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Old Oct 7, 2023, 1:25 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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 Feb 9, 2024 | 11:51 am
  #601  
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Are there any bonus offers to sign up for the card?
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Old Feb 9, 2024 | 11:52 am
  #602  
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Originally Posted by SkyTeam777
Are there any bonus offers to sign up for the card?
Many (but not all!) new customers get an offer of 5x miles for the first $12,500 on charges in the first 5 days after you receive the physical card.
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Old Feb 9, 2024 | 2:40 pm
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New language on the transfer partner linking bonus

Seems like Bilt added a new language on their website:
Did you know you can earn 100 bonus points
for every loyalty program you link to your Bilt Rewards account, up to a total of 500 points?
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Old Feb 9, 2024 | 3:28 pm
  #604  
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Originally Posted by binbinhihi
Seems like Bilt added a new language on their website:
“Did you know you can earn 100 bonus points
for every loyalty program you link to your Bilt Rewards account, up to a total of 500 points?”
It's not new. I did this in November '23.

edit: it might be different, though. I got 5 airlines and 3 hotels...this just says 5 total loyalty programs which could mean both combined. Dunno.
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Old Feb 9, 2024 | 3:38 pm
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Originally Posted by fredc84
It's not new. I did this in November '23.

edit: it might be different, though. I got 5 airlines and 3 hotels...this just says 5 total loyalty programs which could mean both combined. Dunno.
The new thing that they are now capped it at 500
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Old Feb 10, 2024 | 11:00 am
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So I got my first milestone reward. I'm on vacation so I chose the 2x points on restaurants, up to 1000 points. I figure that's $333 in dining over seven days - like shooting fish in a barrel for 1000 points. Not too terrible.

I learn from Reddit - it's only for Bilt Dining!

Naturally, I've never gone to a Bilt Dining restaurant and I'm not even in the US, so that's a complete waste. Not that the other options would be much better (maybe groceries)?

Feels like a decently major fail by Bilt - and I should have read more carefully.

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for my Platinum gift for last year. Where's that surprise Bilt? It'll probably be 2x points that I had to register for last year or something.
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Old Feb 10, 2024 | 12:05 pm
  #607  
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Originally Posted by binbinhihi
The new thing that they are now capped it at 500
(Yes, Im still a skeptic about Bilts long term viability.) Although its a very small step, possibly the start of Bilt cost cutting/devaluation?
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Old Feb 10, 2024 | 12:43 pm
  #608  
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Originally Posted by Dr Jabadski
(Yes, Im still a skeptic about Bilts long term viability.) Although its a very small step, possibly the start of Bilt cost cutting/devaluation?
Probably targeting people like me who only ever plan on earning a few thousand Bilt points via their Rent Day quiz and those link bonuses. I just recently passed 2k points on my account and will get their for my +1 account in a few months. Probably just should transfer my points when a semi-interesting bonus comes around and call it a day before they, say, increase the minimum transfer requirement to devalue accounts such as mine.
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Old Feb 11, 2024 | 12:29 am
  #609  
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Originally Posted by josephstern
Many (but not all!) new customers get an offer of 5x miles for the first $12,500 on charges in the first 5 days after you receive the physical card.
Interesting, I guess you don't know if you get it until you sign up. My concern is that I may be out of town for a few weeks and won't know exactly when the physical card arrives to take advantage of it.
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Old Feb 11, 2024 | 9:23 am
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Originally Posted by SkyTeam777
Interesting, I guess you don't know if you get it until you sign up. My concern is that I may be out of town for a few weeks and won't know exactly when the physical card arrives to take advantage of it.
I think it arrives pretty quickly after approval. There are stories/data points for that. So you could time it so you not only are at home, but have also lined up some meaningful large charges (estimated taxes? insurance?). However, it seems we dont know what percentage of customers actually receives an offer, and if it is completely random or somehow predictable whether an applicant will receive an offer.
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Old Feb 11, 2024 | 9:47 am
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Originally Posted by notquiteaff
I think it arrives pretty quickly after approval. There are stories/data points for that. So you could time it so you not only are at home, but have also lined up some meaningful large charges (estimated taxes? insurance?). However, it seems we dont know what percentage of customers actually receives an offer, and if it is completely random or somehow predictable whether an applicant will receive an offer.
Yea, I was paranoid about missing the offer (since it is only good for 5 days) and contacted them after the 2nd day. They told me I had no special offers on the card.
The RNG was not on my side.
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Old Feb 11, 2024 | 10:09 am
  #612  
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Originally Posted by SkyTeam777
Interesting, I guess you don't know if you get it until you sign up. My concern is that I may be out of town for a few weeks and won't know exactly when the physical card arrives to take advantage of it.
FWIW, 4-5 months ago I received my physical card exactly 7 calendar days after instant approval.

From the Wiki:
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.

(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.) 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.
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Old Feb 11, 2024 | 11:18 am
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Platinum gift

Still waiting for my platinum gift. Do they send an email with tracking number?

what is the gift?
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Old Feb 11, 2024 | 11:39 am
  #614  
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Originally Posted by t0dd0
what is the gift?
This blog article reports receiving a "limited edition decor book" : https://milestalk.com/what-is-bilts-...m-reward-gift/
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Old Feb 12, 2024 | 1:47 pm
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Originally Posted by t0dd0
Still waiting for my platinum gift. Do they send an email with tracking number?

what is the gift?
I never received a gift upon reaching Plat.
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