Reading Time: 5 minOver the past 20 years, I’ve done some pretty wild things to earn points and miles. Whether it was writing postcards for contests, buying oddball items at Rite Aid, or taking my 2-month-old on a mileage run, I’ve never shied away from going the extra mile for free travel.
But nowadays, I prefer to keep things simple and earn travel rewards through my everyday routine. That’s why I appreciate a program like Bilt Rewards — it's easy and doesn't require any extra effort.
With Bilt's Neighborhood Benefits program, you earn points every time you shop at a partner merchant just by using any credit card — or even debit card — linked to your Bilt account. I personally have five credit cards linked, and while one happens to be a Bilt Mastercard, you don't need to have Bilt's card to earn these rewards.
And to make it even easier to find a partner and start earning points, Bilt just rolled out a new feature — a Neighborhood Map. I gave it a try and the map is incredibly easy to use. It makes it even easier to scope out nearby partners and earn even more points than before.
If you aren't signed up for the program yet, joining is free and it takes just a few minutes to enroll and link your cards to your account. To sign up yourself, all you need to do is go to Bilt's website and click the "Join Now" button.
Click here to join Bilt Rewards for free
Once you’re signed up, earning points is simple — just link any card to your Bilt Wallet that you normally use when you’re out and about. Some of my favorite 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.
To find partner merchants through the Bilt app, you'll want to navigate to the "All" tab under the "Neighborhood" icon at the bottom of the screen. From there, you can click on the map and start locating nearby merchants.
Even if you don't want to take 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, you'll still earn bonus points every month when you shop at eligible merchants, and without having to even think about it.
While these points alone might not land you a first-class ticket to Europe overnight, they do add up. And with Bilt’s 17 airline and 5 hotel transfer partners — including popular programs like Alaska Airlines, United, Southwest, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Marriott, and Hyatt — those points can go a long way.
One of my favorite ways to earn Bilt points is through Walgreens. The closest store is just a short walk from my house in the center of town, and my daughter and her friends stop by often after school.
With 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 use 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 2-3 extra points for every dollar spent just for 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.
A few months ago, my family went out to eat at a local spot that turned out to be part of Bilt Dining. I was pleasantly surprised to see an extra 141 Bilt points in my account on top of the rewards I earned with my Chase Sapphire Reserve, which I always use for dining.
I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to rideshares, I know many people opt for an Uber by default. But I've found times when Lyft has been cheaper or faster, and when I do take a Lyft, I also earn Bilt points.
As a Bilt member, when you connect your Lyft account to Bilt Neighborhood Benefits, you'll automatically earn 2x points on all Lyft rides. If you use the Bilt Mastercard, you’ll get an extra 3x points on top of that. But you can use any card you like, as long as it’s linked to your Bilt account.
Bilt Rewards now makes it even easier to earn points just by going about your daily routine. I earn points every month simply by keeping my credit cards linked to my Bilt account, and if I want to maximize my points by eating out at a partner restaurant, the Neighborhood Map makes it that much easier.
I honestly think there's absolutely no reason not to join Bilt Neighborhood Benefits. With the chance to collect valuable rewards without changing how I live or spend, Bilt has become one of the most effortless — and rewarding — parts of my everyday life.
