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The Southwest Rapid Rewards program is one of the best programs for domestic travel.
You get two free checked bags per person, no cancelation or change fees, and there are frequent sales. The Companion Pass is also an excellent deal for travelers.
Chase is currently the only bank that partners with Southwest. In fact, Chase Ultimate Rewards Points is a popular travel points currency among points enthusiasts and frugal tourists like myself.
And since Southwest Airlines is a transfer partner of Chase, you can essentially accumulate Southwest Airlines miles as a result of earning Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points.
Earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points is relatively easy and can be accrued by using any of the following credit cards below:
Chase Personal Credit Cards:
- Chase Freedom Flex® Credit Card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit Card
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card ($95 annual fee)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card($550 annual fee)
Chase Business Credit Cards:
- Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
- Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card ($95 annual fee)
Feel free to skip to Instructions on How to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Rapid Rewards if you already know why transferring to a Chase premium card is necessary before we can initiate this transfer.
Important: You Need to Own A Chase Premium Card
To have the ability to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program, you need to hold at least one of the three Chase premium cards.
Again, you only need one of these cards to unlock the benefit of transferring to travel partners such as Southwest Rapid Rewards.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card (Learn more about this card here.)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card (Learn more about this card here.)
- Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Learn more about this card here.)
Heads Up: Without one of these three Chase premium cards, you will not have the ability to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program or any of Chase’s Travel Partners. In my opinion, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best of the three.
Deep Dive on Chase Credit Cards: No Annual Fee Cashback Cards versus Premium Cards
Before we proceed with the steps involved in transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program, we must understand the difference between no-annual-fee cashback cards and premium Chase cards.
The table below illustrates which category each card belongs to.
| No-Annual-Fee Cards | Premium Cards (AF=Annual Fee) |
| Chase Freedom / Flex | Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95 AF) |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited | Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 AF) |
| Chase Business Ink Cash | Chase Ink Business Preferred ($95 AF) |
| Chase Business Ink Unlimited |
To soften the blow of the steep annual fees on Chase’s premium cards, Chase provides additional benefits to premium card consumers that are not available to those who only have no-annual-fee cards.
One of these valuable premium Chase card benefits is having access to my all-time favorite Ultimate Rewards (UR) redemption option – TRANSFER TO TRAVEL PARTNERS.
Redemption Options for Chase No-Annual-Fee Cashback Cards and Premium Cards
Let’s compare the redemption options of “no-annual fee” cashback cards versus premium travel cards.
At first glance, you might think that the choices are pretty generous for no-annual-fee cards, specifically, the cashback and gift card options.
But if you want to maximize the value of your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, it is recommended that you explore other redemption methods other than cashback, especially if you also have a premium card. I’ll explain this later.
Unless you have an emergency and are in dire need of cash, exchanging your hard-earned points for cash or gift cards will not generate the best bang for your buck, in my opinion.
Now let’s check out the redemption options for premium Chase cards.
The image below shows that “Transfer to Travel Partners” became an available redemption option when I logged on to my Ultimate Rewards Account under my Chase Sapphire Preferred (CSP).
This “transfer benefit” will also appear in your Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Chase Ink Business Preferred accounts because they are both premium cards, but not in your no-annual-fee cards.
The table below comparatively illustrates the redemption options for each card type.
| No Annual Fee Redemptions | Premium Card Redemptions |
| Amazon | Amazon |
| Apple | Apple |
| Cashback | Cashback |
| Gift Cards | Gift Cards |
| Travel | Travels |
| Pay Yourself Back (PYB) | |
| Transfer to Partners | |
Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Travel Partners Such As Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
It is essential to underscore that each Ultimate Rewards Point is not created equal.
The value of each Ultimate Rewards Point will depend on whether they originate from a premium card or no-annual-fee card.
As previously stated, even if no-annual-fee cards generate Ultimate Rewards Points, you cannot transfer your points to travel partners like Southwest Airlines unless you have one of Chase’s premium cards (Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Chase Ink Business Preferred).
In the image below, you can see that I have Ultimate Rewards Points in several accounts, but not all can be transferred to Chase travel partners.
And this bears repeating – this generous redemption option of transferring to partners, such as Southwest Rapid Rewards, can only be carried out through one of the three Chase premium cards.
Therefore, I strongly recommend owning at least ONE premium Chase card because this incredibly fantastic redemption benefit would not be possible without one.
In my case, the premium cards I have kept in my wallet are the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card (CSR) and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card . The other premium card that will give you this transfer benefit is the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.
Chase Travel Partners
The image below lists all the other Chase travel partners.
Please check their website regularly as it is not unusual for Chase to initiate new relationships (Hello, Aer Lingus!) and terminate old ones (Bye, Korean Air).
What if my Ultimate Reward Points are in my No-Annual Fee Cashback Cards?
| Read this section if your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points are in your no-annual-fee cashback Chase credit cards: – Chase Freedom Flex – Chase Freedom Unlimited – Chase Business Ink Cash – Chase Business Ink Unlimited Skip to the next section if your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points are in a premium Chase card such as: – Chase Sapphire Preferred – Chase Sapphire Reserve – Chase Business Ink Preferred |
Should you find most of your points in a no-annual-fee card, do not worry.
Chase allows the transfer of points between Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards.
Log in to your Chase account and click any of your Ultimate Rewards-earning credit cards.
Then, look for the “Ultimate Rewards Points” button to access your points. Please see the image below.
Next, click the “Earn/Use” dropdown arrow to find “COMBINE POINTS“.
If this is your first time combining Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, please continue reading for a step-by-step walkthrough.
As a general rule of thumb, I suggest transferring all of your no-annual-fee (cash back) Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to your premium cards so you can have the ability to move your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to travel partners, such as Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards anytime.
This transfer also significantly increases the worth of your Ultimate Rewards Points acquired from your no-annual-fee cards, making them all the more valuable.
Steps for Combining Points or Converting No-Annual-Fee Cashback Points to Premium Travel Points (Desktop)
STEP 1:
Log in to your Chase profile and select one of your Chase cards that earns Ultimate Rewards points.
I selected my Chase Freedom® Credit Card in the image below, which currently has 26,256 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points.
I then clicked “Redeem” in the Ultimate Rewards points section (see the red box).
Clicking “Redeem” will lead you to the “Ultimate Rewards” page. Click the “Earn / Use” drop-down menu (see the image below).
STEP 2:
The drop-down menu will reveal the different redemption options, including “Combine Points”.
STEP 3:
Click “Combine Points,” then select a no-annual-fee card under “From” on the left column.
This account will have the points you will transfer to a premium Chase card.
STEP 4:
Select a premium card under “To” which is the Chase card where you want your points to go.
In the image below, I am moving points from my no-annual-fee Chase Freedom® Credit Card to my premium card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card.
STEP 5:
Initiate the transfer by clicking “Continue.” You will be directed to a page where you can indicate the number of points you would like to transfer to your premium card.
Since the value of your no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards points significantly increases when transferred to a premium card, I highly suggest transferring all of your points.
Generally speaking, you would always want your Ultimate Rewards Points stored in one of your premium cards. Click “Review” once you have made your selection.
If you have two premium cards that include the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card (CSR), transfer all of your points to the CSR, as that provides the best redemption value among all the other Chase cards.
Want to know more? Here’s a beginner’s guide that covers the differences between premium cards.
STEP 6:
Chase will give you another opportunity to review your selection.
You would want to ensure that you are transferring no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards Points to a premium card and not the other way around.
In this example, I am moving my Ultimate Rewards Points from my no-annual-fee Chase Freedom® Credit Card to my Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card, a premium card.
Confirm & Submit.
STEP 7:
Once you have completed this transfer, you will be notified if the transfer was successful.
Once your points are in your premium card, you can now transfer your Ultimate Rewards Points to your Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Account (see next section).
Pro Tip: If you are part of a couple/family who lives in the same address, transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards Points between different individual accounts (between player 1 and player 2) is possible. Holding two premium cards is no longer necessary as long as you meet Chase’s criteria as a household member. One player can keep a premium card, and the other can continue accumulating no-annual-fee Ultimate Rewards Points that can be easily transferred to the owner of the premium card. You need to call Chase to initiate this transfer.
Steps on How to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
Assuming that you already have your Ultimate Rewards Points in either the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card, or Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, transferring to the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program is pretty straightforward.
STEP 1:
Make sure that you have a Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Account.
It is free to register. Once you have your Southwest Rapid Reward account number, please write it down on paper, as we will need it shortly.
If you do not yet have a Southwest Rapid Rewards account, click the button below to sign up. It is free to enroll.
STEP 2:
Go to Chase.com, then Access One of Your Premium Cards.
Each premium card will give you the option to access Ultimate Rewards.
In this example, I transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards Points from my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, a premium card.
Look for the option to access your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points by clicking “Redeem”.
You can transfer points from your other no-annual-fee Chase cards to your premium card if you need more points. Please see the previous sections for steps to “Combine Points.”
STEP 3:
Choose Transfer to Travel Partners.
Click the Earn/Use drop-down menu and then navigate to “Transfer to Travel Partners”
Southwest Rapid Rewards is one of Chase’s many travel partners.
STEP 4:
Look for Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards and Click Transfer Points.
STEP 5:
Enter your Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Account Number and Recipient Details.
You can transfer points to yourself.
However, according to Chase.com, you can also transfer to an authorized user (family member or business partner), but you would need to manually re-enter the recipient information.
STEP 6:
Type in the number of points you would like to transfer in 1,000 Ultimate Rewards Points increments.
The minimum amount that you can transfer is 1,000 Ultimate Rewards points.
The transfer ratio is 1:1, so 1 Ultimate Rewards Point = 1 Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Mile.
STEP 7:
Verify if all the information you entered is correct, then click “Confirm & Submit.”
STEP 8:
Check your Southwest Rapid Rewards account after the transfer.
Moving Ultimate Rewards Points from Chase to Southwest is typically instant, so refresh your browser if you do not see your points show up instantly.
How Fast/Long Does It Take For Chase Ultimate Rewards Points To Transfer to the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program?
If you are doing this transfer for the first time, it may take a few days before the process is completed.
Conversely, if you have already transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Southwest in the past, then the transfer should be instant. This can change anytime, though.
Do Southwest Rapid Rewards Miles Expire?
No, they no longer expire.
Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards to Southwest Rapid Rewards on the Chase Mobile App
Performing the above functions, such as combining points and transferring to travel partners, using the Chase Mobile app can be a bit confusing at first.
Here are the steps on how to navigate the Chase Mobile App, so you can quickly transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points wherever you are.
STEP 1:
Log in to your Chase account using your Chase Mobile App.
Select a Chase Premium Card. In this example, I will access my Chase Ultimate Rewards points through my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card.
STEP 2:
Under your premium card, navigate to the Rewards and Benefits section.
STEP 3:
Click “Ultimate Rewards”
STEP 4:
Click the three lines on the upper left-hand corner. See the image below.
STEP 5:
Select “Transfer to Travel Partners” to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to any of Chase’s travel partners.
This blog post will walk you through transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Program.
If you want to transfer points from one Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card to another credit card, select “Combine Points”.
STEP 6:
Select Southwest Rapid Rewards from the list of Chase’s travel partners.
STEP 7:
Enter your Southwest Rapid Rewards Number.
Make sure you sign-up for a Southwest Rapid Rewards account before transferring your points, as Chase will require this information.
STEP 8:
Indicate the number of Chase Ultimate Rewards Points you would like to transfer to Southwest.
Remember that this is a one-way street. Any points transferred from Chase to Southwest can not be reversed, so make sure the award space is available before proceeding with this transfer.
STEP 9:
Review transfer details, then “Submit”
Reminder to only transfer points when you see award availability. The transfer process is irreversible – you can not transfer Southwest Rapid Rewards miles back to Chase Ultimate Rewards.
STEP 10:
Run your award searches and safe travels.
Pro-Tip: Check your award flights if they have gone down in price. Southwest generously allows free flight changes and will refund the price difference, whether in cash or points.
Credit Cards That Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards
Premium Chase Credit Cards That Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED® CREDIT CARD: Earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within 3 months. Points can be redeemed for cash back or travel. Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred here.
CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE® CREDIT CARD: Earn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Read more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve here.
INK BUSINESS PREFERRED® CREDIT CARD: Earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Learn more about the Ink Business Preferred here.
No-Annual-Fee Chase Credit Cards That Earn Chase Ultimate Rewards Cashback
INK BUSINESS CASH® CREDIT CARD: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The Ink Business Cash also earns 5 Ultimate Rewards Points for every dollar spent at office supply stores, phone, internet and cable. Learn more about the card here.
INK BUSINESS UNLIMITED® CREDIT CARD: Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $7,500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. The Ink Business Unlimited also earns 1.5 Ultimate Rewards Points for all purchases. Learn more about the Ink Business Unlimited here.
CHASE FREEDOM FLEX® CREDIT CARD: Get $200 cash back or 20,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points after spending $500 within 3 months. It also has revolving quarterly categories that earn 5X, 3x in dining, 3x in drugstores, and 5X on travel booked at the Chase travel portal. You can read more about this card here.
CHASE FREEDOM UNLIMITED® CREDIT CARD: Get $200 cashback after spending $500 within 3 months. This card also earns 3X at drugstores and dining. Earn 1.5 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points for everything else. Learn more about Chase Freedom Unlimited here.
Summary
Final Thoughts
There’s no doubt in my mind that earning free travel is the best way to use miles and points.
And if you’re looking for a flexible travel currency, Chase Ultimate Rewards should be at the top of your list.
They’re relatively easy to earn and can be used for everything from premium cabins to discounted airfare.
With Southwest’s partnership with Chase, you can now earn Southwest miles as a reward for using Chase credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards.
Flying Southwest using miles is excellent because you can get free flights, no blackout dates, and the ability to change your flight for free.
These benefits make it easy to travel on your schedule without worrying about paying high prices or dealing with restrictions.
Have you ever transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Southwest before?
EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE – Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. The content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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