Question 1

What is the difference between Bilt Flexible Cash and Housing-Only rewards?

Accepted Answer

Flexible Bilt Cash earns 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spending, which can then be redeemed to unlock points on your housing payment at a rate of 1,000 points per $30 of Bilt Cash, up to 1x of your rent amount. Housing-Only rewards instead unlock points on your housing payment based on a tiered multiplier determined by your everyday spend-to-rent ratio: spending at least 25% of your rent unlocks 0.5x, 50% unlocks 0.75x, 75% unlocks 1.0x, and 100% or more unlocks 1.25x points on housing.

Question 2

Is the Bilt Palladium card worth the $495 annual fee?

Accepted Answer

The Bilt Palladium card can be worth its $495 annual fee for high spenders who can fully utilize its benefits. It earns 2x points on all everyday spending, includes up to $600 in annual credits ($400 hotel credit plus $200 Bilt Cash), and offers a welcome bonus of $300 Bilt Cash plus 50,000 points. Whether it nets positive value depends on your monthly rent, everyday spending volume, and how you value Bilt points - use a calculator to compare it against the Obsidian and Blue cards at your actual spending levels.

Question 3

How do Bilt points value compare to cash back?

Accepted Answer

Bilt points are generally valued between 1.5 and 2.2 cents per point when transferred to airline and hotel partners, compared to 1 cent per point for straight cash back redemptions. The Points Guy values Bilt points at 2.2 cents each. Transferring to premium travel partners is typically the highest-value redemption path, making Bilt points worth considerably more than a flat 1% cash back equivalent.

Question 4

Can you really earn points on rent with the Bilt card?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Bilt card is specifically designed to earn points on rent and mortgage payments, which most credit cards exclude from earning rewards. The number of points you earn on housing depends on which earning mode you choose and how much you spend on everyday purchases relative to your housing payment.

Question 5

What is the Bilt Obsidian card best for?

Accepted Answer

The Bilt Obsidian card at $95 per year is best for cardholders with moderate-to-high dining and travel spend, since it earns 3x points on dining and 2x on travel. It also includes a $100 hotel credit and a $200 welcome bonus in Bilt Cash. For people who spend heavily on dining and can use the hotel credit, the Obsidian can easily outperform the no-fee Blue card on net annual value.

Question 6

How is net card value calculated in the Bilt 2.0 calculator?

Accepted Answer

Net value is calculated by adding the dollar value of annual points earned (total points multiplied by your chosen cents-per-point rate), any annual credits you include, the welcome bonus if evaluating Year 1, and any excess Bilt Cash - then subtracting the card's annual fee. The result tells you the total dollar benefit of holding the card over a year given your specific spending profile.

Bilt 2.0 Calculator

Recommendation Results

Bilt Palladium

Bilt Obsidian

Bilt Blue