Bilt Card 2.0 Guide: Maximize Your Rent Rewards

The Bilt rewards program just launched three new Mastercard options, and the internet is confused. On a professional level, Bilt did a terrible job with communication. This rent rewards credit card system is one of the most complex ways to earn points, and that seems intentional.

Ironically, as they tried moving away from the "gamer/banana mentality," Bilt produced cards that mainly make sense for optimizers willing to do the math.

In this guide: I'll cut through the confusion and show you exactly how to maximize value from these rent rewards cards.

What Are the New Bilt Cards?

The new Bilt Mastercard lineup includes three tiers designed for different spending profiles:

1. Bilt Blue Card - No annual fee with 1X points on everyday purchases and up to 1.25X on rent/mortgage. Best for basic reward earning without commitment.

2. Bilt Obsidian Card - $95 annual fee offering 3X points on either dining or groceries (grocery capped at $25k/year) plus 2X on travel. Includes $100 Bilt Hotel credit semi-annually.

3. Bilt Palladium Card - $495 annual fee with 2X points on everyday purchases, $200 annual Bilt Cash, $400 Bilt Hotel credit, and Priority Pass lounge access. Best for high spend with premium benefits.

How to Maximize Your Bilt Mastercard Value

Here is the strategy: Ignore the 19 redemption options for Bilt Cash. Choose the flexible rewards option and then use these two redemption paths to get 3x-4x everywhere:

Strategy 1: Points Accelerator (3x Everywhere)

Using the Points Accelerator redemption can effectively turn the Palladium into a 3x everywhere card on up to $25k in purchases each year (2x beyond that). The Obsidian becomes 4x on either Grocery or Dining, up to $25,000 each year.

Here is how it works:

1. Use your initial $200 in Bilt Cash to buy a Points Accelerator for the next $5,000 in spend
2. That gets you another $200 in rewards which can be used to buy another Points Accelerator
3. Repeat five times to cover $25,000 at the 3x earn rate

Strategy 2: Fee-Free Rent & Mortgage Payments

If you have housing payments to make, use your Bilt Cash to make those payments fee-free and earn rewards. If you have enough rent or mortgage payments to use up the cash rewards, you can end up earning:

• Unlimited 3.33x everywhere on the Palladium
• Unlimited 4.33x on Dining on the Obsidian (or 4.33x on Groceries up to $25k)

Important Limitations

• Most Bilt Cash expires at the end of each calendar year
• Do not use the card for tax payments - they are excluded from earning

Bilt Blue Mastercard: No Annual Fee

The entry-level rent rewards credit card in the Bilt lineup:

• Annual fee: $0
• Base earn rate: 1X points on everyday purchases
• Housing rewards: Up to 1.25X on rent/mortgage with Housing-only option
• Bilt Cash option: 4% back on everyday spend
• Foreign transaction fees: None

Best for casual renters who want simple rent rewards without annual fee commitment.

Bilt Obsidian Mastercard: Dining & Grocery Maximizer

The mid-tier option for category spenders:

• Annual fee: $95
• Bonus category: Choose dining OR grocery as your 3X category annually (grocery capped at $25k/year)
• Travel: 2X points
• Everything else: 1X points
• Hotel credit: $100 semi-annually through Bilt Travel
• Bilt Cash option: 4% back available

Best if you have significant dining or grocery spend and want the Obsidian's category bonus.

Bilt Palladium Mastercard: Premium Option

The top-tier Bilt Mastercard with the most benefits:

• Annual fee: $495
• Base earn rate: 2X points on everyday purchases (excluding rent/mortgage)
• Annual Bilt Cash: $200 credited to your account
• Hotel credit: $400 semi-annually through Bilt Travel
• Lounge access: Priority Pass (worth $469/year)
• Bilt Cash option: 4% back available

Best for high spenders ($25k+/year) who will actively manage redemptions.

How Does Bilt Cash Work?

Bilt Cash is a bonus reward currency earned at 4% on everyday purchases (when you select the Flexible Bilt Cash option). You can redeem it to:

• Unlock housing rewards: Redeem $30 in Bilt Cash = 1,000 points on rent/mortgage payments
• Buy Points Accelerators: Boost your earn rate to 3x-4x on the next $5,000 in spend
• Statement credits: Dollar-for-dollar value across the Bilt ecosystem

Example: On a $2,000 rent payment, redeeming $60 unlocks the full 2,000 points.

Housing-Only Rewards Option

Instead of Bilt Cash, you can choose automatic housing rewards based on monthly card spend:

Monthly Card Spend vs Housing Payment	Earn Rate
Less than 25%	250 points (minimum)
25% of payment	0.5X
50% of payment	0.75X
75% of payment	1X
100% or more	1.25X

Bilt Card Comparison Table

Feature	Blue	Obsidian	Palladium
Annual Fee	$0	$95	$495
Base Earn	1X	1X (+3X category)	2X
Bilt Cash Option	4%	4%	4% + $200 annual
Hotel Credit	None	$100/6mo	$400/6mo
Priority Pass	No	No	Yes
Best For	Casual renters	Category maximizers	High spenders
Break-Even Spend	N/A	~$5,000	~$25,000

Card Curator Take

This Bilt rewards program is one of the most confusing rent rewards credit card systems available. The redemption mechanics are hard to track.

The good: Bilt points are considered the most valuable transferable points currency. They have the best transfer partners including Hyatt, United, and Air France/KLM.

The bad: The Palladium benefits don't justify the price for most people. The Capital One Venture X offers 2x everywhere for $395 without the headache.

Who Should Get a Bilt Mastercard?

The Palladium or Obsidian can be a good keeper card if:

1. You have high card spend - $20k or more per year (excluding tax payments)
2. Your spend doesn't typically go toward signup bonuses
3. You find strong value in Bilt's transfer partners

Who Should Skip These Cards

• Those who chase signup bonuses (signup bonus value typically exceeds annual spend value)
• Anyone who doesn't want to track complex redemption mechanics
• Travelers who would benefit more from simpler premium cards

Example Math

Let's say my mortgage is $3,000 a month. If I spend 25% ($750/month) on the card without the Bilt Cash route:

• Mortgage rewards: 0.5X = 1,500 points
• Card spend: 750 points
• Total: 2,250 points = effectively 3x on combined spend

A good way to decide: Figure out your annual spend and compare what you'll earn on the Bilt Mastercard lineup against a simple 2x card like the Citi Double Cash. That's a nice baseline to see if the complexity is worth it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Bilt Palladium worth it?

The Bilt Palladium is worth it if you have $20,000+ annual card spend and value Bilt points for travel transfers. With strategic redemptions, you can earn 3x-3.33x everywhere. However, the $495 annual fee and complex benefits make simpler 2x cards like Citi Double Cash better value for average spenders.

How do I earn points on rent with Bilt?

Earn points on rent using Bilt Cash redemptions at $30 per 1,000 points toward housing payments. Alternatively, the Housing-Only rewards option automatically earns 0.5X-1.25X on rent based on your monthly card spend relative to your rent amount.

Which Bilt card should I get?

• Bilt Blue if you want no-fee rent rewards
• Bilt Obsidian if you spend $10k+ on dining or groceries annually
• Bilt Palladium only if you spend $25k+ and will actively manage redemptions

Can I use Bilt cards for tax payments?

No. Tax payments are excluded from earning Bilt Cash and points. Do not use Bilt cards for quarterly taxes or annual tax bills.

What are Bilt points worth?

Bilt points are considered among the most valuable transferable points available, with premium transfer partners including Hyatt (1.8-2.2 cents/point), United, and Air France/KLM. The earning complexity is offset by strong redemption value for travel.

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Use Card Curator to track your Bilt points alongside all your other rewards programs and see how they stack up.

Disclosure: Card terms, fees, and benefits are subject to change. Always verify current offers on official issuer websites. This is educational content, not personalized financial advice.