Name: American Express® Gold Card
Brand: American Express

Quick summary

Southwest Airlines has reduced Rapid Rewards earning rates on flights and introduced baggage fees for most customers.
Despite these changes, the Rapid Rewards program remains valuable due to unique nonstop routes and the Companion Pass.
Points can be earned through flights, select credit cards, partner transfers, shopping and dining portals, hotel stays, car rentals, surveys and other partner activities.
Buying points is generally not recommended, as the purchase price exceeds the typical redemption value per TPG's May 2026 valuations.

What to consider

Earning rates vary by fare type and elite status, with bonuses for A-List and A-List Preferred members.
Points from partner transfers and purchases may not always offer optimal value compared to other redemption options.
Booking hotels through Southwest may limit access to elite benefits from hotel loyalty programs.

What you'll miss from the article

A detailed breakdown of all partner opportunities and nuanced strategies to maximize Rapid Rewards points accumulation.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

Southwest Airlines has recently made changes to its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, slashing flight earnings rates in March and implementing a new policy of charging most customers baggage fees. Since then, Southwest also unveiled a big credit card refresh and announced its open seating policy will end Jan. 27, 2026.

Despite these changes, there are still reasons you might want to use the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. Southwest operates some useful nonstop routes that are unserved or underserved by other carriers, and it still offers its valuable Southwest Companion Pass. So, here's how to earn Southwest points.

Earn points on Southwest flights

In March 2025, Southwest slashed earnings on flights. Now, Rapid Rewards members earn as follows on qualifying Southwest flights:

Basic (previously Wanna Get Away): 2 points per dollar
Wanna Get Away Plus: 6 points per dollar
Anytime: 10 points per dollar
Business Select: 14 points per dollar

A-List members get a 25% earning bonus on qualifying flights, while A-List Preferred members get a 100% earning bonus. Southwest defines qualifying flights as those paid for with dollars, Southwest LUV Vouchers, gift cards, flight credits or Cash + Points. If you make a Cash + Points booking, you'll only earn Southwest points on the portion of the base fare you pay with dollars. Reward, charter, nonrevenue and Companion Pass flights do not qualify.

southwest 737 max 8 — SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

You can also earn Southwest points if you book an itinerary through Icelandair that includes a Southwest-operated segment and associate your Rapid Rewards number with the booking. You'll only earn Southwest points on the segments operated by Southwest, and you'll only earn 500 points for flights of 1,000 miles or less, 1,000 points for flights of 1,001 to 1,800 miles, and 1,500 points for flights longer than 1,800 miles.

Earn points with a Southwest credit card

An easy way to earn points is to use a Southwest credit card for everyday spending. Plus, many Southwest cards have welcome offers that can earn you bonus points if you meet specific spending thresholds within the first few months after opening your credit card account.

Here's a look at some of our favorite Southwest cards, including their welcome offers, earning rates and annual fees.

Card	Welcome offer	Earning rates	Additional earning rates through Dec. 31, 2025	Number of points you get every year on your cardmember anniversary	Annual fee
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (see rates and fees)	Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	2 points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and grocery stores (on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year) 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases	2 points per dollar spent on Southwest Cruises purchases and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners 2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare 2 points per dollar spent on internet, cable, and phone services and on select streaming	3,000	$99
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card	Earn 55,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	3 points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and restaurants (on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year) 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases	3 points per dollar spent on Southwest Cruises purchases 2 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners 2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare 2 points per dollar spent on internet, cable, and phone services and on select streaming	6,000	$149
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (see rates and fees)	Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	4 points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases	4 points per dollar spent on Southwest Cruises purchases 2 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners 2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare 2 points per dollar spent on internet, cable, and phone services and on select streaming	7,500	$229
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (see rates and fees)	Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	3 points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants (on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year) 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases	3 points per dollar spent on Southwest Cruises purchases 2 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners 2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare	6,000	$149
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (see rates and fees)	Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.	4 points per dollar spent on Southwest Airlines purchases 2 points per dollar spent at gas stations and restaurants 2 points per dollar spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel 2 points per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases	4 points per dollar spent on Southwest Cruises purchases 3 points per dollar spent on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners 2 points per dollar spent on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services	9,000	$299

The points each card gives you every year on your cardmember anniversary can offset some of the card's annual fee. For example, 6,000 points are worth $75 based on TPG's May 2026 valuations.

The information for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Convert transferable points to Southwest points

You can transfer Bilt Points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Marriott Bonvoy points to Southwest Rapid Rewards.

Woman looking at her phone — MOMO PRODUCTIONS/GETTY IMAGES

Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio, meaning 1 Chase point can become 1 Southwest point. Other Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners — such as World of Hyatt — often provide more value. But if you need to top off your Southwest points balance to book an award, transferring Chase points to Southwest may be worthwhile.

Bilt Rewards points also transfer to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio. Bilt added Southwest as a transfer partner in April, but other Bilt Rewards transfer partners may provide more value.

Marriott Bonvoy points, on the other hand, transfer to Southwest at a 3:1 ratio, meaning 3 Marriott points can become 1 Southwest point. Considering the value you can get when redeeming Marriott points, this isn't usually a move I'd recommend.

Earn Southwest points with partners

You can also earn Southwest points when interacting with various partners, including some unrelated to travel. Here's an overview of your options.

Rapid Rewards Shopping

Rapid Rewards Shopping is an online shopping portal that gives you Southwest points when you click through it before making an eligible purchase. After you make an eligible purchase through the portal, points are usually posted to your Rapid Rewards account within 22 days.

Rapid Rewards Dining

Rapid Rewards Dining is a dining rewards program that allows you to earn Southwest points when you dine at participating restaurants. Enroll one or more of your favorite dining credit cards in Rapid Rewards Dining, and you'll automatically earn extra Southwest points each time you use an enrolled card to pay at a participating restaurant.

Digital Shopping: Man Using Phone and Credit Card to Make an Online Purchase — PIXELSEFFECT/GETTY IMAGES

If you remain opted in for email communication, you'll earn 3 points per dollar spent at participating restaurants. But if you opt out, you'll only earn 1 point per $2.

Hotel stays

You'll earn at least 500 points per reservation when you book hotel stays through Southwest Hotels, but you can also earn up to 10,000 points per night. However, you usually won't get hotel elite benefits and earnings when you book through Southwest Hotels.

You can book directly and set your earning preference to Southwest points with Best Western Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt and MGM Rewards. You can also earn Southwest points by converting Hyatt points, Best Western points, Choice points and Marriott points (although the transfer ratios are poor, so you usually won't want to do so).

Rental cars

You can earn 600 Southwest points per eligible rental with Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, Payless and Thrifty. However, only airport rentals are eligible for some car rental companies.

Taking surveys

You can earn Southwest points for taking surveys through Rewards for Opinions and the e-Rewards Opinion Panel.

Woman sitting on a patio — THOMAS BARWICK/GETTY IMAGES

Rewards for Opinions gives you 500 points for completing your first survey within three months of enrolling in the program, plus you'll earn points for every survey you take. Meanwhile, e-Rewards gives you e-Rewards Currency when participating in market research surveys. You can then redeem $15, $25, $50 or $100 of e-Rewards Currency for 300, 600, 1,200 or 2,400 Southwest points, respectively.

Other partners

Here's a look at some of the other ways you can earn Southwest points when you interact with Rapid Rewards partners:

Emergency Assistance Plus: Earn 1,500 Southwest points when you enroll and every year you renew, plus earn an additional 500 points if you select an add-on during enrollment, upgrade your membership or renew an add-on.
NRG Home: Members who reside in select states and choose NRG Home as their electric supplier can earn 10,000 Southwest points as an enrollment bonus after two months as an active NRG Home customer. Plus, these members will earn 2 points per dollar spent on the supply portion of their energy bill on an ongoing basis.
Reliant Secure 24: Members who reside in Texas and switch to Reliant on the Reliant Secure 24 plan can earn 15,000 Southwest points as an enrollment bonus after sign-up and 500 additional points each month for the next 24 months.
Laithwaites wine club: Earn 2,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points with your purchase of an introductory Laithwaites’ wine club case. Then, earn 1,000 points for any future Laithwaites’ wine club case you purchase.

Buy Southwest points

You can also earn Southwest points by purchasing them outright. However, the standard cost when purchasing Southwest points is 3 cents per point, more than double the 1.25 cents per point used by TPG's May 2026 valuations. As such, even with a bonus offer or discount, it's unlikely that buying Southwest points will provide good value.

You could also have another member transfer their Southwest points to you. However, they'd need to transfer at least 2,000 points and pay $5 per 500 points. As such, I don't recommend using the points transfer option.

Bottom line

You can earn Southwest points through many different avenues. But you'll likely earn most of your points through flights and Southwest credit cards. If you fly Southwest frequently, it may be worth adding a Southwest credit card to your wallet to get extra benefits when flying Southwest and earn points on your everyday purchases.

TPG featured card

American Express® Gold Card

TPG editor's rating

at American Express's secure site.
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.

Rewards rate

Rewards rate
Rate	Category
4X	Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4X	Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
5X	Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
3X	Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
2X	Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
1X	Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

Intro offer

As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

Annual fee

$325

Regular APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Recommended credit

Excellent to Good

Pros + cons

Pros

Valuable dining and food-related credits
Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
Multiple travel and purchase protections
No foreign transaction fees
Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)

Cons

Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits

More details

You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
Enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
Book two nights or more with The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ and receive a $100* credit towards eligible charges at over 1,400 upscale hotels worldwide. *Eligible charges vary by property.
Book your travel through the Amex Travel App™ with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.