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October 1 was the inaugural Bilt Rewards ‘Rent Day’. There were some smashing deals, and they promised to be back monthly.
Bilt Rewards is the loyalty program for renters, but their Bilt Mastercard is great for anyone. It has no annual fee, earns triple points on dining and double points on travel, and lets you earn points paying rent with no cost. Their points can be redeemed at 1.25 cents apiece through their travel portal, or transferred to some of the best airline and hotel partners (like American, United, Air Canada, Turkish, and Hyatt). You must make at least 5 purchases each month to earn points.
6x On Dining, 4x On Travel For November 1st Spend
For November 1 rent day they are back with double points-earning on the Bilt Mastercard: 6x on dining, 3x on travel, and 2x on other spend (rent isn’t bonused) up to 10,000 bonus points for charges made on the first of the month.
- I try to lump my spend on the first of the month
- And I know many of you are buying restaurant gift cards to use later in the month
Free United Premier Status And Challenge
Bilt has a status offer with its transfer partner United Airlines MileagePlus. Available starting Thursday, October 27 and through November 1 Rent Day,
- Bilt members without elite status are eligible for a 120 day trial of Silver status
- Bilt members with elite status (Silver, Gold, Platinum) are eligible for a 120 day Gold status trial
I have status from my credit card spend, and the best benefit so far has been earning modest interest on my points balance – something really unique in the industry. That spend will now give me United Gold status (better than my current Silver from Marriott Titanium), good for confirmed extra legroom coach seats, free checked bags, as well as Star Alliance lounge access.
During the 120 day trial you can extend status through January 2024 by:
- Silver challenge: earning 1000 Premier Qualifying Points and taking 4 qualifying United (or United Express) flights
- Gold challenge: earning 2000 Premier Qualifying Points and taking 6 qualifying United (or United Express) flights
Enroll in the Bilt app. This should save me a bit on seat fees. And this can help most anyone with free bags, since even United Silvers have that as a benefit and you do not need to be a Bilt cardmember – just a base member – to access United Silver with this offer.
Perhaps the best benefit of United status, even for Silvers, is access to extra MileagePlus award space on United flights, or award space at a lower price. Definitely check out this benefit.
Point Giveaways
On November 1 there will be a Bilt Point Quest trivia game in the app to instantly earn up to 350 points free.
You can also solve Bilt’s Rent Day Challenge that day (at BiltRewards.com/RentDay, and follow Bilt Rewards on Instagram) to be entered to win free rent.
SoulCycle Classes
Bilt offers free classes for a friend when you take one yourself on Rent Day, bookable through the Bilt app (as well as SoulCycle channels), and the classes come with branded swag and giveaways. Not my thing, but will appeal to more than a few of you.
Rent Day Here To Stay
Bilt Rewards raised a $150 million war chest to grow at a $1.5 billion valuation, in an environment where investors are being extremely cautious with funding and demanding more challenging terms.
They’re back with Rent Day, it wasn’t one and done. They clearly want to own branding on the first of the month, turning the day people owe rent into a day that offers rewards as well. They also have a new tool for helping people understand their opportunities for homeownerships, with personally-tailored data and real market information.
Alliance lounges might refuse access to trial elites. Status matches and challenges often come with hidden restrictions like this. Still, good on Bilt and Richard Kerr and team for being innovative! Now please give us a way to dispute charges online instead of calling in. And stop saying we get 2x points on travel, it’s only a subset of travel. Uber does not even count. Lame!
“Silver challenge: earning 1000 Premier Qualifying Points and taking 4 qualifying United (or United Express) flights”
Does this work if you already purchased your tickets? Is it just taking the flights or buying them fresh?
Thanksgiving+Christmas would cover this for me
Surprise of the day Gary didn’t earn UA million miler during the 2000s
Thought he hit that and moved to AA years ago
@Greg – I did not hit United lifetime, and I have a policy of not shifting my business to earn it either, I do not trust programs enough for that. See, for instance, the United lifetime status class action lawsuit!
Despite explicitly promising in late 2011 not to take away benefits or confirmed upgrades from million mile flyers as part of the Continental merger, United did exactly that in early 2012.
United said in October 2011 “[y]ou will continue to receive your benefits as you always have” and then take away the specific benefit of annual confirmed regional upgrades (United even specifically said that the confirmed domestic upgrades would continue).
United told a judge lifetime only means until they change their minds. United won the lawsuit, but the judge wrote:
“United’s defense here is that the airline’s very best customers—its Million Mile Flyers—should have known better than to believe United’s promise of “lifetime” benefits. This defense amounts to a confession of consumer fraud. United could not—honestly and legally—promise “lifetime” benefits while reserving the right to cancel its promise at any time and for any reason.”
I do my best not to give my business now on the promise of future benefits that maybe will be there off into the future!
Forgot about that saga
Reg on 10/28 and still waiting. Anyone else having delays on status match?