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.
Advertiser disclosure: we may be compensated when you're approved through our links. It doesn't affect our editorial take. Terms apply — see the issuer's Rates & Fees.
Quick answer
- Best for: renters (and, under Card 2.0, mortgage payers) who put real everyday spend on the card — rent is paid with no transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0 (Blue) · $95 (Obsidian) · $495 (Palladium)
- Welcome bonus: varies by card — the real value is the ongoing rent-unlock earn (verify current offer)
- Key benefit: points worth ~2.0¢ each at our valuation, transferring 1:1 — including a rare 1:1 path to World of Hyatt (4:3 from January 1, 2027)
- Earning: everyday spend earns 4% Bilt Cash; each $30 of Bilt Cash unlocks 1,000 Bilt Points when you pay rent
Free tool: find the credit card that earns the most for how you spend, and track every statement credit at kritdeals.com/points-path, or in the free KritDeals app for iPhone and Android.
At a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 (Blue) · $95 (Obsidian) · $495 (Palladium) — the Jan 2026 "2.0" lineup |
| Sign-up bonus | Varies by card — the real value is the ongoing rent-unlock earn (verify current offer) |
| Best for | Renters who want to earn on rent and travelers who value 1:1 transfers |
| Points earned | Bilt Points (transferable) |
| Points worth | ~2.0¢ each (our valuation) |
| Key perk | Pay rent with no ~2–3% processing fee; card spend unlocks points on rent |
| Foreign transaction fee | None (verify per card) |
| Card network | Issued by Column N.A., on the Cardless platform (verify network per card) |
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.
Transfer partners (the real value)
Bilt transfers 1:1 to most of a deep, high-quality list (Accor is 3:2, I Prefer 1:2 and Amtrak 2:1). 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 through December 31, 2026; it becomes 4:3 on January 1, 2027), 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.
Where your points can go
Bilt's points transfer to these airline and hotel programs (1:1 unless the chart says otherwise) — 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.
Earning rates
The Bilt Card 2.0 lineup (launched January 14, 2026) replaced the single Wells Fargo Mastercard with three cards — Bilt Blue ($0), Bilt Obsidian ($95) and Bilt Palladium ($495):
| Rate | Category |
|---|---|
| 4% Bilt Cash | Everyday card spend — unlocks rent points (see below) |
| 3x | Dining & grocery — Bilt Obsidian (capped at $25k/yr) |
| 2x | Travel — Bilt Obsidian |
| 2x | Everyday spend — Bilt Palladium |
| 1x | Everyday spend — Bilt Blue |
Everyday spend on every 2.0 card also earns 4% back in "Bilt Cash" (per bilt.com, October 2026); redeeming $30 of it unlocks 1,000 points on rent or mortgage payments. 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.
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.
Benefits & credits
- No transaction fee on rent — Bilt covers the ~2–3% processing fee.
- Rent, mortgage and HOA unlocks — Bilt Cash from everyday spend unlocks points on those payments (Card 2.0).
- Rent Day — the 1st-of-the-month promotion that has historically doubled non-rent earning and added transfer bonuses (confirm for 2.0 cards).
- No foreign transaction fees (verify per card).
Best uses
- 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 until January 1, 2027, when it becomes 4:3, so transfer before then if Hyatt is the plan.
- 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¢.
- Flying Blue Promo Rewards to Europe. A ~$4,000 lie-flat seat for 45,000 miles on a Promo Reward (60,000 standard) + ~$250: ($4,000 − $250) ÷ 45,000 × 100 = 8.33¢ (6.25¢ at the standard rate).
- 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.
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 another core card may still be better. Bilt's Hyatt access (1:1 until January 1, 2027, then 4:3) can still earn it a slot as a supplementary transfer stash.
- Good alternative: Chase Sapphire Preferred — may still be the better core card for homeowners.
- Good alternative: Capital One Venture X — the other core-card option for homeowners.
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.
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.
Note: Sign-up bonuses and benefits change. Always confirm current terms on the issuer's site before applying.
FAQ
Do I pay a fee to pay rent with Bilt? No. You pay rent through the Bilt app/card and Bilt covers the merchant processing fee, so you pay no transaction fee.
Does rent still earn points directly? Not under Bilt Card 2.0 (launched January 14, 2026). Everyday card spend earns 4% "Bilt Cash," and each $30 of Bilt Cash unlocks 1,000 Bilt Points when you pay rent, a mortgage or an HOA payment — no card spend, no rent points. Verify current caps and mechanics.
Which Bilt card should I pick? The 2.0 lineup is Bilt Blue ($0, 1x on everyday spend), Bilt Obsidian ($95, 3x dining & grocery capped at $25k/yr, 2x travel) and Bilt Palladium ($495, 2x on everyday spend).
What are Bilt points worth? We value them at 2.0¢ each because they transfer 1:1 to a deep list of airline and hotel partners, with World of Hyatt the crown jewel.
Can I transfer Bilt points to American Airlines? No — direct Bilt-to-AAdvantage transfers ended in 2024. For AA, use a currency that still reaches it 1:1, such as Citi ThankYou points.
