How to Get the Sign-Up Bonus Again for Southwest Cards

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Million Mile Secrets reader Gwen emailed:

Hi Daraius,

That is GREAT that Southwest has a new policy under which we can apply for another Southwest card if we haven’t had it for 24 months. Can you clarify when the clock starts ticking on the cards?

For example, if I got a Southwest Plus personal card on December 1, 2012, can I reapply for the same card on December 2, 2014, and be eligible for the 50,000 signing bonus?  Or do you have to be without this card for 24 months to reapply?

The 24 month clock starts ticking the day she receives the sign-up bonus on her 1st Southwest Plus card.  And she can’t get the sign-up bonus again if she still has the card open.

Southwest Credit Card

Link:   Chase Southwest Premier (personal)

Link:   Chase Southwest Premier (business)

Link:   My review of the Southwest card

The Southwest cards were offering a 50,000 point sign up bonus on all 4 versions, but the offers were reduced last week.  The sign-up bonus on my link for the Chase Southwest Premier card is only 25,000 Southwest points after Gwen spends $2,000 in the first 3 months.

However, there’s still a link for the 50,000 Southwest point version available on the Chase website.  But I’m not sure how long it will last!

However, I can’t find links to a 50,000 point Southwest Plus card offer, so I wouldn’t apply for that card now.

When Does the 24 Month Clock Start Ticking?

Gwen got her 1st Southwest Plus card on December 1, 2012.

The terms of the Southwest Plus card say:

This new cardmember bonus is not available to either (i) current card members of this consumer credit card, or (ii) previous card members of this consumer credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this consumer credit card within the last 24 months.

So if Gwen still has her 1st Southwest Plus card open, she can NOT get the sign-up bonus again for that particular version.  However, she can get the bonus for other Southwest cards (e.g. the Southwest Premier card), even if she has her Southwest Plus card open.

If Gwen wants to reapply for the Southwest Plus card, she has to cancel her card before she can reapply.  It doesn’t matter when Gwen cancels her 1st Southwest Plus card, as long as she’s not a current cardholder when she reapplies.

Gwen can get the sign-up bonus again on the Southwest Plus card IF it’s been 24 months since she received the sign-up bonus.

So if Gwen received her 50,000 Southwest point sign-up bonus on January 5, 2013, then she can reapply for the Southwest Plus card on January 6, 2015 (though I’d wait a little longer!)

Bottom Line

Gwen can reapply for the Southwest Plus card 24 months after she received the sign-up bonus on her 1st Southwest Plus card IF she canceled her 1st Southwest Plus card.

But if Gwen still has her 1st Southwest Plus card, she has to cancel her card before she reapplies.

What’s been your experience with applying for the same Chase card?