Continue reading: Bilt Rewards Elite Status: How Is It Earned, What Are The Perks?
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How many licks does it take to get to the center of bilts award post, the world may never know … one, two , thrah-heeeee
Any chance you are going to cover the absolute meltdown of Richard Kerr on social media and the intense backlash to the new Bilt points scheme?
Might want to note that status will be required to get 1:1 transfer ratios from Rakuten soon.
I mean, hasn’t Ben (and nearly all the other blogs) been covering that all week? I wouldn’t count TPG, because they don’t have a comment section, are are an investor in BILT, so they literally silence dissent… just sayin’
Don’t forget access to the Home Away from Home (Virtuoso) hotel program for Gold and Platinum members.
If Ben has been covering the meltdown I haven't seen it either. The backlash has gotten surprisingly light coverage.
Bilt has kind of cheaped out on big enticing Rent Day bonuses that draw neutral party headlines for a while now.
This is the biggest Gold benefit for me, considering the new Bilt Travel Hotel Credits.
I just wish they'd provide more options for redeeming excess BILT Cash. Like, if they'd just uncap the Accelerators, I'd put all non-category spend on Palladium. They even sent out an email earlier today warning "Make the most of your Bilt Cash" and "A quick reminder: only $100 in Bilt Cash rolls over into 2027"... glad Blade redemptions are now live, and hope Blacklane is added soon, too. Still...
I think that's the "problem" - I'm not sure Bilt could "afford" HNWIs or business owners putting hundreds of thousands of dollars of near-universal spend in at 3x/dollar, since IINM that would be 3.75% on their internal travel portal...or somewhere like 4.5% transferred to Hyatt or Accor. That would be market-breaking, alright...
And, that's where it reaches a roadblock for me (and many others). If most of these valuations rely on BILT Cash being used, not expired, then, after year 1, it's gonna be a lot of cancellations (Palladium, Obsidian, etc.) I still find the 1-month-old Reddit account postings on the BILT sub-Reddit laughable ('it's a points-earning machine! Ignore the Bilt Cash!') Psh.
You are asking for uncapped 3x on unbonused spending. NO card issuer is going to do that. It is unsustainable. It is unrealistic to even ask for it. Yet, you drone on about it. Sounding like a spoiled brat who needs a good spanking. Don't bother replying with righteous indignation or saying I'm a shill for Bilt. Seasoned hobbyists will agree with me.
Lee, did you forget that we must spend Bilt Cash $200 for the privilege of that extra point (up to 5,000 points each time)? It's not 'free'... it's earned. 5x isn't enough under the expiration.
"It is unrealistic to even ask for it." That's beyond mere shilling; more gatekeeping/censoring. "Seasoned hobbyists" Psh. Anyone playing 'the game' doesn't care about banks/issuers, etc. They want their SUBs, bonus points, etc. They don't care about BILT's profits.
Oh, believe me, I do very much 'want it now' as far as uncapping more Accelerators. And, I still think 'Coming Soon' shouldn't mean 7-months (and counting for Blacklane). Deceptive marketing.
If suggesting that a proposed basket of benefits is unrealistic is "gatekeeping", you're making a great case that not all gatekeeping is bad. The point that Lee is making is that at some point, the math doesn't math, and if a program loses too much money (some /are/ planned as loss leaders for a broader corporate enterprise), it will either be cut back or killed off.
Put differently, the concern for Bilt's well-being is not because any of us necessarily give a you-know-what about Bilt or Ankur or anything like that, but because we know that a plan has to work /somehow/ or it collapses. We need them to have some path to profitability to keep picking up our percentages on the side. And any major "improvements" are likely to come with strings attached. So, for example, you might get your 3x/dollar at some point, but it would likely come at the price of a number of partners taking serious devaluation hits - say, most airlines plus Hyatt going to 3:2, Accor to 2:1.
[One thing not entirely clear to me is where Bilt is making money on out-of-network rent payments and the like. In-network I suspect they'd be picking up a decent fee, but out-of-network that feels dodgier?]
I should also point out that it's not like you're someone wandering in here off the street for their first post and getting their head bitten off.
Gray, check again, because I quoted Lee (who said, "It is unrealistic to even ask for it.") and explained that's what I though was "gatekeeping." Let folks ask for whatever they want in a card product; and, in this case, perfectly reasonable to uncap those Accelerators using B$.
Otherwise, all I see from you guys on here is a lot of 'carrying water' for a credit card company, feigning concern for their bottom-line, etc. Fellas, I'm a consumer; I'd like to think most of you are (or should be), too. 'I fight for the users,' not Encom.
Welcome, sir! Actually, I was hoping for some Dim Sum… pork dumplings… let’s have some (Cheong) fun, on here… that would be delicious!
Veruca, I'm going to demand that Capital One initiate uncapped 3X on the Venture X. Same with Citi and demand they call it the Triple Cash. And, if they don't, I'll label them cheats.
Lee, you joke, but C1 is gonna need to enhance VX, because while it’s proprietary lounges are excellent (shoutout 24/7 JFK T4!), C1’s transfer partners and transfer rates are poopoo by comparison.
Citi’s playing its cards; sniping AA exclusivity was a real loss for BILT. Thank goodness Alaska, Hyatt, United remain, for now, but BofA and Chase could call that bluff at any moment.
Veruca, Amex is already a cheat by capping the BBP's 2X at $50k in spending. And, capping the 4X of restaurant and grocery spending on the Gold Card. And, limiting the elevated cash redemption rate on the Schwab Platinum. And, limiting the airline points redemption on the Business Platinum. And, Chase is a cheat for capping the bonus category spending on the Freedom Flex. Bilt's in good company.
Steve, aware of the two options, however, that requires even more spend to reach that; the bigger point is that BILT Cash was marketed as this 'incredible' new feature of 2.0, but due to the limited redemption options, it's going to lead many to disappointment by years' end, no doubt. You (and folks like Lee) can blame the laypersons, but it seems 'by-design' to those of us who aren't new at the credit card game.
I was posting in response to Lee's comment that "...asking for uncapped 3x on unbonused spending. NO card issuer is going to do that" by pointing out that Bilt already does.
But it's true you need mortgage or rent payments that are sufficiently large whereas under the option that earns Bilt Cash that wouldn't be required.
No, on the Housing-Only Option the extra points earning is capped via your housing payment. If you're spending $1500/month on your apartment and $10k/month on everything else, you're only getting the extra point on a fraction of your major spend ($2000/month in that case, I think). There are quite a few people for whom the relevant housing expenditure is far from sufficient to cover the rest of their spend.
Gray, I get it; either option could still work well for some users. Then, there are folks who maybe want to do the 3x Alaska or Flying Blue (even if they pay the 3% fee outright). For those with Atmos Summit, if it gets them $50K towards $60K spend to earn the 100K Global companion certificate, that can be worth all those fees (and extra points, status, etc.) To each their own on much of this, like usual. I hope my advocacy for improvements to Bilt Cash are not seem as merely a contrarian or hater. Like, I am pleased that they actually went live with Blade, and I fully intend to use those two B$350 rides this year.
Also US Bank offers 4x cash back on their Smartly card although it's capped at $10k spend/month.
Steve, well-aware of Smartly, its limitations, and US Bank's various nerfs of that product. Too good to be true, some say.
Just such a hassle when you can get 3x on air / hotel / travel agencies / restaurants / supermarkets / gas & EV for $95 with the Citi Strata Premier and 2x on everything else with the $0 Citi DoubleCash. Or go for that trifecta with the regular $0 Strata and get another 3x on transit and a category of your choosing.
With the $495 AF ($595 w/P2 as AU), you have to ask yourself if you're really getting an extra $500+ worth of points based on your regular spending patterns to justify the hassle with Bilt. You might be if you have a ton of unbonused spend and want to fully engage with the Bilt system, pay attention, activate those 5x accelerators, etc. But for the average Joe, eh, probably not.
Can you earn more points with Bilt and have points that are slightly more valuable owing to "better transfer partners" and some OK transfer bonuses? Sure. Is the $95 solution "good enough for most people whose spend is primarily in the USA without wanting to participate in a you-pay-them beta test in order to earn a Ph.D. in points and miles"? Yep.
All fair points, Peter. As someone who preferred the simplicity of 1.0 for earning points on rent with minimal effort, that felt like a keeper, but, Wells Fargo decided that for us. I’ve given 2.0 as much as shot as anyone, and think Palladium for the SUB in year one is fine, but renewal really depends on whether Bilt Cash has more redemptions in-time. If a lot of folks lose all that pseduo-currency, they’ll justifiably be upset.
Likewise, I think a lot of card products are great for year 1, but whether they’re keepers ‘depends.’ Like, I’m enjoying Citi Nights, but not sure I need Strata Elite, when Premier is plenty.
One thing I will say is I’m glad we can actually discuss and debate on here (as well as at FM, VFTW, DoC), because the BILT Subreddit is so heavily modded and astroturf’d as to not be a free speech zone at all. Anyhoo…
@1990:
I think we're in agreement that doing something to improve Bilt Cash redemptions for folks who don't live in/visit NYC is a must (2-3 free helicopter transfers to Manhattan per year is cool, but it's also a very specific use case). Honestly, the "bicoastal" focus of these cards is a bit of a problem in general - most of them suffer from that alongside their portals aiming way too far up-market. Canadian Fairmonts have basically saved Chase for me.
I think the argument is more "What is reasonable to hope for", and some of that is tied up in BC benefits often being sponsored by third parties.
I think that at the outside, 2.5x on unlimited Palladium spend with only the 25k point bonuses for BC might be viable (and even then you might ding a few transfer partners). I'm not even sure the economics of 3x work even if you dump Rent Day. That would really depend on exactly what Bilt is paying for points at various vendors.
The thorny thing is that a lot of this revolves around either not paying rent with Bilt or having a large overshoot of card spend vs rent spend. And I'm still not /quite/ sure how Bilt is actually making its money.
Gray, 'how BILT is actually making its money' has been the question surrounding them this entire time. When 1.0 ended, it was clear that Wells Fargo was footing that bill. Now, I presume it's a combination of VC money, and perhaps the new fees on rent/mortgage payments (if that 3% really covers their costs, even with many offsetting it via spending/BC).
Yes, more B$ redemption options generally would be good, especially for folks outside of NYC would be wise (unless, their business-model is basically to get those outside folks to subsidize the NYC peeps...) Blade can be a great way to burn a lot of B$, fast, but it's only NYC, not even other high-cost of living, cultural hot-spots, like, LA/SF/Chicago/Miami, etc.
As far as Fairmonts go, I've had rough luck with them in the Caribbean (San Juan really burned me, and Barbados wasn't as great as I'd hoped.) Glad to hear that the Canadian properties are excellent. I've seen the ones in Quebec, Banff, etc., but have never stayed. I'll have to give them a try at some point. Big fan of Raffles, so glad Accor has them. I'm probably going to earn Bilt Platinum status, so I'll match to Platinum next time, and do the Gold with Flying Blue, too. Those benefits are still decent. (This is where I try to remind others that I'm not an anti-BILT commenter; I want to see a few improvements, and intend to remain vocal about what I see.)
I'll swear by the Hotel Vancouver, Chateau Laurier, Royal York, and (maybe to a slightly lesser extent) Queen Elizabeth. The old CP railroad hotels are a cut above (the QE was CN). I've often gotten a good value off-season, but the service and food are also just /very/ good and the concierges are great as well.
Accor as a transfer partner, even at 3:2, is a big deal. Even at baseline levels (2 points/dollar) that's around 3% back; with the accelerator it's creeping up on 4.5% at current exchange rates.
As to the model, I notice that Bilt seems to be taking steps to encourage deferring transfers (interest on points balances and Rent Day combine for that).
Totally respect you giving Bilt the beta test! Couldn't bring myself to do it. Maybe in 2027 when Bilt 3.0 is rolled out.
Good luck downgrading the Elite to Premier - I feel like the internet is replete with data points saying that they won't offer the Premier as a downgrade option, only AA cards or the ATT card.
100% on these valuable forums! I wonder if this is the type of conversation that would be better off in the new community section somewhere. The problem with these forums historically has been very engaged community base but the discussion dies once the post is a day old. Just have the OMAAT Bilt thread or whatever and let free speech reign!
Peter, if there's a 3.0, including a 'retention offer' for keeping Palladium, I'll consider it. (As for Citi, yes, I've read that as well, but still going to try for a no-fee Citi card; I'd prefer Premier or Double Cash, but it's odd that they're pushing AA Premium/Globe. Psh.)((I see the community forums, but I supposed I'd have to finally become a 'member.' Someone took my '1990' handle already, so I'd need to pull a '1990_' or something else.)
I don't think its correct to label the Housing-Only option as capped since that is generally understood to mean limited by the card issuer. Rather it's a matter of practicality which if you have a couple of kids who each share an apartment with roommates might not be a problem.
In the end its the miles you get that matter. With Bilt 2x becomes 4x+ once you're Platinum for miles (up to 100k) transferred on Rent Day. That grows to more than 6x if you go to the effort to match your spend to your rent payments.
It takes a bit of effort to hit 6x but even 4x is a significantly larger return than the competition making it for me at least, warts and all, the best option for ordinarily spend.
Steve, I've seen that 'deflection' and 'sane-wash' often attempted on the Bilt-run subreddit; basically, ignore BILT Cash, just focus on points. Okay, so there are ample 2x cards out there, no annual fees, or annual fees (different transfer partners, benefits, etc.) And, no need to attempt the math with me, and the 'math' is not really convincing to those who aren't in the ecosystem (it's too much for them.) The issue is that BILT 2.0 is predicated on this new Bilt Cash system, which, after months of trying it out, often results in a glut of unusable B$. Even if Ankur and team need to raise the cost of B$ for more Accelerators (after the 5, I'd be open to that.) If they don't 'correct course' here, the real 'response' will come in February 2027, when many Palladiums simply do not renew.
I'm no Bilt booster. They are one strange show. I was merely stating Platinums could earn unlimited 4x spend in miles, 6x if they have sufficient rent or mortgage obligations however with the recent cap on Rent Day bonuses that now requires big spenders to spread their transfers across multiple transfer partners.
I was not and would not presume to assert this should make Bilt compelling to you or anyone else.
However I will opine that unless Bilt is able to execute on their stated model that income from partners will be their main source of revenue and is necessary to subsidize the losses from rewards to cardholders the issue will be moot.
Steve, I think 2027 is gonna be an interesting time for their company. I genuinely hope they survive, because I do use their services, for years and years, and would like to keep doing so, plus or minus a few improvements, ideally.
Sure, but the one rule that I learned early on was, in general, avoid speculative transfers and have the award you want lined up before you transfer. The 20-30% bonuses the big banks give you to FB/Aeroplan/Virgin are not nearly as massive as Bilt's bonuses, but generally that means I have a month or so to think about what the end result of a transfer might be, think about trips and plan them, etc. With Bilt, you get a couple days notice of a 27 hour offer period to make what probably will be a speculative transfer. So sure it's a larger return, but unless you are invested with a program and know you will use the points, making large speculative transfers may not allow you to deploy your points in the way that you actually want to in a 12-18 month period. YMMV of course.
Peter, on the transfer bonuses, another factor is that the monthly partner is never a sure-thing, either. I'm confident some folks would 'lose it' if there were to be a Hyatt or United bonus, but, there never has been, and probably never will be. I can't think of Chase ever offering one, either. Some transfer partners are such good value that they may never need to. As for the existing bonuses, I'm sure some did quite well with JAL, FlyingBlue, etc., but at least with JAL, I'd imagine that flooded their system, and availability for what people really want (F or J long-haul to Tokyo) is quite limited within the 12+ month period since that promotion. It would be atrocious to transfer 100K points, even with the bonus, then lose 'em. Yes, our mileage often varies. Never hoard points (unless they're with the banks you don't expect to fail... *gulp*)
Agree completely - and then it creates this pressure to decide because you never know what will be around the corner and when (probably only getting 1x bonus a year with FB, Avios, etc.). Versus diversifying and getting various Aeroplan / FB / Avios bonuses with various banks throughout the year. It's not that Bilt Rent Day is bad value (far from it) but it does create some incentives that may not be aligned with actual travel patterns.
As for the future 1990_ surely it will just serve to underscore your points and thwart your commenting competition. Not having the video ads on at OMAAT Gold is, as you might say, *chef's kiss*
I pushed through to get Bilt Platinum for the Flying Blue status match (now that AF charges for seats to/from the US) and Rent Day bonuses, provided they don’t do the silly Accor status match instead of a proper bonus. The free BLADE ride will be nice to use next year, if I can plan a decent trip to New York.
Where’ve you been? Accor was already on August 1, 2026, a few weeks ago, and it was just the lame status match, yet again.
You make good arguments against speculative transfers but I view them the way I view stocks. Am I being rewarded for the risk?
For me the answer has been yes. Across the board bank transfer bonuses aren't as lucrative as they've been so those worked out well. Too soon to know about JL but so far B inventory is good and redemption rates remain reasonable.
I'm not selling anything, let alone Bilt and agree that if the upcoming Rent Day bonuses aren't interesting I'll regret not putting ordinary spend on another card. But as you say they have essentially all their renewals coming up at same time next January so I figure there's a decent chance we'll see at least one more good transfer bonus. They have to burn all that venture money they've raised somehow.
'Good news everyone' (/s)... you can now earn 10,000 points from BILT by signing up for Equinox... and for Bilt Gold status and above "$150 Equinox credit for The Spa, Studio Pilates, or Personal Training, 2 available per calendar year, Up to $300 of annual value" (another win for NYC people.)
THis program is way too complicated and screwed me for the rent thing via paypal. Thier website needs to be fixed.