Tracking Points & Transfer Options
#3 Among Transferable Points
Point Value
1.7 ¢
Hobby Score
8.5
No longer a slam dunk for renters, but Bilt’s strong transfer partners make the program worth watching
Yes
When Bilt launched in 2021, the pitch was simple: earn credit card points on rent without paying a fee. While you can still earn points on housing payments, it's no longer that simple to do so.
In early 2026, Bilt overhauled the system and introduced a new lineup of cards. You can still earn points on rent, and now mortgage, but you must put everyday spend on the card to earn them. The more you spend, the more you earn on your housing payments.
Only one of the three cards includes a traditional welcome offer, so big sign-up bonuses aren’t the draw. The best way to earn Bilt points is through everyday spending combined with housing payments made through Bilt.
With Bilt 2.0, all three Bilt cards let you pay rent or mortgage via bank transfer, fee-free. But unlike Bilt 1.0, these payments no longer earn points by default. And since it's now a bank transfer, housing payments are longer a credit card charge.
To earn points on rent or mortgage, you have two options.
Here’s how it works:
Example
Note that you will also earn points on the non-housing spend. How much depends on which card you hold, as they all have different earning rates.
Here’s how it works:
Example
Note that you will also earn points on that $750 in spending. How much depends on which card you hold, as they all have different earning rates.
Using Bilt’s transfer partners is the best way to get maximum value for your Bilt points. That’s always where we recommend starting, so be sure to check out our sweet spots for Bilt partners. Bilt also has a travel portal that can offer decent redemptions, but not nearly the same value as transferring to partners.
Bilt also introduced Bilt Cash as part of Bilt 2.0. We feel the best use of Bilt Cash is to use it for redeeming points on housing, but we'll outline all other options as well.
You can book travel through the Bilt Travel Portal at a value of 1.25 cents per point. It’s not the best redemption, but it’s not bad either. This wouldn’t be our first choice because Bilt’s transfer partners offer better value, but booking travel that isn’t possible with transferable miles, like rental cars or cruises, can be a good use of points when you’d rather not pay cash.
Bilt Cash is new with Bilt 2.0. It’s a fixed-value currency that replaces Milestone Rewards and is separate from Bilt Points. Unlike points, Bilt Cash is not transferable to airline or hotel partners and can only be used within the Bilt ecosystem.
You can earn Bilt Cash in a variety of ways. You'll receive a set number when you sign up for each credit card as part of its welcome offer (no spending required). You'll then earn 4% in Bilt cash on all non-housing payment purchases and $50 in Bilt Cash for every 25,000 points earned.
Its most important use is unlocking points on housing payments. Every $30 in Bilt Cash lets you earn 1,000 Bilt Points on rent or mortgage, up to your full monthly payment if you choose Option 2 for how you will be rewarded for housing payments.
How it works
Bilt marketed Bilt Cash as a way to deliver dollar-for-dollar value, but once redemption options expanded beyond earning points on housing payments, that promise started to ring hollow. While the “dollar for dollar” claim is technically true, the redemption limits Bilt has put in place make many options annoying at best and worthless at worst. Using Bilt Cash in these ways feels similar to the coupon-book style of “benefits” that has become common with credit cards, except those benefits are typically unlocked just by holding the card. With Bilt, you must first earn the Bilt Cash through spend before you can use the coupons at all.
Our favorite ways to use Bilt Cash
If you have extra Bilt Cash from signing up for the card or from choosing Option 2 for your housing payment rewards, here are our favorite ways to redeem it. Note that some options may require holding an annual fee card or having Bilt status. Where that applies, we’ll call it out.
Other ways to use Bilt Cash
Here are other ways to use Bilt Cash. Most of these are low value, coupon book style of uses that will take time and effort. You may find value in some, but most won't move the needle enough to justify the annual fee on the Obsidian or Palladium on their own. Factor in all other benefits to determine if holding either card long-term is best.
Points & Rewards Boosts
Travel & Transportation
Dining & Food Delivery
Entertainment & Lifestyle
Airport & Lounge Benefits (Palladium only)
You can use Bilt points toward a down payment on a home purchase at a 1.5 cent per point rate. This can only be done in the United States and only once per home purchase. It wouldn’t be our first choice, but it’s a unique option worth mentioning.
These redemptions offer poor value compared to transferring to partners, so we don’t recommend using Bilt points this way.
Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.
Bilt uses Points.me, a points consolidator, to search for award availability across all partners. It's a great starting point to see what's available
Bilt is no longer built for the renter who just wants to earn points fee-free. The 2026 changes may have alienated some of its original customer base but they’ve also expanded its appeal to points and miles enthusiasts.
You can still earn points on rent, and now mortgage, but it takes effort. This isn’t a system where you rack up points by cycling through sign-up bonuses. Instead, the best strategy is to put everyday spend on a Bilt card. You can then choose between two options for how to unlock points on your housing payments (see the "How to Earn" section above).
The earning rates are strong, making these cards worth holding, especially when you're between welcome offers on other cards. If you want to earn 1:1 points on your entire housing payment, you’ll need to spend at least 75% of that amount on non-housing purchases each month no matter which option you choose. If you choose Option 1, you can actually earn up to 1.25x points on your housing.
Any Bilt Points you do earn can be transferred to one of the strongest partner networks in the game. That’s the real reason to pay attention to Bilt: it rewards users who can plug the system into their broader points strategy. Whether you’re deep into the hobby and regularly opening new cards, or someone who prefers the simplicity of sticking to one program, Bilt can deliver. The Palladium and Obsidian offer real potential to earn a high volume of points annually, as long as the math works out for your housing payments and overall spending budget.
Most transferable points programs don’t offer elite status, but Bilt is an exception. Its system includes four status tiers.
Everyone starts at Blue just by signing up. To move up, you’ll need to:
Status is valid for the year it is earned and the entire following year.
One unique perk of all status levels is that you earn interest on all points based on the previous 30-day period, so you're encouraged to keep your points in the Bilt ecosystem until you have a specific transfer and redemption in mind. The amount is based on the FDIC published national savings rate.
Here are the three other levels, requirements you’ll need to get to each level, and the benefits of each
Unlike most transferable points systems, you will keep your Bilt points if you cancel your Bilt credit card, as your Bilt Rewards account remains active. However, you will no longer earn points on housing payments and will lose any card-specific benefits. For that reason, it may be worth downgrading to the no-annual-fee Bilt Blue card to preserve the option to earn points on housing in the future.
