When do tier qualifying points from purchases post as year-end approaches?

[johnmcgrann]

I am expecting to be *very close* to reaching the tier-qualifying points threshold by 12/31 to retain A-List status.  I accumulate most of my TQPs via purchases on a Southwest credit card. Our statement cycle ends each month on the 19th, TQPs usually post to my RR account on the 20th. I'm trying to make sure I understand how things will work in December.

Will all purchases made before 12/31/2023 be calculated towards 2023 TQPs, but some might not post to my account until after the January statement?

Or will only purchases made before our 12/19/2023 statement count towards 2023 TQPs, and any purchases between December 20th and 31st will become 2024 TQPs in conjunction with the January statement?

And does the date we make our account payment have anything to do with this, or just when we make purchases?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[DancingDavidE · Accepted solution]

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@johnmcgrann wrote:

Or will only purchases made before our 12/19/2023 statement count towards 2023 TQPs, and any purchases between December 20th and 31st will become 2024 TQPs in conjunction with the January statement?

And does the date we make our account payment have anything to do with this, or just when we make purchases?

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It will be this option - the purchases made after the statement closes will accrue on the statement that hits in January. Only purchases prior to your last statement of the year will count based on the date that they post to the account.

The payment date is independent of the timing, it's all based on the date the points post to the account, which is related to the statement closing date.

Rapid Rewards doesn't advertise that it will be the next day - the terms show that it will be within 30 days so hopefully it won't cut too close. Maybe review your account from last year to see when the points posted for December.

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

It is a little bit atypical to mostly earn TQP from spending, all I can offer is that if you can move up any expenses to the earlier statement it would be better to add certainty. 

Maybe book a Business Select points run just in case you need to close the gap. If you don't end up using it then refund it.

$500 of Business Select fare will give you 6,000 TQP, that's the equivalent of spending $40,000 to earn four of the 1,500 TQP/$10k spending bonuses.

The difference is that you may only be buying things for s business that you need, a points run flight might be a discretionary expense.

If you do have any flights coming up (if you don't, then why do you want A-list?) consider booking Business Select as an incremental expense vs WGA then at least its a flight you were already going to use.

[johnmcgrann]

This is super-helpful, thank you.

And yep, this is a card used in our family-owned business, and in recent years, a number of key vendors have asked us to pay via credit card, enough so that when combined with flights taken, I get in the ballpark of A-List status. I also easily earn a Companion Pass every year.

Most of my travel is in the first half of the year - ski trips and business conferences that happen the same time every year. But that's a helpful suggestion to consider a Business Select fare in December if I'm close, and didn't realize until today how many more points are earned in Business Select vs WGA, I appreciate you pointing that out.

Do flights generate one TQP for every "regular" point?

Thanks again 👍!

[dfwskier]

Did you mean to say companion pass?

I ask because credit card earned points do not count towards A-List.

[johnmcgrann]

Thanks. Credit card points can count towards A-List, just at a greatly reduced pace.  $10,000 in purchases = 1,500 points, and you need 35,000 to achieve A-List.

[Bill5303]

Is that $10,000 in purchases all on one billing statement, or can the $10,000 in purchases be spread out over more than one billing statement?