Southwest Companion Pass in 2026: The Fastest Math Using Anniversary Points and Card Bonuses
Anniversary points from Chase's three personal Southwest cards count toward the threshold — here's how to actually stack them
The Three Cards
Chase offers three personal Southwest Rapid Rewards cards: Plus ($99 fee, 3,000 anniversary points), Premier ($149 fee, 6,000 anniversary points), and Priority ($229 fee, 7,500 anniversary points plus a $75 annual Southwest travel credit). Each card's anniversary points post once per cardmembership year on the account's individual open date — not on a shared calendar date — and each counts independently toward the Companion Pass qualifying-points threshold.
Why Multiple Cards Beats One
A single household member holding just one of these cards gets, at most, 7,500 anniversary points a year toward the threshold from the card itself, on top of whatever they earn from spending and the welcome bonus. A multi-cardholder household, or one person holding more than one tier over time, can layer several anniversary bonuses within the same qualifying year, meaningfully reducing how much additional spend is needed to clear the threshold.
Don't Let Cards Sit Idle
Anniversary points post regardless of how much you use the card that year, but each card also carries its own category bonus categories — hotel and rental car partners, local transit, and internet/cable/phone, depending on tier. A card earning only its anniversary bonus while sitting unused in a drawer is leaving its ongoing category multipliers on the table; the fastest path to the Companion Pass uses both the anniversary bonus and active spend on bonused categories.
Timing the Welcome Bonus
Because welcome bonuses and anniversary bonuses both count toward the same qualifying-points threshold, opening during an elevated welcome-offer period and timing that opening early in the calendar year you're targeting gives the longest runway to layer spend-based earning on top before the year closes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many points do I need for the Southwest Companion Pass?
You need to earn a set number of qualifying points within a calendar year (or the prior year, for a rollover start). Chase's three personal Southwest cards each contribute an anniversary bonus — 3,000 (Plus), 6,000 (Premier), or 7,500 (Priority) — toward that threshold on top of spend and welcome bonus earnings.
When do Southwest card anniversary points post?
On each card's individual cardmembership anniversary — not a shared calendar date. Staggering when you open each card lets you time anniversary bonuses to land in whichever calendar year you're pursuing the Companion Pass.
Does holding multiple Southwest cards help earn the Companion Pass faster?
Yes. A single card caps anniversary points at 7,500 (Priority) per year, but holding more than one tier, or having multiple household members hold cards, layers several anniversary bonuses within the same qualifying year, reducing how much additional spend is needed.