How To Earn & Redeem Bilt Cash: A Complicated But Rewarding System

It's only complicated because boneheads need to be spoon fed. Use the card, earn 4%, and redeem. Use the accelerator and transfer bonus add-on. The Lyft credit works like the Amex Platinum Uber credit. Walgreens is a gift card. What is the (xxxx) problem?

I'd've distinguished between 1.0 and 2.0, because 1.0 was far more simple and less effort; while 2.0 can produce outsized returns for some, for most it's been a major devaluation. We used to literally earn 1 point per dollar on rent after 4 additional small purchases each month. Now, we have to get a $495 annual fee card with all these challenging coupon credits and a secondary 'cash' system to offset excessive fees on rent. We're doing our best here, but it hasn't been pretty. But, hey, at least the founder's wife-y will be on Real Housewives of NY, supposedly, so... yay... psh.

Trying, Jack. I'm less frustrated with Palladium now that it's been a month. Rent day went fine. JAL was a good transfer bonus. Even us naysayers are at least 'trying.'

Yeah it's been easier than I thought it would be in practice

Unrelated to Bilt Cash, one major criticism that someone mentioned was the Palladium's WEAK travel protections. MasterCard Legend is supposed to be a top-shelf travel card. This major shortcoming has me using a different card for travel. Then, of course, there's the matter of taxes.

I hadn't really focused on travel protections with the new cards, personally, but that may be on folks minds more and more, between the snowstorm in NE recently, and, well, obviously, now the ME erupting into war... people wanna be reimbursed for hotels, additional flights, etc. when major disruptions occur.

At least the PayPal exclusion was ultimately reversed (I know I have several key payments via them, so that was a deal-maker for me). Taxes are... *sigh* still an issue. Got 1040ES coming up in April and really would prefer to use Palladium 2x + Accelerator for it, but, not if it's no points. (That combined with the BofA nerf is making things interesting, because their 2.62% is my fall-back, unless there's a SUB).

So far so good. Got the Palladium card. Went to a Bilt neighborhood restaurant earlier this week (happened to be a place we wanted to check out). Got a free item (worth $10), 5x points, and turned $25 of Bilt cash into $25 off the meal (max allowable). Turned another $150 of Bilt cash into points for rent this month. Still have a decent amount left. I am not going to go out of my way to coupon-book the Bilt cash or try to overthink it to maximize my value. If a 1:1 redemption makes sense for a purchase I'm making anyway, I will use it. If not, I will just turn it into points for paying rent.

I applied for the Palladium card over 6 weeks ago and was approved but they still haven’t sent it. Website says “We’re personalizing your card. Will let you know when it ships”. Not impressed.

I paid my rent as usual yesterday on my landlord’s website using the fake routing and bank account numbers provided in the Bilt app, as I have been doing since I got the card two years ago. I got a message saying Bilt was processing the payment. Then the rent amount was immediately deducted from my Chase checking account which was linked as a payment method in the Bilt app. I am glad I had enough funds to cover the withdrawal but was not expecting it because the point of using Bilt was to have until the statement closes to pay it, but Bilt transferred the money from my Chase checking account right away, it was as if I had paid using my real Chase routing and account numbers instead of Bilt’s. Anybody else had this happen?

@Lucky we seem to be in the same situation, mortgage and HOA dues. I’ve not been able to get an answer on if I’m able to get points on both. I accidentally paid my HOA fees early Feb 8(thought I was setting up only) and then paid my mortgage on the 25th. Show points earning for both. But wondering if won’t be allowed in future or no problem. I was paying my HOA fees for years previous to the changes.

I still find in complicated. I thought I set it up properly to use bilt cash for rent points but as far as I can tell, that didn't happen April 1.

Additionally, they made the points tab less transparent. It's harder to see what x you actually got on the cash expense

Pretty clearly stated that this is how it works under BILT 2.0. Lucky has covered it here as well.

Where do you live?

There are hardly any restaurants in the whole country that can redeem Bilt cash.

Extremely difficult to use and hardly worth of anything! I will get the sign on and cancel the card within 1 year!

Use your Bilt Cash for the point earning accelerator and the transfer bonus accelerator. Do those and nothing more. Zero effort. You'll be ahead. Try it for a year and report back.

I want nothing more to do with this complicated system. Just give me the damn points. A buck for a point. This other stuff is bullshit

Someone help! I do not understand how I apply my BILT cash to get the full amount of points for my rent.
1) I understand that $30 gets you 1,000 points. But how will I know how much I need to spend of my BILT cash to get 100% of points for my rent each month, as I am sure I will earn partial points due my spending on the card.
2) Once I figure this out and apply the correct amount of BILT cash, do I have to do this monthly, or is there a way to have the system automatically do it for me?
3) When do I apply this BILT cash, after my rent payment hits, or when my bill is due?

I just got this card and want to cancel this right now, I don't even want to use it at all the bilt cash is way too complicated.

Rent/Mortgage money comes directly from a checking /saving account. It does not come as credit card bill.

Trying, Jack. I'm less frustrated with Palladium now that it's been a month. Rent day went fine. JAL was a good transfer bonus. Even us naysayers are at least 'trying.'

BILT shills going hard in the comments spewing nonsense. How predictable.

Where do you live?

There are hardly any restaurants in the whole country that can redeem Bilt cash.

Pretty clearly stated that this is how it works under BILT 2.0. Lucky has covered it here as well.

Rent/Mortgage money comes directly from a checking /saving account. It does not come as credit card bill.

Use your Bilt Cash for the point earning accelerator and the transfer bonus accelerator. Do those and nothing more. Zero effort. You'll be ahead. Try it for a year and report back.

Don’t take advice from the internet. And honestly, the card isn’t for you. A sucker is born every minute.

PJ, that does seem to be the 'spin' coming from BILT; just ignore this key feature of our 2.0 program and card products. However, when it comes to how they value the card, BILT Cash is front and center, dollar-for-dollar. ('Palladium! $3,000-a-year in value!')

The truth is, rozevm, you're gonna need to map it out. Easy B$30/mo on Lyft, Walgreens, Grubhub. Use the $100 + $200 semi-annual BILT travel stuff (if you have Palladium). Everything else, offset rent/mortgage fees. Or, skip B$, and do the Housing-Only (Tiered Points on Rent), but expect to spend a lot on the card to make that make sense.

There are ample guides on the various blogs explaining how to do either method.

I was thinking the opposite; as in, they just got a cash injection after 7 months of waiting. I think the financials are gonna get kooky in February 2027, if a bunch of Palladiums don't renew.