It's not only a hard pull, it's also a new account at a time when some issuers, notably Chase, are focused on new accounts in addition to pulls.

But it's one pull for a lifetime* (of the card). Chase hasn't added lifetime accounts language as far as I'm concerned.

Sorry, I do not know what that means. Chase tallies the new personal accounts opened during the last 24 months. If you open a Bilt account now it will not fall off until 2026.

What I mean is that since most sign on bonuses are moving to once in a lifetime, I'm not super concerned if I get a bonus for another card now or have to delay it for a few months, vs getting the Bilt now and keeping it forever. Hope that makes sense.

Other than Amex and Capital One, and Amex does release a decent amount of NLL offers especially business side, what's lifetime?

The main reason I signed up for this card is the ability to pay rent without incurring fees of, at minimum, 2.9% that my landlord charges. And being here in NYC, that's a lot of points I used to NOT earn that, in one year, will equate to a sign-up bonus on most cards. And the only thing it is 'costing' me is the spend on the 5 charges per month on non-rent spend, which will be very little.

As to the speculation that their business model is sustainable or not...I have no idea. I plan on going to Bilt points first for any transfers I need for flights, and after my first one I will have more than earned any value that I would have gotten by putting those 5 monthly charges somewhere else.

IF this model is sustainable, then to me, this card would be a very good Chase Sapphire Pref killer since the earning rates are so similar and it has no annual fee or foreign transaction fees.

Only think that prevents me from burning Bilt points instantly is that it transfers to so many good partners - AA, Hyatt, TK, AF, AC, CX, BA, and so on...

I don't have any rent or HOA payments, though. So for me the credit card has to earn its keep - and an initial signup bonus has to be good enough that I don't look elsewhere instead. Frankly, it doesn't even have to be $10k at 5X - most of the time I don't really have an easy ability to create that much spend. Once a year there is the opportunity to combine property taxes and estimated taxes, but the rest of the year it would be quarterly estimates, and I don't want to overpay that much when I could instead earn 5% (minus taxes).

If I had rent or HOA payments, I would probably more motivated to sign up for the card. And maybe they would be more motivated to offer me a bonus.

Wouldn’t we all. In addition to helping with the initial application decision it might be helpful in determining if this card is churnable.

Excellent point, I hadn’t seen that (before) for AmEx applications, thank you.

Agree that this card is a no-brainer for anyone who pays rent (or condo fees). Others need to evaluate the benefits and their other CC benefits and their 5/24 concern and status, for them it could go either way, basically a “Deal or No Deal”.

If you do apply and get the quasi-SUB, it maxes out at $12.5k, not $10k.

As others have mentioned “most” might not be the applicable word, some is probably more accurate. And even for that “some”, lifetime is an ambiguous word due to some lifetimes being 7 years and some NLL offers essentially offering unlimited lifetimes.

Bilt Trivia 12/1/2023


Many Americans run in a thanksgiving day race commonly referred to as what ? Turkey Trot

In the childhood rhyme humpty dumpy, what food is humpty portraid as ? Egg

Which of the following is not a popular dip while eating meditaerrian food? Guacamole

Who is the creator of the beloved animated file “The nightmare before Christmas” Tim Burton

which country popularized the bread "panettone" - Italy


Creator of Nightmare before Christmas - Tim Burton

Popeye's favorite food - spinach

Famous chef who says Bam - Emeril Lagasse

Depending on genetics, this herb might taste like soap to you. - Cilantro

What is the most popular annual parade in the U.S. - Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

What is a popular ingredient in Risotto? Rice.

Which of the following cereals has a bird as its mascot? Fruit Loops.

Gwyneth Paltrow named her daughter after this fruit? Apple.

Rachel famously includes beef making this dessert? English Trifle.

What cheese in Caprese - mozzarella

(assembled from various sources)

Edit: and one not on the list that I promptly got wrong :mad:

Song the Mean Girls cast perform in film’s Christmas talent show - Jingle Bell Rock.

The app shows that my rent payment was processed yesterday. Out of curiosity, how long does it take the points to hit my account?

This is only my 3rd month so I cannot answer definitively. I too got an email from Bilt very early today stating that my rent has been paid, I can see the pending charge on the WF website.

IIRC I received a similar email the past 2 months. The charge at WF website apparently goes from “pending” to “posted” in 1 day, Bilt points have posted the day the charge is “posted” (and I already had 5 charges in the billing periods). I’ve sometimes transferred Bilt points (including referral points from a certain someone :tu:, if he/she is reading thanks very much again :)) immediately after they posted at Bilt. All transfers have been to Hyatt, taking 20-30 minutes to post at Hyatt.

BREAK

It’s interesting that all 3 of my Bilt rent payments have had the exact same timing; email and pending charge on the 2nd, posted and points on the 3rd. Interesting because when my management agent used to do an ACH withdrawal from my bank the exact date varied every month between the 2nd and the 7th and now with Bilt it’s always on the 2nd. I provided Bilt account number and routing number to the managing agent and presumably they are still withdrawing the ACH payment (rather than Bilt sending (depositing) it).

Banking procedures are well beyond my area of expertise. Has the managing agent always sent the payment on the 1st or 2nd and in the past my bank (USAA) had a delay in posting? Has Bilt somehow “taken over” the payments thus making the exact same date more reliable? Mere coincidence? Too few Bilt payments to draw a conclusion? Something else? Thank you.

Yea, it doesn't help that it's a weekend and that might delay the posting. As I said, I'm just curious, not concerned. I paid using the direct billing to our checking account instead of it going through the card, so it will be interesting how that all gets posted. (And honestly, it's crazy that they allow the rent payment to not even hit my credit card (by using the BiltProtect Debit feature) but I might get points anyway.)

Thanks for posting. I hope my thoughts and suggestions (lower half of this post) about “studying” (and not “memorizing little factoids that are of zero interest”) have been helpful.

FWIW, now having done it a few times, I’m even more confident of those thoughts and suggestions and in some ways “studying” and doing Bilt PointsQuest has taken me back (~ 45 years) to my college and medical school days. “Studying” for Bilt PointsQuest (time limited multiple choice trivia) is different than “studying” for Bilt’s RentFree game (no time limit Family Feud style question).

RentFree requires (and is worth) no studying. There’s no time limit, can Google while doing it. The reward (an unknown % chance for free rent) is lesser value.

For PointsQuest the past couple of months I’ve found “reddit bilt points quest November (or December) 2023” to be the proper wording for the most expeditious search. I’ve read the Reddit thread(s) 2 or 3 times, over 2-3 minutes, then immediately done the PointsQuest questions, voilà, 250 points. Do that for a year or so and we’re talking real points :D! Good luck all.

(I hope this post doesn’t read like bragging or gloating, truly just trying to be helpful.)

Do you have the 5 other transactions required yet? They wint post until you do.