Frequently Asked Questions About My New Favorite Card

Posted: 8/31/23 | August thirty first, 2023

Bilt is one among my favourite journey bank cards. Whereas I’ve a handful of others in my pockets, Bilt is my go-to for many of my day-to-day spending.

Plus, it’s nonetheless the one bank card that permits you to earn factors on lease totally without spending a dime — no charges, tips, or gimmicks. You simply pay your lease every month and earn factors you need to use without spending a dime journey.

I’ve already written an in-depth overview of the Bilt card and highlighted the important issues to learn about it, but there are nonetheless numerous misconceptions. I get emails about it each week.

So as we speak I wished to take the chance to reply some regularly requested questions on Bilt. Hopefully, this may clear up any confusion you may need — and persuade you join and begin incomes your individual factors as we speak!

Why is Bilt my present favourite journey bank card?

Bilt is the one bank card that permits you to earn factors on lease — as much as 100,000 per 12 months. That is totally free too; there isn’t a annual payment. Should you stay within the US and lease (particularly in expensive cities like NYC or SF), it’s a no-brainer.

Another excuse I like Bilt is as a result of it’s the one non–American Airways card that transfers to American Airways. That is nice information for frequent AA fliers, or vacationers with particular upcoming journeys for which they wish to use AA factors.

For instance, this 12 months, for my birthday, I flew to Japan on JAL in firstclass (one among my favourite first-class experiences) by optimizing my spending to amass numerous Bilt factors. AA is a accomplice with Japan Airways, so I may switch my Bilt factors to AA, after which use these for a seat on a flight operated by JAL.

Lastly, Bilt makes it simple to earn factors, with 3x on eating, 2x on journey, and 5x on Lyft — and double these figures on all classes (besides lease and Lyft) on the primary of the month (aka Hire Day). Plus, you’ll get the factors on a rolling foundation, so that you don’t have to attend till your assertion closes to make use of them.

Simply notice that you have to make 5 purchases per 30 days (with no minimal spending requirement) to earn factors.

In abstract, Bilt has plenty of strong bonuses. However the primary draw is incomes factors on lease. Should you aren’t doing that, you’re actually leaving cash on the desk.
 

How do you earn factors paying lease with Bilt?

When you open a Bilt Mastercard, you merely go to the Bilt app or web site to arrange your recurring month-to-month rental funds.

First, you’ll arrange a Bilt Hire Account with Wells Fargo (the financial institution behind Bilt). That is mainly a authorized “dummy” account created as a workaround for bank card processing charges. You don’t use it for the rest (you don’t withdraw cash from it or deposit into it).

Every time these distinctive routing and account numbers are used to pay lease (whether or not you utilize an internet portal, Venmo, or PayPal), your Bilt Mastercard is charged for a similar quantity. You then repay the stability every month (in full!) by connecting it to your traditional checking account, as you’ll every other bank card.

In case your landlord solely accepts checks, you possibly can nonetheless pay together with your Bilt card via the Bilt Rewards app, and Bilt will ship a test in your behalf.

My rental fee portal prices a processing payment for paying by bank card. Will I get charged a payment for utilizing Bilt to pay my lease?

Nope! With a Bilt Hire Account (see above), you’re technically paying your lease with a checking account, not a bank card. So that you gained’t incur any charges!
 

What’s the annual payment for Bilt?

There may be NO annual payment, which is a part of what makes Bilt so superior!
 

What are one of the best switch companions for Bilt?

My favourite switch accomplice is American Airways, as a result of, in addition to AA bank cards, that is the one option to earn AA factors.

You can too switch factors 1:1 to 13 different journey companions:

• American Airways
• AerClub (Aer Lingus)
• Aeroplan (Air Canada)
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Emirates
• Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
• Hawaiian Airways
• Iberia
• IHG (Intercontinental Accommodations Group)
• Turkish Airways
• United
• Virgin Atlantic
• World of Hyatt

It’s simple to seek out one of the best use of your Bilt factors when reserving flights, because it integrates immediately with Level.me, the points-booking search engine (be taught extra about Level.me in my overview). Simply put your required vacation spot into the app’s journey portal, and the search operate will show all of the flights that you could possibly ebook with Bilt factors.

When you’ve determined, you possibly can switch your Bilt factors to the required journey accomplice proper inside the app.
 

What’s Hire Day?

Hire Day is the primary day of the month (when lease is normally due). On today, Bilt provides double factors for the primary spending classes, which means that you simply’ll earn 6x (not 3x) on eating, 4x (not 2x) on journey, and 2x on different purchases (besides lease) made on the primary of the month. (Lyft factors are additionally not doubled.) That is my favourite option to simply rack up Bilt factors.

There are much more bonuses on Hire Day within the Bilt app, the place you possibly can play varied video games in an effort to earn factors. For instance, in Level Quest, a mainstay of the Hire Day extravaganza, you possibly can earn factors for proper solutions to (fairly simple) trivia questions.

There’s additionally a Hire Day Problem that modifications each month, during which you full a problem for an opportunity that Bilt can pay your lease for one month. Previous challenges have included a fill-in-the-blank one and a picture search (discover Bilt blocks inside a picture).
 

Does Bilt work if I pay a mortgage as a substitute of renting?

No. You at present can’t get factors in your mortgage, solely lease funds.

Nonetheless, even owners would possibly wish to think about getting the Bilt card for the plethora of different advantages. It’s unquestionably one of the best no-fee journey bank card on the market, no matter whether or not you’re utilizing the points-for-rent function or not. The benefit of incomes factors which can be transferable to a variety of journey companions, Hire Day advantages (out there to all cardholders), free Level.me entry (a software for locating award flights), and strong journey insurance coverage make it laborious to beat.
 

What credit score rating is required for Bilt?

The advisable credit score rating to use for Bilt is within the good-to-excellent vary (670–850), although this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. Different elements in your credit score historical past could come into play when your software is evaluated.
 

How do you apply for a Bilt bank card?

Merely click on this hyperlink to use! For many candidates, it takes simply a few minutes to obtain a response. Remember the fact that it is a laborious inquiry in your credit score, which means that it’d trigger a short lived dip in your rating.
 

Can I take advantage of Bilt with out the bank card?

Should you stay in a Bilt Alliance property (properties with an official partnership with Bilt), you gained’t want the Bilt Mastercard to earn factors in your lease. Nonetheless, even when you stay in one among these properties, I nonetheless suppose it’s effectively price it for all the opposite methods to earn much more!
 

Is Bilt price it?

Sure! Contemplating there’s no payment and solely factors to realize, Bilt is totally price having in your pockets.

Bilt is a must have for anybody who rents within the US — however particularly vacationers. I actually can’t suggest it sufficient. As the one card that allows you to earn factors from paying lease, and because the solely non–American Airways card that allows you to earn AA factors, it’s my favourite for a purpose.

Don’t depart cash on the desk — get your Bilt card as we speak!