Reading Time: 6 minOver the past few years, Bilt Rewards has quickly become one of my go-to travel programs. While I still spread my spending across programs like Chase and Capital One, Bilt makes earning rewards in my day‑to‑day life uniquely simple.
One of the biggest perks? Bilt's Neighborhood Benefits program, which lets you earn points whenever you shop at partner merchants with any credit or debit card linked to your Bilt account.
You don't even need a Bilt Mastercard (though I do have one!). In fact, I personally have five cards linked to Bilt, making it effortless to rack up points in my everyday life.
Redeeming your points is just as easy, since Bilt partners with 22 top-tier travel programs. And on the first day of each month — known as "Rent Day" — Bilt often boosts transfer rates to select partners, giving you even more value for your points.
Since September's Rent Day is just around the corner, here’s a quick look at what's on offer this month, and a refresher on how the Bilt Neighborhood Benefits program works.
If you aren't signed up for the Bilt program yet, joining is free, and it takes just a few minutes to enroll and link your cards to your account. To sign up, all you need to do is go to Bilt's website and click the "Sign up" button.
Once you’re signed up, earning points couldn’t be easier. Just link any card you regularly use to your Bilt Wallet, and you'll automatically start earning when you shop at any eligible merchant.
Bilt has also added a Neighborhood Map, making it even easier to find partners and earn points. But if you don't want to take the time to find partners using the map, you can just take a "set it and forget it" approach.
Once your credit and debit cards are linked to Bilt, you'll earn bonus points every month when you shop at eligible merchants, and without having to even think about it.
Some of my regular Bilt Neighborhood partners include local restaurants, Walgreens, and Lyft. Plus, if you’re into fitness, there are plenty of workout studios and classes that are also part of the program.
One of my favorite ways to earn Bilt points is through Walgreens. Thanks to Bilt’s partnership, you’ll earn 2 points for every dollar you spend on Walgreens-branded products, and 1x on everything else in the store. That's on top of any rewards you earn from your credit card.
Just make sure you either pay for your Walgreens purchases with a card that you've linked to Bilt Neighborhood Benefits, or enter the phone number tied to your Bilt account at checkout.
Bilt Dining is another great way to rack up bonus points, with over 20,000 partner restaurants across the country. Depending on the restaurant, Bilt members can earn 2 or 3 extra points for every dollar you spend when dining out.
There’s no limit to how many points you can earn. You just need to pay with a linked credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express). And just like with other Bilt partners, these points stack on top of whatever rewards your regular card already earns.
As a Bilt member, when you connect your Lyft account to Bilt Neighborhood Benefits, you'll automatically earn 2 points for every dollar you spend on all Lyft rides.
If you use the Bilt Mastercard, you’ll get an extra 3x points on top of that. But you can pay with any card you like, as long as it’s linked to your Bilt account.
Bilt Rewards offers multiple ways to redeem your points. But you'll usually get the best value by transferring them to Bilt's airline and hotel partners and using them for travel.
With 17 airlines and 5 hotel transfer partners, there are a slew of options when it comes to redeeming your points, including popular programs like United, Alaska Airlines, Southwest, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Marriott, and Hyatt, among many others.
That means your points can go a long way, especially since almost all of Bilt's partners transfer at a 1-to-1 ratio, meaning 1 Bilt point transfers to 1 point in the corresponding airline or hotel program. Accor Hotels is the exception, transferring at a 3-to-2 ratio.
But on the first of every month, Bilt rewards its members with a special Rent Day perk, often in the form of a transfer bonus.
Coming for September's Rent Day — you'll be able to get up to a 100% bonus when transferring Bilt points to Virgin Points (the loyalty program for Virgin Red) on September 1st*. Offers will be targeted per individual member (between 40% and 100%), and you'll be able to see your specific transfer bonus within your Bilt account.
And while the transfer bonus is only to Virgin Points, you can still link your Flying Club and Virgin Red accounts, allowing you to then redeem your Bilt points for award flights on Virgin Atlantic or another partner airline.
If you have an award ticket you're looking to book with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, this could be a great opportunity to use fewer points for it.
*Offer valid Monday September 1, 2025 from 12:00am ET through 11:59pm PT.
And since Avianca is a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, you can also use its points to book on many partner airlines, such as Delta, AirFrance-KLM, Korean Air, Xiamen Air, and more. The program makes booking award flights relatively straightforward, although it uses both a zone-based and distance-based award chart — depending on the partner airline.
Some sweet spots within the program include business-class flights between the U.S. and Japan on All Nippon Airways for 105,000 to 120,000 miles round-trip, economy-class flights from the U.S. to London for as low as 6,000 miles one-way on Virgin Atlantic, and short flights within Europe for just 4,000 miles on Air France-KLM.
Or, if you're truly looking for a unique experience — and you have a boatload of points to burn — you embark on a 7-night stay for 2 people on Necker Island (Richard Branson's private island).
And if you happen to be offered the 100% bonus offer, slash those rates in half, and you'll be well on your way to booking an incredible travel deal.
However, if you don't typically book awards with Virgin Red or Virgin Atlantic, I don't suggest speculatively transferring your points, as Bilt typically offers a strong monthly Rent Day offer — and you might find another one that works better for your needs.
There's no reason not to join Bilt Neighborhood Benefits, especially since it's free. With an easy-to-use program and valuable rewards, plus nearly two dozen loyalty partners and generous transfer bonus opportunities, Bilt gives you plenty of ways to turn your points into unforgettable travel experiences.
Personally, I earn Bilt points every month without lifting a finger, just by keeping my credit cards linked to the program. Then, when the right travel opportunity comes along, I transfer those points to one of Bilt’s many partners for serious value.
I still haven't determined whether or not I'll be taking part of this transfer bonus promotion, as I haven't figured out my December vacation yet. Most likely, it won't align with my travel plans, although it's quite tempting. Last year, however, I jumped on a 125% transfer bonus to Air Canada’s Aeroplan, and scored an incredible deal. That’s the power of having Bilt in your back pocket — when the moment’s right, you’re ready.
