 Southwest Points is worth around $520 in value towards flights on Southwest Airlines.

How much is 65,000 Southwest points worth?

65,000 Southwest Points is worth around $845 in value towards flights on Southwest Airlines.

How much is 80,000 Southwest points worth?

80,000 Southwest Points is worth around $1,040 in value towards flights on Southwest Airlines.

What can you redeem Southwest Points for?

Southwest Points can be redeemed for award flights on Southwest Airlines, hotels, car rentals, gift cards, and merchandise.

Does Southwest Points expire?

No. Southwest Points do not expire. They are valid as long as you have an active Southwest Rapid Rewards account.

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