Tag Archives for bilt rewards.
Bilt just released the missing details behind its new cards: what the promised 4% “Bilt Cash” actually buys on top of points. The redemption menu is much bigger than expected—ranging from monthly Grubhub and Lyft credits to Blacklane rides, hotel portal credits, and even Blade flights—and there’s a points-accelerator option that can effectively raise your ongoing earn rate if you play it right.
Bilt’s new credit cards launched Wednesday and the company has already pivoted after member confusion over Bilt Cash and the fee mechanics. The updated setup gives you a simpler choice, including a path to earn housing points with no transaction fee—and even boost rent and mortgage earning up to 25% based on how much you use the card for everyday spend.
I applied for Bilt’s new Palladium card and three things didn’t match what I expected: the credit line came in far lower than my old Wells Fargo Bilt card, I got a hard pull, and I never saw the promised option to close my Wells account. Then I realized there’s also a materially better bonus offer floating around elsewhere—so here’s exactly what happened and what you should know before you apply.
Bilt just announced it will cap interest on new purchases at 10% for the first year on its new credit cards—a savvy teaser rate that also echoes a much bigger political idea. It’s a tactic banks can afford in a narrow, time-limited way, but a nationwide 10% cap would shrink credit, jack up fees, and gut rewards.
Bilt has revealed three new credit cards replacing its Wells Fargo product, adding unlimited points on rent and mortgages and 4% back in Bilt Cash on all cards. They look genuinely strong—but the details (pricing tiers, credits, and how the new “free” rent/mortgage math works) take a minute to unpack.
Bilt will unveil a refreshed card lineup next week, but details are already leaking—including a three-card structure and new annual fees. The biggest change may be how “fee-free” rent and mortgage payments work: the perk appears to become conditional on enough non-rent spending (or offset with Bilt Cash), which radically changes the math for how you use the card.
A self-described Bilt investor is out with an unverified preview of what Bilt Card 2.0 could look like when the new Cardless-issued lineup is unveiled January 14, including rumors about how earning might change, whether benefits depend on Bilt status, and if the current five-transactions rule could be replaced by a minimum monthly spend requirement.
Bilt Card 2.0 is finally moving forward, and the most important details are not the new perks — it is the transition rules and deadlines that determine what happens to your account. Here is what current cardholders need to know before January 14 to keep the upgrade seamless, avoid a hard credit pull, and understand what you get if you do nothing.
Bilt has upgraded its travel portal to clearly show when an airfare booking is truly made directly with the airline. That means you can earn an extra Bilt point per dollar on the ticket, still put the charge on any card you choose, and—crucially—handle changes or rebooking with the airline instead of a third-party site. For anyone who values both rewards and control over their reservation, this is a real advantage.
Most travelers book airfare direct to keep earning bonuses on their card of choice. But some travel portals now pass through airline merchant coding and add their own points on top, letting you double-dip rewards and still get the protections and earnings your premium card offers. For many flyers, that makes portal booking more lucrative than buying straight from the airline.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
