Bilt Credit Card Review: Turn Rent Payments Into Travel Rewards

Bilt Card Benefits

Competitive Travel and Purchase Protections

Although higher-end travel rewards credit cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, offer more comprehensive travel insurance, the Bilt Mastercard has strong perks for a no-annual-fee credit card. In particular, primary rental car coverage is uncommon on a card without a fee.

As a cardholder, you’ll get:

• Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $200 per covered traveler, per day for up to three days to cover expenses incurred as the result of an eligible trip delay. Up to $1,800 in coverage total per trip.
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Up to $5,000 per covered traveler if your trip is cancelled or interrupted for a covered reason, such as unexpected sickness.
• Primary rental car insurance: Provides up to $50,000 to cover damage to or theft of a rental car. You can access this coverage without filing a claim with your regular car insurance company.

Cardholders also receive cell phone protection against damage and theft when they use their card to pay their monthly wireless bill. Coverage is up to $800 per claim (with a $25 deductible, maximum of two claims per 12-month period).

The card’s purchase protection can also come in handy if an eligible item you charged to the card is damaged or stolen within 90 days of the purchase date. This coverage is capped at up to $10,000 per item and up to $50,000 per 12-month period.

Strong Rewards Rates in Select Categories

The Bilt Mastercard earns:

• 3x points on dining
• 2x points on travel
• 1x points on rent (up to 100,000 points each calendar year)
• 1x points on other spending

Plus, all points earning — except rent — doubles on the first day of each month, so if you’ve got a trip to book, you could plan to make the purchase on the next double points day.

Points Are Transferable

Transferring your travel rewards points can help you maximize their value. A transferable points card can help you get some of the perks of an airline credit card while also accessing the flexibility of a travel card.

Bilt partners with these airline and hotel loyalty programs:

• Accor Live Limitless
• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Air France-KLM Flying Blue
• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
• Avianca LifeMiles
• British Airways Club
• Cathay Pacific
• Emirates Skywards
• Hilton Honors
• Iberia Plus
• IHG One Rewards
• Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Qatar Airways Privilege Club Avios
• Southwest Airlines
• TAP Miles&Go
• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
• United MileagePlus
• Virgin Red
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• World of Hyatt

All partners have a 1:1 transfer ratio except Accor Live Limitless, which has a ratio of 3:2 (3 Bilt points = 2 Accor points).

Bilt Credit Card Drawbacks

Monthly Use Requirement

As a cardholder, I’ll admit that I have found myself scrambling to use the card five times in a month in order to unlock points earning on my rent, and there have been months where I’ve forgotten entirely.

I was able to make the monthly use requirement less burdensome by linking the card to my rideshare apps. I was using the card to avoid foreign transaction fees at the time, but this setup has proved useful at home, too.

Minimum Points for Transfers

If you’re hoping to use your Bilt points to shore up your balance for a redemption with a loyalty program partner, this rule could stand in your way.

If you’re at the lowest elite status level in Bilt Rewards (blue), the minimum points transfer amount is 2,000. All other elite status levels have a 1,000-point minimum.

On top of that, all transfers have to happen in 1,000-point increments — so you won’t be able to send over just a few hundred extra points to get you over the line for a redemption.

No 0% Introductory Annual Percentage Rate

This card isn’t a good option if you’re looking to transfer a balance or get extra time to pay off a large purchase (or your rent). If you carry a balance on the card, you’ll be charged the card’s expensive regular APR (See Terms).

No Welcome Bonus

Many top rewards credit cards offer a welcome bonus of points, miles or cash back after meeting a spending requirement within the first few months of account opening. However, the Bilt Mastercard doesn’t come with a welcome bonus offer, which is unappealing if you’re looking for an immediate rewards boost.

Who Is the Bilt Mastercard Best For?

The Bilt Mastercard is a good fit for renters who will pay off their card balance on time and in full every single month. In contrast, this card isn’t a good fit for renters who might carry some of their rent (or other expenses) month-over-month as a balance on the card. If you do this, you’ll accrue interest debt quickly.

The Bilt Mastercard is an even better fit for renters who will pay off the card every month and who are looking to elevate their travel rewards. That’s thanks to the card’s loyalty program transfer partners.

Is the Bilt Mastercard Right for You?

I opened the Bilt Mastercard because I was interested in earning rewards on rent, my biggest monthly line item expense. You might also choose to open this card if:

• You will reliably pay it off on time and in full every month
• You’re a renter interested in earning points on your rent
• You want to boost your travel rewards game

Alternatives to the Bilt Card

Although the Bilt Mastercard offers a unique potential value to renters, consumers should consider other rewards earners as well. Those include:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: If you’re willing to pay an annual fee, this card provides a strong value for $95 a year. You’ll get access to valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® and travel transfer partners, and this card has an edge in travel protections, too.
• Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card: If the rewards system on the Bilt Mastercard feels too complicated, this card’s market-leading 2% cash rewards on purchases could be a better fit. You won’t pay an annual fee, though the card does charge a 3% foreign transaction fee. It also comes with a 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 18.99%, 23.99%, or 28.99% Variable APR.