Bilt Rewards will now let you pay your rent with more credit cards — is it worth it?
TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt adviser and investor.
Continuing to break the mold of traditional rewards programs, Bilt Rewards has once again raised the bar and added a new feature for renters. As a Bilt member, if you pay rent, you can now pay this expense with other credit cards aside from the Bilt Mastercard®. Therefore, you can double dip and earn Bilt Points and the rewards offered on your card. But, before you start swiping your credit card, there is a catch.
Keep reading to find out more about Bilt's latest rent feature and if it's worth it.
The information for the Bilt Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Bilt Rewards program: Guide to earning points on rent, transfer bonuses, dining and more
Earn Bilt points: You can now pay rent with any credit card
With no transaction fees on rent payments, paying rent with the Bilt Mastercard is an easy way to earn transferable points. Renters can earn 1 point per dollar spent on rent (up to 100,000 points annually) as long as at least five transactions are made on the card each billing cycle.
However, if you don't have the Bilt card, the rewards program now lets you pay your rent with more credit cards. In a press release, Bilt announced that Visa, Mastercard and Discover cardholders will earn 1 Bilt point per dollar spent, in addition to the rewards your individual card earns. For Amex cardholders, you'll earn 1 Bilt point for every $2 spent, in addition to the rewards your card earns.
Unfortunately, starting July 21, all cards will drop to earning 1 Bilt point per $2 spent on rent. This doesn't affect the rewards you earn with your credit card, but it's a big hit to the value proposition of paying rent with Bilt.
But there is a drawback to using a credit card aside from the Bilt card — you will incur a 3% transaction fee for third-party cards used on rent payments. So, with a 3% fee, is it worth it? Well, it depends on which card you use.
Let's say your rent is $2,000, and you decide to pay it with your Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees). Since you will be charged a 3% transaction fee, you will pay $2,060 out of pocket and earn 1,000 Bilt points after July 21. Additionally, since the Citi Double Cash Card offers 2% cash back on every purchase (1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases), you will earn about $41 cash back from your card.
Bilt points are worth 2.05 cents apiece per our May 2025 valuations, so you'll earn $20 of value in Bilt points and $41 cash back from your Citi card — for a total of about $61 in value in this scenario. If you subtract the $60 fee (from the 3% transaction fee), you'll have gained just $1 in value. That said, you might get more value from the cash back earned with your Citi Double Cash if you also have a premium Citi card, as you can turn your cash back into transferable points.
Likewise, it's important to note that TPG's valuation is based on transferring your Bilt points to one of its 18 airline and hotel partners to maximize their value. If you redeem your 1,000 Bilt points for cash back at 1 cent per point, you're only getting a return of $10 in rewards. Therefore, your Citi card rewards plus your Bilt points are worth $41. This would not be the best option as you would have paid $60 to earn just $41 in value.
So, it's important to note what card you use to pay your rent and ensure that you maximize the value you get from your Bilt points. Even with the lower-earning rate rolling out at the end of July, it might be worth paying your rent with a credit card that helps you make progress toward elite status goals or a new welcome bonus.
Earning Bilt points can unlock more rewards
Aside from transferring your points to Bilt's airline and hotel partners to book travel, you can earn elite status with Bilt by meeting the following point thresholds:
- Blue: Basic membership
- Silver: 50,000 Bilt points
- Gold: 125,000 Bilt points
- Platinum: 200,000 Bilt points
As you unlock elite status, you'll earn access to better Rent Day promotions, such as bonus transfers. Most recently, Bilt offered an up-to-100% transfer bonus with Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards.
Related: What is Bilt Rewards Rent Day?
Bottom line
Bilt is all about adding flexibility for its members. In March, the program announced a new rent payment platform, BillPay by Bilt, and teased the possibility of earning rewards on mortgage payments. With the latest addition, Bilt is continuing to roll out new features and enhance its program to make it more user-friendly for those wanting to earn rewards with Bilt but not be tied to opening a credit card to use Bilt's loyalty program.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.