Sep 17, 2014, 10:45 am
Last edit by: Tanic
Reminder: you must enroll and select Southwest as your airline BEFORE making a reimbursable purchase.
Some have suggested the need to wait several hours or even a day before making the purchase, but there are also several DPs that worked without waiting that long.
(BTW, you will often hear people refer to Southwest as WN. WN is the IATA code for Southwest Airlines. SW is the IATA code for Air Namibia.)
Caution: As of late July 2019, reports are that direct gift card purchases are no longer being reimbursed.
To purchase click here: https://www.southwest.com/gift-card/create-card.html Caution: Do NOT login to your Southwest Rapid Rewards account when making the purchase.
What does appear to work is buying flight tickets less than $100, OR using gift cards to get the charged amount down to less than $100.
Always read the last few pages to get up-to-date DPs.
Some have suggested the need to wait several hours or even a day before making the purchase, but there are also several DPs that worked without waiting that long.
(BTW, you will often hear people refer to Southwest as WN. WN is the IATA code for Southwest Airlines. SW is the IATA code for Air Namibia.)
Caution: As of late July 2019, reports are that direct gift card purchases are no longer being reimbursed.
What does appear to work is buying flight tickets less than $100, OR using gift cards to get the charged amount down to less than $100.
Always read the last few pages to get up-to-date DPs.
Airline fee $250/$200/$100 reimbursement reports: WN (2011-2019)
Dec 14, 2015, 10:26 pm
#557
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: next in line…
Posts: 11
Seems like too many nervous people are calling AmEx which alerts them of buying of gift cards which is "prohibited" by T&C. I'm expecting this perk to be locked down explicitly to T&C in 2016.
Dec 14, 2015, 11:37 pm
#558
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 69
Yeah my $100 transaction on 12/1 got credited 12/11.
Dec 15, 2015, 10:04 pm
#559
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,044
AA thread mentioned that AmEx agent said charge will post on date of transaction.
Seems like too many nervous people are calling AmEx which alerts them of buying of gift cards which is "prohibited" by T&C. I'm expecting this perk to be locked down explicitly to T&C in 2016.
Seems like too many nervous people are calling AmEx which alerts them of buying of gift cards which is "prohibited" by T&C. I'm expecting this perk to be locked down explicitly to T&C in 2016.
Also, those of us who are travel-geeky enough to do the $200 cert routine would probably find ways within the T&C to get that $200 in value (e.g., cover friends' and relatives' baggage charges).
Dec 16, 2015, 6:07 am
#560
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Sacramento
Programs: RR, QS, AS MP, SPG
Posts: 233
Purchase from 12/2 was reimbursed on 12/12 
Dec 17, 2015, 12:04 pm
#562
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Atlanta (most of the time)
Posts: 285
Yup. Took 11 days to show up on account.
Dec 18, 2015, 12:07 pm
#563
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,044
Got the rebate today. Took 10 days.
No need to contact Amex, folks. Just give it a little time.
No need to contact Amex, folks. Just give it a little time.
Dec 18, 2015, 1:49 pm
#564
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: next in line…
Posts: 11
No need to contact Amex, folks. Just give it a little time.[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately, folks ARE contacting AmEx.
On the AA forum, somebody complained to AmEx rep and her response was to alert their fraud dept. SMH
Unfortunately, folks ARE contacting AmEx.
On the AA forum, somebody complained to AmEx rep and her response was to alert their fraud dept. SMH
Dec 18, 2015, 9:09 pm
#565
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Programs: Piggly Wiggly "Shop the Pig!" Preferred Shopper
Posts: 57,044
These pointless contacts are unfortunate in that they waste the caller's and the Amex rep's time, but if you're worried that they will blow the whole gift card rebate deal, don't worry. Look at all these threads and the hundreds of posts on this very subject. Amex has internet access to travel-related websites, and it's not stupid.
Dec 20, 2015, 10:42 am
#566
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Angels
Posts: 196
DW reimbursed on a $200 e-giftcard within 3 days.
Dec 21, 2015, 9:13 pm
#567
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 480
Purchased $200 gc on Dec 1, no reimbursement yet..
Dec 22, 2015, 5:02 pm
#568
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 3
Data points ... I've been keeping my transactions to $50 each - ran two $50 SW GCs on 12/6, got reimbursement on 12/16
Dec 23, 2015, 4:01 pm
#569
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: North Texas
Posts: 7
PRG
Purchased $100 GC on Dec 11
Reimbursed $100 on Dec 20
Purchased $100 GC on Dec 11
Reimbursed $100 on Dec 20
Dec 24, 2015, 9:56 am
#570
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 78
PRG
Purchased $100 GC on Dec 15
Reimbursed $100 on Dec 23
Purchased $100 GC on Dec 15
Reimbursed $100 on Dec 23