Timing is Everything
This is possibly the most important thing to understand about earning a Companion Pass. Make sure you really absorb this lesson!
This lesson is dedicated to explaining the “why” of the timing because I believe you learn better when you understand the why -- as well as offer some reminders.
Companion Pass Tracker Resets on January 1
This is the single most important factor for timing. Your Companion Pass Tracker looks something like this. You can find it when you're logged in to your Rapid Rewards account.
Important: Your Companion Pass Tracker is different than your “Points Available.”
Every year when January 1 rolls around, you will have the same number of “Points Available” as you did on December 31 {unless you book a flight}.
BUT your Companion Pass progress (the bottom line) will reset to ZERO.
You can see in this screenshot, my husband was very close to earning a Companion Pass -- just a little more than 10,000 points short. He had until December 31 to do this and earn his Companion Pass.
If he didn't do that before December 31, his tracker resets to 0 and he starts over with trying to earn 135,000 points to earn the pass. He'd still have 125,000 points in his account, but back to zero with earning enough to trigger the Companion Pass.
Why this matters
The easiest way to earn a Companion Pass is leveraging Southwest card welcome offers and timing when they will hit your Southwest account so that you can earn a Companion Pass.
A lot of people like to start opening the cards in the fall because they are planning to have those welcome offers hit right after January 1 -- right after the Companion Pass tracker has reset.
That's because -- to review -- the amount of time you have to use your Companion Pass is tied to when you earn it. Whenever you reach 135,000 points, you earn the Companion Pass for the rest of that year AS WELL AS the whole following year. That's why we emphasize earning early in the year! Ideally you'll earn it in January or February and have it for 22-23 months!
Don't make this mistake
If you are trying to earn a Companion Pass for 2027-2028, you need to be absolutely sure your credit card bonus points do not post until January 2027.
Every year, there are people who accidentally earn their credit card welcome offer points in December.
If this happens, you'll still have your points on January 1. But your Companion Pass tracker will be back to zero and you will have a much harder time earning the Companion Pass.
When Exactly a Credit Card Bonus Hits Your Southwest Account
Banks manage this differently, but with the Southwest credit cards you don't get your bonus points from the welcome offer right after you complete your spending requirement.
Points are given when a statement closes. That means when the bank sends the credit card statement to you by email or mail.
They are not given when you pay your credit card bill, you actually get the points before that. They are not given on the exact date you meet your spend requirement.
Whenever you meet the spend requirement, you'll get your points the next time your billing statement period ends and is sent to you.
Must Do: Know when your statement closes (or when your billing period ends) to understand when your points will hit your Southwest account.
When you have a brand new card, in the first month, you can't see this easily in your account at first. It will be blank when you go into your account details.
But after a month, you will see the closing date listed.
Must Do: Track your spending meticulously
Make absolute certain that you are not within even $500 of the spend requirement amount before your December statement closes.
Don't forget to take into account any items you have returned. Though returns lower the overall spent on your card, the purchases are sometimes still counted towards your bonus.
After you have received your December statement, you are free to complete your spending to earn your bonus. You can also wait until January 1 to complete your spending if you want to be 100% safe.
Must Do: Complete your spending within 90 days
You ALSO need to make sure you earn your bonus! You have 90 days from when your account was opened to earn your bonus. Make sure you finish your spending by this date.
