Southwest Airlines cardholders can unlock 25% bonus Rapid Rewards points on eligible purchases through June 30, 2026. If you're working toward the coveted Companion Pass or planning Southwest travel, this targeted promotion offers a straightforward way to accelerate your points balance. Registration is required, spending thresholds apply, and the clock is already ticking.

Key Points

• Earn 25% bonus Rapid Rewards points after spending $7,000 on your Southwest credit card between April 1 and June 30, 2026, with registration required by March 31, 2026.
• The maximum bonus is 20,000 points, which count toward Companion Pass qualification but not toward A-List or A-List Preferred elite status.
• This promotion stacks with your card's base earning rate and other Southwest offers, making it most valuable for cardholders already planning significant spending or working toward Companion Pass.

Understanding the Southwest Q2 2026 Spending Promotion

Southwest launched this targeted promotion in early April 2026, giving cardholders a limited-time opportunity to earn extra points on everyday spending. The structure is simple but the requirements are significant.

Promotion Timeline and Registration

The promotional period runs from April 1 through June 30, 2026, giving you a full three months to meet the spending requirement. However, there's a critical deadline you can't miss: you must register by March 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.

Here's what makes this interesting. If you make purchases during the promotional period before registering, those transactions will count retroactively once you enroll. That means spending from April 1 onward will qualify as long as you register before the deadline.

To register, log into your Southwest Rapid Rewards account, navigate to "My Account," and scroll to the bottom of the page. If you've been targeted for this offer, you'll see the promotion details. Click through to register.

Spending Requirements and Bonus Structure

The promotion requires $7,000 in eligible purchases on your Southwest credit card during the three-month window. That breaks down to roughly $2,333 per month, which is substantial but manageable if you're already consolidating spending or have planned expenses coming up.

Once you hit the $7,000 threshold, you'll earn a 25% bonus on all your eligible spending for the remainder of the promotional period. The maximum bonus caps at 20,000 points.

Let's break down the math. At a 25% bonus rate, you'd need to spend $80,000 to earn the full 20,000 bonus points. That's unrealistic for most cardholders in three months. The practical reality is that most participants will earn between 1,750 and 5,000 bonus points depending on their total spending.

If you spend exactly $7,000, you'll earn 1,750 bonus points (25% of 7,000). If you spend $15,000 total during the promotional period, you'll earn 3,750 bonus points. The promotion becomes more valuable the more you can comfortably spend beyond the initial threshold.

What Purchases Count

Southwest defines eligible purchases broadly but with important exclusions. Standard everyday spending qualifies: groceries, gas, dining, travel, utilities, and retail purchases all earn the bonus.

What doesn't count? Balance transfers, cash advances, money orders, wire transfers, traveler's checks, foreign currency exchanges, lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, racetrack wagers, convenience checks, and any fees including your annual fee. These exclusions are standard across most credit card promotions.

How the Bonus Points Work

Southwest structures this bonus intelligently. The 25% bonus points you earn are separate from your card's base earning rate, which means you're stacking rewards.

Base Earning Plus Bonus

Let's say you have the Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card. You earn 4 points per dollar on Southwest purchases and 2 points per dollar on gas and restaurants. With this promotion, you'd earn:

• 4 base points per dollar on Southwest purchases
• Plus 1 additional bonus point per dollar (25% of 4)
• Total: 5 points per dollar on Southwest purchases

For gas and restaurant spending after meeting the $7,000 threshold:

• 2 base points per dollar
• Plus 0.5 bonus points per dollar (25% of 2)
• Total: 2.5 points per dollar

For all other purchases:

• 1 base point per dollar
• Plus 0.25 bonus points per dollar (25% of 1)
• Total: 1.25 points per dollar

Companion Pass Qualification

Here's where this promotion becomes particularly valuable. The bonus points count toward Companion Pass qualification, one of the most powerful benefits in the points and miles world.

To earn a Companion Pass, you need either 135,000 qualifying points or 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year. Once earned, the pass is valid for the remainder of that year plus the entire following calendar year.

If you're working toward the 2026-2027 Companion Pass, every qualifying point matters. The 20,000 maximum bonus points from this promotion represent nearly 15% of the total requirement. Combined with welcome bonus offers, anniversary bonuses, and regular spending, this promotion could help you cross the finish line significantly faster.

For a comprehensive breakdown of earning strategies, check out our guide on 3 clever ways to get the Southwest Companion Pass.

The bonus points post to your account within eight weeks after the promotional period ends, so expect them in late August or early September 2026.

What About Elite Status?

The bonus points do not count toward A-List or A-List Preferred elite status qualification. Southwest restricts most credit card bonus points from counting toward tier status, with specific exceptions for tier qualifying points earned through certain cards.

If you're chasing elite status, you'll need to focus on flying paid fares or earning tier qualifying points through eligible card spending categories on the Priority or Premier cards.

Is This Promotion Worth It?

The value proposition depends entirely on your spending patterns and Southwest travel goals.

When This Promotion Makes Sense

This offer delivers the most value if you're already planning significant spending between April and June 2026. Manufactured spending purely to hit the threshold rarely makes financial sense unless you have a specific redemption goal in mind.

Consider this promotion valuable if you:

• Already spend $2,000+ monthly on credit cards and can shift that spending to your Southwest card
• Have planned large purchases coming up (appliances, home improvements, travel bookings)
• Are actively working toward Companion Pass and need the qualifying points
• Regularly use Southwest and value Rapid Rewards points at their full redemption value

The promotion becomes less attractive if you'd need to substantially change your spending habits or carry a balance to meet the requirement. Credit card interest charges will always outweigh points value.

ROI Analysis

Based on our valuation of Southwest Rapid Rewards points at 1.3 cents per point, let's examine different spending scenarios:

Scenario 1: Minimum Threshold ($7,000 total spend)

• Bonus points earned: 1,750
• Estimated value: $22.75
• Additional value from base earning: $91 (7,000 points at 1.3 cents)
• Total value: $113.75

Scenario 2: Moderate Spending ($15,000 total spend)

• Bonus points earned: 3,750
• Estimated value: $48.75
• Additional value from base earning: $195 (15,000 points at 1.3 cents)
• Total value: $243.75

Scenario 3: Maximum Bonus ($80,000 total spend)

• Bonus points earned: 20,000 (capped)
• Estimated value: $260
• Additional value from base earning: $1,040 (80,000 points at 1.3 cents)
• Total value: $1,300

The returns are solid but not extraordinary. Think of this promotion as a nice accelerator for spending you'd do anyway, not as a reason to create artificial expenses.

Stacking Opportunities

This promotion becomes more valuable when combined with other Southwest offers running simultaneously.

Southwest has also been running quarterly category bonuses for 2026. In Q1, cardholders could earn 2x points on drugstore and gym membership purchases. Future quarters may offer similar category-specific bonuses.

If you can layer this 25% spending bonus on top of a category bonus, the returns improve significantly. Additionally, some cardholders may be targeted for multiple promotions at once, though terms typically prevent earning both bonuses on the same transaction.

The new Companion Pass welcome offers that ran through March 19, 2026, aren't compatible with this spending promotion since they're for new cardholders only. However, if you opened a Southwest card earlier this year and are working through your welcome bonus spending, this promotion could help you accumulate points faster.

Southwest Credit Card Portfolio Strategy

Understanding which Southwest card you hold matters for maximizing this promotion's value. If you don't currently have a Southwest card, check out our analysis of the best Southwest credit cards for 2025.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card

The Plus card carries a $99 annual fee (increased from $69 in 2025) and offers 2x points on gas and grocery spending up to $5,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year. If you're working through the grocery and gas bonus categories while this promotion is active, you could earn 2.5 points per dollar on those purchases (2 base points plus 0.5 bonus points).

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card

The Premier card has a $149 annual fee (up from $99) and provides 2x points on groceries and restaurants up to $8,000 in combined purchases per anniversary year. This card also offers enhanced benefits including preferred seat selection and a 15% anniversary flight discount code.

For restaurant and grocery spending during the promotion period, you'd earn 2.5 points per dollar after meeting the $7,000 threshold.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card

The Priority card commands a $229 annual fee (increased from $149) but delivers the most comprehensive benefits. You earn 4x points on all Southwest purchases, 2x points on gas and restaurants, and you get unlimited upgrades to extra legroom seats.

With this card, Southwest purchases during the bonus period would earn 5 points per dollar total. If you're booking Southwest flights or purchasing gift cards during the promotional window, this card offers the best earning rate.

Southwest Business Cards

The Performance Business Credit Card works similarly to the personal cards and is eligible for this promotion. Business cardholders who can meet the $7,000 threshold while also earning in bonus categories will see the strongest returns.

For more on whether business cards make sense for your situation, read our guide on reasons to consider business credit cards.

Strategic Considerations

Maximizing this promotion requires some planning and awareness of potential pitfalls.

Timing Your Spending

Since the promotion runs through June 30, consider front-loading your spending in April if possible. This gives you more time to accumulate points beyond the threshold and earn the 25% bonus.

However, don't rush purchases you're not ready to make. The bonus points aren't worth paying interest charges or buying things you don't need.

Purchase Protection and Benefits

Remember that concentrating spending on your Southwest card means you're passing up potential benefits from other cards. Many premium travel cards offer superior purchase protection, extended warranties, cell phone insurance, and return protection.

Evaluate whether the 25% bonus points outweigh the protections you'd get from using your primary card. For major purchases like electronics or appliances, you might be better served using a card with robust buyer protection even if it means forgoing the Southwest bonus.

For everyday spending on gas and groceries, consider our guides on the best gas credit cards and best grocery store credit cards to see how Southwest cards compare.

Companion Pass Timing

If you're pursuing Companion Pass, the timing of when bonus points post matters. These points won't hit your account until approximately eight weeks after June 30, putting them in your account around late August or early September 2026.

If you're close to the 135,000-point threshold and planning to earn your Companion Pass in 2026, make sure you account for the delayed posting. You might reach qualification through other means before these bonus points arrive.

Alternatively, if you're planning to earn the Companion Pass in early 2027 for maximum validity (remainder of 2027 plus all of 2028), these bonus points posting in late 2026 could give you a strong head start. Read our comprehensive Southwest Companion Pass 2025 guide for detailed timing strategies.

Card Annual Fee Considerations

Southwest increased annual fees across its entire card portfolio in 2025. The Plus card now costs $99, the Premier $149, and the Priority $229. These higher fees mean you need to extract more value from the cards to justify keeping them.

This promotion can help offset some of the increased cost, but only if you're getting value from your points. If you're accumulating Rapid Rewards points but not using them for flights, you're not actually benefiting from the card or the promotion.

For perspective on whether annual fees make sense for your situation, check out 3 situations where annual fees make complete sense.

Comparing to Other Southwest Promotions

Southwest runs various promotions throughout the year. Understanding how this spending bonus compares helps you prioritize.

Q1 2026 Category Bonus

Earlier in 2026, Southwest offered 2x points on drugstore and gym membership purchases for cardholders who registered. That promotion offered up to 10,000 bonus points but was limited to specific categories.

The Q2 spending promotion is broader in scope, applying to all eligible purchases, but requires significantly more total spending ($7,000 vs. potentially much less for the category bonus).

Companion Pass Welcome Offers

In February and March 2026, Southwest ran exceptional welcome offers that included a Companion Pass plus bonus points. Those offers represented substantially better value than this spending promotion, but they were only available to new cardholders.

If you missed those welcome offers and already hold a Southwest card, this spending promotion is one of your best opportunities to earn bonus points without opening a new account.

Anniversary Bonuses

All Southwest cards now offer anniversary bonuses ranging from 7,500 to 9,000 points depending on the card. These bonuses arrive automatically each year without requiring any additional spending.

The 25% spending bonus can potentially earn you significantly more than your anniversary bonus, but only if you spend well beyond the $7,000 threshold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I register after the March 31 deadline?

No. Registration must be completed by March 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. However, purchases made from April 1 onward will count retroactively if you register before the deadline.

What happens if I don't meet the $7,000 minimum spend?

You won't earn any bonus points. The promotion is structured as an all-or-nothing threshold, not a graduated bonus.

Do the bonus points expire?

Rapid Rewards points don't expire as long as you have account activity at least once every 24 months. This includes earning or redeeming points, so having an active Southwest credit card keeps your points from expiring.

Can I combine this with other promotions?

Generally yes, unless the terms of another promotion explicitly prohibit it. Southwest typically allows you to earn multiple types of bonuses on the same purchase, but always check the specific terms.

What if I cancel my card before the bonus posts?

You'll forfeit the bonus points. Your account must remain open and in good standing when the points post in late August or September.

Are business cards eligible?

Yes. The Southwest Performance Business Credit Card and Premier Business Credit Card are both eligible for this promotion if you receive a targeted offer.

Do employee cards count toward the spending threshold?

Yes. All purchases made on employee cards tied to your account count toward the $7,000 spending requirement.

How accurate is the $7,000 tracking?

Southwest and Chase track your progress based on posted transactions, not pending ones. Check your recent activity to see which purchases have posted and count toward your total.

Bottom Line

The Southwest 25% bonus points promotion through June 30, 2026, offers solid value for cardholders already planning significant spending. The $7,000 threshold is substantial but achievable over three months, and the bonus points counting toward Companion Pass qualification adds meaningful value for frequent Southwest travelers.

Register before the March 31, 2026 deadline if you've been targeted, evaluate whether you can comfortably meet the spending requirement through normal expenses, and focus on using your Southwest card for purchases that align with your bonus categories for maximum returns. Don't manufacture spending just for this promotion, but if you can strategically route purchases you'd make anyway to your Southwest card, the 1,750 to 20,000 bonus points represent a worthwhile return.

If this promotion inspires you to apply for your first Southwest card, explore our roundup of the best credit cards for Southwest flights to find the right fit for your travel goals.

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