Bilt Blue
How it earns points on rent and mortgage with no annual fee, what else it earns, and the insurance.
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No annual fee and cash back · Bilt
Welcome offer
$100 Bilt Cash
Annual fee
$0
$100 of Bilt Cash on approval. There is no points bonus on this card.
Issued by: Column N.A., a U.S. bank; Bilt runs the rewardsForeign transaction fees: NoneRewards: Bilt Points
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The Atelier Take
The simplest way to earn on rent; move up to Obsidian if dining or groceries are a big line.
Who it suits
Renters and homeowners who want transferable points on their housing payment without an annual fee.
Who should skip it
Anyone who would put little everyday spending on it: below 25% of the housing payment, rent earns only 250 points a month.
What it earns
Rewards: Bilt Points, which transfer to Bilt's airline and hotel partners, most at 1:1, including World of Hyatt.
1x
Everyday purchases
4x
Bilt partner restaurants
Up to 4x at 20,000+ U.S. restaurants in the Bilt Neighborhood network
3x
Hotels booked through Bilt Travel
2x
Flights booked through Bilt Travel
3x
Lyft rides
After linking Bilt and Lyft accounts
1.25x
Rent and mortgage, with no transaction fee
The maximum; see how housing points work below
Housing points come two ways; cardholders choose one. Housing-only rewards: the rate on rent or mortgage depends on everyday card spending that billing cycle, from 0.5x at 25% of the housing payment to 1.25x at 100% or more (250 points if under 25%). Flexible Bilt Cash: everyday purchases earn 4% back in Bilt Cash, and every $30 of Bilt Cash redeemed unlocks 1,000 points on housing, up to 1x. TPG values Bilt Points at 2.2¢ each.
Lounges, status and other benefits
No fee on housing payments
Pay rent, mortgage or HOA through Bilt by card, ACH, Venmo or a mailed check, without a card fee.
Bilt Cash
$100 on approval, spent at Bilt partners or used to unlock housing points. It expires on December 31; up to $100 rolls over.
What it is worth
No annual fee, so nothing to earn back. The value is in housing points.
An example, at TPG’s 2.2¢ valuation: on $2,000 of rent with $2,000 of everyday spending on the card each month, rent earns 1.25x (2,500 points) and spending 1x (2,000 points). That is 54,000 points a year, about $1,188 in travel. With only $500 of monthly spending, rent earns 0.5x and the total falls to 18,000 points, about $396.
Insurance and protections
Mastercard benefits, described in the Blue Guide to Benefits. There is no travel insurance on this card.
Cell phone protection
Up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per 12 months, after a $50 deductible. Pay the monthly phone bill with the card.
Purchase assurance
Damage or theft within 90 days: up to $1,000 per loss and $50,000 per 12 months.
Car rental (MasterRental)
Secondary cover for damage and theft on rentals of up to 31 days.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Points on rent or mortgage with no annual fee
- Transferable Bilt Points, valued by TPG at 2.2¢
- No foreign transaction fees
- Cell phone protection
Cons
- 1x on everyday purchases
- Housing points need everyday spending of at least 25% of the payment
- Bonus categories mostly limited to Bilt partners
- No travel insurance
Card terms change often and some offers are personalized; the issuer’s page is the final word.