Update: Reader Laksh notes that American Airlines has a similar offer to get 10 miles per dollar donated to American Red Cross. (Direct Link)
The Offer
- Southwest teamed up with three disaster relief charities to offer 10 Southwest Rapid Rewards points per dollar donated. The following charities are eligible: American Red Cross, Team Rubicon, and Feeding America.
The Fine Print
- Minimum $25 donation required to be eligible for points offer.
- Valid through May 31, 2020.
- Points will be reflected in your Rapid Rewards account 30 to 45 days after a donation has been made.
- You must provide your Rapid Rewards account information in order to qualify.
- Maximum earn limit of 10,000 points.
Our Verdict
Always nice to see incentives for charity donations, especially in trying times. Remember that you now get $300/year in charity donations as a tax deduction even if you don’t itemize (possibly $600 for a couple filing jointly).
The Red Cross landing page seems to indicate the donation will be fully tax deductible. That’s somewhat surprising. It’s possible that the points are a gift from Southwest and not from the charity, and thus the donation is fully tax deductible. Please consult your tax advisor to determine this. I’d guess that they will be sending out a tax receipt for the full amount; let us know in the comments if you make a donation.
There’s no terms indicating these points are excluded from the Companion Pass requirement, so I’d assume they will count toward the Companion Pass.
Hat tip to manageroftheyear
