Bilt Card Optimizer
Bilt's 2026 lineup — Blue, Obsidian, and Palladium — runs on a hybrid Bilt Cash + Bilt Points engine that few cardholders fully understand. You pay rent or mortgage without a processing fee and earn points on it one of two ways: spend Bilt Cash to unlock up to 1X, or earn 0.5X–1.25X from housing-only tiers set by how much non‑housing spend you put on the card.
The free calculators below run the actual math: which card pays back the annual fee for your spending mix, what your rent points are worth versus a 2% cashback card plus processing fees, and every Bilt transfer partner with its ratio.
How Bilt Actually Works in 2026
Every affiliate site lists the Bilt cards and earns when you click apply. None of them explain the hybrid Bilt Cash + Bilt Points engine clearly. Here's the part that matters before you choose a card.
Two currencies in one wallet — Bilt Cash and Bilt Points
Every Bilt card now earns into two currencies simultaneously. Bilt Cash is a separate reward balance (1 Bilt Cash = $1) that you spend inside Bilt — for example to unlock points on rent or mortgage payments. It isn’t a statement credit or cash back: up to $100 carries over each year, and any balance above $100 expires on December 31. Bilt Points transfer to 26 airline and hotel partners (mostly 1:1) plus Amtrak Guest Rewards (2:1), and we value them at 1.5¢ blended. Most everyday purchases earn 4% Bilt Cash plus a points multiplier — so you’re stacking both at once.
All three Bilt cards pay rent and mortgage without a processing fee, and housing earns points one of two ways (you choose):
1. Bilt Cash option: spend $30 of Bilt Cash per 1,000 points (3% of the payment) to unlock up to 1X on housing.
2. Housing-only tiers: your rate is set by your non‑housing card spend that month as a share of your housing payment — 25% → 0.5X, 50% → 0.75X, 75% → 1X, 100% → the full 1.25X. Below 25% you get a 250-point monthly minimum.
Example: $2,000 rent + $2,000 of groceries, dining, gas and other charges that month = 100% = 1.25X = 2,500 Bilt Points on rent. $2,000 rent + $1,000 of other spend = 50% = 0.75X = 1,500 points. With the Bilt Cash option, unlocking 2,000 points on the same rent costs $60 of Bilt Cash.
Rent Day: on the 1st of each month, Bilt pays double points on non‑housing spend (up to 1,000 bonus points) — the current promotion runs through January 1, 2027.
The three Bilt cards — and who each one is for
Bilt Palladium ($495/yr): 2X points on everyday purchases + 4% Bilt Cash on everyday spend (excluding housing); up to 5X on Bilt Dining and 4X on hotels / 3X on flights booked through Bilt Travel. Up to 1.25X on housing. Includes $200 annual Bilt Cash, a $400 Bilt Travel hotel credit, Priority Pass, and Gold status. The signup bonus (50,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months + $300 Bilt Cash + Gold status through the current and following calendar year) is worth about $1,050 with points at 1.5¢.
Bilt Obsidian ($95/yr): Choose 3X on dining OR grocery (grocery capped at $25K/year), 2X travel, 1X everyday, 4X on hotels / 3X on flights booked through Bilt Travel, plus 4% Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Up to 1.25X housing. Includes a $100 Bilt Travel hotel credit and a $200 Bilt Cash signup bonus.
Bilt Blue ($0/yr): 1X points on all purchases plus 4% Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Up to 1.25X housing. $100 Bilt Cash signup bonus. The free entry point — ideal as a supplemental rent card.
All three are Mastercards issued by Column N.A. and serviced by Cardless.
Is the Bilt Card Worth It? The Quick Verdict
Worth it for renters paying $1,500+/month who would otherwise earn nothing on housing. Less compelling as your only card, or if you redeem only for statement credit.
- You pay $1,500+/mo rent and earn $0 on it now
- You want Hyatt or AA-flavored Avios redemptions
- You can put non‑housing spend equal to your rent on the card (the 1.25X tier)
- You already have a Chase or Amex card for daily spend
- You'll actually transfer points to airline/hotel partners
- You only redeem points for cash-like value (1¢/pt — weak)
- You can't reliably hit the non‑housing spend tier
- You carry it as your only card (1X non‑bonus is mediocre)
- You want one pool — Bilt points can’t be combined with Chase UR or Amex MR
Bilt vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred — Head to Head
Best combination: Bilt Blue + CSP
CSP for the signup bonus and 3X dining. Bilt Blue ($0 fee) as a supplemental rent card. Both transfer to Hyatt and United — but new Sapphire Preferred cardholders (since June 15, 2026) transfer to Hyatt at 4:3 while Bilt stays 1:1, so send Hyatt transfers from the Bilt side. Total annual fee for both: the CSP’s $95. See the Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Reserve comparison →
Which Bilt Card Wins for You?
Enter your monthly spending and we'll calculate which Bilt card — Blue, Obsidian, or Palladium — produces the highest annual value net of the annual fee. Honest math, no upsells.
Estimates only. Housing points use the tier your non‑housing spend earns (or the Bilt Cash option, if chosen). Bilt Cash counted at $1 each; recurring credits, fees and earn rates from our database; signup bonuses and Rent Day excluded. Actual earn depends on card terms.
How the math works
Housing (all cards): your non‑housing total ÷ rent sets the tier — 25% → 0.5X, 50% → 0.75X, 75% → 1X, 100% → 1.25X, else 250 points a month. With the Bilt Cash option, the Bilt Cash you spend to unlock housing points isn’t counted again as cash.
Blue: 1X everywhere × point value, plus 4% Bilt Cash on everyday spend.
Obsidian: 3X on dining OR grocery (whichever is higher; grocery capped at $25K/yr), 2X travel, 1X everyday, 4% Bilt Cash — minus the $95 fee, plus the $100 hotel credit.
Palladium: 2X everyday + 4% Bilt Cash — minus the $495 fee, offset by ~$200 of recurring credits ($200 Bilt Cash + $400 Bilt Travel hotel credit).
Rent Points ROI Calculator
Is earning points on rent actually worth it compared to paying with a 2% cashback card plus a processing fee? This shows the honest comparison including the fee math most people ignore.
Why the comparison matters
Most rent payment processors charge 2.5–3% to accept a credit card. A 2% cashback card earns $40/month on $2,000 rent — but the processing fee costs $50–60. That's a net loss of $10–20/month, or $120–240/year. Bilt charges no processing fee. This is the actual value proposition and it's genuinely strong for renters.
Processing fee comparison assumes 2.7% average processor rate.
Bilt’s 26 Airline & Hotel Transfer Partners
All transfers are 1:1 except Accor Live Limitless (3:2), Amtrak Guest Rewards (2:1) and I Prefer Hotel Rewards (1:2) — ratios are Bilt points : partner points. Bilt also transfers to Amtrak Guest Rewards (2:1). The list and ratios load from our database.
Bilt Card FAQ
What's the 1.25X housing bonus — and how do I actually earn it?
Housing earns points one of two ways. With the Bilt Cash option, you spend $30 of Bilt Cash per 1,000 points (3% of the payment) to unlock up to 1X. With the housing-only option, your rate depends on your non‑housing card spend that month as a share of your housing payment: 25% earns 0.5X, 50% earns 0.75X, 75% earns 1X and 100% earns the full 1.25X; below 25% you get a 250-point monthly minimum. Pay $2,000 rent and put $2,000+ of groceries, dining and recurring charges on the card — that’s 1.25X.
What's the difference between Bilt Cash and Bilt Points?
Bilt Points are the transferable currency: they move to 26 airline and hotel partners (19 airline + 7 hotel + 1 other), mostly 1:1. Bilt Cash is a separate balance (1 Bilt Cash = $1) that everyday purchases earn at 4% on top of points. You spend it inside Bilt — for example to unlock points on rent or mortgage payments. Up to $100 of Bilt Cash carries over each year; any balance above $100 expires on December 31.
Is Bilt Blue worth it if I already have a no-fee card?
For renters paying $1,500+/month, Bilt Blue (no annual fee) is almost always worth adding. No other card earns transferable points on rent without a processing fee. Even at a lower housing tier, the annual value typically exceeds what a cashback card earns net of processing fees.
Which Bilt transfer partners are the most valuable?
World of Hyatt (1:1) is the standout hotel partner — we value Hyatt points at 1.7¢ blended. For airlines: United MileagePlus for domestic routes, Air Canada Aeroplan for Star Alliance international without fuel surcharges, Flying Blue for European business class, and Turkish Miles&Smiles for Star Alliance sweet spots.
Can I pay any landlord with Bilt?
Bilt works through the Bilt Rent platform. Your landlord doesn't need to accept credit cards directly — Bilt handles the payment via ACH, check, or via the partner property network on their end. You pay Bilt with your Bilt card, Bilt pays your landlord. The no-processing-fee earning is specific to this setup.
Is the Bilt Palladium worth the annual fee?
The signup bonus (50,000 points after $4,000 in 3 months + $300 Bilt Cash + Bilt Gold status) is worth about $1,050 with points at 1.5¢ each. After year one, the card carries about $200 a year in credits ($200 of Bilt Cash plus a $400 Bilt Travel hotel credit, issued as two $200 credits) and Priority Pass, against the $495 fee — before any earning. The card picker above runs the math for your numbers.