Southwest Airlines has launched a new online shopping mall where members can earn points for purchases at participating retailers. There are over 700 participating online retailers, including online stores such as Macys.com (three points per $1 spent), Lands’ End (three points per $1 spent), The Home Depot (three points per $1 spent) and Ace Hardware (two points per $1 spent). You can search for a particular store or product or browse stores by category. To earn points, visit http://www.rapidrewardsshopping.southwest.com and log into your Rapid Rewards account. Make sure cookies are enabled in your web browser, click on a participating retailer and complete your shopping transaction. The site is powered by Cartera Commerce, which also manages the online shopping malls for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

Bottom line: Now that Rapid Rewards has moved to a points-based system, it’s easier for the program to partner with businesses for bonus offers. Under the credit system, it would be confusing for a member to earn .005 credit for buying something at the mall. The new system allows a greater flexibility for incremental earning through partners other than hotels and car rentals so expect to see more partner offers.