Can Southwest Flight Credit Be Transferred? | Transfer Rules

Most credits stay with the original traveler, but Transferable Flight Credits can be sent once to another Rapid Rewards member.

You cancel a Southwest trip, see a credit hit your account, and then someone asks, “Can you put that toward my ticket?” It sounds simple. The rules aren’t.

This post breaks down what Southwest calls flight credits, when any of them can move to another person, and what you can do when they can’t. You’ll also get a clean checklist you can save for the next time plans change.

What counts as a Southwest flight credit

Southwest uses a few value types that people lump together as “credit.” Each behaves differently at checkout, and the name on the value matters as much as the dollar amount.

Flight credit vs travel funds vs vouchers

In plain terms, you’ll run into four buckets:

• Flight credit or travel funds tied to a passenger name from a canceled or changed cash booking.
• Transferable Flight Credit that can be moved one time to another Rapid Rewards member.
• Vouchers (often called LUV Vouchers) that act more like a coupon code and may be used by someone else, depending on the voucher terms.
• Gift cards that work like a stored-value card and can pay for anyone’s booking.

If you only remember one thing, make it this: a “credit” is not one product. The label on the credit decides what you can do.

Where to see the exact type you have

Start with Southwest’s “Check Travel Funds” page. It shows what kind of value you’re holding and, when a transfer is allowed, it usually exposes the transfer action right there. The same place also shows any expiration language that applies to that value.

Can Southwest Flight Credit Be Transferred? What changes the answer

Most of the time, a standard flight credit can’t be handed to another traveler. It stays tied to the name on the original ticket. The main exception is a Transferable Flight Credit, which is a specific Southwest feature tied to certain fare products and rules.

When a credit is stuck to one person

A standard flight credit is meant to preserve your money when you can’t take a trip, not to act like a gift. If you try to apply it to a reservation in a different name, the system usually blocks it at payment.

That name-lock is also why “I’ll just book it for you” often fails with a standard credit. When you enter the passenger name, Southwest matches it to the credit holder.

When a credit can move

Transferable Flight Credits are designed for one-time transfers between Rapid Rewards members. Southwest describes the product and the one-transfer limit on its official page for Transferable Flight Credits.

Two details matter:

• It’s one transfer. After it moves, it stops being transferable.
• It’s member-to-member. The recipient needs a Rapid Rewards account.

How transferable credits are created

You don’t “convert” any random credit into a transferable one. It starts with how the fare was purchased and what happens after you cancel or change.

Eligible fare types drive the result

Southwest has shifted its fare names over time, and your booking screen may show different labels than older posts you’ve seen. The simplest way to think about it: if your fare includes the transferable-credit benefit, canceling that trip can produce a Transferable Flight Credit instead of a standard credit.

On Southwest’s own “travel funds” page, the airline notes that canceling certain fares can result in a Transferable Flight Credit that may be transferred one time to another Rapid Rewards member. See the section “Can someone else use my flight credit?” on Check Travel Funds.

Timing still matters

Southwest’s no-show rules are strict. If you don’t cancel before departure, you can lose the value tied to the reservation, depending on fare rules. So the first move is always the same: cancel on time, then look at what value you received.

How to transfer a Transferable Flight Credit step by step

If your credit is truly transferable, the process is quick. The steps below match what most members see in their account flow.

Before you start, gather three items

• Recipient’s Rapid Rewards number
• Recipient’s legal name as it appears on their account
• Recipient’s email address

Small typos can waste time. Copy and paste the Rapid Rewards number if you can.

Transfer flow inside your account

1. Sign in to your Rapid Rewards account.
2. Open the travel funds or flight credits area and locate the transferable credit.
3. Select the transfer option.
4. Enter the recipient details and submit.
5. Save the confirmation email and take a screenshot of the final screen.

Once the transfer is complete, the credit should appear under the recipient’s account. From that point on, it behaves like their credit, tied to their name and their account.

What the recipient can do next

The recipient uses the credit at checkout like any other Southwest flight credit. If the new fare costs more than the credit, they can cover the gap with a card or another accepted payment type.

Table: Credit types and whether they can be used by someone else

Value type you may see	Who can use it	Transfer path
Standard flight credit / travel funds	Named passenger only	No transfer; must match passenger name
Transferable Flight Credit	Original member, then one recipient member	One-time transfer between Rapid Rewards members
Vacation travel credit (Getaways package)	Often tied to package holder	Terms vary; check package rules before canceling
LUV Voucher	Depends on voucher terms	May be applied to another traveler if terms allow
Southwest gift card	Anyone with the card number	Share the card like cash (keep it secure)
Rapid Rewards points	Account holder controls booking	Book flights for others, or transfer points with a fee
Refund to original payment method	Cardholder	Not a credit; money returns to the payer when eligible
Travel credit from a disrupted flight choice	Often tied to passenger or account	May differ by disruption details; verify in your account

Common reasons a transfer option does not appear

If you expected to move a credit and you can’t find the transfer button, one of these is usually the culprit.

The credit is standard, not transferable

This is the most common outcome. Many fares still produce standard credits that stay tied to the ticketed name. In that case, your best move is to plan a trip you’ll actually take in your own name, then adjust dates later if you need to.

The recipient is not a Rapid Rewards member

Transfers are member-to-member. If the person you want to help doesn’t have an account, they’ll need to create one before you can send a transferable credit.

The credit already moved once

The transfer is a one-shot deal. If you already transferred it to someone else, you’re done. That’s why a screenshot and confirmation email are worth keeping.

You’re mixing credit types on one booking

Southwest limits how many payment forms can be used in one reservation. If you stack several credits plus a card, you can hit the cap. When that happens, split travelers into separate reservations or apply one larger value type first.

What to do when you can’t transfer a standard credit

A non-transferable credit can still save you money. You just need to play within the name rules.

Book a trip in your name, then change dates

Southwest’s change flow makes it easy to swap dates when fares change. If you’re not sure when you’ll fly, pick a realistic trip in your name, then adjust when your calendar firms up. Watch the fare difference at the moment you change.

Use gift cards when you’re paying for others

If your goal is to cover someone else’s airfare, a gift card is the cleanest cash-like option Southwest sells. It can pay for any passenger, and it avoids the name lock that comes with standard credits.

Points and other ways to pay for someone else

Even when credits are stuck, points are flexible in a different way: you can book a ticket in someone else’s name using your points. The traveler still flies under their own name, and your points balance pays the fare.

Booking with points for another traveler

You simply sign in, search flights, then enter the traveler’s details on the passenger screen. If plans change, points usually return to the account that booked the trip, not the passenger who was going to fly.

Transferring points is possible, but watch the fees

Southwest also sells point transfers between members, and the checkout flow shows the fees before you pay. In many cases, booking an award flight for the traveler costs less than moving points.

Run both numbers before you click pay. If the cash fare is low, paying cash may beat either option.

Table: Fast checklist before you click transfer

Check	What to verify	What to save
Credit label	It says “Transferable Flight Credit”	Screenshot of the credit details
One-time rule	You have not transferred this credit before	Prior transfer history, if shown
Recipient eligibility	Recipient has a Rapid Rewards account	Recipient number copied correctly
Name match	Recipient’s name matches their account	Confirmation email after transfer
Expiration terms	Date shown for that credit type	Calendar reminder with the deadline
Booking plan	Recipient knows how they’ll use the credit	New reservation number after booking

Small details that save you a headache

A few habits can keep credits from slipping through the cracks.

Watch what happens after a rebook and cancel

If you use a credit to book, then cancel again, the new credit you receive can come with its own terms based on the fare you purchased. Read the label each time, even if you’ve done this before.

If the credit is transferable, treat that transfer like a one-time handoff. Send it to the person who will use it, then let them book the trip directly from their account.

One-page recap you can keep

• Most standard Southwest flight credits stay tied to the passenger name.
• A Transferable Flight Credit can be moved one time to another Rapid Rewards member.
• You’ll only see the transfer option when the credit type allows it.
• If a credit can’t move, points or gift cards are the cleanest ways to pay for another traveler.