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Credit Cards

Bilt Rewards guide: Earn points on rent, mortgages and much more

Bilt offers 3 credit cards that provide significant value — if you're willing to put in effort to understand the program.

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Bilt Rewards offers a path to earn rewards on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee. It also offers three rewards credit cards, which can be exceptionally valuable if you maximize all of the features.

This change gives you more opportunities to earn Bilt Points, which are arguably the most valuable travel rewards you can collect. However, the program isn't straightforward.

Here's everything you need to know about the Bilt Rewards program, from earning Bilt Points, Bilt Cash and elite status to making the most of your redemptions and choosing the best Bilt credit card for you.

Bilt Rewards guide

How to earn Bilt Rewards Points and Bilt Cash

Bilt Rewards offers two types of currency: Bilt Points and Bilt Cash. It's free to join Bilt Rewards, and you don't need a credit card to earn Bilt Points or Bilt Cash (although you'll earn far more with a Bilt card).

Earning Bilt Points

You can earn Bilt Points in several ways, including:

  • Bilt credit card purchases
  • Paying your rent or mortgage through Bilt (up to 1.25X)
  • Bilt Neighborhood purchases, including Bilt Dining partners (with a linked card), Walgreens (with a linked card), Lyft rides (after linking accounts) and more
  • Home purchase with a Bilt-affiliated agent (1 point per $2)
  • Bilt Travel portal bookings
  • Rakuten shopping portal

All Bilt Rewards members can earn Bilt Points through Bilt Neighborhood partners. You can link any Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express card and automatically earn bonus points when using that card at a participating partner.

Earning points on housing

Currently, it appears Bilt Rewards members without a Bilt card are limited to earning points on rent payments and homeowners association (HOA) fees through online payment portals. For these payments, you'll earn 1 Bilt Point per $2 spent with most linked credit cards.

You can earn elevated rewards when you pay HOA fees or rent through Bilt with the Atmos™ Rewards Ascent Visa Signature® Card and Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card (3X points on up to $50,000 in annual rent spend), as well as eligible United Airlines credit cards (2X points on up to the same cap). But you'll pay a 3% fee with both options.

If you don't have a Bilt card, you can still earn 250 Bilt Points when paying rent or HOA fees with a linked bank account ($1.95 fee). A Bilt credit card simply expands your options for paying rent or HOA fees. You can also make mortgage payments through Bilt via online payment portals, by check or with Venmo and PayPal.

Here are the two ways Bilt credit card members can earn points on housing:

Option 1

You can earn Bilt Points on housing payments without paying any fee. If you choose this option, you won't earn Bilt Cash on your everyday spending, but you'll earn up to 1.25X points on housing payments.

The rate at which you're rewarded depends on how much you spend on your Bilt credit card each month. If you spend:

  • Less than 25% of your housing payment in card purchases, you'll earn a minimum of 250 points on your housing payment
  • At least 25% but less than 50% of your housing payment in card purchases, you'll earn 0.5X points on your housing payment
  • At least 50%, but less than 75% of your housing payment in card purchases, you'll earn 0.75X points on your housing payment
  • At least 75% but less than 100% of your housing payment in card purchases, you'll earn 1X points on your housing payment
  • 100% or more of your housing payment or more in card purchases, you'll earn 1.25X points on your housing payment

Option 2

You can also opt to earn up to 1.25X points on housing payments, but only if you have enough Bilt Cash to unlock it.

When you choose this option, you'll earn 4% in Bilt Cash on every purchase (in addition to 1X points) and can redeem Bilt Cash for several additional options, including earning points on housing. You can use Bilt Cash to unlock points on housing payments, with $30 of Bilt Cash translating to 1,000 Bilt Points. Since you earn 4% Bilt Cash on every purchase, you essentially need to spend 75% of your rent or mortgage to earn enough to unlock the extra points.

One way to value this feature is to look at it as a path to earning roughly 1.33X bonus Bilt Points on up to 75% of your monthly housing payment. For example, if you pay $1,000 a month for rent, you'll earn 1,000 Bilt Points when you redeem $30 Bilt Cash. You'll earn $30 in Bilt Cash (to pay for the 1,000 points) after spending $750, which comes out to 1.33X bonus points on those purchases.

Which option is best?

Using a $1,000 housing payment as an example, option 1 and option 2 both earn the same rewards when you spend exactly 75% of your housing payment on non-housing transactions with your Bilt card. With option 1, you'll simply earn 1,000 Bilt Points, whereas with option 2, you'll need to redeem the $30 Bilt Cash you earn to get 1,000 points.

If you spend 100% of your housing payment amount or more in a month, you'll earn 25% more points on your housing payment with option 1. That's an extra 250 points for $250 in additional card purchases. Compared to option 2, you'll miss out on $10 in Bilt Cash since you won't earn 4% in Bilt Cash on that $250 in extra spending.

If you spend more than 75% of your housing payment on your Bilt card each month, you'll have to decide which you value more: the additional Bilt Cash you could earn, or the additional 25% points bonus on your housing.

Option 1 can actually be more rewarding on a per-dollar spent basis when you spend less. If you only spent 25% of a $1,000 monthly housing payment on your Bilt card, you'll earn 0.5X (500) points on your housing payment. That's an additional 2X points (500 points on top of the standard rewards) on your $250 in purchases.

Earning Bilt Cash

For every 25,000 Bilt Points you earn toward Bilt status, you'll receive $50 in Bilt Cash. This option is available to all Bilt Rewards members. With any Bilt credit card, you can earn 4% Bilt Cash on every purchase if you choose option 2 (from above) for housing payments.

Bilt Cash may also be offered as part of a Bilt credit card welcome offer, and the Bilt Palladium Card offers an annual Bilt Cash bonus.

As you earn Bilt Cash, keep in mind it expires at the end of each calendar year. Up to $100 in Bilt Cash automatically rolls over to the next year, but you'll want to use it throughout the year.

How to redeem Bilt Points and Bilt Cash

Bilt offers a long list of Bilt Point redemptions, and the value you receive per point varies. Bilt doesn't publish official redemption values, but certain options are more valuable than others.

You'll typically receive over 1 cent per point for:

And you'll generally receive 1 cent per point or less for:

  • Rent payments
  • Student loan payments
  • Statement credits
  • Gift cards
  • Merchandise, including Amazon, Bilt Home Delivery and Bilt Design Collection
  • Lyft rides

The best options for redeeming big chunks of points for more value are to use them for travel or a down payment on a home.

Bilt Travel bookings

Bilt Travel is Bilt's third-party travel platform, and you can redeem Bilt Points for 1.25 cents each toward hotels and flights booked through it. You can also pay with a combination of cash, Bilt Points, Bilt hotel credits and Bilt Cash.

This redemption option is a good way to use small point balances. Just remember that the Bilt Palladium Card (see rates and fees) and Bilt Obsidian Card (see rates and fees) hotel credits both require a minimum two-night stay.

Bilt point transfers

What makes Bilt stand out from other flexible travel rewards programs is its extensive list of partner airline and hotel loyalty programs. You can transfer Bilt Points to the following travel programs at a 1:1 ratio (unless noted):

Bilt Rewards transfer partners

Bilt Rewards transfer partners
Avianca Lifemiles
Atmos Rewards (Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines)
Air Canada Aeroplan
Aer Lingus Aer Club
Accor Live Limitless (3:2)
British Airways Club
Cathay Pacific Cathy
Iberia Club
Etihad Guest
Emirates Skywards
Flying Blue (Air France and KLM)
Hilton Honors
IHG One Rewards
Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank
Mariott Bonvoy
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
Air Portugal TAP Miles&Go
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
United Airlines MileagePlus
World of Hyatt
Wyndham Rewards
Virgin Red

Bilt is the only major transferable points program that partners with the valuable Atmos Rewards program (Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines). It also maintains 1:1 transfer ratios with Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank and Emirates Skywards, while other programs that partner with these airlines have reduced transfer rates.

Bilt has a history of offering exceptional transfer bonuses during its monthly Rent Day promotion. While a typical transfer bonus from other programs may offer 15% to 30% more points, those with top-tier Bilt elite status can occasionally access transfer bonuses of over 100%.

You can even search and compare cash prices with award prices through Bilt Travel thanks to a partnership that integrates the Points Path award search tool.

Down payment

One of the most unique ways to redeem your Bilt Points is to use them toward a down payment on a home. This option is available for any type of real estate purchase in the U.S. You'll receive 1.5 cents per point by electronic check within five days of completing the redemption form.

Redeeming Bilt Cash

There are currently 16 Bilt Cash redemption choices and two cardholder-exclusive Bilt Cash redemptions. You can use Bilt Cash for:

Dining and groceries

  • Up to $120 in Grubhub credits per year (up to $10 per month; available March 1, 2026)
  • Up to $60 per year in Bilt 15-minute Gopuff home delivery credits (up to $5 in credits per month)
  • Up to $300 per year in Bilt Dining credits (up to $25 for one visit per month)
  • Up to $600 per year toward Bilt Dining experiences (up to $50 per month; available March 1, 2026)

Travel

  • Up to $1,200 in Bilt Travel hotel credits per year (two-night minimum stay required; up to $50 per month for Blue and Silver status members; up to $100 a month for Gold and Platinum status members)
  • Up to $120 in Lyft credits per year (up to $10 per month for Lyft rides)
  • Up to $150 a year for Blacklane rides (up to $50 a year for Blue and Silver status members; up to $100 a year for Gold and Platinum status members; available March 1, 2026)
  • Unlock higher transfer bonuses on Rent Day (pricing and availability subject to change)
  • Up to $700 in BLADE credits per year (up to $350 per seat for up to two seats per year; available March 1, 2026)
  • Up to $840 toward Priority Pass guest fees (available for Palladium cardholders only; covers up to two guest fees per month; $35 per guest for up to $70 per month)
  • Unlock Home Away From Home hotel perks (Blue and Silver status members can pay $95 to receive benefits such as hotel credit, early check-in, late checkout, etc.; available March 1, 2026)
  • Up to $60 in parking credits (up to $5 per month at Bilt Neighborhood Parking locations; available March 1, 2026)

Health and wellness

  • Up to $120 in Walgreens credits per year (up to $10 per month)
  • Up to $480 in fitness class credits (one group fitness class per month booked through the Bilt app; up to $40 per month)

Entertainment and shopping

  • Up to $120 in Bilt Design Collection credits per year (up to $10 per month)
  • Up to $600 toward Bilt comedy experiences (up to $50 per month; available March 1, 2026)

Bilt cardholder exclusives

  • Up to 1.25X points on housing payments (redeem the $30 Bilt Cash you earn to get 1,000 Bilt Points)
  • Activate 1X bonus points on the next $5,000 you spend for $200 Bilt Cash (up to five activations per year; available with Palladium or Obsidian cards)

Bilt Rewards elite status

There are four Bilt Rewards elite status tiers, and you earn status based on either the Bilt Points you earn or how much you spend within the Bilt ecosystem.

Status-qualifying points include most Bilt Points you earn. However, points earned from referrals, courtesy points, points from member surveys, and certain promotional bonus points won't count toward earning status.

You can fast-track your way to Bilt status through spending on a Bilt credit card, Bilt Travel, Lyft rides (when Bilt is your rewards option) or with a linked credit card at Walgreens, Bilt Dining restaurants and Neighborhood Fitness classes.

Here's how many Bilt Points or how much spending you need for each status level:

  • Blue: Anyone enrolled in Bilt Rewards with under 50,000 Bilt Points earned or under $10,000 spent
  • Silver: Earn 50,000 Bilt Points or spend $10,000
  • Gold: Earn 125,000 Bilt Points or spend $25,000
  • Platinum: Earn 200,000 Bilt Points or spend $50,000

If you hit a status threshold, you'll receive that tier of status for the rest of the year you earned it in and all of the following status year.

Bilt status benefits

Blue status perks

  • Free delivery on Bilt Home Delivery orders over $40
  • 1:1 point transfers with airlines and most hotels (2,000-point minimum)
  • Earn points with Rakuten (0.5 points per 1 cent in Rakuten rewards; 1:1 ratio through May 2026)

Silver status perks

  • All Blue status perks
  • Free delivery on all Bilt Home Delivery orders
  • Higher earning rate with Rakuten (1 Bilt Point per 1 cent in Rakuten rewards)
  • 1:1 point transfer minimum reduced to 1,000 points
  • 10% discount on BLADE Basic fare flights booked through Bilt
  • 2X Bilt Points on BLADE flights
  • Increased Rent Day transfer bonus (when available)
  • Virgin Voyages elite status match
  • Earn interest on points (in the form of additional points)

Gold status perks

  • All Silver status perks
  • Home Away From Home hotel benefits
  • Access to BLADE lounges
  • Bilt travel concierge
  • Homeownership concierge
  • Gold priority access to Rent Day experiences

Platinum status perks

  • All Gold status perks
  • One complimentary BLADE flight per year from Manhattan to JFK or Newark airports
  • Flying Blue Gold status for 12 months when you transfer 10,000 points to Flying Blue
  • Platinum member specialist support
  • Platinum priority access to Rent Day experiences

Bilt credit cards

Three credit cards were released with the rollout of Bilt 2.0, and under the right circumstances, each option could prove valuable. It just depends on what you want in a credit card, how much you spend on housing and whether you're willing to do a little math (more on that later).

Bilt Palladium Card

Bilt Palladium Card

CNBC Select Rating
4.3

On Bilt's site

CNBC Select Rating
4.3

On Bilt's site

Spotlight

The Bilt Palladium Card offers consumers a way to earns 1.25X points for rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, and earns 2X points on everyday spend, without having to track categories

Credit score

Good to Excellent670–850

Regular APR

26.74 - 34.74% variable 

Annual fee

$495

Welcome bonus

Earn 50,000 points, Gold elite status and $300 Bilt Cash if approved

See rates/fees and rewards/benefits. Terms apply.

The Bilt Palladium Card earns 2X Bilt Points on everyday purchases, and your choice of up to 1.25X on rent and mortgage payments

  • Earns ultra-valuable flexible rewards
  • Simple flat-rate rewards earning
  • Can earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments
  • Additional steps for no-fee rent payments
  • High annual fee
  • Bilt Cash redemptions are complicated

Highlights

Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.

  • Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee.
  • 2X points on everyday spend
  • $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
  • $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
  • Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 3 months + $300 of Bilt Cash.
  • Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
  • Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.
  • Earn additional points through Bilt Neighborhood Benefits™ when you use your card at Bilt's network of 50,000+ merchant partners.

Balance transfer fee

Greater of 5% or $5

  • Welcome offer: Earn $300 in Bilt Cash upon approval and 50,000 Bilt Points and Gold status (for the remainder of the calendar year and all of the following calendar year) after spending $4,000 on non-housing purchases in the first 90 days.
  • Annual fee: $495
  • Reward rates: Earn 2X points on all eligible everyday purchases
  • Ongoing benefits*: Up to $400 in annual Bilt Travel Hotel credits (as a semi-annual $200 statement credit, two-night minimum stay required); $200 Bilt Cash bonus as an annual credit; airport lounge access (enrollment required); travel insurance benefits such as Baggage Delay Insurance; Purchase Assurance.

Bilt Obsidian Card

Bilt Obsidian Card

CNBC Select Rating
4.5

On Bilt's site

CNBC Select Rating
4.5

On Bilt's site

Spotlight

The Bilt Obsidian Card offers you the choice of 3X Bilt Points on your choice of groceries (up to $25,000 per year), or dining (your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year), 2X on travel, and 1X on everyday purchases

Credit score

Good to Excellent670–850

Regular APR

26.74 - 34.74% variable 

Annual fee

$95

Welcome bonus

$200 of Bilt Cash

See rates/fees and rewards/benefits. Terms apply.

The Bilt Obsidian Card offers 3X Bilt Points on key everyday categories, like groceries (up to $25,000 per year) or dining (your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year), plus comes with a $100 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit (split semi-annually each calendar year).

  • Earns ultra-valuable flexible rewards
  • Can earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee
  • High return on dining or grocery purchases
  • Additional steps for no-fee rent payments
  • Cap on earning bonus Bilt points for groceries

Highlights

Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.

  • Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee.
  • 3X points on your choice of grocery (up to $25K/year) or dining. Your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year.
  • 2X points on travel
  • 1X points on everyday spend
  • Welcome offer: $200 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved. At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
  • $100 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $50 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
  • Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.
  • Earn additional points through Bilt Neighborhood Benefits™ when you use your card at Bilt's network of 50,000+ merchant partners.

Balance transfer fee

Greater of 5% or $5

  • Welcome offer: Receive $200 in Bilt Cash upon approval. At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
  • Annual fee: $95
  • Reward rates: Earn 3X points on your choice of dining or grocery purchases (up to $25,000 in grocery spending per year); 2X points on travel; 1X points on all other eligible purchases
  • Ongoing benefits*: Up to $100 in annual Bilt Travel hotel credits (as a $50 semi-annual statement credit, two-night minimum stay required); Travel Delay Reimbursement; shopping protections like Purchase Assurance and Extended Warranty.

Bilt Blue Card

Bilt Blue Card

CNBC Select Rating
4.0
CNBC Select Rating
4.0

Spotlight

The Bilt Blue Card is a $0 annual fee card, offering 1X points on everyday spend and the ability to earn 1.25X points on your rent or mortgage payments with no transaction fee.

Credit score

Good to Excellent670–850

Regular APR

26.74 - 34.74% variable

Annual fee

$0

Welcome bonus

$100 of Bilt Cash

See rates/fees and rewards/benefits. Terms apply.

The Bilt Blue Card offers a solid entry card to the world of Bilt, offering 1X on everyday purchases without charging an annual fee.

  • Earns ultra-valuable flexible rewards
  • No annual fee
  • Can earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments
  • Additional steps for no-fee rent payments
  • Bilt Cash redemptions are complicated

Highlights

Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.

  • Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee.
  • 1X points on everyday spend
  • Welcome offer: $100 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved. At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
  • Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.
  • Earn additional points through Bilt Neighborhood Benefits™ when you use your card at Bilt's network of 50,000+ merchant partners.
  • Other benefits: No foreign transaction fees, Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection, Purchase Assurance, MasterRental Coverage (See Guide to Benefits)

Balance transfer fee

Greater of 5% or $5

  • Welcome offer: Receive $100 in Bilt Cash upon approval. At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
  • Annual fee: $0
  • Reward rates: Earn 1X points on everyday spend
  • Ongoing benefits*: Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection; Purchase Assurance; MasterRental Coverage (secondary in the U.S.)

*A maximum benefit amount and certain restrictions and limitations apply. Please review the Mastercard Guide to Benefits for details:

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Why trust CNBC Select?

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every loyalty program review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editorsWhile CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

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Bilt Rewards Guide: How Bilt Rewards Program Works

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