In early 2026, Bilt rolled out massive changes. This includes a new portfolio of three credit cards — the no annual fee Bilt Blue Card (learn more), $95 annual fee Bilt Obsidian Card (learn more), and $495 Bilt Palladium Card (learn more) — plus a new system for paying rent and mortgages (read my Bilt credit card review & comparison) (Rates & Fees).
Central to the concept of being able to pay rent and mortgages while earning points is Bilt Cash (up to $100 of Bilt Cash earned rolls over to the next year), which is a Bilt currency separate from points. This makes up a key component of the Bilt credit card concept. The idea is that Bilt Cash can be redeemed “dollar-for-dollar” for select redemptions, though with major limitations and restrictions.
In this post, I’d like to go over the full details of how Bilt Cash works. How can it be earned, how can it be redeemed, and what are the best options?
Link: Apply for a Bilt credit card, with three options to choose from
In this post:
How can members earn Bilt Cash?
There are two main ways that Bilt Cash can be earned, as it’s based on how many total points you rack up, and it’s also based on how much you spend on a Bilt credit card.
The first is that members can earn $50 in Bilt Cash for every 25,000 Bilt points earned. It doesn’t matter how those points are earned, and of course Bilt Cash is in addition to whatever Bilt points you ordinarily rack up.
The second is that Bilt Cash can be earned with all three Bilt credit cards. So not only do the cards earn points, but they also earn Bilt Cash:
- The no annual fee Bilt Blue Card earns 1x points and can earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases, plus a welcome bonus of $100 in Bilt Cash; this is the card that I get least excited about
- The $95 annual fee Bilt Obsidian Card earns 3x points on your choice of dining or groceries (dining is uncapped, groceries is capped at $25K of spending per year), 2x points on travel, 1x points on all other eligible purchases, and can earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on all purchases, plus a welcome bonus of $200 in Bilt Cash; if you can maximize the bonus categories and want to minimize your annual fee, this is a good option
- The $495 annual fee Bilt Palladium Card earns 2x points and can earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases, plus a welcome bonus of $300 in Bilt Cash, plus $200 in Bilt Cash every year on an ongoing basis; this is the most compelling card, as I see it
As you can see, all Bilt credit cards can earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on all spending. Bilt Cash is valid through December 31 of the year in which it’s earned, though up to $100 in Bilt Cash can be carried over to the next calendar year.
I should mention that earning Bilt Cash for credit card spending assumes you don’t choose to just automatically be rewarded for housing payments as a multiplier of your spending, under a new system that Bilt has come up with. I know, this is all really straightforward, right? 😉 But I’ll just say that a vast majority of people should choose to earn Bilt Cash, as that’s generally going to be the most rewarding.
How can members redeem Bilt Cash?
How can members redeem their Bilt Cash? You can see your Bilt Cash balance by logging into the Bilt website or app, and going to the “Wallet” section, where you can see how much Bilt Cash you have, and your progress toward earning more Bilt Cash.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about the ways that you can redeem Bilt Cash, ranked roughly in the order that I value the options.
Redeem Bilt Cash for rewards on housing payments
On the most basic level, Bilt Cash is the currency that allows members to earn rewards for their housing payments (rent or mortgage) at no cost. Specifically, every $30 in Bilt Cash can unlock up to 1,000 points on rent or mortgages. As an example:
- If you spent $15,000 on a Bilt card, you’d earn $600 in Bilt Cash (since you’d earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on all spending on all cards)
- $600 in Bilt Cash would allow you to earn 1x points on $20,000 worth of fee free rent or mortgage payments
Basically, if you want to be able to pay your rent or mortgage while earning rewards, you’ll need to spend an average of 75% as much as your housing payment to rack up sufficient Bilt Cash to cover the cost (this doesn’t include things like Bilt Cash as part of welcome bonuses, or the $50 in Bilt Cash you earn for every 25,000 points earned, so the math is actually more favorable than that).
Redeem Bilt Cash for points accelerator on spending
Exclusively for select Bilt credit card members, Bilt Cash can be redeemed for a points accelerator on everyday spending, which I’d consider to be pretty lucrative.
Cardmembers can enable an extra 1x points on everyday spending for the next $5,000 spent following activation. This is exclusively available to Obsidian and Palladium cardmembers, at the cost of $200 in Bilt Cash, and up to five activations are allowed each calendar year.
This means that the Palladium would earn an incredible 3x points on everyday spending, while the Obsidian would earn 4x points on dining or groceries, 3x points on travel, and 2x points on everyday spending.
Redeem Bilt Cash for bigger Rent Day transfer bonuses
Bilt offers a monthly Rent Day promotion, which often includes transfer bonuses to airline & hotel partners. The size of the transfer bonus that you’re eligible for is often based on your Bilt elite status.
Fortunately you can use Bilt Cash to upgrade your Rent Day transfer bonus to the next status tier, and top tier Platinum members can even receive an additional boost. Pricing and availability vary based on the transfer bonus, and so far we’ve seen $75-135 in Bilt Cash required to unlock a bigger transfer bonus.
If you do unlock a bigger bonus, there’s usually no limit to how many points you can transfer. So there’s a lot of potential upside here, especially if you want to make a big transfer.
Redeem Bilt Cash for BLADE helicopter flights
It’s now possible to redeem Bilt Cash for BLADE airport flights. Specifically, it’s possible to use up to $700 per year in Bilt Cash on BLADE, at the rate of up to $350 per seat, for up to two flights per year. While this is somewhat niche, this is an example of a way to redeem Bilt Cash for what’s a “big ticket” purchase.
This is part of a larger partnership with BLADE, as Bilt Platinum members also receive one free flight annually, while Bilt Platinum and Gold members both receive BLADE lounge access, even when not flying with BLADE.
Redeem Bilt Cash for other travel & lifestyle rewards
Personally I’d consider the above to be the most exciting ways to redeem Bilt Cash, though those are far from the only options. To cover some of the other redemption options, all of which are either in small increments or come with a lot of terms or catches:
- Redeem up to $1,200 per year in Bilt Cash toward Bilt travel portal hotel bookings, with a two-night minimum stay; the limit is up to $50 per month for Blue and Silver members, and up to $100 per month for Gold and Platinum members
- Redeem up to $600 per year in Bilt Cash toward dining experience bookings via Bilt dining experiences, with a credit of up to $50 per month
- Redeem up to $300 per year in Bilt Cash toward restaurant credits at select Bilt Dining partners; use Bilt Cash toward meals at select Bilt partner restaurants via Mobile Dining Checkout, with one visit per month of up to $25, and rollout expanding to thousands of restaurants nationwide
- Redeem up to $150 per year in Bilt Cash toward Blacklane rides (coming soon); the limit is up to $50 per year for Blue and Silver members, up to $100 per year for Gold members, and up to $150 per year for Platinum members
- Redeem up to $120 per year in Bilt Cash toward Lyft credits, with a $10 credit per month
- Redeem up to $120 per year in Bilt Cash toward Walgreens credits, with up to a $10 credit per month
- Redeem up to $120 per year in Bilt Cash toward grocery or restaurant delivery fulfilled via GrubHub, with a $10 credit each month
- Redeem up to $100 per year in Bilt Cash to cover a Gopuff Fam membership for up to twelve months, for either a monthly or annual membership
My take on the value and best uses of Bilt Cash
You really have to view Bilt Cash as an incremental perk that’s in addition to the standard rewards for credit card spending, so I’d almost view this as “monopoly money,” so to speak. For example, the Bilt Palladium Card offers 2x points on everyday spending, which is already incredibly competitive, so earning an extra 4% Bilt Cash is the icing on the cake (this is the card I have, and find to be worthwhile).
The most obvious way to redeem Bilt Cash is toward rewards on housing payments, given that this is one of the key selling points of the Bilt ecosystem. Still, if you’re a big credit card spender, you’ll likely have a lot of Bilt Cash left over.
I think the next most exciting thing is the ability to earn an extra point per dollar spent on the Bilt Palladium Card, as you can redeem $200 in Bilt Cash for that, to earn 3x points on up to $5,000 in spending. Just to crunch the numbers on that, $5,000 in spending would unlock $200 in Bilt Cash, and would in turn earn you an extra point per dollar spent, and then you can do that up to five times per year. That’s pretty awesome, as that can get you up to 25,000 additional points annually.
What about beyond that?
- I’d argue that being able to unlock the bigger Rent Day bonuses could also be a good way to redeem Bilt Cash, at least for those of us who are points maximizers
- Every month I pick up $10 in Lyft and Walgreens credits; that’s hardly the highest value perk on earth, but something is better than nothing
- In theory the BLADE credits are also awesome, but I have a fear of helicopters, so that’s not for me
Personally, I think the new Bilt concept is incredibly complicated, to the point that it will be hard for many people to follow. That being said, I absolutely do think there’s value to be had, and my strategy is to spend on the Bilt Palladium Card, and then primarily redeem my Bilt Cash toward rewards on housing payments, plus the points accelerator option, plus whatever is interesting at a given point. That’s a pretty unbeatable combination for non-bonused spending.
However, I do absolutely expect that I will end the year with a sizable chunk of Bilt Cash expiring. That doesn’t change the value proposition of the card for me, though, because like I said, I view this as a “monopoly money” currency.
Bottom line
Bilt Cash is a currency that’s separate from Bilt points, and it’s increasingly important in the overall context of how Bilt is evolving with rent and mortgage payments. All new Bilt credit cards can earn 4% Bilt Cash on spending (in addition to standard rewards), plus members can earn $50 in Bilt Cash for every 25,000 points earned.
Bilt Cash can be used in a variety of ways, and if you have a credit card, every $30 in Bilt Cash can unlock up to 1,000 points on rent or mortgages. But Bilt Cash can also be redeemed “dollar-for-dollar” toward all kinds of other purchases, ranging from hotels, to Lyft credits.
As you’d expect, there are major catches. We’re talking about being able to redeem for (mostly) small amounts toward purchases, with credits being doled out on a monthly basis. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t get that excited about a $5 monthly delivery credit, or a $10 monthly Lyft or Walgreens credit.
What I am more excited about is being able to redeem $200 in Bilt Cash in order to earn an extra point per dollar spent, on up to $5,000 of spending, up to five times per year. That’s a potentially great value.
What do you make of the Bilt Cash concept, and the value of redemptions?
Bilt is ridiculously complicated. I will get my bonus this year and then get rid of the two cards I have. It is way to complicated for me and my wife. There are more important things to think about.
I've found some restaurants near my work that don't charge extra to use grubhub for pickup orders, so burning an extra 10 bilt cash a month has been pretty easy. I'd be buying lunch anyway, so it's actually worth $10 to me.
I closed my account after receiving the card from Wells Fargo just a few days after receiving the card some time ago.Then I read this: Hard Pass for me as rewarding as it looks
No, Bilt's customer service has not improved; in fact, the messy transition away from Wells Fargo to its new structure ("Bilt 2.0") caused support requests to spike and overwhelmed the company's automated systems.The Transition ChaosSupport Backlogs: Users report that getting human...
I closed my account after receiving the card from Wells Fargo just a few days after receiving the card some time ago.Then I read this: Hard Pass for me as rewarding as it looks
No, Bilt's customer service has not improved; in fact, the messy transition away from Wells Fargo to its new structure ("Bilt 2.0") caused support requests to spike and overwhelmed the company's automated systems.The Transition ChaosSupport Backlogs: Users report that getting human help is extremely difficult, relying heavily on AI chatbots that leave people stuck in multi-day queues.Payment Failures: Following the shift, customers heavily criticized Bilt for delayed or returned rent payments and missing statements inside the app.Regulatory Scrutiny: The rocky shift and breakdown in customer responsiveness grew severe enough to draw inquiries from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and lawmakers.Continuing Glitches: Months after the initial split, users have continued facing administrative errors, such as incorrect collections notices hitting their credit reports.On discussion hubs like WalletHub, opinions and user ratings show deep frustration, with many users stating that customer service remains slow, unhelpful, and difficult to reach following the loss of Wells Fargo's traditional banking infrastructure support.
BILT doesn’t have much private equity funding left. And lawsuits likely incoming. Good riddance to BILT!
I consider myself a pretty savvy points/miles enthusiest, but whenever people try to explain Bilt Cash my ADD kicks in and I start picturing the Charlie Day gif from Always Sunny with the conspiracy whiteboard. Basically it's overly complicated and I don't need to further complicate my wallet.
VC money is running out.
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.
Living in NYC or another major market like San Fran or Miami makes the card a no brainer and that's who their target audience really is. I've already used 4 of the 5 accelerators and also redeemed $100 for an additional hotel credit to combine on top of the semi-annual $200 credit. Think that's a no brainer for a non-chain stay as it matches the Amex FHR credit at that point but provides for greater...
Living in NYC or another major market like San Fran or Miami makes the card a no brainer and that's who their target audience really is. I've already used 4 of the 5 accelerators and also redeemed $100 for an additional hotel credit to combine on top of the semi-annual $200 credit. Think that's a no brainer for a non-chain stay as it matches the Amex FHR credit at that point but provides for greater options... assuming of course the stay through the Bilt hotel portal isn't massively marked up.
I know you are not excited about Bilt Blue, but here's why I am OK with it as a supplement to my 30+ credit cards and $6000+ in annual fees. I spend $1000 a month on Rent Day, which gets me 2x points and more importantly, gets me Rakuten transfers to Bilt, which is where the real multipliers are and where significant points can be earned. Plus, I'm getting $10 a month at Walgreens (which...
I know you are not excited about Bilt Blue, but here's why I am OK with it as a supplement to my 30+ credit cards and $6000+ in annual fees. I spend $1000 a month on Rent Day, which gets me 2x points and more importantly, gets me Rakuten transfers to Bilt, which is where the real multipliers are and where significant points can be earned. Plus, I'm getting $10 a month at Walgreens (which I can accumulate and don't need to spend monthly) and $10 a month at Grubhub which I can stack with my $10 AMEX Gold credit and I can choose pickup and avoid virtually all fees. Total annual fee for Bilt Blue is zero and I'm getting $240 a year in real cash back through Walgreens and Grubhub. All other multiplier categories on Obsidian are either matched or beaten by other cards I have. I am not paying rent or a mortgage so I don't need to spend yet another $495 a year on Palladium (which doesn't get me free companion certificates or free hotel nights or free restaurant credits or free travel credits or free branded lounge access like my other high-fee cards to offset part of the annual fee, and the last thing I need is another Priority Pass membership). It's a fairly simple and low-risk strategy, but I like it.
It seems that most of the people in the self-checkout line at Walmart don't know how to insert a credit card into the terminal for payment. We're not talking older types. We're talking 20 and 30-somethings. Why do I bring this up, Two Dogs?
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.
Ignore it, focus on the points. Get to this when you want to.
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...
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.
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...
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?
1 - It figures it out for you and deducts what you need from Cash and deposits it into points automatically.
2 - I use it on mortgage, but it's probably the same. You set it and forget it and each time you pay it does its magic until you turn it off.
3 - For the mortgage payments the system runs when the charge is made.
This was the most confusing card reward structure that I'm doing trial by error. Hope this helps.
Don’t take advice from the internet. And honestly, the card isn’t for you. A sucker is born every minute.
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
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 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
@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 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...
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?
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.
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.
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...
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.
Where do you live?
There are hardly any restaurants in the whole country that can redeem Bilt cash.
Yeah it's been easier than I thought it would be in practice
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....
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.
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?
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.'
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)....
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).
BILT shills going hard in the comments spewing nonsense. How predictable.