Bilt credit cards are much simpler than you think

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If you’ve spent any time reading about Bilt Card, you’ve probably come away with one question: is this card right for me?

Between Rent Day promotions, transfer bonuses, Neighborhood Benefits, and all the different ways to redeem points, it’s hard to know where to start in the ecosystem.

But the good news is that it doesn’t have to be.

One of the best things about the Bilt Cards is that you can use it as simply — or as strategically — as you want. Whether you’re just getting started with rewards credit cards or you’re ready to dip your toes into points and miles, there’s no wrong way to use a Bilt Card.

While many people think of Bilt as a credit card to earn rewards on housing payments, it offers so much more. If you’re looking for the simplest possible Bilt experience, use it like any other rewards credit card to earn points on your everyday purchases.

All three Bilt credit cards provide an easy way to watch your Bilt Points balance grow every time you swipe your card.

Beginners might want to start with the no-annual-fee Bilt Blue (see rates and fees). With this card you’ll earn 1 point per dollar on everyday purchases along with 3 points per dollar at Bilt partner restaurants, up to 3 points per dollar on flights booked through Bilt’s portal, and an additional 3 points per dollar on Lyft rides¹.

Or, if you want to level up your point earning, you can opt for the Bilt Obsidian Card or Bilt Palladium Card.

With the Bilt Obsidian, you earn 3x points on dining OR groceries (you choose annually; grocery capped at $25,000/year)¹, 2x points on travel¹, and 1x point per dollar on everyday purchases¹. The Bilt Palladium earns an impressive 2x points per dollar on everyday purchases¹.

When you’re ready to redeem your points, you also have plenty of effortless options. You can go onto Bilt’s website or app and use them for travel by just picking any flight or hotel, and paying with points instead of cash. You’ll get 1.25 cents per point that way, which is actually a decent value.

If you eventually want to dive deeper into points and miles, Bilt also offers airline and hotel transfer partners. Transferring points to partners like Alaska, United, and Hyatt unlocks maximum value — we value Bilt Points at 1.8 cents apiece for these redemptions, one of the highest valuations among flexible rewards currencies. But that gets complicated, and while many point-savvy experts might try to get the highest-value redemptions, you don’t have to. Just use one of the easy choices right through Bilt: for Lyft rides, fitness classes, Amazon purchases, groceries via GoPuff… the list goes on.

One of Bilt’s unique features is the ability to earn rewards on housing payments, including rent and mortgage. For many people, that’s the biggest reason to apply for one of Bilt’s three credit cards.

The good news is you don’t have to completely change the way you use credit cards to benefit from that feature. This is because earning a modest number of points on your housing costs is still far better than earning zero.

Yes, the more spending you put on your Bilt card, the more points you can earn on your housing payments with the card’s Housing-only rewards option.¹ But you’re not required to spend the equivalent of your rent or mortgage each month just to earn points.

In fact, if you spend just 25% of your housing payment on a Bilt card each month, you’ll earn as much as half a point for every dollar of your rent or mortgage payment.¹ That’s still a meaningful return on an expense that most credit cards don’t reward at all.

Once you’ve gotten your feet wet and are comfortable with the basics — such as earning points on your everyday spending and your housing payments, and then redeeming points — there are a few ways to get even more value out of your credit card, again without being overly complicated.

One of the easiest is opening the Bilt app at the beginning of each month to activate and use your available Bilt Cash benefits. Bilt Cash is separate from Bilt points and can be used toward credits for services you already use, exclusive experiences, and enhanced benefits that aren’t always available with points alone. Some options include credits for Grubhub, Bilt partner restaurants, and Lyft rides.

Or, if you have the Bilt Obsidian or Bilt Palladium credit cards, you’ll receive annual benefits. These benefits can help offset the annual fee (see rates and fees), with one of the more useful being the Bilt Travel portal hotel credits,¹ which will save you money on your next hotel stay.

You can also take a quick look at Bilt’s monthly Rent Day promotions. Some months feature transfer bonuses or other limited-time offers that can make your points even more valuable. You don’t have to participate every month, but it’s worth seeing what’s available.

Bilt has developed a reputation for offering lots of features, and that can make it seem intimidating at first glance. But the good news is that you don’t have to use every feature to justify having the card. Start with the basics, and then as your knowledge starts to grow, so can your Bilt strategy.

You can start using Bilt as a simple no-annual-fee (see rates and fees) rewards card. Add rent payments when you’re comfortable. Then, if you decide you want to squeeze a little more value from the program, try earning Bilt Cash and take advantage of occasional Rent Day offers.

Let Bilt grow with you. There’s no pressure to learn everything immediately — and that’s what makes Bilt much less complicated than many people assume.

Cardless Inc. is the servicer of the Bilt Cards. Cardless is a financial technology company not a bank. Bilt Cards are issued by Column N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to license from Mastercard International Incorporated.

¹Offer details