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When do points post for credit card?

jjgatto
Explorer C

Hi,

It's November 20th and I'm very close to the milestone for points to qualify for Companion Pass.   I'd like to make a couple of large purchases on my Southwest Visa Rapid Rewards card and pay the Visa charge to Chase before the end of the year.   If I do so, will those points accrue for this calendar year such that they will qualify me for the Companion Pass?    My billing cycle ends on the 17th of each month, so technically any charges after that date won't be due until Jan 3rd of next year, but I would be making the payment early...before the end of the year...so that I have the chance to have those points qualify for Companion Pass in this year.   So my question is whether my early credit card payment will allow those points to count in this calendar year?   Please advise. 

18 REPLIES 18

Re: When do points post for credit card?

chgoflyer
Aviator A
Solution

Payment doesn't matter. All that matters is that the charges post before your Chase account cycle closing date, and that the resulting points then post to your Rapid Rewards account prior to the end of the year. In general, Chase sends the points to Southwest within a few days after closing, and in general Southwest posts those within a few days of receiving them. It can be as quick as 1-2 days, but in some cases can take a week or more. With your billing cycle closing on the 17th, you should be in good shape to have any points from purchases made before then count towards companion pass this year. Good luck.

Re: When do points post for credit card?

rdinjotian
Explorer C

Statement close date is every 4th. If i meet my minimun spend this cycle which is dec 5 to jan 4, 2019 is it safe to say that my welcome bonus will be posted after statement closedate which is Jan 4th?  Can i go ahead and meet my MSR on this billing cycle? Or hold off wait after Jan 4th?

Thanks!

Re: When do points post for credit card?

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@rdinjotian wrote:

Statement close date is every 4th. If i meet my minimun spend this cycle which is dec 5 to jan 4, 2019 is it safe to say that my welcome bonus will be posted after statement closedate which is Jan 4th?  Can i go ahead and meet my MSR on this billing cycle? Or hold off wait after Jan 4th?

Thanks!


 

If you meet the spend requirement after your December statement has closed, that should trigger the welcome bonus to post on your January statement. Yet every year we hear reports of people who were burned when points posted early and messed up their CP qualification. If you want to be sure, wait until after Jan. 1 to make any spend.

Re: When do points post for credit card?

RandyM
Explorer C

Last year my billing cycle ended December 17th so any points earned December 18-31 did NOT count for 2022 total points earned  because I was told all points have to be have posted with my December billing cycle. That whole calendar year thing isn’t accurate. 

Re: When do points post for credit card?

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@RandyM wrote:

Last year my billing cycle ended December 17th so any points earned December 18-31 did NOT count for 2022 total points earned  because I was told all points have to be have posted with my December billing cycle. That whole calendar year thing isn’t accurate. 


It is calendar year for flights, hotels, and other activities but the biggest exception is that spending isn't recognized continually, it's upon your statement. 

 

Here's some more information by type of activity:

https://www.southwest.com/html/rapidrewards/eoy-tier-communication.html

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: When do points post for credit card?

dbotos
Explorer C

I was confused with the answers here because the dates were not specific, but I've cross referenced my Southwest points and Chase CC account statements and figured it out. chgoflyer is correct that payment date does not matter - only the closing date. Here is my example:

a) It is Dec 14, 2022 and my Rapid Rewards account balance shows 119,100 pts out of 125,000 pts needed for Companion pass. 

b) My Chase CC payment is due on Dec 19, 2022 for my November CC statement which has a closing cycle date of Nov 22, 2022. However, the points for that Nov 22, 2022 statement have already posted to my Rapid Rewards account as of Nov 24, 2022 - two days after the closing cycle.

c) My next Chase CC closing cycle will be Dec 22, 2022, of which according to my Chase Rewards Dashboard will add 6,710 pts to my Rapid Rewards account.

d) Therefore, by Dec 24, 2022 (or perhaps a few days after depending on timing), my Rapid Rewards account will be 119,100 + 6,710 = 125,810 pts - and enough to qualify for the Companion Pass.

e) Any charges after approximately Dec 20, 2022 will not count towards 2022 qualifying points since those pending charges may not be approved by cycle closing date.

I hope this helps!

Re: When do points post for credit card?

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

@dbotos yes, points post to your RR account a few days after your statement closing date and the charge date or payment date does not matter. I believe the clarification trying to be made is some charges made right before statement closing date may still be in a pending status and may not count towards the statement if they are still in pending status when the statement closes.

 

You should be looking at the Companion Pass progress tracker within the My Account section on southwest.com, not your overall point total. Your overall points in your account is not an accurate way to determine how close you are to obtaining Companion Pass.

 

--TheMiddleSeat

Re: When do points post for credit card?

dbotos
Explorer C

Yes, I was looking at the Companion Pass Rewards points tracker, not the total points in my Rapid Rewards account. Thank you for the clarification on my post - I was trying to be very precise. 

Re: When do points post for credit card?

dfwskier
Aviator A

@dbotos wrote:



correct

 

with one exception. Purchases made on your closing date will not be reflected on that closing date. They will be pending at the time your statement closes. In your case purchases made on 12/20 and 12/21 should appear on your 12/22 statement.