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Old Oct 7, 2023, 1:25 pm
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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.

Links to 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.
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Old Oct 2, 2023 | 12:56 pm
  #376  
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I wonder what the total charges (for all cardholders combined) by day of month curve looks like for Bilt, ignoring rent.
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Old Oct 2, 2023 | 4:22 pm
  #377  
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Originally Posted by notquiteaff
I wonder what the total charges (for all cardholders combined) by day of month curve looks like for Bilt, ignoring rent.
I'm curious too. It might be more evenly distributed for things like dining since 3x is a great earn rate on a no annual fee card.
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Old Oct 2, 2023 | 4:56 pm
  #378  
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Originally Posted by Majuki
I'm curious too. It might be more evenly distributed for things like dining since 3x is a great earn rate on a no annual fee card.
Made it a date night a couple months ago at one of the Bilt rewards participants (that happened to be one of my regular spots)...11x was pretty sweet!
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Old Oct 5, 2023 | 9:06 am
  #379  
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My first Bilt rent (condominium monthly common charge) payment and POINTS just processed. Thank you to all those who so graciously assisted (with replies to my questions above) my quest to (easily and no cost) pointsetize (like monetize) my monthly condo payments which has been a dream for 25 years since I bought a condominium after becoming (almost) obsessed with points and miles.

The Bilt website answered a remaining question as to how Bilt indicates the 5 required transactions each month (to earn points). With a statement date of 10/1/23, today on the Bilt website I see “STOP SHOP 0123 10/03/23 8 pts Earn after 5 transactions.” Of course I missed (until just now) the Bilt page “How can I tell how many transactions I've made in a statement period? A transaction counter will appear in the Wallet > Bilt Card tab of the Bilt Rewards app and our website if you have not met the 5 transaction requirements within your current statement period. Once you've made 5 or more transactions, the counter will disappear. The transaction counter will re-appear when a new statement period begins.”

FWIW, my condo payment appears on the Wells Fargo website as “BPS*BILT REWARDS B NEW YORK NY #12345678L6Y0WGNB3” and on the Bilt Rewards website as “BPS*BILT REWARDS B 10/03/23 2,000 pts $1,500.00” and “ Activity details +2,000 points BPS*BILT REWARDS B 1x Points on Rent +1,500 points First Rent Bonus Points +500 points Transaction amount $1,500.00 Transaction date Oct 4, 2023.” The word “rent” only appears in regards to the Bilt points, not regarding the description of the transaction on the CC activity. I’ve come to believe that condo payments (in many cases) generate Bilt points based on Bilt’s (? Mistaken) understanding of those payments as rent. Is it possible (or probable) that Bilt knows it’s a condo payment but chooses to treat it as a rent payment? (The “First Rent Bonus +500 points” was a pleasant surprise for me , those points are NOT "pending" 5 transactions.)

I also see today for the first time additional ways to earn Bilt points:

“Earn up to 300 Bilt Points with your Bilt Wallet. Add any card to your Bilt Wallet, and we’ll give you 100 points (up to 3 times). Link your credit and debit cards to automatically earn bonus Bilt points on eligible spend.” What’s the rationale and implications of adding a CC to Bilt Wallet? Any potential problems with charges being billed to the wrong credit card (add AmEx MR card to Bilt wallet, swipe that MR card, earn Bilt points but no MR points)?

“Earn up to 5X on Lyft rideshare. Going somewhere? Make it rewarding by riding with Lyft and earn up to 5X Bilt Points. Terms apply”. Chase has a time limited (IIRC March 2024 extended to March 2025) promotion for 5X on Lyft on some UR cards. As of today, is Bilt 5X on Lyft though to be time limited? If one has a Chase 5X card as default Lyft payment and adds that card to Bilt wallet, would earnings then be 10X (“double dipped” 5X Chase UR + 5x Bilt)?

“Earn bonus points with Bilt Dining. Use any eligible card from your Bilt Wallet, and earn bonus points at Bilt Dining restaurants.” I haven’t followed dining programs carefully since before COVID (when I used to dine out more often). Last time I reviewed, the dining programs for UA, AA and DL were all administered by the same company (Rewards Network) and I could only register a credit card to one of the programs, upon registering that same credit card in a different program the CC would automatically be removed from the first program. Is Bilt Dining administered by the same company? Can points for dining be “double dipped” (similar to possible Lyft double dipping above)?

Thanks very much once again.
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Old Oct 5, 2023 | 10:44 am
  #380  
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For Lyft, it's 2x if you use a different credit card. I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve for its bonus with Lyft, and get the 2x from Bilt also. Note that if you had another partner in there (I think Delta is one) it gets removed when you add Bilt.
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Old Oct 5, 2023 | 11:58 am
  #381  
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Originally Posted by josephstern
For Lyft, it's 2x if you use a different credit card. I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve for its bonus with Lyft, and get the 2x from Bilt also. Note that if you had another partner in there (I think Delta is one) it gets removed when you add Bilt.
That's exactly what I do, too. 5x Chase + 2x BILT per USD!
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Old Oct 5, 2023 | 8:46 pm
  #382  
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Originally Posted by josephstern
For Lyft, it's 2x if you use a different credit card. I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve for its bonus with Lyft, and get the 2x from Bilt also. Note that if you had another partner in there (I think Delta is one) it gets removed when you add Bilt.
Thank you. It would seem that I shouldn’t make any changes if I’m happy with Lyft rides earning 5X UR (for using an applicable Chase card) plus 2-3X Hilton (as my Lyft registered active loyalty rewards partner and depending on airport or non-airport ride)?
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Old Oct 6, 2023 | 6:25 am
  #383  
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What is the typical CL being given with these cards? I'd like to make one (or two) estimated tax payments if I get the 5x sign-up bonus and can probably cover the entire $12,500 that way.
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Old Oct 6, 2023 | 7:56 am
  #384  
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Originally Posted by fredc84
What is the typical CL being given with these cards? I'd like to make one (or two) estimated tax payments if I get the 5x sign-up bonus and can probably cover the entire $12,500 that way.
I only got like 4k. It's a free card, I suppose.
Most of my other cards are ~15k limits, so I'd consider the Bilt more stingy.
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Old Oct 6, 2023 | 8:27 am
  #385  
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Originally Posted by fredc84
What is the typical CL being given with these cards? I'd like to make one (or two) estimated tax payments if I get the 5x sign-up bonus and can probably cover the entire $12,500 that way.
Very wide range - I've heard of $3K and I have a friend who got $50K.
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Old Oct 6, 2023 | 8:28 am
  #386  
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Originally Posted by Dr Jabadski
Thank you. It would seem that I shouldnt make any changes if Im happy with Lyft rides earning 5X UR (for using an applicable Chase card) plus 2-3X Hilton (as my Lyft registered active loyalty rewards partner and depending on airport or non-airport ride)?
I personally value 2x Bilt much more than even 3x Hilton, but to each his own!
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Old Oct 6, 2023 | 10:19 am
  #387  
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Originally Posted by Smiley90
I only got like 4k. It's a free card, I suppose.
Most of my other cards are ~15k limits, so I'd consider the Bilt more stingy.
Originally Posted by josephstern
Very wide range - I've heard of $3K and I have a friend who got $50K.
Thanks! Guess I'll find out when I apply later this month.
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Old Oct 6, 2023 | 12:24 pm
  #388  
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Mine is $20,000. I don't have any other Wells Fargo issued cards and only have a minimal amount in a Wells Fargo checking account. I'm not a churner, but this is far from my only card.

I agree with the position that I won't complain for a no annual fee card, especially with this earn rate.
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Old Oct 6, 2023 | 12:35 pm
  #389  
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Originally Posted by fredc84
What is the typical CL being given with these cards? I'd like to make one (or two) estimated tax payments if I get the 5x sign-up bonus and can probably cover the entire $12,500 that way.
A month ago I got $30K (first ever WF CC, ~200 other CC accounts past 20 years, credit scores ~820-830) and during the month prior to that the only mention (here or elsewhere can’t recall) I saw of an initial CL was also $30K. ​​​​​I kinda thought that was standard.

I did meet the quasi-SUB with tax payments and then sent WF a payment 2-3 days before statement date, didn’t want them reporting 42% credit utilization. Not sure if a Bilt CL is lower than $12.5K one could send a payment immediately upon receipt of the card to allow for higher charges within the first 5 days.

Originally Posted by josephstern
I personally value 2x Bilt much more than even 3x Hilton …
Thank you, me too. I don’t use Lyft that often so it’s not a lot of points and I switched my hotel loyalty to Hyatt a few years ago so my Hilton Lyft points in good part are to keep my (healthy) Hilton balance alive. I may very well change it in the near future.

And of course, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. My Hilton Lyft points invariably post within minutes of completing a Lyft ride, in contrast to my Delta Lyft miles (when that was a thing) which never posted despite linking the accounts several times and a fair amount of time troubleshooting with both Delta and Lyft.

And I remain skeptical of Bilt’s long term (overly generous) survival.

BREAK

It was discussed above in several different posts (5 links #312, 314, 342, 343, 344), I’m still concerned that Bilt may go “belly up”* or have a severe devaluation in the not too distant future, I plan to maintain a minimal balance in my Bilt rewards account.

(* “Belly up" is an idiomatic expression in American English used to describe a business, organization, or institution that has ceased to exist or gone bankrupt. Of course in the all-male sea-duty Navy of 35 years ago we used a different first word instead of “belly” .)
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Old Oct 7, 2023 | 12:32 pm
  #390  
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Originally Posted by dw
Heads up that there are reports this week on Reddit of Bilt accounts with the credit card being shut down for very odd reasons. ... Another account was shut down because the user was only using the credit card for small charges to meet the 5 transaction minimum per month, and Bilt claimed the "micro transactions" were against the T&Cs. All very odd.
Wondering what's considered appropriate (to BILT and to the cardholder) usage of this card for those who only have the card to points-etize rent or condo payments?

I've only had the card for 1 month, first statement included significant number and amounts of charges due to meeting the quasi-SUB, my plan going forward has been 4-5 charges per month, probably gasoline or grocery store, for $4 - $10. Thinking about more frequent higher charges to avoid charges* (no pun intended) of "micro transactions". Thank you.

(* "charges": 1. demand (an amount) as a price from someone for a service rendered or goods supplied "he charged me 2 euros for the postcard". 2. accuse (someone) of something, especially an offense under law "they were charged with assault".)

Last edited by Dr Jabadski; Oct 7, 2023 at 6:18 pm Reason: typo correction
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