The Bilt Mastercard® by Wells Fargo is a unique rewards credit card designed specifically for renters. It’s currently the only credit card that lets you pay rent with no fees while earning points. Given that rent is often the biggest monthly expense (over 30% of income on average), the Bilt card essentially turns a huge “unrewarded” expense into a points-earning opportunity.
Earning Rewards (Rent and More)
Bilt’s headline feature is earning points on rent payments. You earn 1X point per dollar on rent, up to 100,000 points per year. Bilt has an arrangement with many property managers (Bilt Alliance), but even if your landlord doesn’t accept cards, Bilt will send them a check or ACH transfer at no cost to you, and you still earn the points. If your monthly rent is $2,000, that’s 24,000 points a year just from rent.
Beyond rent, the Bilt card also earns 3X points on dining and 2X points on travel purchases. So it’s not a one-trick pony; it’s a solid everyday card for going out to eat and booking travel as well. Everything else earns 1X point.
Do note, Bilt requires you to make at least 5 transactions each statement period to earn any points. If you only use the card to pay rent once a month, you won’t get points on that rent – you must have 5 total charges posted that month for points to accrue. This rule is to encourage using Bilt for other spending.
Redemption Options and Points Value
Bilt uses a proprietary points currency called Bilt Rewards points. These points are remarkably valuable because Bilt has a roster of 14 travel transfer partners, including some of the most sought-after programs like American AAdvantage, United MileagePlus, World of Hyatt, IHG, Turkish Miles&Smiles, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, and more.
Most transfers are 1:1. This is huge – for example, Bilt is the only credit card currency that transfers to American Airlines miles (and AA is a fantastic program for award flights). Hyatt is another star partner; you can transfer Bilt points to Hyatt at 1:1 and often get outsized value on hotel stays (I’ve transferred Bilt points to Hyatt and booked $300/night hotels for 12k points – great value).
You can put your points to use through Bilt’s travel portal, which runs on Expedia’s system, where each point gets you about 1.25 cents in value. You’ve also got the option to apply them to workout classes or even shave down what you owe on a future home. People deep into airline rewards often say Bilt points are worth closer to 1.6 to 1.8 cents each, mainly because of the solid transfer choices, especially with Hyatt and American Airlines.
Bilt Credit Card Key Benefits & Perks
#1 Rent Payment with No Fees
When you pay rent with Bilt, you earn points on an expense that normally wouldn’t give you any without added fees. Bilt takes care of the transaction, even if you use a third-party rent portal. You just pay your rent, and they make sure you still get rewarded—no extra costs in the way.
#2 “Rent Day” Rewards (Monthly Promotions)
On the first of every month, Bilt celebrates “Rent Day” with special offers. Notably, double points on non-rent spend on the 1st – meaning on Rent Day, dining earns 6X, travel 4X, other spend 2X (rent stays 1X). Rent Day may also feature transfer bonuses to travel partners (they’ve offered 100% bonus to IHG, 25% to Flying Blue, etc.), or games/trivia in the app to win bonus points They’ve even given out free SoulCycle classes or elite status trials as one-off perks. It’s a fun innovation – Bilt engages users on Rent Day so it feels like more than just paying a bill.
#3 Travel Protections
The Bilt Mastercard doesn’t charge an annual fee, but since it’s a World Elite Mastercard, it still brings a strong set of protections when you travel or shop. You’re covered if a trip gets canceled or cut short, with up to $5,000 per trip. If a flight’s delayed by six hours or more, you can get money back for what you spend during the wait. There’s coverage for rental car damage too, plus cell phone protection up to $800 when you use the card to pay your bill. Usually, cards that offer this kind of coverage make you pay a yearly fee, so this setup stands out.
#4 Elite Status Benefits
Bilt has a tiered loyalty system (Blue, Silver, Gold, Platinum) based on how many points you earn in a year (much like airline status). Notably, at Silver (25,000 points/yr), you start earning interest on your Bilt points balance – basically they pay you a small amount of bonus points monthly, equal to what a bank account interest on that balance would be (unique perk, not huge but fun). Higher tiers get things like bonus points on new leases and a concierge for home-buying. While these status tiers aren’t as immediately valuable as, say, airline status, it’s interesting that Bilt is building a loyalty program around a credit card. For most, Silver (25k points a year) is attainable if you use Bilt for rent + some spending, and then you get that points interest perk.
#5 No Annual Fee
It’s worth emphasizing that Bilt has a $0 annual fee. All these perks – rent rewards, transfer partners, travel protections – come at no cost. That automatically puts it in a favorable light because even if you only use it for rent, any points you earn are essentially free extra value.
Drawbacks and Watch-Outs:
#1 No Welcome Bonus
Unlike most rewards cards, Bilt does not offer an upfront sign-up bonus. There’s no 50k point welcome offer or anything. The value is meant to come from your ongoing rent and spend. This is a downside if you’re used to credit card bonuses jump-starting your points bank.
#2 5 Transaction Rule
As mentioned, you must make 5 purchases per statement cycle to earn points on anything. If you make 4 or fewer, you get zero points that month (they won’t retroactively credit rent or other points). This is a slight inconvenience that requires a bit of planning.
For example, if your rent is one large purchase, you need to remember to use Bilt for at least 4 other small things.
#3 Redemption Complexity
While Bilt points are super valuable with transfer partners, there’s a bit of a learning curve if you’re new to point transfers. To maximize value, you need to know how to use airline/hotel programs. Bilt does allow you to book travel through their portal for a fixed value, but I find that less appealing (points are usually worth 1.25 cents there). If you’re not into the points hobby, you might not immediately see the value.
However, Bilt does also let you use points for things like a future home down payment (at 1.5 cents each), which could be attractive long-term for renters turned homebuyers. For example, 100,000 points could knock $1,500 off your mortgage at closing. It’s a unique redemption option, albeit one that requires saving up a lot of points.
#4 Limited Availability
Bilt is a Mastercard issued by Wells Fargo, and not all landlords are familiar with it yet. Some users might face skepticism from landlords about why a “Bilt Rewards” check is coming. If a landlord flat-out refuses third-party payments, that could be an issue, but I haven’t heard of that being common. Also, currently Bilt is invite-only or waitlist to get the card, though most people can get an invite relatively quickly via the Bilt app.
How Bilt Benefits Renters and Future Homeowners
- Renters who want travel rewards: This is Bilt’s core audience. If you pay rent and like to travel, Bilt is a no-brainer. You’re turning rent into airline miles and hotel points each month. For example, I accrued about 30k Bilt points in 8 months (rent + some dining), transferred 20k to American AAdvantage and booked a round-trip flight that would’ve cost me ~$400. That felt amazing – I essentially got a free flight just for paying my rent via Bilt.
- Those looking to eventually buy a home: Bilt markets the idea that your rent points can become home equity. If you save points for a few years, you could have a chunk of your down payment ready in point value. For instance, if you somehow amassed 200k points and used towards a down payment, that’s $3,000 off (at 1.5¢ each). Not huge, but not nothing either – and again, it’s from rent you had to pay regardless.
- Anyone who wants a solid no-annual-fee travel card: Take rent out of the picture, and the Bilt card still holds its ground. You earn 3x points on dining, 2x on travel, and you can move those points to top-tier partners. That puts it in the same league as cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which charges a $95 fee for similar rewards. With Bilt, you skip the fee but keep the value. If you’re just getting into points, this card gives you a solid way to build them up fast—grab meals, book trips, and later shift those points to programs like United or Hyatt. On top of that, you still get the World Elite Mastercard perks you’d usually only find on cards with a price tag.
Transforming Rent Payments into Rewarding Travel Experiences
The Bilt Mastercard has become a staple in our wallets, mostly because of how it turns rent payments into rewards. Every time you pay rent through the app, you’ll see your points post—with no fee.
Sure, the lack of a welcome bonus might seem like a drawback at first, but over time, the points really add up and feel worth it. And Bilt didn’t stop at rent—it’s genuinely a solid all-around card. With the dining and travel multipliers, you’ll probably find yourself using it at restaurants too, especially on Rent Day when you can earn 6x points.
The transfer partners are strong—we’ve redeemed with American, Hyatt, and Turkish so far. That lineup is tough to beat. To give you some perspective, cards from Chase or Amex can’t even transfer to American Airlines, so Bilt definitely has an edge there.
As for the “cons,” like the five-transaction rule, we’ve just adjusted our habits a bit. You’ll want to use your Bilt card for smaller purchases here and there to make sure you hit the five transactions each month. It’s pretty easy to manage, especially since the app reminds you how many you’ve done.
One thing to be aware of: credit limits. Bilt usually sets your credit line close to one month’s rent, probably to keep you from charging multiple months at once. So it’s smart to pay off the card right after your rent clears, just to make sure you have room for the rest of your monthly spending.
Bilt also reports to credit bureaus just like any other card, and we’ve seen a boost in our credit scores thanks to the extra available credit and the positive payment history it helps build.
Get Paid to Pay Rent
If you’re renting, the Bilt credit card is pretty close to a no-brainer. It lets you turn rent payments into travel rewards without any fees—which is something we haven’t seen from any other card. The build rewards program is thoughtfully built, and the transferable points easily compete with what you’d get from cards that charge annual fees.
Sure, there are a couple of quirks, but once you get used to those, they’re no big deal compared to the value you’re getting. if you’re already paying rent each month, why not get something back for it? That’s how we see it. We’ve turned what used to be a “dead” monthly expense into flights and hotel stays. And that feels like a serious win.
