Why Bilt Is Different
Rent is typically the largest monthly expense for most Americans — and until Bilt, it earned exactly zero rewards. Bilt Mastercard and the Bilt Rewards program changed that. If you pay rent, Bilt should at minimum be in your wallet as a no-fee option for that spend alone. The points are genuinely valuable and the transfer partners are excellent.
How to Earn Points
Through the Bilt app (no credit card required): If your landlord is in the Bilt Alliance, pay directly through the app at no cost. You earn 1x points on rent up to 100,000 points per year.
Bilt Mastercard: Earns 1x on rent when paying through the Bilt app or via ACH transfer (with no fee charged). Also earns: 3x on dining, 2x on travel, 1x on everything else. Crucially: you must make at least 5 transactions per statement period for points to post — even $1 purchases count.
Annual rent cap: 100,000 points per year from rent. At $2,500/month in rent, you'd max this out in 3.3 years at 1x. This cap rarely matters for most renters.
Transfer Partners
Bilt's transfer partner list is competitive with Chase and Amex on quality:
- Airlines: Alaska Mileage Plan, American AAdvantage, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways Avios, Flying Blue (Air France/KLM), Turkish Miles&Smiles, United MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Hotels: World of Hyatt, IHG Rewards
The Alaska Airlines partnership is Bilt's biggest differentiator — Alaska is the only other major transferable currency that transfers to Alaska (besides some niche programs). Alaska Mileage Plan accesses Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, and others at excellent rates.
The Hyatt partnership means Bilt is a second pathway to the best hotel points program, alongside Chase UR.
Transfer Ratios
Most Bilt transfers are 1:1. All transfers process within 2–3 business days for most partners. Note: Bilt occasionally runs transfer bonuses (10–25% bonus to select partners) — watch for these, particularly around major promotions. Amex and Chase also run bonuses, but Bilt does it more frequently.
The No Annual Fee Catch
The Bilt Mastercard has no annual fee — unusual for a card with premium transfer partners. The tradeoff: earning rates outside rent are modest (3x dining, 2x travel), and the 5-transactions-per-month requirement to activate point earning adds friction. Set a small recurring purchase on the card to always hit 5 transactions.
The Rent Day Promotion
On the 1st of every month, Bilt runs "Rent Day" promotions — typically double or triple points on all purchases for 24 hours, or bonus points from partner brands. These promotions are well-publicized through the Bilt app. Using the card strategically on Rent Day can significantly boost annual point accumulation.
Is It Worth It?
For any renter paying $1,000+/month: yes, absolutely use Bilt for rent. You're converting an otherwise point-free expense into valuable transferable currency. For renters in the Bilt Alliance, the in-app payment earns at no cost and no friction. For renters outside the Alliance, check whether your landlord accepts credit card payments through the app.
The card itself is worth holding even if you have better cards for dining and travel — keep it active with 5 small monthly transactions to preserve the rent earning. The no-fee structure means there's no ongoing cost to the strategy.