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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 Oct 29, 2024 | 9:31 am
  #1051  
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I'll be Silver by the end of the year!

this means I pay too much in rent
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Old Oct 29, 2024 | 1:08 pm
  #1052  
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Originally Posted by notquiteaff
I am a Bilt Dirt member, so I guess its a 50% minimum.
I actually rechecked my email, Im also Bilt Dirt and got 100% bonus. Cashing all of them out
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Old Oct 29, 2024 | 1:32 pm
  #1053  
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Originally Posted by gudugan
I actually rechecked my email, Im also Bilt Dirt and got 100% bonus. Cashing all of them out

Looks like the percentage is targeted, but not necessarily status driven. Also, there appears to be some sort of targeted AS card benefit for rent payments (I dont rent, so didnt read it).

https://frequentmiler.com/bilt-novem...rdholders-more
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Old Oct 31, 2024 | 10:26 am
  #1054  
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I see that Bilt/Wells Fargo have updated the max reimbursement for TSA Pre-check / Global Entry to $120 every four years.

I have to say, I'm amazed! I didn't even know they had this benefit! This is on a no-annual-fee card. Very impressive.


Sorry. This must be wrong. It's in the terms that came with my statement, but maybe it doesn't apply to this card?
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Old Oct 31, 2024 | 10:32 am
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Yes its on the statement (I posted the latter half above). It applies to two non Bilt cards though
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Old Nov 1, 2024 | 9:19 am
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Transferred everything to Avios with 100% bonus. Posted instantly
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Old Nov 27, 2024 | 9:24 am
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As ... usual at this point, the Bilt Soulcycle was wonky again

They've changed it so that Platinum members can book early, so seats might be even harder to get now. However the whole integration was down (even before 11:00AM ET) so I don't think anyone took advantage of it.
Snagged a seat at 11:17 ET
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Old Dec 3, 2024 | 12:48 pm
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Cue the speculation from Ankur's latest email. What will the Bilt Card 2.0 be in terms of "tiered offerings" and "delivering enhanced value"?

I, for one, am glad that I prepaid a year's worth of HOA fees in case earnings change.
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Old Dec 3, 2024 | 12:54 pm
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Well, I DO like that they mention the possibility of earning on mortgage payments... I hope that's not just mortgages through them!
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Old Dec 3, 2024 | 1:00 pm
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Originally Posted by Smiley90
I hope that's not just mortgages through them!
Yeah, that's not something I would do at current interest rates.
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Old Dec 3, 2024 | 3:41 pm
  #1061  
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Originally Posted by Majuki
Cue the speculation from Ankur's latest email. What will the Bilt Card 2.0 be in terms of "tiered offerings" and "delivering enhanced value"?
But more importantly, I've been reading and passing along your feedback and requests for the current Wells Fargo issued-and-operated Bilt card program. We know you want more premium offerings - and also ways to earn points on your mortgage payments. We also hear the challenges many of you have had with approval rates, credit line sizes, and the need for core tech features like authorized users, pay over time, and auto-pay integrations. Some of you have mentioned that your credit limits are too low to cover more than a month or two of rent, leaving little room to take full advantage of the cards benefits especially considering the average FICO for these members is above 750. We hear you loud and clear. These are all things that require support from our issuing bank partner, and we're actively working on solutions.

If I had to guess, they are going to switch partners. They may sell it as being motivated by the desire to implement features WF couldnt deliver, but the real reason will be that WF got tired of subsidizing their business and losing money on the card.
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Old Dec 3, 2024 | 4:09 pm
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Originally Posted by notquiteaff
If I had to guess, they are going to switch partners.
This was my interpretation as well. If that is the case, I'll likely part ways with Bilt if a new application is required. I'm going based on the precedent that a few here had when Bilt wound down their initial issuer and steered everyone toward applying for the Wells Fargo issued card as a new application.

I don't see any large issuer running toward Bilt to buy the portfolio given Well Fargo's experience.
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Old Dec 3, 2024 | 4:24 pm
  #1063  
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Originally Posted by Majuki
This was my interpretation as well. If that is the case, I'll likely part ways with Bilt if a new application is required. I'm going based on the precedent that a few here had when Bilt wound down their initial issuer and steered everyone toward applying for the Wells Fargo issued card as a new application.

I don't see any large issuer running toward Bilt to buy the portfolio given Well Fargo's experience.
Why would they switch? They have a contract with Wells Fargo that appears to be hugely advantageous to Bilt. I can't see them giving that up, at least not without a huge buyout from WF.
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Old Dec 3, 2024 | 5:36 pm
  #1064  
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Originally Posted by josephstern
.... They have a contract with Wells Fargo that appears to be hugely advantageous to Bilt.
It does not sound as if Bilt thinks it is advantageous.
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Old Dec 4, 2024 | 5:40 am
  #1065  
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Originally Posted by notquiteaff
If I had to guess, they are going to switch partners. They may sell it as being motivated by the desire to implement features WF couldnt deliver, but the real reason will be that WF got tired of subsidizing their business and losing money on the card.
Thats my read as well, but I wonder how theyll find a sucker (in the current environment) to take on the cobrand program.
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