Bilt Mastercard Review: A first for renters and future homebuyers
A unique card that helps you pay rent, earn rewards and skip the fees.
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Snapshot
3.9
Bottom line
This card is great for renters because you can pay your rent and earn Bilt Points on your rent without transaction fees (up to 100,000 points per calendar year). For maximum value, spend in high-earning bonus categories during their Rent Day promotion on the first of each month.
Intro offer
N/A
Rewards rate
1X Points - 3X Points
Annual fee
None
Regular APR
See Terms
Bankrate Score
Rewards value
APR
Rewards flexibility
Features
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Bilt Mastercard® Overview
The Bilt Mastercard® is a unique and versatile rewards card that will appeal to renters and fee-averse travelers. The card’s standout feature is the ability to earn Bilt Points for rent payments without any transaction fees that would cancel any points you might have earned with another card. The card also has decent earning rates on dining and travel purchases.
Along with this opportunity to gain large amounts of cash back points every month, the card offers multiple redemption options, including toward travel, fitness, future rent payments or saving for a down payment. Renters who want creative ways to minimize the cost of living will find the Bilt card enticing.
And on the first of every month, Bilt doubles all points as part of their “Rent Day” promotion. (However, you must use your card five times each statement period to earn points. See Rewards & Benefits). This can potentially provide significant value on your earnings.
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Rewards
- 3X points on dining
- 2X points on travel
- 1X points on rent payments (up to a maximum 100,000 points per year)
- 1X points on other eligible purchases
- Earn full points only when you make five transactions that post each statement period; otherwise, earn a flat 250 points on rent when you use your Bilt Mastercard to pay rent through the Bilt App.
Expert Appraisal: Exceptional
See our expert analysis -
Rates and fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Regular APR: See terms
- Foreign transaction fee: None
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Other cardholder perks
- Up to 10,000 Bonus points on the first of every month
- Potential to earn elite status
- Trip Delay Reimbursement
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
- Lyft credits (available until September 30, 2025)
- Cellphone protection (up to $800, subject to $25 deductible, two paid claims per year, see Guide to Benefits)
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis
Bilt Mastercard pros and cons
Pros
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You can earn points on rent without worrying about transaction or processing fees eating into your earnings (up to 100,000 points per calendar year).
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Unused points accumulate interest if you attain Silver or higher elite status.
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You can fund your next trip by transferring your points to one of 18 hotel or airline partners.
Cons
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Competing travel and cash back cards offer better bonus rewards rates for the entire month as opposed to one day.
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The lack of a welcome offer gives the card poor short-term value compared to the top rewards cards.
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Renters with fair or bad credit who could benefit the most from this card are unlikely to be approved since the card requires good to excellent credit.
Why you might want the Bilt Mastercard
This card has no annual fee and offers numerous valuable benefits, including rewards on rent payments without additional processing fees while providing valuable redemption options.
Rewards: Earn on rent with no transaction fees
Earning 1X points on rent while avoiding a transaction fee is a primary reason to use the Bilt Mastercard as no other card offers this unique, sought-after feature.
The spending cap on rent rewards of 100,000 points per year won’t affect anyone paying $4,166 or less monthly. But there are some restrictions:
- Rent payments can only be made to one rental property per month.
- You must use the Bilt Mastercard at least five times each statement period to earn the maximum amount of points.
- If you fail to make the minimum required transactions each month, you’ll only earn a flat rate of 250 points for paying your rent.
The most significant requirement is remembering to use the card at least five times per month to earn the maximum number of points. This means you can’t just use the card for one rent payment each billing cycle if you want to maximize value — you’ll need to use it for four more transactions. However, this can be on anything from gas to groceries, making it an easy mark to hit.
One way to maximize the card’s requirement is to use it on a few dining transactions along with your rent payment, which earns 3X points. Many restaurants allow you to load funds on an app, which is an easy way to meet this requirement. For example, you can add money on your Starbucks app in small amounts.
Redemption: Flexible point transfers and redemptions
Whether for short-term or long-term goals, the Bilt Rewards program offers various options for redeeming your points.
You can redeem points in the Bilt Travel portal to book flights, hotels, car rentals and more or transfer points to one of Bilt’s 18 travel partners. These programs include:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan®
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue®
- Alaska Airlines
- Avianca Lifemiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific
- Emirates Skywards®
- Hilton Honors
- Iberia Plus
- Marriott Bonvoy™
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- United MileagePlus®
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- IHG® One Rewards
- World of Hyatt®
Other redemption options include items on Amazon.com or curated art, apparel and decor through the Bilt Collection. Fitness classes are another option, with classes at companies like SoulCycle, Y7 Studio more. But what makes the card even more unique is that you can use your points to cover rent or save up for a down payment on a home, one of the biggest hurdles to homeownership.
Rates and fees: No annual or foreign transaction fees
The Bilt Mastercard has no annual fee, making it easy to come out ahead when you earn rewards. It also doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, which is a terrific advantage when traveling abroad.
However, the card’s variable APR (See Terms) and common credit card fees are fairly typical. If you are concerned about debt management, a low-interest credit card or a balance transfer card with a long intro APR offer might be more valuable for you.
Perks: One-of-a-kind features
The Bilt Mastercard offers unique perks. Take advantage of these features to build significant value with the card.
Why you might want a different no-annual-fee card
While the Bilt Mastercard comes with plenty of perks and benefits for renters and travelers, it may not be suitable for everyone. Here’s why you might skip the Bilt card.
No welcome offer: Lacks first-year value
The Bilt Mastercard doesn’t have a welcome offer, putting it at a disadvantage in first-year value compared to many other rewards cards. While there are other features to consider, welcome bonuses have become standard for many cards, especially for people with good credit, who can typically find offers worth $200 or more on many cards that don't charge an annual fee.
Credit score: Requires good to excellent credit
While this card allows you to build credit by paying your rent and reporting to all three credit bureaus, those who would benefit the most may not qualify. The recommended credit score to apply for this card is good to excellent (670-850). But people with fair credit or lower would benefit greatly from this feature, especially with rising housing prices.
If you need help finding your score, our guide on how to check your credit score can help. You can also use the CardMatch™ tool to see if you’re likely to be approved, which is useful no matter your credit score.
We tried it: Here’s what our experts say
Bankrate credit cards writer Ryan Flanigan often waits to make purchases until the first of the month to take advantage of using the Bilt Mastercard.
I was initially skeptical about this card, but the earning rates along with the exceptional value of the rewards program are definitely worth a spot in my card portfolio. I like that this program takes a different approach to the rewards space, offering useful promotions and other out-of-the-box ways to earn points. This card comes out in full force on the first of the month when earning rates are doubled (except for rent payments). I’ll often save planned expenses for that day to boost my earnings. And the ability to pay rent fee-free is a unique and helpful feature for a lot of people.
— Ryan Flanigan, Writer, Credit Cards
How the Bilt Mastercard compares to other no-annual-fee cards
The Bilt Mastercard is unrivaled if you’re looking for a card that rewards your rent payments and helps you save money for a home. But other rewards cards may do a better job of getting you the most value on your most common purchases.
![Image of Bilt Mastercard®](http://cdn.prodstatic.com/shared/images/cards/120x76/0e2afbd0-3923-11ed-b73c-91712e8727dd.png?auto=webp&fit=bounds&width=120&height=76)
Annual fee
Intro offer
Rewards rate
3x points on dining. 2x points on travel. 1x points on other purchases. Earn 1x points on rent without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points in a calendar year. When you use the card 5 times each statement period using your Bilt Mastercard, you'll earn points on rent and qualifying net purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
![Image of Chase Freedom Unlimited®](http://cdn.prodstatic.com/shared/images/cards/120x76/da2489c0-bbaf-11ea-bf12-c7437d5726b0.png?auto=webp&fit=bounds&width=120&height=76)
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That’s 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.
Rewards rate
Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more. 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service. 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
![Image of Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card](http://cdn.prodstatic.com/shared/images/cards/120x76/721aaa30-91bd-11ed-9b68-abcc51f2cdde.jpg?auto=webp&fit=bounds&width=120&height=76)
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
Rewards rate
Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans. Earn 1X points on other purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Best cards to pair with the Bilt Mastercard
To maximize the Bilt Mastercard’s strengths, consider combining it with a high-earning rewards card that aligns with the purchases you make in categories not covered by Bilt. Pay your rent with the Bilt Mastercard and use it for dining purchases, but for all other purchases using another card can help you earn more rewards.
Who is the Bilt Mastercard right for?
For such a specialized card, the Bilt Mastercard offers enough flexibility for various types of consumers.
Bankrate’s Take — Is the Bilt Mastercard worth it?
The Bilt Mastercard is a solid pick for people who want the ability to pay rent using a credit card without having to deal with transaction fees.
The card comes with additional features that may appeal to renters seeking a convenient way to earn and redeem rewards without having to pay an annual fee. This card also has the highest average rewards value on the market according to Bankrate’s valuations. But this card works best as part of an overall card rewards-earning strategy to ensure you’re maximizing its value.
How we rated this card
We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.
Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest).
We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors that influenced this card’s overall score and how the score influenced our review:
Frequently asked questions
What cardholders think
![Image of Bilt Mastercard®](http://cdn.prodstatic.com/shared/images/cards/240x151/0e2afbd0-3923-11ed-b73c-91712e8727dd.png?auto=webp&fit=bounds&width=240&height=151)
Bilt Mastercard®
In May 2024, Bankrate collaborated with third-party SliceMR to survey 6160 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are based on individual cardholder’s product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own reviews of these cards.
Community Reviews
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.