Bilt relaunched its card lineup in January 2026 (Bilt Card 2.0) — verify the current cards, fees, earning caps and transfer partners on the issuer's page before you apply. Treat the product details below as a framework, not a fixed spec.
Bilt Rewards cracked something everyone said was impossible: earning transferable travel points around your single biggest monthly expense — rent — with no transaction fee. For most renters that's $1,500–$4,000/month that previously earned nothing. The mechanics changed with January 2026's Bilt Card 2.0, though: rent no longer earns points directly — everyday card spend earns 4% "Bilt Cash," and each $30 of Bilt Cash unlocks 1,000 Bilt Points when you pay rent (or, now, a mortgage). It's no longer free money just for paying rent, but for renters who actually use the card, those unlocks feed points that transfer 1:1 into some of the best airline and hotel programs in the world.
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At a glance
| Annual fee | $0 (Blue) · $95 (Obsidian) · $495 (Palladium) — the Jan 2026 "2.0" lineup |
| Sign-up bonus | Varies by card — verify; the real value is the ongoing rent-unlock earn |
| Headline | Pay rent with no ~2–3% processing fee; card spend unlocks points on rent |
| Best for | Renters who want to earn on rent and travelers who value 1:1 transfers |
| Points earned | Bilt Points (transferable) |
| Foreign transaction fee | None (verify per card) |
| Card issuer | Column N.A., on the Cardless platform (verify network per card) |
Apply Now → see the current offer
What the points are worth
We value Bilt points at 2.0¢ each — right up with Chase and Amex — because they transfer 1:1 into a strong partner list with real premium-cabin sweet spots. Our CPP formula, used in every example:
(cash price − taxes/fees) ÷ points × 100 = cents per point (CPP)
Earning, say, 30,000 points/year through rent-payment unlocks is therefore worth:
- ~$300 cashed out (don't) ·
- roughly $600 at our 2.0¢ valuation ·
- $1,500+ aimed at a premium award — from spending you were making anyway.
Where your points can go
Bilt's points transfer 1:1 to these airline and hotel programs — tap any partner to see how to use those miles, what they're worth, and the best redemptions:
Airline transfer partners Air Canada Aeroplan · Air France/KLM Flying Blue · United MileagePlus · Southwest Rapid Rewards · British Airways / Qatar Avios · Avianca LifeMiles · Turkish Miles&Smiles · Virgin Atlantic · Emirates Skywards · Etihad Guest · Atmos Rewards, JAL & TAP (guides coming soon)
Hotel transfer partners World of Hyatt · IHG One Rewards · Marriott Bonvoy · Hilton Honors · Wyndham Rewards · Accor Live Limitless · Preferred Hotels (guide coming soon)
American AAdvantage is not on the list — Bilt's direct AA transfers ended in 2024.
For every transfer ratio, transfer time and current bonus, see the complete transfer partners chart.
How earning on rent works
- You still pay rent through the Bilt app/card, and Bilt covers the merchant processing fee that normally makes paying rent by card a money-loser. You pay no transaction fee.
- Under Bilt Card 2.0 (launched January 14, 2026), rent no longer earns a flat 1x. Instead, everyday card spend earns 4% "Bilt Cash," and each $30 of Bilt Cash unlocks 1,000 Bilt Points when you pay rent — or, new in 2.0, a mortgage or HOA payment.
- The unlock model means your rent points scale with your card spend — a low-spend renter unlocks fewer points than under the old flat-1x Wells Fargo card, which has been discontinued. Verify current caps and mechanics.
- Unlocked points post as normal transferable Bilt points — no separate, less-useful currency.
Earning rates
The Bilt Card 2.0 lineup (launched January 14, 2026) replaced the single Wells Fargo Mastercard with three cards:
| Card | Annual fee | Earning |
|---|---|---|
| Bilt Blue | $0 | 1x on everyday spend |
| Bilt Obsidian | $95 | 3x dining & grocery (capped at $25k/yr) · 2x travel |
| Bilt Palladium | $495 | 2x on everyday spend |
Everyday spend also generates the 4% "Bilt Cash" that unlocks rent points (see above) — verify current mechanics. Rent Day, Bilt's signature 1st-of-the-month promotion, has historically doubled non-rent earning and added transfer bonuses; confirm how Rent Day applies to the 2.0 cards before you plan around it.
Transfer partners (the real value)
Bilt transfers 1:1 to a deep, high-quality list. Verify the current roster before relying on any single partner, but as of mid-2026 it includes:
- Airlines: Atmos Rewards (Alaska/Hawaiian), Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, Avios (British Airways/Qatar and partners), Turkish Miles&Smiles, United, Southwest, Japan Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, Virgin Atlantic, TAP Miles&Go and Avianca LifeMiles.
- Hotels: World of Hyatt (the crown jewel — Bilt is one of the few programs that feeds Hyatt 1:1), IHG, Marriott, Hilton, Wyndham, Accor and Preferred Hotels.
One important change: American Airlines is no longer a Bilt partner — direct AAdvantage transfers ended back in 2024. If reaching AA is your goal, Bilt won't get you there. What sets Bilt apart today is the Hyatt 1:1 access plus an unusually deep partner roster, not AA.
Best uses (sweet spots), with examples
1. Transfer to World of Hyatt for outsized hotel value. 40,000 Bilt → 40,000 Hyatt points → two Category 4 nights listing at $350/night = $700 of hotel: ($700 − $0) ÷ 40,000 × 100 = 1.75¢. Hyatt is the best hotel value anywhere, and Bilt is a rare 1:1 feeder.
2. Turkish Miles&Smiles for a United lie-flat to Hawaii. Turkish's December 2025 devaluation ended the famous 15,000-mile price; a ~$1,100 mainland-to-Hawaii United seat now runs 40,000 Turkish miles + $5.60: ($1,100 − $5.60) ÷ 40,000 × 100 = 2.74¢.
3. Flying Blue Promo Rewards to Europe. A ~$4,000 lie-flat seat for ~50,000 miles + ~$250: ($4,000 − $250) ÷ 50,000 × 100 = 7.50¢.
4. What about American Airlines? This used to be a Bilt signature, but direct Bilt-to-AA transfers ended in 2024 and AAdvantage is not on the current roster. If AA sweet spots (JAL, Qatar) are the goal, use a currency that still reaches AA 1:1 — Citi ThankYou points do — or earn AAdvantage miles directly.
Fine print worth knowing
- No foreign transaction fees — fine to use abroad.
- Rent points are spend-gated under Card 2.0: everyday spend earns Bilt Cash ($30 → 1,000 points, unlocked when you pay rent or a mortgage) — no card spend, no rent points. Verify the current caps and rules.
- Transferred points can't be reversed — confirm award space before you move them.
- The 2026 lineup: Bilt Card 2.0 launched January 14, 2026 — Blue ($0), Obsidian ($95) and Palladium ($495), issued by Column N.A. on the Cardless platform, replacing the discontinued Wells Fargo Bilt Mastercard. Re-verify the live lineup, fees and multipliers before you apply.
Who should get it
Get Bilt if you rent (or, under Card 2.0, pay a mortgage) and put real everyday spend on the card — spend is what unlocks the rent points now. Fee-free points around rent is value that barely exists elsewhere, and the transfer partners are genuinely top-tier. Even if you never touch a fancy award, the Hyatt and airline access makes the points worth far more than cash back.
If you own your home, Card 2.0 now extends the unlock model to mortgage and HOA payments — though a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture X may still be the better core card. Bilt's 1:1 Hyatt access can still earn it a slot as a supplementary transfer stash.
Bottom line
Bilt is still a category of one: the way to turn fee-free rent (and now mortgage) payments into premium transferable points, plus a rare 1:1 path to World of Hyatt. The mechanics are less generous than the old flat-1x-on-rent card — points must now be unlocked with everyday spend, and the AA transfer path is gone — so verify the current cards and structure before you apply. But the core promise, earning real travel points around money you're already spending, remains one of the best deals in the hobby.
Apply Now → see the current offer
Related: How much are your points worth? · Bilt transfer partners · World of Hyatt guide · Chase Sapphire Preferred guide
