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Short answer: it depends entirely on which direction you’re asking about. Southwest will let you send your own Rapid Rewards points to another member’s account for a fee, and Chase will let you send points into Southwest for free. But try to go the other way — out of Southwest, whether to a person’s flight-only balance being unwound, back to Chase, or over to another airline — and the answer flips to no. Same word, “transfer,” three completely different rules depending on which way the points are moving.
Here’s every direction laid out plainly, with what it actually costs where a cost exists.
Can You Transfer Southwest Points to Another Person?
Yes. Southwest is one of the few major airline programs that allows direct member-to-member point transfers, no relationship or shared address required. Log into your account, go to the transfer option, and send points in increments of 500, up to 60,000 points per transaction, to any other active Rapid Rewards member.
It isn’t free: Southwest charges $5 per 500 points transferred, which works out to 1 cent per point on top of whatever those points are eventually worth in redemption value. Transfers typically post to the recipient’s account within 72 hours. One thing worth flagging before you send a big batch: transferred points do not count toward the recipient’s A-List status or Companion Pass qualification — they land as plain, spendable points only.
The Free Alternative: Book Directly Instead of Transferring
If your actual goal is getting someone else on a flight — not building up their point balance long-term — skip the transfer fee entirely. Log into your own account, search the flight, and enter your family member or friend’s legal name and birthdate as the passenger. Your points get deducted, they get a confirmed ticket in their name, and it costs nothing extra. This “indirect transfer” is the move most people actually want when they ask about sending Southwest points to someone else.
Can You Transfer Points to Southwest From Chase?
Yes, and this is the direction most people actually mean when they ask about “transferring” Southwest points. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio — 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points become 100,000 Rapid Rewards points, instantly and at full value, with no fee. This works from any Ultimate Rewards-earning Chase card (Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, Ink Business Preferred, and similar — see our guide to Southwest credit cards for the full lineup), and it’s the reason so many points strategies route through Chase cards specifically for Southwest redemptions. We’ve covered the mechanics and a recent bonus period in detail in our guide to the Chase → Southwest transfer bonus.
Bilt Rewards also transfers to Southwest at 1:1, and several hotel programs — including Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards, and World of Hyatt — convert their points into Rapid Rewards as well, though typically at less favorable ratios than the Chase and Bilt 1:1 rate.
Can You Transfer Southwest Points Back to Chase or Another Program?
No, and this is the one direction that trips people up. The Chase-to-Southwest relationship only runs one way. Once Ultimate Rewards points land in your Rapid Rewards account, they become Southwest points under Southwest’s own rules — there is no mechanism to send them back to Chase, to a different transferable-points program, or to any other airline or hotel currency. The transfer is final the moment you confirm it.
That makes it worth a specific habit: confirm the Southwest flight you want is actually bookable, at a point cost you’re comfortable with, before you pull the trigger on a Chase transfer — not after. Moving points speculatively and hoping a good redemption shows up is the most common way people end up with a Southwest balance that’s larger than any flight they actually want.
Can You Transfer Southwest Points to Another Airline?
No. Southwest has never belonged to oneworld, Star Alliance, or SkyTeam, and it has no traditional partner-airline award chart the way American, Delta, or United do. Rapid Rewards points are redeemable for Southwest flights and Southwest flights only — there’s no mechanism to convert them into miles on American, Delta, United, or any international carrier.
Starting in 2025, Southwest began signing interline agreements with several international carriers, including China Airlines, Icelandair, EVA Air, and Condor. These let you book a single ticket and check bags through to a connecting international flight on the partner airline — a real convenience for a Southwest flyer connecting to Taipei or Frankfurt. But it’s an interline agreement for ticketing and baggage, not a codeshare or loyalty partnership: there’s no reciprocal elite status, and Rapid Rewards points still cannot be transferred to or redeemed directly on any of these partner airlines.
The one narrow exception: Southwest credit cardholders have access to a shopping portal called More Rewards, which lets you spend points on merchandise, gift cards, and — among other things — flights on other airlines. It works more like a cash-value redemption catalog than an airline transfer, and the value per point is noticeably worse than redeeming for a Southwest flight directly. Treat it as a last resort, not a real substitute for an actual points transfer.
Every Direction, At a Glance
| Transfer Direction | Possible? | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest → another Rapid Rewards member | Yes | $5 per 500 points (500-point increments, 60,000 max per transaction) |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards → Southwest | Yes | Free, 1:1 ratio |
| Bilt Rewards → Southwest | Yes | Free, 1:1 ratio |
| Southwest → Chase or another transferable-points program | No | Not offered, no exceptions |
| Southwest → another airline | No | No airline partners; More Rewards portal only, at poor value |
Pro Tips
- Use the free indirect transfer for one-off gifts. If you just want to get someone on a specific flight, book it directly in their name instead of paying the $5-per-500 transfer fee.
- Reserve the paid member-to-member transfer for building someone else’s long-term balance — pooling toward a future trip, consolidating a household’s points into one account, that kind of goal — where the fee is worth it for flexibility.
- Always confirm your award flight is bookable before transferring Chase points in. The 1:1 Chase transfer is free and instant, but irreversible — there’s no way to move the points back out if your plans change.
- Watch for Chase transfer bonuses. Periodic promotions (recently as high as 30%) briefly turn the 1:1 ratio into extra value — worth checking before a routine transfer if you’re not in a rush.
- Don’t count on new interline partners for point redemptions. Southwest’s 2025–2026 interline deals with carriers like China Airlines and Icelandair help with baggage and single-ticket booking, not with using Rapid Rewards points on those airlines.
Bottom Line
Southwest points move freely in exactly two directions: to another Rapid Rewards member for a small fee, and in from Chase (or Bilt) for free at 1:1. Every other direction — back to Chase, to a hotel program, to another airline — is closed. If your goal is simply getting someone else on a flight, skip the transfer fee and book it directly in their name instead. And if you’re routing Chase points into Southwest, confirm the redemption you want first — that transfer has no undo button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you transfer Southwest points to another person?
Yes. Southwest lets any Rapid Rewards member send points directly to another active member's account, in increments of 500 up to 60,000 points per transaction, for a fee of $5 per 500 points (1 cent per point). Transfers typically post within 72 hours, but the transferred points don't count toward the recipient's A-List status or Companion Pass qualification.
Is there a free way to share Southwest points with someone else?
Yes. Instead of paying the transfer fee, log into your own account and book the flight directly using the other person's legal name and birthdate as the passenger. Your points get deducted and they receive a confirmed ticket in their name, at no extra cost.
Can you transfer Chase points to Southwest?
Yes. Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Southwest Rapid Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, instantly and with no fee, from any Ultimate Rewards-earning Chase card. Bilt Rewards points also transfer to Southwest at 1:1.
Can you transfer Southwest points back to Chase?
No. The Chase-to-Southwest transfer only runs one direction. Once Ultimate Rewards points convert into Rapid Rewards points, they cannot be moved back to Chase, to another transferable-points program, or to any other airline or hotel currency.
Can you transfer Southwest points to another airline?
No. Southwest isn't part of any airline alliance and has no partner award chart, so Rapid Rewards points can only be redeemed on Southwest flights. Southwest's newer interline agreements with carriers like China Airlines and Icelandair allow combined ticketing and baggage checking, but they don't include any loyalty point transfer or redemption.
