Reading Time: 6 minOver the past few years, Bilt Rewards has 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 23 top-tier travel programs. And on the first day of each month — known as "Rent Day" — Bilt often boosts transfer and redemption rates to select partners, giving you even more value for your points.
And this November's Rent Day promotion is a good one, allowing you to receive up to a 100% bonus when transferring your points to Bilt's newest partner, Etihad Airways. So if you've been accruing points from Bilt Neighborhood Benefits program, this might be a good way to put them to use.
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, 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 18 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. And this upcoming Rent Day is no different.
With this promotion, you can earn bonus points on all transfers made to Etihad Airways on November 1st. However, the bonus offer depends on your status within the Bilt Rewards program:
Although the Etihad Guest program — the loyalty program of Etihad Airways — might be unfamiliar to many, it offers some great redemption options. And, since Points Path now shows Etihad award availability — for Points Path Pro and Founders Club members — using your miles is easier than you might think.
For example, you can fly from New York (JFK) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) for 120,000 miles one-way in business class. With the current transfer bonus promotion, that's just 60,000 miles — if you're a Bilt Platinum member. Just note that Etihad tacks on some hefty surcharges, so you'll want to consider the extra fees in addition to the miles redeemed.
Etihad also partners with many familiar airline names too — such as American Airlines and JetBlue. And many times you'll find that the number of miles needed is less than if you were to book with American or JetBlue direct.
A couple of important things to know: Etihad Guest miles expire after 18 months of inactivity, and the only way to keep them active is by crediting a flight with Etihad or one of its partners to your Etihad Guest account. Also, cancellation penalties tend to be on the higher side.
If you decide to take advantage of this promotion, know that it's only valid on Saturday, November 1, 2025, from 12:00am ET through 11:59pm PT. We also suggest creating an Etihad account and linking it to your Bilt account now, and not waiting until the last minute.
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.
While I most likely will not be taking advantage of this Rent Day, it's a great opportunity for others — as long as you have a plan in place with promising award availability.
But, I did take advantage of a previous offer where I received a 125% transfer bonus to Air Canada’s Aeroplan — allowing me to score an incredible deal. That’s the power of having Bilt in your back pocket — when the moment’s right, you’re ready.
