What a Southwest Airlines gift card gets you
A useful detail: a Southwest gift card covers the full fare including the government taxes and fees, so a recipient can book a flight start to finish without a credit card if the card balance covers it. There are no activation or per-use fees, and the balance never expires or gets reduced by dormancy charges the way a bank-issued travel card can.
two formats:
- Physical card: Mailed in a card carrier. $15 to $500 per card via southwest.com.
- E-gift card: Emailed within minutes, redeemable at booking on southwest.com. $15 to $500 via southwest.com; $15 to $500 via Dyme.
You can apply multiple Southwest gift cards toward one booking at checkout, and combine a gift card with a credit card if the fare exceeds the balance.
Where to buy: four channels compared
| Channel | Format | Denominations | Delivery | Discount | Adds on top |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for MilesDyme | E-gift only | $15 – $500 | Instant | None | Dyme Miles + instant paperless delivery |
| Southwest.com | Physical + e-gift | $15 – $500 | Instant / 5–10 days | None | — |
| Retail gift-card racksSupermarkets, big-box | Physical only | $25 – $200 typical | Immediate | None | Retailer loyalty points + fuel rewards |
| Secondary marketplacesRaise, CardCash | Digital code | Varies | Minutes to hours | Occasional few percent below face | — |
Can I get a Southwest Airlines gift card at a discount?
Yes, but not through Dyme. Dyme sells Southwest e-gift cards at face value; the value-add is Dyme Miles and instant delivery, not a face-value discount. The discount routes are:
- Secondary marketplaces (Raise, CardCash). Resold Southwest cards from third parties, sometimes a few percent below face value. Verify the balance before you book, since secondary sellers occasionally list partial-balance cards.
- Supermarket rack promotions. Grocery chains periodically run gift-card bonus offers (extra fuel points or a store coupon) on rack cards. The card stays at face value, but you net the retailer's perk.
- Southwest fare sales. Southwest runs frequent fare sales on southwest.com. A gift card bought now buys a discounted fare later, which is the more dependable way to stretch the dollar than chasing a discount on the card itself.
The bigger combined return comes from the rewards stack below: your credit card, Rapid Rewards points on the flight, and Dyme Miles on the purchase. Most buyers leave that money on the table.
How to stack rewards
Three rewards programs fire on a single Southwest Airlines gift card purchase through Dyme.
Credit-card rewards
Your credit card earns rewards on the Dyme purchase.
Gift-card resellers typically code as MCC 5947; many cards exclude this MCC from category bonuses.
- Capital One Venture X: 2x miles on essentially every purchase, including gift cards
- Citi Double Cash: 2% back on everything (1% when you buy + 1% when you pay)
- Amex Gold: falls back to 1x on gift cards. 4x dining and 4x groceries do not apply
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: falls back to 1x on gift cards. 3x dining and 2x travel do not apply
Rapid Rewards
- Join cost: free
- Applies at: redemption
- Earning rate: Rapid Rewards points per dollar on the base fare when you book the flight
- Reward threshold: points accrue toward award flights with no blackout dates
Rapid Rewards does not earn on the gift card purchase. It earns on the flight when you pay with the card, at the same rate as paying with cash or a credit card. Add your Rapid Rewards number at booking so the points post.
Dyme Miles
- Base rate: 1 Mile for every dollar
- Special rate: 5 Miles per dollar
- Expiration: never
- Blackouts: none
- Redeem on: over 2 million hotels and 600 airline partners
$200 Southwest e-gift on Dyme, paid with Citi Double Cash, used to book a flight by a Rapid Rewards member
- Citi Double Cash: $4 back (2% of $200)
- Rapid Rewards on the flight: Points per dollar on the base fare when you book
- Dyme Miles on the purchase: 200 Miles (1 per dollar), or 1,000 on a special offer (5 per dollar)
Illustrative only. Card rates, brand-program terms, and Dyme Miles offers change and vary by member; figures above are examples, not a guarantee of value.
How to buy via Dyme
Southwest Airlines e-gift cards on Dyme arrive in the recipient's inbox in under a minute.
- Open the Southwest Airlines brand page on Dyme.
- Enter the recipient's email, the denomination, and an optional personal message.
- Check out. The e-gift sends immediately and can be added to Apple Wallet or Google Pay from the email.
You earn 1 Mile for every dollar you spend, and 5 Miles per dollar during special offers. Miles post to your Dyme account within 3 business days. Dyme Miles never expire, have no blackouts, and are redeemable on any airline, any hotel — across over 2 million hotels and 600 airline partners.
Every dollar you spend through Dyme helps fund clean energy for local communities.
How to buy on southwest.com
- Go to southwest.com and open the gift cards page.
- Choose physical or e-gift, pick a design and the amount from $15 to $500.
- Add to cart and check out. To redeem, enter the gift card number and PIN at flight-booking checkout. Add a Rapid Rewards number so points post on the fare.
How to buy at Costco, Sam's Club, or a supermarket
Supermarket and big-box gift-card racks at chains like Kroger, Safeway, and Walmart carry physical Southwest cards, typically in $25 to $200 denominations. They cost face value, but you earn the store's loyalty points and any fuel rewards that apply to gift-card purchases. Costco and Sam's Club do not regularly stock Southwest multi-packs.
Designs and personalization
Physical cards: Southwest's standard and seasonal card art in the online catalog, with a card carrier and a printed message available at checkout.
E-gift cards: several designs with a customizable subject line and a recipient message.
There is no co-branded or personalized-photo option for individual orders. For bulk corporate orders, see corporate ordering below.
Delivery and timing
- E-gift via Dyme: 1 to 60 minutes by email. Redeem the code at booking on southwest.com.
- E-gift via southwest.com: 1 to 60 minutes by email.
- Physical via southwest.com: 5 to 10 business days standard; expedited options at checkout.
- Physical from a retail rack: Immediate — pick it up and book.
Dyme does not mail physical cards. If you need a card in hand, southwest.com or a retail aisle is the path.
Corporate and bulk buying
Southwest runs a corporate and bulk gift-card program for employee rewards, customer incentives, and travel budgets, with volume ordering and invoicing. Contact Southwest's gift-card team to set up a corporate order.
Frequently asked questions
What can I use a Southwest gift card for?+
Airfare on southwest.com, including the base fare plus taxes and fees on Southwest-operated flights. Gift cards generally cannot be used for in-flight purchases or some third-party add-ons; apply the card at flight-booking checkout.
What denominations are available?+
$15 to $500 in whole-dollar increments through southwest.com. Dyme sells e-gift cards in the same $15 to $500 range. Retail rack cards are typically $25 to $200.
Do Southwest gift cards expire?+
No. Southwest gift cards do not expire and carry no dormancy or service fees. The full purchased value stays on the card until redeemed.
Can I combine a gift card with other payment when I book?+
Yes. You can apply multiple Southwest gift cards toward one booking, and pay any remaining balance with a credit card if the fare exceeds the gift-card total.
Do I earn Rapid Rewards points when I book with a gift card?+
Yes. Paying for a flight with a Southwest gift card earns Rapid Rewards points on the base fare just like cash or a credit card. Add your Rapid Rewards number at booking so the points post.
Can I check my Southwest gift card balance?+
Yes. Enter the card number and PIN on the Southwest gift card balance page to see the current balance immediately.
Can I get a refund to my gift card if I cancel a flight?+
Southwest fares are generally refundable to the original form of payment under its fare rules; a flight paid with a gift card typically returns the funds to a gift card or travel credit. Check the specific fare rules at booking.
Can I sell a Southwest gift card I don't want?+
Yes. Secondary marketplaces like Raise and CardCash buy unwanted cards at a percentage of face value based on demand. List the card number and balance; the marketplace verifies and pays out.
Does Southwest offer corporate gift cards?+
Yes. Southwest runs a bulk program for employee rewards, customer incentives, and travel budgets with volume ordering and invoicing.
Are e-gift cards delivered instantly?+
Usually within 1 to 60 minutes. Gmail's Promotions tab occasionally delays delivery, so check there if it doesn't arrive.



