You can now transfer Chase points to Southwest Rapid Rewards with a 30% bonus through June 5, 2026, and it’s one of the biggest transfer bonus we’ve ever seen between these two programs. Chase Ultimate Rewards has only run a Southwest transfer bonus twice in the past five-plus years, so if you’ve been sitting on a stash of Chase points and you fly Southwest with any regularity, this is the rare moment where it actually makes math sense to move them over.
The bonus pushes your transfer ratio from the standard 1,000:1,000 up to 1,000:1,300, and you can do it as many times as you want during the promo window. Transfers are usually instant, which means you can search for a Southwest flight, lock in the points price, transfer from Chase, and book — all in the same sitting.
Here’s everything you need to know to take advantage, plus the math on whether your specific points are better off staying flexible or making the move.
Chase 30% transfer bonus to Southwest: the deal right now
The promotion runs from May 15 through June 5, 2026, and applies to all transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Rapid Rewards during that window. Every 1,000 Chase points you move becomes 1,300 Rapid Rewards points in your Southwest account, automatically. You don’t need to opt in, register, or use a promo code — the bonus is applied at the moment of transfer.
There’s no cap on how many points you can transfer with the bonus, which is rare. Some banks limit promotional transfers to a single use per account or cap the bonus at a certain points threshold, but Chase is keeping this one wide open.
How to transfer Chase points to Southwest
The process is straightforward if you have your accounts linked, and takes about two minutes total.
Log into your Chase Ultimate Rewards portal through any eligible Chase card that earns transferable points (Chase Sapphire Preferred®, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred). Navigate to the rewards section and select “transfer to travel partners.” Find Southwest Rapid Rewards in the list of airline partners.
If this is your first time transferring to Southwest, you’ll need to link your Rapid Rewards account using your account number and the exact name on file. The first link can take a few minutes to verify, but every transfer after that is instant.
Enter the number of Chase points you want to transfer in increments of 1,000. The portal will show you the bonused total before you confirm, so you can see exactly how many Rapid Rewards points will land in your Southwest account. Once you confirm, the points usually appear in your Rapid Rewards balance within seconds, though Chase officially says it can take up to a few hours during high-volume periods.
One critical rule to know before you transfer: Rapid Rewards points are non-refundable once they leave Chase. If your travel plans change after you’ve moved points over, you can’t transfer them back. Only move what you plan to use, and ideally only after you’ve confirmed availability on the Southwest flight you want.
How long do Chase to Southwest transfers take?
Transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Rapid Rewards are typically instant. In practice, points usually show up in your Rapid Rewards account within 30 seconds to a couple of minutes. Note that, in rare cases, your points can take longer to transfer.
What is the transfer ratio for Chase points to Southwest?
The standard transfer ratio is 1:1, meaning 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points becomes 1,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points. During this 30% bonus promotion, the effective ratio is 1,000:1,300.
A few practical examples of what that looks like:
10,000 Chase points becomes 13,000 Rapid Rewards points. 50,000 Chase points becomes 65,000 Rapid Rewards points. 100,000 Chase points becomes 130,000 Rapid Rewards points.
Transfers must be made in 1,000-point increments, so you can’t move 500 or 750 points at a time. Plan your transfer based on the exact award price plus a small buffer for taxes and fees if you’re booking immediately.
Southwest transfer bonus history: how rare is this?
To understand why this promotion matters, look at the timeline. In the entire history of the Chase to Southwest transfer relationship, Chase has only offered a transfer bonus to Southwest three times. The first was a 20% bonus in October 2020. The second was a 25% bonus in October 2025. This 30% bonus, launched May 15, 2026, is the third — and the largest by margin.
For comparison, Chase regularly runs transfer bonuses to partners like United, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, and British Airways. Some of those programs see bonuses two or three times a year. Southwest is the outlier. If you wait for the next Southwest transfer bonus, you might be waiting another full year (or five).
The full historical context is in the table below.
Which Credit Cards Transfer To Southwest
Here’s something worth understanding if you’re newer to points and miles: Southwest is unusual in that only two banks offer points transfers to Rapid Rewards. Those banks are Chase and Bilt. Amex Membership Rewards points don’t transfer to Southwest. Capital One miles don’t transfer to Southwest. Citi ThankYou points don’t transfer to Southwest.
That makes Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Points uniquely valuable for anyone who flies Southwest, especially Companion Pass holders who can effectively double the value of every Rapid Rewards point. And critically, both currencies keep your points flexible while they sit in your account.
With Chase, your points can transfer to many airlines and hotel plus Southwest. With Bilt, your points transfer to a similarly broad list including Alaska, Hyatt, Air France/KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and now Southwest. Neither commits you to Southwest until the moment you click transfer, which is why having flexible points with Bilt or Chase beats earning points directly with a Southwest card.
That optionality is the real story. You’re not locking yourself into a Southwest-only currency by earning Chase or Bilt points — you’re earning a flexible bank that can become Southwest points when you want them to, or stay flexible for international premium cabin redemptions through other partners.
Best cards for transferring points to Southwest
If you’re looking to get into either of the two ecosystems that transfer to Southwest, the cards I’d recommend starting with are the Bilt Palladium or the Chase Sapphire Preferred®. Both earn flexible points that can become Southwest points when you need them, and both serve as strong entry points into their respective ecosystems without requiring a premium-card commitment.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is the best Chase card for anyone getting started with flexible points. It’s the lowest-cost entry into the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, the welcome bonus is consistently one of the strongest in the market, and the points it earns are fully transferable to Southwest at the standard 1:1 ratio (or 1:1.3 during this bonus). Most importantly, the points you earn aren’t “Southwest points” — they’re flexible Ultimate Rewards points that can become Southwest points when you want them to, or stay as Chase points for transfers to United, Hyatt, Air France, and any other Chase partner.
The Bilt Palladium is the Bilt ecosystem’s flagship card. Bilt earns transferable points on rent and mortgage (which is genuinely unique in the credit card world), dining, travel, and everyday spend, and the Palladium tier unlocks the strongest earn rates and benefits. With Southwest now part of Bilt’s transfer partner lineup, the Palladium becomes a serious option for Southwest flyers who want to earn transferable points on the largest monthly expense most people have.
For full breakdowns of both cards, check our Bilt Palladium review and our Chase Sapphire Preferred® review for the welcome bonus details, current earn rates, and the full benefit lineup.
Who should skip this transfer bonus
The 30% bonus is genuinely good math, but it isn’t right for everyone. If you fall into any of these categories, leave your points in Chase.
You don’t fly Southwest. Obvious, but worth saying. If your home airport doesn’t have meaningful Southwest service, or if you prefer to fly other carriers for any reason, this bonus doesn’t help you. Your Chase points are more valuable transferred to Hyatt (where outsized redemptions hit 2 to 3 cents per point), or to Virgin Atlantic for international premium cabin sweet spots.
You’re saving for an international award. If you’re building a balance to redeem on Air France business class, Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, or any international partner, do not touch your Chase points for Southwest. The opportunity cost is too high — you’d be getting an average of 1.43 cents per point on Southwest versus 5 to 8 cents per point on a well-executed international premium redemption.
You don’t have a specific Southwest flight in mind. Speculatively transferring is the easiest way to lose value. Wait until you have a booking ready.
Bottom line
The 30% Chase to Southwest transfer bonus is a rare and meaningful promotion. It pushes the value of your Chase points to roughly 1.43 cents each when redeemed for Southwest flights, which is competitive with most other Chase redemption paths and better than nearly all of them for domestic economy travel. With only two prior Southwest transfer bonuses in the past five years, and this one being the largest ever, the window between now and June 5 is the time to act if you’ve been planning a Southwest redemption.
The key is to only transfer what you’re ready to use. Rapid Rewards points are non-refundable, non-transferable to other programs, and slowly losing value as Southwest’s dynamic pricing matures. Chase points, on the other hand, remain among the most flexible currencies in the loyalty world — useful for everything from a Hawaii flight on United to a suite at the Park Hyatt Tokyo. Move the points you need for the trip you’re booking, and let the rest stay flexible.
If you’re not yet in either ecosystem, the Bilt Palladium and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® are the two cards to start with — both earn points that can become Southwest points, and both keep your options wide open until the moment you decide to book.
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