Southwest Plus Tier Accelerator 2026: 1,000 Tier Points per $5k Through Dec 31
Southwest’s Plus Tier Accelerator is a targeted offer. Per Southwest terms, it “applies only to cardmembers who receive marketing communications for this offer.” If you hold the Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card but never got that marketing, holding the card alone doesn’t get you this bonus.
If you did get it, the deal is simple: 1,000 bonus Tier Qualifying Points (TQP) for each $5,000 in purchases on your Plus card from January 1 through December 31, 2026, per Southwest terms as of September 27, 2026.
That matters because the Plus card has no standing TQP earning. Current Rapid Rewards terms list ongoing card TQP only for Premier, Premier Business, Priority, and Performance Business. For a targeted Plus cardmember, this accelerator is the Plus path to card-earned TQP.
Written by Joe · Miles & Points Expert | 240,000+ Points Redeemed in 2026 · Last updated: September 27, 2026. Offer terms follow Southwest’s official Plus Tier Accelerator page; status rules follow Rapid Rewards terms and Southwest’s official tier pages, as of September 27, 2026.
At a Glance: The Plus Tier Accelerator
- Targeted: per Southwest terms, the offer “applies only to cardmembers who receive marketing communications for this offer.”
- Card: as of September 27, 2026, the official offer page names only the Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card. It doesn’t name Premier, Priority, Premier Business, or Performance Business.
- Headline: “Earn 1,000 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 you spend on your Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card through 12/31/26.”
- Promotion Period: January 1 through December 31, 2026, with 1,000 bonus Tier Qualifying Points for each $5,000 spent in purchases on a Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card.
- No standing Plus TQP: the Plus card has no standing TQP earning under current Rapid Rewards terms, so this targeted bonus is the only Plus TQP on this page.
- Registration: the official accelerator page doesn’t state a registration or enrollment step.
- Before you spend: Confirm on Southwest’s official Plus Tier Accelerator page that the offer and its terms still apply, and that you received the marketing for it, before you put spend on the card.
Real-World Examples
Example 1: No marketing, no offer
A Rapid Rewards Plus cardmember who didn’t receive marketing communications for this offer is outside the official eligibility wording. They don’t get the accelerator just by holding the card, and because Plus has no standing TQP earning, their Plus spend doesn’t earn TQP at all.
Takeaway: check that the offer was actually sent to you before you plan around it.
Example 2: One $5,000 increment
A targeted Plus cardmember crosses a $5,000 purchase increment during a given month. Per Southwest terms, the 1,000 bonus Tier Qualifying Points post to the Rapid Rewards account within eight weeks after the last day of that month. They won’t appear on the credit card statement.
Takeaway: look in your Rapid Rewards account, not your Chase statement.
Example 3: Charges that don’t count
Balance transfers, cash advances, cash-like transactions, person-to-person transfers, interest, unauthorized charges, and fees of any kind, including an annual fee if applicable, are excluded from the official purchase definition. None of them moves you toward the next $5,000.
Takeaway: only real purchases of products and services count.
Example 4: Authorized-user spend
Official terms define purchases as when you, or an authorized user, use a card to buy products and services, subject to the same exclusions.
Takeaway: an authorized user’s qualifying purchases count the same way as yours.
Example 5: Two separate paths
Per Southwest’s official tier pages and Rapid Rewards terms, A-List and A-List Preferred each have two paths. Southwest’s official paths are 20 or 40 qualifying one-way segments, or 35,000 or 70,000 TQP. This accelerator only feeds the TQP path. Paid qualifying flights also earn TQP, so flying still adds to the same TQP total. Southwest publishes no hybrid formula that mixes segments and TQP; extra TQP don’t reduce the segment requirement, and segments don’t reduce the TQP requirement.
Takeaway: bonus TQP and TQP from paid flights add up on the TQP path, but neither shortens the segment path.
Example 6: A late-2026 increment
Bonus TQP post within eight weeks after month-end, and Southwest’s help text says points must be earned and posted before the end of the calendar year to count toward that year’s status. So a $5,000 increment completed late in 2026 can post after December 31, 2026.
Takeaway: late-year spend may not count toward 2026 status.
TL;DR – Verdict
This is a targeted, Plus-only accelerator, not a general Rapid Rewards or all-cardholder offer. It applies only to cardmembers who receive marketing communications for it.
If you received it: 1,000 bonus Tier Qualifying Points per $5,000 in qualifying Plus purchases, January 1 through December 31, 2026.
No standing TQP on Plus. Official Rapid Rewards terms don’t list Plus as a TQP-earning card, so this targeted bonus is the only Plus TQP path described here.
The thresholds: A-List is 20 qualifying one-way flight segments or 35,000 TQP per calendar year; A-List Preferred is 40 segments or 70,000 TQP. This accelerator only feeds the TQP path, and paid qualifying flights also earn TQP toward the same total. Southwest publishes no hybrid formula that mixes segments and TQP; extra TQP don’t reduce the segment requirement, and segments don’t reduce the TQP requirement. With no cap stated on the official accelerator page, 35 increments ($175,000) equal 35,000 bonus TQP and 70 increments ($350,000) equal 70,000 bonus TQP.
Confirm on Southwest’s official Plus Tier Accelerator page that the offer and its terms still apply, and that you received the marketing for it, before you put spend on the card.
Introduction: A Plus-Card Path to Tier Points, If You Got the Offer
This is a dated explainer of Southwest’s targeted Rapid Rewards Plus Tier Accelerator. It’s written for a Plus cardmember who received the marketing and is deciding whether to put 2026 spend on the card as a path to A-List or A-List Preferred.
The rate and window. “Earn 1,000 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 you spend on your Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card through 12/31/26.” The Promotion Period runs January 1 through December 31, 2026.
Promo vs standing TQP. Official Rapid Rewards terms list standing card TQP only for other named cards, not Plus. Keep that separation in mind: without this targeted offer, Plus spend earns no TQP.
Scope. This page sticks to the accelerator rules. For card-product basics, see our Southwest Credit Card 2026 Review – Honest Pros & Cons.
Every time-sensitive rule here is per Southwest terms as of September 27, 2026. Check Southwest’s Plus Tier Accelerator page and the Rapid Rewards terms before acting.
Who Gets This Southwest Plus Tier Accelerator
It’s targeted. Per Southwest terms, the offer “applies only to cardmembers who receive marketing communications for this offer.” If you didn’t receive that marketing, the offer isn’t yours.
- Card: as of September 27, 2026, the official offer page names only the Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card. Premier, Priority, Premier Business, and Performance Business aren’t named as eligible for this accelerator.
- Registration: the official accelerator page doesn’t state a registration or enrollment step.
- Non-transferable: official terms state the offer is non-transferable.
- Account standing: to qualify for the bonus, the Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card account must be open and not in default at the time of fulfillment.
- Fulfillment: official terms also state Chase is not responsible for offer fulfillment.
Didn’t get the marketing? Then this accelerator doesn’t apply to you, and the Plus card still has no standing TQP earning.
How the Bonus Earns and Posts
The headline, per Southwest as of September 27, 2026: “Earn 1,000 tier qualifying points for every $5,000 you spend on your Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card through 12/31/26.”
The terms: from January 1 through December 31, 2026 (the “Promotion Period”), you earn 1,000 bonus Tier Qualifying Points for each $5,000 spent in purchases made with a Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card.
When it posts
Bonus Tier Qualifying Points post to your Rapid Rewards account within eight weeks after the last day of the month in which you meet the $5,000 spend requirement. They post directly to the Rapid Rewards account and won’t appear on your credit card statement.
What counts as a purchase
Official terms define purchases as when you, or an authorized user, use a card to buy products and services. These are excluded:
- Balance transfers and cash advances
- Cash-like transactions, including, but not limited to, travelers checks, foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, other similar digital or virtual currency, and other similar transactions
- Lottery tickets, casino gaming chips, race track wagers, or similar offline and online betting transactions
- Person-to-person money transfers and account funding transactions that transfer currency
- Any checks that access your account
- Interest, and unauthorized or fraudulent charges
- Fees of any kind, including an annual fee, if applicable
What TQP can’t do
Per official terms, tier qualifying points aren’t eligible for redemption toward flights or with More Rewards. They count toward status, not trips.
Cap
As of September 27, 2026, no annual or lifetime cap on this Plus bonus is stated on the official accelerator page.
Spend that isn’t aimed at this accelerator can go elsewhere. For everyday spend that is not this accelerator , see our comparison.
Confirm on Southwest’s official Plus Tier Accelerator page that the offer and its terms still apply, and that you received the marketing for it, before you put spend on the card.
Do Southwest Credit Cards Earn Tier Qualifying Points?
Some do. As of September 27, 2026, current Rapid Rewards terms and Southwest’s official tier footnotes list standing card TQP only for Premier, Premier Business, Priority, and Performance Business. The Plus card has no standing TQP earning; it isn’t on those lists.
| Card (per Southwest, as of September 27, 2026) | TQP from card spend |
|---|---|
| Rapid Rewards Plus | No standing TQP. Only this targeted accelerator: 1,000 bonus TQP per $5,000, Jan 1–Dec 31, 2026, for cardmembers who received the marketing |
| Premier | 1,500 TQP per $5,000 in purchases annually (standing) |
| Premier Business | 2,000 TQP per $5,000 annually (standing) |
| Priority or Performance Business | 2,500 TQP per $5,000 annually (standing) |
Those standing rates belong to the other cards and are separate from this Plus promotional bonus. Don’t mix them up: the Plus accelerator is 1,000 per $5,000, and only for targeted cardmembers. Per Southwest, standing card TQP “annually” follows the card’s statement cycles (from account opening through the first December statement, then 12 billing cycles), not the January 1–December 31 calendar year like this promo.
Comparing the rest of the personal-card stack rather than this accelerator? Our comparison covers Priority, Plus, and Premier.
A-List Thresholds, How Long Status Lasts, and Year-End Posting
| Tier (per calendar year, as of September 27, 2026) | Qualifying one-way flight segments | or Tier Qualifying Points |
|---|---|---|
| A-List | 20 | 35,000 |
| A-List Preferred | 40 | 70,000 |
Those thresholds come from Rapid Rewards terms and Southwest’s official tier pages.
How long status lasts
Per Rapid Rewards terms, once you earn A-List or A-List Preferred, you keep it for the rest of the calendar year you earned it in and for the entire calendar year after. Qualification is based on a calendar year, and you have to re-qualify each year.
Do these bonus points count?
This promo’s award is officially labeled “bonus Tier Qualifying Points,” and the official page pitches the spend as a way to “take off to tier status faster.” Southwest’s help text says bonus Rapid Rewards points don’t count toward A-List or A-List Preferred “unless specifically designated as such,” and this promo specifically designates the award as bonus Tier Qualifying Points.
The year-end timing trap
Southwest’s help text says points must be earned and posted to your Rapid Rewards account before the end of the calendar year to count toward A-List or A-List Preferred qualification. Official tier footnotes add that TQP earned on an eligible Southwest card from Chase aren’t available for qualification until they post. Because this promo posts within eight weeks after month-end, a $5,000 increment completed late in 2026 can post after December 31, 2026.
Want the perks rather than the qualification rules? See our Southwest Rapid Rewards Benefits 2026 – Full Breakdown.
Is Chasing A-List With Plus Spend Worth It?
Use only the official numbers: 1,000 bonus TQP per $5,000, the official TQP thresholds, and the fact that no cap is stated on the official accelerator page.
| Goal | Plus spend alone ($5,000 increments) | Or flights alone |
|---|---|---|
| A-List (35,000 TQP) | 35 increments = $175,000 in qualifying Plus purchases | 20 qualifying one-way segments |
| A-List Preferred (70,000 TQP) | 70 increments = $350,000 in qualifying Plus purchases | 40 qualifying one-way segments |
Southwest’s official paths are 20 or 40 qualifying one-way segments, or 35,000 or 70,000 TQP. This accelerator only feeds the TQP path. Paid qualifying flights also earn TQP, so flying still adds to the same TQP total. Southwest publishes no hybrid formula that mixes segments and TQP; extra TQP don’t reduce the segment requirement, and segments don’t reduce the TQP requirement.
A quick checklist
- Confirm you actually received the marketing. The offer is targeted.
- Remember that Plus has no standing TQP earning, so without this offer your Plus spend earns no TQP.
- Compare the spend in the table with the flights you’ll take anyway.
- Watch the calendar: late-2026 increments can post after December 31 and miss 2026 qualification.
This check is arithmetic against flight segments and posting timing only. It doesn’t put a dollar value on status.
If your spend isn’t going toward this accelerator, you could put it on a no-annual-fee everyday card instead . And for a goal-based card choice that is not a Southwest card review , see our lounges, credits, and transfers comparison.
Confirm on Southwest’s official Plus Tier Accelerator page that the offer and its terms still apply, and that you received the marketing for it, before you put spend on the card.
Conclusion / Final Thoughts
The Plus Tier Accelerator is targeted: it applies only to cardmembers who receive marketing communications for this offer, and the official accelerator page names only the Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card.
If you received it, you get 1,000 bonus Tier Qualifying Points per $5,000 in qualifying Plus purchases from January 1 through December 31, 2026. They post to your Rapid Rewards account within eight weeks after the end of the month you hit each increment.
Plus has no standing TQP earning in current official terms. A-List still takes 20 segments or 35,000 TQP, and A-List Preferred 40 segments or 70,000 TQP. Once earned, status lasts through the following calendar year.
Check Southwest’s official Plus Tier Accelerator page and the Rapid Rewards terms before you direct 2026 spend at the bonus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Southwest credit cards earn tier qualifying points?
Some do. As of September 27, 2026, Rapid Rewards terms and official tier footnotes list standing card TQP only for Premier (1,500 per $5,000 annually), Premier Business (2,000 per $5,000), and Priority or Performance Business (2,500 per $5,000). Per Southwest, standing card TQP “annually” follows the card’s statement cycles (from account opening through the first December statement, then 12 billing cycles), not the January 1–December 31 calendar year like this promo. The Plus card has no standing TQP earning. Plus TQP exist only through this targeted accelerator, for cardmembers who received the marketing.
Who gets the Southwest Plus Tier Accelerator?
It’s targeted: per Southwest terms, it “applies only to cardmembers who receive marketing communications for this offer.” The official page names only the Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card and doesn’t state a registration step. The offer is non-transferable, the Plus account must be open and not in default at fulfillment, and Chase is not responsible for offer fulfillment.
When do the bonus Tier Qualifying Points post?
Within eight weeks after the last day of the month in which you meet the $5,000 spend requirement, directly to your Rapid Rewards account. They won’t appear on your credit card statement. Points must be earned and posted before the end of the calendar year to count toward that year’s status, so a late-2026 increment can post after December 31, 2026.
Is there a cap on the Plus bonus?
As of September 27, 2026, no annual or lifetime cap on this Plus bonus is stated on the official accelerator page.
Do these bonus points count toward A-List?
The award is officially labeled “bonus Tier Qualifying Points.” Southwest’s help text says bonus Rapid Rewards points don’t count toward A-List or A-List Preferred “unless specifically designated as such,” and this promo specifically designates the award as bonus Tier Qualifying Points. TQP can’t be redeemed for flights or used with More Rewards.
How much Plus spend matches the official A-List TQP thresholds?
With no cap stated on the official accelerator page, 35 increments ($175,000 in qualifying Plus purchases) equal 35,000 bonus TQP, and 70 increments ($350,000) equal 70,000 bonus TQP. The other path is 20 or 40 qualifying one-way flight segments. This accelerator only feeds the TQP path, and paid qualifying flights also earn TQP toward the same total. Southwest publishes no hybrid formula that mixes segments and TQP; extra TQP don’t reduce the segment requirement, and segments don’t reduce the TQP requirement.
Written by Joe
Miles & Points Expert and Enthusiast | 240,000+ Points Redeemed in 2026
I personally test every credit card, redemption, and loyalty program strategy so you get honest, up-to-date 2026 advice and real results.
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