Oct 7, 2023, 1:25 pm
Last edit by: Dr Jabadski
Bilt Rewards Mastercard WikiPost
(10/7/23 Original author (Dr Jabadski) note: As I posted here on 9/9/23 Considering Ive been salivating about simple no-cost points-etizing (like monetizing) my condo payments for about 25 years, I see Bilt as a game changer. I should have added almost a Holy Grail (a thing that is eagerly pursued or sought after). I successfully applied for a Bilt Mastercard 1 month ago thus Im far from an expert. Both before and after approval I posted multiple questions many times on this thread and several other FTers were highly gracious and informative. Thought a WikiPost might save some others a good deal of time, effort and aggravation, at least in not repeating my questions and searching for the answers. I certainly hope the experts will edit and update this WikiPost as necessary. Im also exercising Writer's Prerogative to officially coin the term pointsetize, like monetize convert into or express in the form of currency, to earn points from payments which otherwise would not earn points.)
Bilt Rewards Mastercard (Bilt MC) was first launched in mid-2021, in good part as a no fee way to charge and pointsetize rent payments. (Perhaps the only no fee way to pointsetize rent payments.) There are multiple reports of earning Bilt points for paying condominium monthly maintenance/common charges, sometimes even when the word condo or condominium is in the transaction description.
Bilt MC is a personal credit card, WF reports credit card information to the various credit bureaus and Bilt MC will count toward Chase 5/24.
This post and this post (both from 9/7/23) describe shutdown reports perhaps related to micro transactions, fluctuating rent payment amounts or multiple rent payments. This 10/11/23 post includes several references to Reddit user quotes about shutdowns and several Reddit Bilt quotes in response.
Linksto Bilt Rewards Terms of Use and Evolve Bank & Trust (Bilt Technologies) Customer Account Agreement. The Terms state Bilt may make available to you a Bilt Rent Account (Account), which is a transaction bank account that can be used by you solely to make rent payments. The Agreement states: For the avoidance of doubt, the Account is a transaction bank account that can be used by you solely to make rent payments. For the avoidance of doubt, this is not an account that you may use to deposit or withdraw funds for any other purposes outside of rent payments.
Bilt MC is a metal card weighing ~16 grams (comparisons: AmEx biz plat 18.5 gm, AmEx Gold 15 gm, Chase Sapphire Reserve 13 gm, traditional plastic card 5 gm).
Bilt Mastercard is issued and managed by Wells Fargo. Bilt Rewards is a separate website and app (which contains some credit card information but not as much as WF website).
Most reports are of instant approvals, Wells Fargo reconsideration phone number and experiences are not well documented. Reported initial Credit Limits vary $4,000 - $30,000 with higher limits more commonly reported. This post (9/1/23) describes one instance of a Something went wrong message upon application and the steps toward approval several days later.
In March/April 2025 Bilt initiated a new and different process for paying rent and HOA fees which requires preauthorization and/or "auto-pre-authorization" within 5 days of payment.Rent payments can be made in multiple different ways. Bilt will provide a (bank) routing number and account number. ACH rent payments can be sent (deposited) by Bilt or withdrawn by a managing company.
Bilt MC is shipped via trackable no-signature-required First Class mail in a small (4.5 x 6.5) white box with unique packaging inside as pictured at the bottom of this post. As of Feb 2024 no reports of expedited shipping.
Reports on this thread starting in late November 2023 indicate this "quasi-SUB" may be offered randomly and/or only to some people, selection criteria unknown. This post may be the only report of being offered the quasi-SUB prior to Bilt Mastercard application, based on existing Bilt Rewards account. Bilt's quasi-SUB" is offered via an email and a text message notification the same day as card receipt informing of 5x/5 days/max 50K (email quoted verbatim in this post). (Quasi* due to very short duration in contrast to many traditional SUBs of 3 month duration.) Please note this quasi-SUB maxs out at $12,500 (not $10,000) and tax payments will count. No reports yet of returns and their effect on quasi-SUB. (* quasi- a combining form meaning resembling, having some, but not all of the features of, used in the formation of compound words: quasi-definition; quasi-monopoly; quasi-official; quasi-scientific.)
Newly earned Bilt points will display as pending until 5 transactions per statement cycle. After 5 transactions, points will post and become available shortly after a transaction, before statement date. The Bilt Rewards website has a transaction counter which disappears upon reaching 5.
Bilt points for linking partner programs (100 points each) and for adding a credit card to Bilt Wallet (100 points each for first 3) post immediately. Original author received 500 point bonus for first rent payment.
Bilt Rewards points are transferable at 1:1 usually within a few minutes to multiple different airline and hotel programs.
Theres discussion of the long term viability of Bilt with some of those posts linked at the bottom of this post after BREAK.
Bilt Status Tiers: Blue - anyone enrolled in Bilt Rewards with under 25,000 points, Silver - 25,000 points earned, Gold - 50,000 points earned, Platinum - 100,000 points earned. Tier status earned at any point in a year remains active through the end of the following year. Earn Interest on Points (Silver, Gold, Platinum Tiers) is minimal, discussed on this post and this post.
Bilt Points Quest Trivia was discontinued as of July 2024.Bilt Points Quest Trivia on the first of each month offers up to 250 points for correctly answering, within 10 seconds, 6 (out of 15-20) questions. Must get first 5 questions (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 points) correct to see the 6th bonus 100 point question. Theres often a Reddit thread with the Q & A. (Point Quest - October 2023 Answers) The lower half of this post has comments from a highly experienced test taker regarding memory, recall and studying for Points Quest Trivia.
Bilt Rent Free may also have been discontinued in 2024 or 2025.Bilt also has various RentFree games, available a few days prior to and/or on the 1st of the month, different people get different games. Could be a Family Feud style question with enough time to Google answers or a Where's Wally? (Bilt Brick) type of game or something else. Successful completion enters to be one of 3 people for whom Bilt pays their monthly rent (up to $2500).
List of Bilts Rent Day promotions going back to October 2022 at the bottom of the page here: DEALSPOINTS.
June 2024: Bottom of this post describes one persons experience paying a significant assessment (and earning points) with Bilt MC, at this time (only 3 weeks later) no report of clawback or shutdown (based on using Bilt to pay rent more than once a month and/or for something other than rent/condo fees).
June 2024: Bottom of this post contains Bilt quotes regarding Bilt BiltProtect.
June 2024: Important post (and link) stating that WF is losing money every month on Bilt.
(10/7/23 Original author (Dr Jabadski) note: As I posted here on 9/9/23 Considering Ive been salivating about simple no-cost points-etizing (like monetizing) my condo payments for about 25 years, I see Bilt as a game changer. I should have added almost a Holy Grail (a thing that is eagerly pursued or sought after). I successfully applied for a Bilt Mastercard 1 month ago thus Im far from an expert. Both before and after approval I posted multiple questions many times on this thread and several other FTers were highly gracious and informative. Thought a WikiPost might save some others a good deal of time, effort and aggravation, at least in not repeating my questions and searching for the answers. I certainly hope the experts will edit and update this WikiPost as necessary. Im also exercising Writer's Prerogative to officially coin the term pointsetize, like monetize convert into or express in the form of currency, to earn points from payments which otherwise would not earn points.)
Bilt Rewards Mastercard (Bilt MC) was first launched in mid-2021, in good part as a no fee way to charge and pointsetize rent payments. (Perhaps the only no fee way to pointsetize rent payments.) There are multiple reports of earning Bilt points for paying condominium monthly maintenance/common charges, sometimes even when the word condo or condominium is in the transaction description.
Bilt MC is a personal credit card, WF reports credit card information to the various credit bureaus and Bilt MC will count toward Chase 5/24.
This post and this post (both from 9/7/23) describe shutdown reports perhaps related to micro transactions, fluctuating rent payment amounts or multiple rent payments. This 10/11/23 post includes several references to Reddit user quotes about shutdowns and several Reddit Bilt quotes in response.
Links
Bilt MC is a metal card weighing ~16 grams (comparisons: AmEx biz plat 18.5 gm, AmEx Gold 15 gm, Chase Sapphire Reserve 13 gm, traditional plastic card 5 gm).
Bilt Mastercard is issued and managed by Wells Fargo. Bilt Rewards is a separate website and app (which contains some credit card information but not as much as WF website).
Most reports are of instant approvals, Wells Fargo reconsideration phone number and experiences are not well documented. Reported initial Credit Limits vary $4,000 - $30,000 with higher limits more commonly reported. This post (9/1/23) describes one instance of a Something went wrong message upon application and the steps toward approval several days later.
In March/April 2025 Bilt initiated a new and different process for paying rent and HOA fees which requires preauthorization and/or "auto-pre-authorization" within 5 days of payment.
Bilt MC is shipped via trackable no-signature-required First Class mail in a small (4.5 x 6.5) white box with unique packaging inside as pictured at the bottom of this post. As of Feb 2024 no reports of expedited shipping.
Reports on this thread starting in late November 2023 indicate this "quasi-SUB" may be offered randomly and/or only to some people, selection criteria unknown. This post may be the only report of being offered the quasi-SUB prior to Bilt Mastercard application, based on existing Bilt Rewards account. Bilt's quasi-SUB" is offered via an email and a text message notification the same day as card receipt informing of 5x/5 days/max 50K (email quoted verbatim in this post). (Quasi* due to very short duration in contrast to many traditional SUBs of 3 month duration.) Please note this quasi-SUB maxs out at $12,500 (not $10,000) and tax payments will count. No reports yet of returns and their effect on quasi-SUB. (* quasi- a combining form meaning resembling, having some, but not all of the features of, used in the formation of compound words: quasi-definition; quasi-monopoly; quasi-official; quasi-scientific.)
Newly earned Bilt points will display as pending until 5 transactions per statement cycle. After 5 transactions, points will post and become available shortly after a transaction, before statement date. The Bilt Rewards website has a transaction counter which disappears upon reaching 5.
Bilt points for linking partner programs (100 points each) and for adding a credit card to Bilt Wallet (100 points each for first 3) post immediately. Original author received 500 point bonus for first rent payment.
Bilt Rewards points are transferable at 1:1 usually within a few minutes to multiple different airline and hotel programs.
Theres discussion of the long term viability of Bilt with some of those posts linked at the bottom of this post after BREAK.
Bilt Status Tiers: Blue - anyone enrolled in Bilt Rewards with under 25,000 points, Silver - 25,000 points earned, Gold - 50,000 points earned, Platinum - 100,000 points earned. Tier status earned at any point in a year remains active through the end of the following year. Earn Interest on Points (Silver, Gold, Platinum Tiers) is minimal, discussed on this post and this post.
Bilt Points Quest Trivia was discontinued as of July 2024.
Bilt Rent Free may also have been discontinued in 2024 or 2025.
List of Bilts Rent Day promotions going back to October 2022 at the bottom of the page here: DEALSPOINTS.
June 2024: Bottom of this post describes one persons experience paying a significant assessment (and earning points) with Bilt MC, at this time (only 3 weeks later) no report of clawback or shutdown (based on using Bilt to pay rent more than once a month and/or for something other than rent/condo fees).
June 2024: Bottom of this post contains Bilt quotes regarding Bilt BiltProtect.
June 2024: Important post (and link) stating that WF is losing money every month on Bilt.
Bilt Mastercard
Jun 28, 2023 | 12:40 pm
#256
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: OAK
Posts: 4,259
July rewards is Lyft credit ($10 for Bilt members, $20 for members with Mastercard).
There's a puzzle for a chance to win up to $2,500 in rent.
There's a puzzle for a chance to win up to $2,500 in rent.
Jun 28, 2023 | 12:43 pm
#257
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 18,127
It's also just 20 Lyft bucks - I think you don't actually need to use the Bilt card to pay for these rides.
Jun 28, 2023 | 4:49 pm
#258
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,680
I think the 2x alone on Rent Day is very useful and generous. I dont have any other way to get 2 Hyatt points per dollar on regular spend. I save all my bills for the first.
Jul 1, 2023 | 11:20 pm
#259
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: LAX / PHL
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,037
Apologies if this has already been asked and answered in the thread - since Bilt seems to mail a check or allow ACH transfers, can that be sent to anyone? Do they allow for payments of that manner for non-rent expenses?
Jul 2, 2023 | 10:01 am
#260
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Rockies
Programs: UA Platinum, HHonors Diamond, Bonvoy occasionally Bonvoyed Mostly
Posts: 488
For those who use this to pay rent, can someone shed light on what is it that Bilt requires to set up the rent payment ? Do we need to upload a lease agreement or get some statement from the landlord ? I own my house (well the bank owns it 
) but i've got a kid in college and living with a few friends in a house they have rented (from the parent of one of the friend). what sort of documentation is needed to have bilt send out a check every month for the rent ?
) but i've got a kid in college and living with a few friends in a house they have rented (from the parent of one of the friend). what sort of documentation is needed to have bilt send out a check every month for the rent ?
Jul 2, 2023 | 11:57 am
#261
Join Date: Jul 2023
Programs: contributor
Posts: 18
No travel extra points for Hotwire
Just wanted to share - if you want to pay for purchases at Hotwire with Bilt Mastercard, then your transactions won't be considered as "Travel". You will NOT get extra points as you might have expected. I reached out to their support team. They said it has to be only direct sales through hotels or airlines, not through a middleman. I feel this is unfair, but oh well...
Last edited by olb2006; Jul 2, 2023 at 12:00 pm Reason: Correcting typo...
Jul 2, 2023 | 4:09 pm
#262
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,959
Has anyone experienced issues with setting up recurring monthly charges on the 1st of the month? Whenever I try to do that, I have gotten errors or declines on a number of sites. For one time purchases or setting up recurring transactions on other days, I haven't seemed to have issues.
Jul 2, 2023 | 5:02 pm
#263
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: NYC
Programs: Kettle Class
Posts: 1,050
Unfair perhaps, but also explicitly made clear in their T&C that online booking agencies are not included in the travel bonus spend category:
Two points (1 base point plus 1 bonus point) are earned per $1 spent on qualifying net purchases made directly at retailers whose Merchant code for Mastercard is classified as Travel: airlines, hotels, motels, resorts, cruise lines, and car rental agencies (bus lines, passenger railways/trains, taxicabs and limousines, rideshares, ferries, timeshares, travel agencies, online travel sites, real estate agents, vacation rental platforms (e.g. VRBO, Airbnb), campgrounds, boat lease/rental, motor home/recreational vehicle rental, toll bridges and highways, parking lots, and garages are not included).
Two points (1 base point plus 1 bonus point) are earned per $1 spent on qualifying net purchases made directly at retailers whose Merchant code for Mastercard is classified as Travel: airlines, hotels, motels, resorts, cruise lines, and car rental agencies (bus lines, passenger railways/trains, taxicabs and limousines, rideshares, ferries, timeshares, travel agencies, online travel sites, real estate agents, vacation rental platforms (e.g. VRBO, Airbnb), campgrounds, boat lease/rental, motor home/recreational vehicle rental, toll bridges and highways, parking lots, and garages are not included).
Just wanted to share - if you want to pay for purchases at Hotwire with Bilt Mastercard, then your transactions won't be considered as "Travel". You will NOT get extra points as you might have expected. I reached out to their support team. They said it has to be only direct sales through hotels or airlines, not through a middleman. I feel this is unfair, but oh well...
Jul 2, 2023 | 5:56 pm
#264
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,680
So the travel category is one place where this card seriously falls short of the Chase Sapphire Reserve - which gives 3x in the category and is very complete, including most of those exclusions.
Jul 2, 2023 | 10:10 pm
#265
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,959
I wonder if the reverse is true on dining. Recall that Chase removed a couple of merchant codes from dining a few years ago, such as bakeries and catering services.
Jul 2, 2023 | 11:25 pm
#266
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Virgin Atlantic Silver, IHG Diamond, Bonvoy Gold, Hilton Diamond, AA Platinum Pro, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 1,478
They aren't the only ones with a restricted travel category. If I'm not mistaken, Amex Green and CSR are comprehensive, while Citi Premier is just flights, hotels, and OTAs (i.e.no parking, rental cars, cruises, trains, taxi/ride share). Of course, if you book a cruise or rental car via an OTA and are charged by the OTA, you would get 3X.
Jul 3, 2023 | 12:41 pm
#267
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: JFK LGA PBI BOI
Posts: 928
Paying a cruise line directly on the 1st got me 4x points.
Jul 3, 2023 | 3:25 pm
#268
Join Date: Jan 2023
Location: DCA, IAD
Programs: Hyatt Globalist; AA Plat. Pro.
Posts: 249
The idea that something like Amtrak wouldn't code as "travel" is absurd.
Jul 3, 2023 | 7:47 pm
#269
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 18,127
Jul 3, 2023 | 9:14 pm
#270
Join Date: Jul 2023
Programs: contributor
Posts: 18
Unfair perhaps, but also explicitly made clear in their T&C that online booking agencies are not included in the travel bonus spend category:
Two points (1 base point plus 1 bonus point) are earned per $1 spent on qualifying net purchases made directly at retailers whose Merchant code for Mastercard is classified as Travel: airlines, hotels, motels, resorts, cruise lines, and car rental agencies (bus lines, passenger railways/trains, taxicabs and limousines, rideshares, ferries, timeshares, travel agencies, online travel sites, real estate agents, vacation rental platforms (e.g. VRBO, Airbnb), campgrounds, boat lease/rental, motor home/recreational vehicle rental, toll bridges and highways, parking lots, and garages are not included).
Two points (1 base point plus 1 bonus point) are earned per $1 spent on qualifying net purchases made directly at retailers whose Merchant code for Mastercard is classified as Travel: airlines, hotels, motels, resorts, cruise lines, and car rental agencies (bus lines, passenger railways/trains, taxicabs and limousines, rideshares, ferries, timeshares, travel agencies, online travel sites, real estate agents, vacation rental platforms (e.g. VRBO, Airbnb), campgrounds, boat lease/rental, motor home/recreational vehicle rental, toll bridges and highways, parking lots, and garages are not included).
On the side note, I don't really understand why would they want to do that? Does it really save them that much? IMO, it drops more shade on them than helps save anything. Yet, still, the card is unbeatable since it allows me to pay rent! This is supercool, without a doubt.