Bilt Rewards

Who This Program Is For

Bilt Rewards solves a real problem: most renters spend $1,500–3,000+ on rent every month and earn nothing on that spend. The Bilt Mastercard changes that — 1 point per dollar on rent, no transaction fee, with the same transfer partners you'd expect from a paid travel card.

The program is worth considering for almost any renter who holds a major travel credit card. Bilt doesn't replace Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards — it supplements them, capturing points on the one large monthly expense those programs can't touch.

For non-renters, the card is a harder sell. 3x dining and 2x travel are solid, and the $0 annual fee means there's no cost to holding it — but those rates are available on other $0 cards, and the 5-transaction minimum per statement creates a maintenance burden the other cards don't impose.

How to Earn Bilt Points

Rent: The Core Earn

Pay rent through the Bilt app and earn 1 point per dollar, capped at 100,000 points per year. The critical detail: no transaction fee. Most ways to pay rent with a credit card involve a 2–3% processing fee that makes earning points a net negative. Bilt absorbs that cost, making rent earning genuinely free.

The mechanics differ by landlord type. Bilt Alliance landlords (properties that have formally partnered with Bilt) process payments directly through the Bilt system. For everyone else, Bilt Pay issues an ACH transfer on your behalf — your landlord receives a standard payment, and Bilt credits points to your account. Processing times for Bilt Pay typically run 3–5 business days; send payment early.

At $1,800/month in rent, you earn 21,600 points per year from rent alone — roughly equivalent to a 3-night stay at a mid-tier Hyatt property, or a one-way business class flight with the right transfer partner.

Everyday Earning

Outside of rent, the card earns 3x at restaurants, 2x on travel, and 1x everywhere else. No foreign transaction fees. These are competitive rates for a $0 annual fee card, though a Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95/year) earns 3x dining and 2x travel at the same rates with a larger Chase network.

Rent Day: 1st of the Month

On the 1st of each month, the earn rates double for all non-rent categories: 6x dining, 4x travel, 2x everything else. There is no spend cap on Rent Day bonuses.

The practical use: concentrate restaurant and travel bookings on the 1st when possible. A $200 dinner on Rent Day earns 1,200 points instead of 600 — a real difference if you plan around it. The caveat is that you can't retroactively shift spending; the bonus only applies to purchases that post on the 1st.

The 5-Transaction Minimum

This is the most important operational detail about the Bilt card: you must make at least 5 transactions per statement period or earn zero points that month. The rule exists to ensure the card generates interchange revenue — Bilt needs actual card usage to cover the costs of the rent earning program.

The solution is simple: use the card for small everyday purchases (coffee, groceries, transit) throughout the month. Five transactions is an easy bar. But if you hold the card primarily for rent and forget to use it for anything else, you'll lose that month's points — including the rent earning you expected.

Transfer Partners

Bilt transfers to 14+ airline and hotel programs at 1:1. For a $0 annual fee card, this is exceptional. The full list includes airlines across all three alliances and the major US hotel programs:

The three most useful transfers for most travelers:

• World of Hyatt 1:1 — the highest-value hotel transfer available on a no-fee card. A 25,000-point Bilt transfer can cover a Park Hyatt night worth $500 in cash.
• Air Canada Aeroplan 1:1 — distance-based Star Alliance pricing; typically the best path to Lufthansa and Swiss business class from North America without fuel surcharges.
• Flying Blue 1:1 — watch for monthly Promo Rewards that cut certain award prices by 25–50%. Transferring during a Flying Blue promo can deliver outsized value.

How Bilt Fits Alongside Other Cards

Bilt is almost always a companion card, not a primary card. The 1x earn rate outside of rent and Rent Day categories is too low to make it your main spending card. The value comes from using it for rent plus Rent Day spending, then letting your Chase or Amex card handle the rest.

A practical two-card setup: Bilt for rent (1x, no fee) + Chase Sapphire Preferred for travel and dining (3x/2x, $95/year). The Bilt card adds meaningful points from rent without replacing the Sapphire's category bonuses.

Note that Bilt and Chase point balances are separate and do not combine. If you want to use Bilt points for a Hyatt redemption, you transfer them to World of Hyatt directly — just as you would with Chase. The destination account (World of Hyatt) can hold points from multiple sources.

Bottom Line

Bilt Rewards is the best $0 annual fee option for renters who want to earn transferable points. The transfer partner list is strong enough to cover aspirational hotel and airline redemptions, and the rent earning is genuinely free. The 5-transaction minimum is the only real maintenance requirement.

If you rent and don't have a Bilt card, you're leaving money on the table. Sign up, use it for rent and five small purchases per month, and let the points accumulate. The program earns its place in almost any travel-card setup.