How to get instant Hilton status with Bilt Points on October 1st
Reading Time: 7 minMy cards have been linked to Bilt for years now, mostly so I can earn points on rent and dinner without thinking about it. Once a month, though, Bilt gives me a reason to actually pay attention.
On the first day of every month — known as Rent Day — Bilt runs special promotions, often with one of its travel partners. This October, there are two offers, including a transfer bonus with Hilton Honors that comes with instant Hilton status, plus a transfer bonus with Amtrak Guest Rewards, Bilt’s newest transfer partner.
The Hilton promotion is particularly interesting if you have an upcoming hotel stay planned, since you’ll get both a transfer bonus and instant Hilton status. And if you’re willing to complete a status challenge, you can extend that status well beyond the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Amtrak is brand new to Bilt, giving members a new way to use their Bilt Points for train travel. Bilt and Amtrak announced the partnership just last week, making Amtrak Bilt’s first rail partner and its 26th travel partner overall.
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Shop our editors' picksEarning points with Bilt
The reason I’ve stuck with Bilt is the Bilt 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 credit card. Bilt currently offers Neighborhood Benefits at restaurants, fitness studios, pharmacies, and through Lyft, among other partners.
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.
Click here to join Bilt Rewards for free
Once your credit and debit cards are linked to Bilt, you’ll earn bonus points every month when you shop at eligible merchants without having to even think about it. This includes local restaurants, Walgreens, Lyft, and participating workout studios and classes.
Earning with Walgreens
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 1 point per dollar on most other in-store purchases (pharmacy purchases excluded) — as long as you pay with a card linked to your account, or use a phone number tied to your Bilt account at checkout. That’s on top of any rewards you earn from your credit card.
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The loophole I use to get 5x on almost every purchaseEarning by dining out
Bilt Dining is another great way to rack up bonus points, with partner restaurants across the country. Depending on the restaurant, you can earn up to 3 extra points for every dollar you spend when dining out. Just make sure to pay with a linked credit or debit card.
Find local restaurants with Bilt Dining
Earning with Lyft
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 most Lyft rides.
Link your Lyft account to Bilt Neighborhood Benefits
Where your Bilt Points can actually go
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.
Bilt currently has 26 transfer partners, including 18 airlines, 7 hotel programs, and Amtrak as its first rail partner. Most transfer at a 1:1 ratio, although there are some exceptions, including Accor at 3:2, I Prefer at 1:2, and Amtrak at 2:1. Some popular programs include: United, Atmos Rewards (Alaska and Hawaiian), Southwest, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, and Wyndham Rewards.
That means your Bilt Points can go a long way, especially when Bilt offers a transfer bonus.
October Rent Day offer
This month’s Rent Day includes two different partner offers. Members can take advantage of either offer or both.
If you decide to take advantage of this promotion, know that it’s only valid on Thursday, October 1st, 2026, from 12:00 a.m. ET through 11:59 p.m. PT. Bilt notes that transfers are usually instant but can take up to 48 hours, so if you don’t already have a Hilton or Amtrak account, create one now and link it to Bilt rather than waiting until the last minute.
Hilton Rent Day transfer bonus + status offer
The first October Rent Day promotion is with Hilton Honors, and it’s actually two promotions rolled into one. On October 1st, Bilt members can transfer their points to Hilton Honors with a bonus based on their Bilt status. Additionally, all members who transfer their points will obtain instant Hilton status through the end of 2026.
The Hilton status earned depends on your current Bilt status, but then you’ll have the opportunity to complete a Hilton status challenge to keep the status or earn an even higher status through the end of 2027.
- Blue member: 75% bonus + Instant Silver; 6 nights in 90 days to Gold
- Silver member: 100% bonus + Instant Silver; 6 nights in 90 days to Gold
- Gold member: 150% bonus + Instant Gold; 12 nights in 90 days to Diamond
- Platinum member: 175% bonus + Instant Diamond; 12 nights in 90 days to keep Diamond
- Platinum Plus: 200% bonus + Instant Diamond; 12 nights in 90 days to keep Diamond. (Platinum members can unlock this rate by redeeming $200 in Bilt Cash; members at other tiers can use the same buy-up to move up one level, which also bumps the Hilton status they receive.)
The bonus applies to up to 100,000 transferred Bilt Points. Since the standard transfer ratio is 1:1, that means a Blue member could receive up to 175,000 Hilton points, while a Platinum Plus member could receive up to 300,000 Hilton points.
But even if you aren’t looking to transfer a large amount of points to Hilton, a transfer of as few as 1,000 Bilt Points will qualify you for the instant Hilton status — which is incredibly generous. So if you have an upcoming stay for 2026, it might be worthwhile to transfer the minimum, solely for the status.
One thing to note is that nights for the status challenge must be completed by the end of 2026 in order to keep or earn the status through the end of 2027.
Amtrak Rent Day transfer bonus
The second Rent Day promotion happening on October 1st is with Amtrak Guest Rewards. Amtrak is Bilt’s newest transfer partner — and its first-ever rail partner.
This gives Bilt members a completely different way to use their Bilt Points, with points transferring at a 2:1 ratio (2 Bilt Points = 1 Amtrak Guest Rewards point).
Similarly to the Hilton promotion, the transfer bonus is based on your Bilt status (although there’s no status opportunity), and the bonus applies to up to 100,000 transferred Bilt Points.
- Blue member: 25% bonus
- Silver member: 50% bonus
- Gold member: 75% bonus
- Platinum member: 100% bonus
- Platinum Plus: 125% bonus. (Platinum members can unlock this rate by redeeming $400 in Bilt Cash; members at other tiers can use the same buy-up to move up one level.)
Living in the Northeast, I take Amtrak quite often between Boston and New York, so having Amtrak as a Bilt transfer is a nice addition to my travel needs. But even if you don’t take the train regularly, it’s another option for putting your Bilt Points to work.
Why Bilt is a smart addition to your points strategy
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 over two dozen loyalty partners and generous transfer bonus opportunities, Bilt gives you plenty of ways to turn your points into travel experiences.
Personally, I earn Bilt Points every month 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 personally think this is one of the better Rent Day promotions we’ve seen in a while — especially since there are two completely different options, with one including instant status. If you have a Hilton stay coming up or regularly travel by train, October 1st is definitely a day worth paying attention to.
Join Bilt Neighborhood Benefits and earn extra travel rewards
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