Bilt Mastercard Review (2025): 2 Year Later My Honest Review

Let’s talk about the Bilt Mastercard no annual fee, some pretty impressive perks on paper, and a focus on something no other card does well: paying rent with rewards. Two years after release, is this card really all it promises to be? I’m here to give you my honest take.

I’ve had my hands on this card for a while, and in this post, I’ll break down what works, what doesn’t, and who should take this card seriously. Let’s dive into every detail from points, rewards, and benefits and wrap up with whether this card should find a spot in your wallet.

Bilt Mastercard Overview

The Bilt Mastercard isn’t just your usual no-annual-fee card. It’s the first credit card where you can earn points just for paying rent. But it throws in much more: decent rewards on dining, travel, and even some crazy value for travelers with partners like American Airlines and Hyatt. A few key features:

No annual fee – You keep all the rewards without worrying about justifying an annual hit.
Earn points on rent – Up to 1 point per dollar without any fees this is huge if rent is one of your biggest bills.
Travel perks and valuable transfer partners that punch way above its weight.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s under the hood and figure out if the card lives up to the hype in 2024.

Bilt Mastercard Sign-Up Bonus

Here’s where the Bilt Mastercard kicks off the first potential letdown: there’s no public sign-up bonus. That’s right. Nothing. If you’ve been around the points game, this is a major knock. Most cards today try to attract sign-ups with lucrative intro offers.

And with a no-annual-fee card? It’s especially annoying. The bulk of your value for the first year with any credit card almost always comes from the sign-up bonus. To be fair, there have been reports of non-public bonuses.

Some users are offered a brief window where they can earn 5x points for the first five days of having the card. Cool if you get it, but it’s like winning the lotto. Some people get lucky, others don’t I didn’t. And without a guaranteed bonus, I have to take this as a negative.

Bilt Mastercard Earnings Structure

The Bilt Mastercard has a pretty simple rewards structure. Here’s what you’ll earn:

3x points on dining – Great, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Cards like the Chase Freedom Flex or Capital One Savor can match this, if not beat it with optimized categories.
2x points on travel – It’s good compared to some no-annual-fee cards, but doesn’t blow any minds when plenty of cards offer a straight 2% cashback on all purchases (Citi Double Cash, anyone?).
1x points on rent – This one’s a game-changer and where the Bilt Mastercard shines. No other card lets you rack up points on rent without nasty fees.
1x points on everything else – Standard. You’ve seen it a hundred times before with no-annual-fee options.

Is Bilt competitive? For the most part, it’s “just fine.” But again, what really separates this card from the rest is its ability to EARN ON RENT.

Rent Payment Process: How It Works

Breaking down how Bilt lets you earn on rent without fees is key here, because without that, this card falls more in line with the dozens of others out there. You’ve got three options:

Bilt Alliance Network: If your apartment is part of the Bilt Alliance, paying rent with the Bilt Mastercard is seamless no transaction fees, no hassle. Just pay, earn points, move on.
Routing and Account Number: For renters outside the Bilt network (most of us), the card gives you a routing number and account number to pay rent like a regular bank transfer. Plug this info in, and your rent gets covered without any credit card fees meddling in.
Paper Check Option: If your landlord’s old-school or doesn’t accept ACH transfers, the Bilt app will cut and mail a physical check on your behalf. The result: you still earn points, even if your landlord lives in 1985.

These rent options are what put Bilt in its own lane. You’re already shelling out hundreds, even thousands, every month finally, you’re getting rewarded for it.

Travel Benefits: Solid for a Free Card

Now, let’s talk about why the Bilt Mastercard appeals to travelers. For a card with no annual fee, the travel benefits are pretty competitive.

Auto rental collision insurance: This covers you against damage and theft on rentals.
Trip delay reimbursement: You’ll get up to $200 per person, per day after a 6-hour delay. Super useful if your trip goes sideways.
No foreign transaction fees: If you travel outside the U.S., the Bilt Mastercard won’t slap you extra when making purchases abroad.

Sure, some premium cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Platinum might offer more robust travel insurance or perks, but those also come with hefty annual fees. For no annual fee and perks like these, Bilt is doing well.

The Unique Rent Day Bonuses

Another thing that sets the Bilt Mastercard apart is its Rent Day bonuses, which happen on the first of every month. This is probably one of the card’s coolest ongoing features. Here’s what you can expect on Rent Day:

Double earnings across various categories (except rent). That means 6x points on dining, 4x points on travel, and 2x points on all other purchases.
Transfer bonuses: If you’re into transferring points to loyalty programs, Rent Day’s your best friend. Bonuses have ranged from 75%-150% which is unheard of in the credit card world.

Rent Day genuinely adds another layer of value to the Bilt Mastercard. Even if you don’t rent, this feature alone can make the card worth having.

Transfer Partners: The Hidden Power of Bilt Points

Alright, I’ve saved one of the best features for last: Bilt’s Transfer Partners. For most travel credit cards, transfer partners are where you squeeze out the best value. And Bilt has knocked it out of the park with its transfer partner lineup. Even though this is a no-annual-fee card, Bilt has curated some of the best partners available, including:

American Airlines: Bilt is the only no-annual-fee card that lets you earn and transfer points directly to American Airlines. Planning that dream trip to Japan or Europe? Use just 60K points to fly in business class instead of shelling out thousands on a ticket.
Hyatt: Chase Sapphire Preferred fans know Hyatt is one of the best hotels to transfer points to, but now you don’t need to pay an annual fee with Bilt to get in. You’re sitting on some of the best redemptions out there.
Flying Blue (Air France/KLM): Normally, you’d see transfer bonuses from 25% to 40% with cards like Amex or Capital One. But with Bilt Rent Day, these bonuses have hit up to 150%. That level of bonus changes the game for international flyers.

The key takeaway: by using Bilt’s Transfer Partners and bonuses, you can easily squeeze thousands of dollars in value from your points.

Bilt Status Tiers

Just like airlines or hotels, Bilt has a status system. They’ve broken it down into four levels: Blue, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, each unlocking better bonuses and perks.

Blue: This is the default no spend requirement. Fine for most people.
Silver: Spend $10,000 or earn 50,000 points.
Gold: Spend $25,000 or earn 125,000 points.
Platinum: Spend $50,000 or earn 200,000 points.

One cool perk: your Rent Day transfer bonuses bump up as you climb the tiers. So, the more you spend, the sweeter the transfer bonuses get on those double-point Sundays.

Bilt Protect: Keep Your Spending in Check

Here’s another feature that’s super helpful if you’re pushing your credit limits. With Bilt Protect, if you’re worried about maxing out your credit limit when rent day rolls around, Bilt can pull money from your linked bank account to cover the rent, all without lowering your available credit.

Let’s say you’ve got a $5,000 limit but have already spent $4,000. Ordinarily, you’d be in trouble, since a $2,000 rent payment would put you over the limit. But with Bilt Protect, it pulls that extra directly from your bank and keeps you in the clear. Plus, you still get the points.

Other Perks Worth Mentioning

Beyond the big-ticket rewards and rent benefits, the Bilt Mastercard includes a few other items that make day-to-day life easier.

Build your credit: Bilt will report on-time rent payments to the credit bureaus (for properties in their network), helping you build and protect your credit score.
Cell phone protection: Insure your phone for up to $800 with a $25 deductible pretty solid for a no-annual-fee card.
Bilt Wallet: Allows you to link cards (like your Chase Sapphire Reserve) for additional points when dining at Bilt Network restaurants, giving you a double dip.

Payment Limitations and Catch

While there’s a lot to love about this card, there are a couple of things to note.

Max points on rent: You can earn up to 100,000 points each year on rent. Anything over that? You’re out of luck.
Five swipes a month: You need to swipe the Bilt Mastercard at least five times monthly to get your points. Easy workaround? Set small auto-payments for things you buy regularly on Amazon or other platforms.

Also, one thing I always get asked about: mortgage payments. Right now, there’s no way to use this card to pay your mortgage. Yeah, it’s a bummer, but there’s still hope the team at Bilt is exploring this. After all, they already allow you to use points toward a down payment, so maybe we’ll get that feature down the line.

Conclusion: Is the Bilt Mastercard Worth It?

After two years of testing the Bilt Mastercard in the real world, I can confidently say, yes, this card can hold its own but here’s the kicker: if you pay rent, this card is a no-brainer. Seriously, if you’re renting and not using the Bilt Mastercard, you’re just leaving points on the table.

Even if rent isn’t part of your financial life, the combination of transfer partners, no annual fee, Rent Day bonuses, and decent rewards on dining and travel make the card worth considering. It might not be the most lucrative card for daily spending, but it’s definitely the top choice among no-annual-fee options if you value travel perks.

So, if you’re someone who pays rent or just really likes stacking rewards for travel, the Bilt Mastercard might be exactly what you’re looking for. Finally, if you’re ready to apply. If you’ve got any questions or thoughts, drop them in the comments I want to hear from you!