How the Bilt Rewards Card Lets You Earn Travel Points on Rent
For most people, rent is the largest monthly expense. Historically, paying rent with a credit card meant getting hit with processing fees of 3% or more, wiping out any rewards you might earn. The Bilt Rewards Mastercard changes that math completely by letting you earn travel points on rent without those extra charges.
What is the Bilt Rewards Mastercard?
The Bilt Rewards Mastercard is a co-branded credit card issued by Wells Fargo. It stands out in the crowded credit card market because it has a $0 annual fee and offers a highly unique perk: the ability to earn points on residential rent payments without paying transaction fees.
Outside of rent, the card functions as a solid everyday travel card. It earns 3 points per dollar spent on dining, 2 points per dollar on travel, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. The points you earn go into the Bilt Rewards ecosystem, which is widely considered one of the most valuable point programs available to travelers today.
How Earning Points on Rent Actually Works
Normally, landlords use payment portals that charge a convenience fee for credit cards. Bilt circumvents this problem by giving you a unique routing number and account number inside the Bilt app.
When your rent is due, you simply enter this Bilt routing and account information into your apartment’s online payment portal. The portal treats the transaction exactly like a standard bank transfer (ACH), meaning you are not charged a credit card fee. Bilt then charges your credit card for the exact amount of the rent and awards you 1 point per dollar spent.
If your landlord does not use an online portal, Bilt has a solution for that as well. You can use the Bilt app to request a physical check. Bilt will cut a paper check and mail it directly to your landlord via USPS First Class mail at no extra cost to you.
The Five Transaction Rule
To stop people from putting their card in a drawer and only using it once a month for rent, Bilt enforces a strict usage rule. You must make at least five separate transactions on your Bilt card during each statement period to earn your points.
If you pay your rent but only make three other purchases that month, you will not earn any points on your rent payment. To hit this threshold easily, many cardholders use their Bilt card for small, recurring expenses like a Spotify subscription, a Netflix account, or buying a few cups of coffee.
The Rent Points Cap
It is also important to note that Bilt places a cap on how many points you can earn from rent. You earn 1 point per dollar on up to $100,000 in rent payments every calendar year. For the vast majority of renters, this cap is more than enough to cover a full year of lease payments.
Boosting Your Balance with Rent Day
Bilt leans heavily into the theme of paying rent on the first of the month. They call the first day of every month “Rent Day” and offer massive bonus multipliers to encourage you to spend.
On the first day of the month, your earning rates on non-rent purchases automatically double. Dining jumps from 3x to 6x points. Travel jumps from 2x to 4x points. Everyday purchases jump from 1x to 2x points. The rent payment itself remains at 1x points, but timing your big purchases or dining out on the first of the month is a fast way to accumulate travel rewards.
Best Ways to Redeem Bilt Points for Travel
Earning points is only half the battle. The real value of the Bilt Rewards card comes from how you can spend those points. Bilt allows you to transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to several premium travel partners.
Here are a few of the most valuable transfer partners currently in the Bilt network:
- World of Hyatt: Hyatt points are incredibly valuable because their hotel rooms require far fewer points to book compared to Marriott or Hilton. You can easily find luxury hotel rooms for 20,000 to 30,000 points per night.
- Alaska Airlines: Added to the program in 2024, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is a favorite for booking flights to Hawaii or finding premium cabin seats on partner airlines like Japan Airlines.
- United Airlines: You can move your Bilt points directly into your United MileagePlus account to book domestic flights across the United States or international trips to Europe.
- Virgin Atlantic: Virgin Atlantic is an excellent option for booking flights to London, and Bilt frequently runs “Rent Day” promotions where they offer a 50% to 150% bonus when transferring points to partners like Virgin.
Instead of transferring, you can also use your points to book flights, hotels, or rental cars directly through the Bilt Travel Portal. When used this way, points are worth a fixed 1.25 cents each.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bilt charge a fee to pay rent? No. As long as you use the virtual routing and account numbers provided in the Bilt app (or have Bilt mail a physical check), you avoid the standard 3% credit card processing fee.
What happens if my landlord only takes paper checks? You can enter your landlord’s mailing address into the Bilt app. Bilt will print a physical check and mail it to them for free. You should do this 5 to 7 days before rent is due to account for postal delays.
Is there a cap on the rent points I can earn? Yes. You can earn a maximum of 100,000 points on rent payments per calendar year. You will continue to earn unlimited points on all other purchases like dining and travel.
What credit score do I need for the Bilt card? The Bilt Mastercard is issued by Wells Fargo and generally requires a good to excellent credit score. Most approved applicants have a FICO score of 670 or higher.