Bilt 2.0: Pay Rent and Mortgages with a Credit Card—A Warm Upgrade for 2027!

Bilt has announced another round of program changes for 2027. The biggest change is that new applicants can no longer choose to earn an extra 4% Bilt Cash on everyday spending. Cards opened on or after January 1, 2027—Blue, Obsidian, and Palladium—will all use the Housing-only option. Under this option, the ratio of Bilt card spending to rent or mortgage payments in each billing cycle determines how many rent points you earn, up to 1.25x. You will no longer earn the extra 4% Bilt Cash. The three cards’ base earning rates on everyday spending will stay the same.

• Existing cardholders can keep 4% Bilt Cash: If your card was opened before 2027, your current benefits will remain in place until your first card anniversary in 2027. To keep using Flexible Bilt Cash, go to your card settings in the Bilt App before your anniversary and actively choose not to switch to the new benefits. Otherwise, your card will automatically switch to Housing-only on your anniversary. You can switch from the old option to the new one later, but once you do, you cannot switch back to the old 4% option. Note that the official deadline is before your first card anniversary, not December 31, 2026, for everyone.
• Bilt Cash expiration period extended: This change is effective immediately. Bilt Cash now expires at the end of the month 12 months after it is earned, replacing the old rule under which it expired at the end of the year, with a maximum of $100 carried over. For example, Bilt Cash earned in February 2026 can be used through the end of February 2027.
• Annual benefits for Obsidian and Palladium are changing: If you choose the new option, Obsidian’s previous $100 hotel credit will become $100 in Bilt Cash each year. Palladium’s previous $400 annual hotel credit plus $200 in Bilt Cash will be combined into $600 in Bilt Cash each year. Annual Bilt Cash will be issued on your card anniversary, not every January 1. Existing cardholders who choose to keep the old 4% option will retain the corresponding hotel credit structure.
• Hotel redemption benefit reduced: Starting January 1, 2027, using Bilt Cash toward hotels booked through the Bilt Travel Portal will change from once per month to a maximum of twice per year. Blue/Silver cardholders can get up to $50 per redemption, Gold/Platinum cardholders up to $100, and Palladium cardholders who qualify for the new benefits up to $200. The existing minimum two-night stay requirement remains. So, aside from hotels, you’ll generally need to use your Bilt Cash elsewhere.
• Other updates: Daily Rewards launches on January 15, 2027. Paying rent or a mortgage and spending at eligible neighborhood partner businesses can qualify you for daily rewards and sweepstakes. Gold/Platinum members will gain a new way to use points to book Home Away from Home hotels, and some elite members will receive Hertz and SIXT rental car status matches. Bilt now also allows eligible cardholders to upgrade or downgrade their cards.

I think the old and new options each have their advantages. If you were already able to get good value by converting your 4% Bilt Cash into rent points, keeping the old option may be more worthwhile. But new applicants in 2027 can no longer choose it, so before looking at the calculations for 4% rewards and rent points below, first check which option applies to you. In particular, if existing cardholders upgrade or downgrade later, they will move to the new benefits structure—don’t assume you can keep the old option after changing cards.

• Bilt official site: 2027 benefits update announcement
• Bilt official site: Rules for existing and new cardholders

About Bilt

Bilt is an innovative financial platform whose key feature is letting cardholders pay rent or a mortgage with a credit card, earn points, and avoid the fee that would normally apply when paying with a credit card (the Bilt card waives it).

Bilt Rewards addresses a longstanding pain point for renters: rent usually cannot be paid by credit card, or comes with a high fee, so one of the largest monthly expenses earns no rewards. Through the Bilt App, the platform generates a dedicated bank account number for your landlord or property manager to receive an ACH transfer (electronic transfer), or mails a paper check. For your landlord, this is no different from a regular bank transfer, but you can pay by credit card and earn Bilt points.

Bilt points are also highly valuable and can be transferred 1:1 to miles with major airlines and hotel programs (such as United, American Airlines, and Marriott). Their value is often higher than that of many cash-back cards, making them a good fit for people who travel, especially those who enjoy flying business or first class.

Overview of Bilt Credit Cards

The three cards in the Bilt 2.0 lineup, upgraded from Bilt 1.0, have similar core features. Their main differences are rewards and benefits. Here’s an overview:

The image below introduces the three cards. In short:

• Want a straightforward card for everyday spending? Choose Blue.
• Want to hold a card for a year and earn a welcome bonus? Choose Palladium (eligible cardholders can now upgrade or downgrade to Blue or Obsidian later, so closing the card may not be necessary).
• Want premium travel benefits and are willing to learn how to get value from Bilt points and miles? Choose Palladium.

Paying Rent with Bilt

Option 1

The two methods below are ways to pay rent under the old Flexible Bilt Cash option. New applicants from 2027 onward can no longer choose it. Existing cardholders must also keep the old option as required to continue using the 4% Bilt Cash rules described below.

• No Transaction Fees option: You don’t pay a fee to pay rent or a mortgage. However, you can also redeem Bilt Cash to earn Bilt points. Every $3 of Bilt Cash redeemed earns 100 points, up to a maximum number of points equal to your rent amount. For example, on $100 in rent, you can earn up to 100 Bilt points, which means you can redeem only $3 in Bilt Cash.
• Max Points option: Paying rent or a mortgage incurs a 3% fee, but you earn 1x points when you use the Bilt card. Your Bilt Cash automatically covers the fee. For example, if you pay $100 in rent, you earn 100 points, but there is an additional $3 fee. If you have enough Bilt Cash, it will be redeemed to cover the $3. If you don’t have enough, the remaining fee will be charged to your Bilt card.

In either case, you can’t earn extra Bilt points beyond a number equal to the dollar amount of your rent or mortgage. The main difference is how you use Bilt Cash, so the difference between the two methods is not substantial. And to earn Bilt points, both methods require you to pay 3% in Bilt Cash or a direct 3% fee.

Option 2

This is the Housing-only option, the only one available to new applicants in 2027. Existing cardholders who don’t actively keep Flexible Bilt Cash will also switch to it after their first card anniversary. Your rent points are calculated directly from the ratio of spending on your Bilt card to your rent. Here’s another math exercise: the examples below use $2,000 in rent and assume all spending on the Palladium card earns 2x.

• 0.5x points—Spend at least 25% of monthly rent ($500): This tier has the lowest spending requirement and the highest earning rate. With $2,000 in rent and $500 in Bilt card spending, you earn 1,000 Bilt rent points plus 1,000 Bilt points from spending, for a total of 4x.
• 0.75x points—Spend at least 50% of monthly rent ($1,000): By the same calculation, you earn 1,500 rent points plus 2,000 points from spending, for a total of 3,500 points. You need to spend $1,000 on the Bilt card. The return on Bilt card spending is 3.5x.
• 1x points: Spend at least 75% of your monthly rent ($1,500). Using the same calculation, you’ll earn 2,000 rent points + 3,000 points on spending, and need to spend $1,500 on the Bilt Card. That works out to an effective 3.33x return on Bilt Card spending (the same as the previous 4% Bilt Cash tier).
• 1.25x points: Spend the same amount as or more than your monthly rent ($2,000). Using the same calculation, you’ll earn 2,500 rent points + 4,000 points on spending, and need to spend $2,000 on the Bilt Card. That works out to an effective 3.25x return.

In summary, if you want the highest return, spend 25% of your rent on the Bilt Card. In theory, that makes the Bilt Card a 4x card on all spending! The more you spend on the Bilt Card, the lower its effective return gradually becomes, eventually reaching 3.25x, which is still pretty good. The no-annual-fee Bilt Card earns 1x on its own, but under this new payment method, it earns 3x. The limitation is that you can only use the Bilt Card for spending and rent payments. In practice, though, we may have other cards, such as a card that earns 2x on all spending, or one that earns 3x on rent payments through Bilt. Is this tier worth choosing? Let’s look at a specific example and compare it directly with the most lucrative first tier, which earns 4x on all spending. For simplicity, let’s assume total rent of $4,000.

• Option 1: $4,000 in rent and $1,000 in Bilt Card spending, for a total of 4,000 Bilt points.
• Option 2: For $4,000 in rent, redeem $120 in Bilt Cash. You’ll then need to spend $3,000 on the Bilt Card to earn 2x. Pay the rent with the AS Summit card to earn 3x. That comes to 6,000 Bilt points + 12,000 AS points. In effect, $3,000 in Bilt Card spending earns 2x Bilt points + 3x AS miles.

As you can see, with the old 4% Bilt Cash option, combining Bilt with other cards to pay rent while using Bilt for everyday spending to earn Bilt Cash yields more points, and allows for more spending on Bilt (in other words, the cap on earning at a multiple is higher). In summary, the new payment option is somewhat useful if you only have a Bilt Card. If you have other cards with elevated earning rates, Double Cash can match 4x, while the Summit and Ascent cards can earn 2x + 3x. They also have higher caps. So there’s not much point to it.

Note: The comparison above assumes the old 4% Bilt Cash option is still available. New applicants in 2027 won’t have this option, so they can’t use this combination as-is.

Further Discussion

Should You Choose Bilt Cash?

The calculations below for 4% Bilt Cash and its equivalent return assume that cardholders use the Flexible Bilt Cash option. New applicants in 2027 can no longer choose it, and existing cardholders must actively keep it.

Aside from rent payments, all spending on the other three cards earns an additional 4% Bilt Cash. When redeemed toward rent, it can be converted to points at a 3:1 ratio, so we can simply consider this 4% equivalent to 1.33x Bilt points in an ideal scenario. Bilt points are also valuable, worth around 1.6%. With the 4% bonus, all the Bilt cards offer solid returns.

• Blue earns 1x on all spending, or 2.33x in theory—equivalent to a 3.7% return.
• Obsidian earns 3x at grocery stores and restaurants, or 4.33x in theory; 3.33x on travel; and 2.33x on other spending. That’s equivalent to returns of 7% / 5.3% / 3.7%, respectively.
• Palladium earns 2x on all spending, or 3.33x in theory—equivalent to a 5.3% return.

There is, however, a catch. Bilt Cash can only be directly converted into Bilt points when paying rent, so the amount of your rent matters. The break-even point depends on the ratio of your rent to your spending. For example, if your monthly rent is $1,000, you need $30 in Bilt Cash to redeem it all, which means 4% of $750 in spending. In other words, with $1,000 in rent, you can earn 4% Bilt Cash on only $750 of spending; Bilt Cash earned on spending beyond that has no value (it will simply roll over to the next month). But if your rent is $10,000, then $7,500 in spending can earn 4% Bilt Cash (equivalent to 1.33x in Bilt points), giving you a much higher cap. The same applies to mortgage payments, though there’s no definitive information yet on which mortgages will qualify. For people with high mortgage or rent payments, all three Bilt cards offer good value. In particular, getting a Palladium card to earn an effective 5.3% on all spending is a solid option. Of course, this doesn’t account for other ways to redeem Bilt Cash, which generally don’t offer much value when redemption is unrestricted.

Should You Pay Rent with a Bilt Card?

The comparison below is still based on the old Flexible Bilt Cash model. The Housing-only option for new cards in 2027 doesn’t require using 3% Bilt Cash to earn rent points, so the fee calculations here don’t apply directly.

This question may seem odd. Didn’t we get a Bilt Card specifically to pay rent by credit card? But after the 2.0 relaunch, paying rent with Bilt isn’t necessarily the most efficient option. To earn points when paying rent with a Bilt Card, you have to accept a fee (in exchange for Bilt Cash). Both payment methods have a fee of around 3%. So paying with a Bilt Card means a 3% fee for 1x Bilt points. If you use another card, such as Double Cash, to pay rent, you pay a 3% fee for 2x TYP. If you think 1x Bilt < 2x TYP, then you should pay with Double Cash instead. The value of the Bilt Card then comes from its elevated earning rates on everyday spending, though the benefit isn’t especially large and depends on your rent amount.

Paying a Mortgage

After the Bilt 2.0 relaunch, there is a dedicated option for mortgage payments, but it only supports payment with Bilt’s own cards. The points calculation follows the same rules as rent payments above: new cards in 2027 only have Housing-only, while existing cards that retain the old benefits can continue using Flexible Bilt Cash.

Some people tried going through the Rent option and then paying their mortgage with another card, but Bilt has continually blocked this bug. At this point, this method no longer works for most mainstream mortgage lenders.

So we won’t discuss it again here.

Paying HOA Fees

Some people previously succeeded in paying HOA and other fees through the Rent option. That route seems to still be available after the relaunch, so you can give it a try. The Rent option lets you choose any card, so the discussion is similar to paying rent above and we won’t go into detail here.

• Paying HOA fees with Bilt (First Citizens Bank)

About Bilt Points

Membership Tiers

Bilt announced that its points system would launch in January 2024, with some changes from the previous program. The membership tiers are as follows:

• Blue: The basic tier, assigned automatically.
• Silver: Requires 50,000 points (previously 25,000) or $10,000 in non-rent spending on an eligible card (the Bilt Mastercard or a linked Mastercard, American Express, or Visa card).
• Gold: Requires 125,000 points (previously 50,000) or $25,000 in non-rent spending on an eligible card (the Bilt Mastercard or a linked Mastercard, American Express, or Visa card).
• Platinum: Requires 200,000 points (previously 100,000) or $50,000 in non-rent spending on an eligible card (the Bilt Mastercard or a linked Mastercard, American Express, or Visa card).

Bilt added a Bilt Cash benefit: for every 25,000 Bilt points earned, you can also receive an additional $50 in Bilt Cash. This is a nice extra benefit that encourages people to earn more Bilt points. If mortgage payments become eligible in the future, earning some extra Bilt Cash this way over the course of a year would be worthwhile.

• Official announcement

Bilt Cash can be used for:

• Bilt’s local network merchants: redeem at a fixed value, like cash (for example, get cash off with Mobile Checkout, book hotels in Bilt’s Travel Portal, or pay for fitness classes and Home Delivery orders)
• Upgrade your Bilt status to get better benefits on Bilt Rent Day. One-time access to elite status benefits (such as upgraded status for Rent Day transfer bonuses, early access to experiences, and Home Away from Home access for Blue and Silver Members).

Transfer Partners

Bilt points can be transferred to multiple airline and hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio. You’ll also get 100 points for linking each account, for a total of up to 1,000 points. Transfers require a minimum of 2,000 points. In other words, even if you’re not approved for a card now, you can still get 2,000 points and transfer them out. Bilt’s current transfer partners include:

• All transfer at a 1:1 ratio except Accor.
• Notable partners include Alaska, Hyatt, Japan Airlines, and United Airlines, which are relatively uncommon.

Bilt added Etihad as a new transfer partner at a 1:1 ratio. However, Etihad already partners with AMEX, Capital One, and ThankYou Points, so this isn’t a major addition for Bilt. Still, it shows that Bilt’s reach is continuing to expand!

• Official details

Bilt has now added Spirit as a transfer partner at a 1:1 ratio. It’s not very useful, but another option is always nice.

• Official details

Other Redemption Options

• Bilt added a Travel Portal powered by Expedia, with an estimated redemption value of about 1.25 cents per point. I generally don’t recommend using it, though it may be worth considering for occasional low-priced flights.
• Bilt now supports Amazon Shop with Points. The redemption value is 0.7 cents per point, so remember to redeem only 1 point at a time (1 cent). Bilt has also launched a linking promotion (500 points total). Link your Amazon account for 250 points (click to visit).
• Bilt added a new feature that lets you redeem points for cash at 0.55 cents per point. I don’t recommend it, but at least it’s a useful option, and there may be bonus promotions in the future.

About Bilt Cash

Unlike Bilt Points, Bilt Cash cannot be redeemed for cash or transferred to partners. The redemption options currently listed by Bilt include:

Note: The first option below, using Bilt Cash to unlock points on rent and mortgage payments, is available only under the old Flexible Bilt Cash plan. The Housing-only mode for cards opened in 2027 does not include this redemption option.

• Cover the fee for earning points on rent or mortgage payments: For every $30 in fees redeemed, you’ll get 1,000 Bilt points. For example, if you pay $1,000 in rent and incur a $30 fee, you can redeem $30 in Bilt Cash and get 1,000 Bilt points back. Only Bilt cardholders can redeem this benefit.
• Upgrade your Bilt membership status for better Rent Day benefits.

Bilt has updated the other ways to use Bilt Cash. In short, although $1 in Bilt Cash is worth $1, these redemption options are underwhelming and have monthly limits. In most cases, you’ll have to pay part of the cost out of pocket in addition to using Bilt Cash. I recommend redeeming it for Bilt points when paying rent, since that offers the best value. These miscellaneous options will only encourage you to spend more. Monthly redemption benefits:

• Food delivery (Grubhub): $10 monthly allowance.
• Express delivery (Bilt/Gopuff): Up to $5 monthly allowance.
• Dining at partner restaurants: Once per month, up to $25 each time.
• Dining experience reservations: Up to $50 per month (available starting March 1, 2026).
• Hotel credits: Redeem up to the monthly allowance through December 31, 2026. Starting January 1, 2027, this changes to a maximum of 2 redemptions per year, and each hotel booking must still be for at least 2 nights.
  • Blue & Silver members: Up to $50 per month in 2026; up to $50 per redemption in 2027, with a $100 annual maximum.
  • Gold & Platinum members: Up to $100 per month in 2026; up to $100 per redemption in 2027, with a $200 annual maximum.
  • Palladium cardholders eligible for the new benefits plan: Up to $200 per redemption in 2027, with a $400 annual maximum.
• Lyft rides: $10 monthly allowance.
• Parking: $5 monthly allowance (available starting March 1, 2026).
• Fitness classes: Up to $40 monthly allowance.
• Walgreens purchases: $10 monthly allowance.
• Comedy experience reservations: Up to $50 monthly allowance (available starting March 1, 2026).
• Bilt Design Collection merchandise: Up to $10 monthly allowance.
• Priority Pass guest fees (Palladium only): Up to $64 in statement credits per month ($32 per guest, for up to two guests; available starting March 1, 2026).

Annual redemption benefits:

• Gopuff Fam membership: Up to $100 in credits per year toward a monthly or annual membership fee (available starting March 1, 2026).
• Blacklane car service: Annual credit depends on membership status.
  • Blue & Silver members: $50 per year
  • Gold members: $100 per year
  • Platinum members: $150 per year
• BLADE flights: Up to $700 in total annual credits (up to $350 per seat, for up to 2 seats per year; available starting March 1, 2026).
• Bonus points on everyday spending: Each activation costs $200 in Bilt Cash, and you can activate it up to 5 times per year.
• Unlock Home Away from Home hotel benefits: Blue & Silver members can unlock this benefit with a one-time payment of $95 in Bilt Cash (available starting March 1, 2026).
• Upgrade transfer bonuses: Pay per upgrade with Bilt Cash (for example, a Gold member can pay $75 to increase a bonus from 75% to 100%).

[Updated 2026.10.27] Bilt Cash now expires at the end of the month 12 months after it is earned. It no longer expires all at once at the end of each year, and the $100 carryover cap has been removed. The new rule also applies to Bilt Cash earned previously. For example, Bilt Cash earned in February 2026 can be used through the end of February 2027. I think this is a nice change—at least you won’t have to scramble to spend it at the end of the year to keep it from expiring.
See the official site for the FAQ:

• About Bilt Cash

Paying Rent with Other Cards

Bilt announced new rules for rent payments. You can now pay rent with a non-Bilt card, but there’s a 3% fee. Visa, Mastercard, and Discover cards earn 1 Bilt point per dollar spent, while AMEX cards earn 1 Bilt point for every $2 spent. You can earn Bilt points (worth at least 1%) as well as credit card cash back (at least 1%), which means the fee you pay is effectively less than 1%.

Bilt announced on its website that purchases made through Bilt with a personal United co-branded card earn 2x United miles. Add the 1x Bilt points earned for paying rent, and that comes to 3x. The fee is only 3%, which is like buying United/Bilt points for 1 cent each. Note that you can pay rent directly with a United card even if you don't have a Bilt credit card.

• Official announcement

The cards that can earn additional rewards are listed below. The biggest highlight is the United Gateway℠ Card, which has no annual fee and earns an additional 1x United mile with this setup. That’s a pretty good deal. So if you downgrade a United card to the Gateway and keep it, using it specifically to pay rent could work out well.

• The United Gateway℠ Card
• The United℠ Explorer Card
• The United Quest℠ Card
• The United Club℠ Card
• The United Presidential Plus℠ Card (no longer available)

Bilt’s Monthly Promotions (Rental Day)

Bilt holds a Rental Day promotion on the first of every month, offering various rewards. These may include transfer bonuses for miles or elite status with other airline and hotel loyalty programs. See our summaries of selected promotions below:

• October 2025 Bilt Day: Up to a 50% bonus when redeeming Bilt points for Amazon—terrible value
• Bilt Rental Day: Transfer points to Accor at up to a 1:2 ratio—a great deal (June 1 only)
• May 2025 Bilt Rental Day: Up to a 100% transfer bonus to Southwest (1:2)
• April 2025 Bilt Rent Day: A 100% transfer bonus to Avios and more! (Effective April 1)
• Bilt Rental Day: Hilton transfer bonus, free coffee, and multiple points (March 1)

Partners

Lyft

Bilt announced a partnership with the rideshare company Lyft, a competitor of Uber. You can link your accounts with the two companies.

• Lyft purchases earn an additional 2x Bilt points for people without a Bilt credit card
• Lyft purchases earn an additional 5x Bilt points for Bilt credit cardholders

A welcome improvement—well done. Note that after linking your accounts, you can choose to earn rewards with only one loyalty program. We recommend choosing Bilt, a great tool for transferring points. [February 2023 update] Bilt announced a partnership that lets you compare award prices when searching for flights on Bilt (one drawback: it only displays airlines and hotels that are Bilt transfer partners). You can then transfer points through Bilt. Kudos to Bilt.

Gopuff

Bilt has also partnered with Gopuff. Purchases earn points, which can be redeemed for purchases (at 0.7 cents per point, it’s not a good deal).

• News link

Search for Award Flights

Bilt recently added an award flight search tool to member accounts. Users can now compare cash fares, the number of Bilt points needed to book, and the miles required to transfer to an airline partner—all in one place. Currently, the feature supports only nonstop, one-way flights on British Airways (BA) and Iberia, and is expected to expand to more partners in 2026. This tool can help users get more out of their Bilt points (Bilt has 23 transfer partners). If it really enables one-click searches, it’ll be incredibly convenient!

• For example, for the same PVG-LAX itinerary, booking with AS might require fewer miles (or equivalent Bilt points) than booking with BA (or equivalent Bilt points). This search tool would show us that we should transfer Bilt points to AS rather than BA to book the flight.