Effective as of December 12, 2025, all Mesa Homeowners Card accounts are closed. All credit cards have been deactivated, and you are no longer able to make any new purchases or earn Mesa Points. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Bilt Mastercard is currently unavailable to new applicants. Bilt has announced plans to launch Bilt Card 2.0 in February 2026, with existing cardmembers eligible to transition to the new card. The information and offer details below may not reflect the terms of the upcoming card.
We all know the saying: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. The Mesa Homeowners Visa® Signature Preferred Credit Card easily fit that description, offering generous bonus categories, statement credits and rewards for paying your mortgage (without having to use the card as payment).
Effective Dec. 12, 2025, all Mesa Homeowners Cards were deactivated, just a little over a year after the card was introduced. If you own the card, you're probably wondering what's going to happen to cardholders and all the accrued rewards. While this mortgage rewards card was the first of its kind, you still have a couple of options if you're interested in trying an alternative.
Mesa Homeowners Card shuts down
Mesa Homeowners Card has closed: What to know
The Mesa credit card shutdown was abrupt, but not surprising. After all, the card was a loss leader with multiple bonus categories, including:
- 1X Mesa points on mortgage payments after spending $1,000 on your card in the same statement period (up to 100,000 points annually)
- 3X Mesa points on home decor, home improvement, general contractors, cable and streaming services, home insurance, property taxes, maintenance, telecom, utilities and daycare
- 2X Mesa points on gas and electric vehicle charging and grocery stores (excluding wholesale and discount stores)
- 1X Mesa points on all other purchases
The Mesa card also offered nearly $1,000 in statement credits for things like home maintenance services, pet care and home warranty claims. For a card without an annual fee, these offerings were too rich to sustain.
Mesa's recent issues and account closures
Over the last week or so, some Reddit users reported declined payments and glitches that appeared to be temporary, until they weren't. You could previously redeem Mesa points for travel, gift cards, statement or mortgage credits or, most valuably, transfers to airline and hotel partners. But following the shutdown announcement, all redemption options except for statement credits (at a poor 0.6 cent per point value) seem to be removed, per TechCrunch.
Further, all card accounts have been closed. Cardholders are unable to make any new purchases, leaving them scrambling to pay recurring and ongoing charges.
Alternative credit cards to consider
While the Mesa credit card was a showstopper, it was too good to last. Here are a couple of additional ways to keep the rewards flowing:
Made Essential Visa Signature Preferred Card
The new Made Essential Visa Signature Preferred Credit Card is another card that rewards mortgage payments and other types of spending. The card was launched in partnership with Fairway Home Mortgage, and you can currently only earn points on a mortgage with Fairway.
You still make your mortgage payment directly to the mortgage servicer, not with the card itself. By spending within the 1X to 3X categories, you earn 1X points on your mortgage payment on top of the category rewards you earn:
- 3X points on gas; EV charging; groceries; and internet, cable and streaming service purchases (up to 30,000 points per calendar year or $10,000 in spending)
- 2X points on home improvement, home maintenance and furniture (up to 20,000 points per calendar year or $10,000 in spending)
- 1X points on all other purchases
Plus, there's no annual fee. While that sounds enticing, it's not quite as good on the redemption side, as the redemption options and values aren't publicly available and are subject to change.
If you decide to apply, redeem your points quickly in case the card has a similar fate as Mesa. However, given the Made card's lower rewards value compared to the Mesa card, it may be a more sustainable product in the long term.
Upcoming: Bilt Card 2.0
The Bilt Rewards program is known for earning points on paying rent, in conjunction with the Bilt Mastercard® (currently not accepting applications).
Following a relaunch on Feb. 7, 2026, Bilt will offer a trio of new cards with revamped offerings, including the ability to earn points "on any eligible residential mortgage payments."
That's the extent of what we know so far, other than the cards will have expanded benefits based on member feedback.
However, Bilt Rewards is arguably one of the strongest rewards programs available. It offers numerous airline and hotel transfer partners and has added several partnerships along the way. Here's hoping the new cards will be a worthy addition to those looking to earn points on mortgage payments.
A card with a heightened welcome bonus
While it's technically possible to pay your mortgage with a standard credit card, there are usually fees of around 3% to do so, which negates any rewards you'd earn.
Of course, you could always apply for one of the best credit card sign-up bonuses. This is a quick way to earn a welcome offer with three or six months of mortgage payments (depending on the welcome bonus spending requirement timeline).
There are flat-rate cash back credit cards available with simple $200 to $300 welcome bonuses, but also premium cards like the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, which offers a hefty 75,000-point bonus after spending $6,000 in the first three months of account opening.
Just make sure you can reasonably meet the welcome bonus spending requirement, and that the card's overall rewards and benefits make sense for your wallet.
The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card aims to brings premium restaurant rewards and travel benefits to users, including an annual hotel benefit of $300.
- High rewards rate on travel
- 6X on restaurants
- Can transfer points to American Airlines at a 1:1 rate
- Up to $200 annual splurge credit
- High annual fee
- Limited rewards categories
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 75,000 bonus Points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
- Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com and 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com
- Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time
- Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases
- Up to $300 Annual Hotel Benefit: Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of two nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Balance transfer fee
Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.
FAQs
What will happen to my Mesa card points?
Right now, your only option is to redeem Mesa points for a statement credit at a rate of 0.6 cents per point. This means that every 1,000 Mesa points is worth $6 in statement credit. If you don't redeem them, they could otherwise be forfeited.
As of Dec. 17, 2025, travel rewards platform Rove is offering to match your Mesa points balance (up to 5,000 points). Upload screenshots of your Mesa balance and Rove will deposit up to 5,000 miles into your Rove account (limited to the first 2 million miles matched).
Does the Mesa card closing affect my credit?
It could, particularly if it was your only or oldest credit card. That's because credit utilization and average age of your accounts make up a portion of your credit history. Mesa says it will report the cards as "Closed by Issuer," which will indicate to credit bureaus that the closed account was initiated by the card issuer, not you as the cardholder.
Do I have to pay my Mesa credit card balance?
Yes. You must continue to make your payments on time and, according to the terms, until your balance is fully paid. Failure to do so could impact your credit profile, so be sure to at least make the minimum payment — and more if you can to speed up the process.
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