Bilt Credit Card Review: Charge Rent and Earn Rewards, Fee-Free - NerdWallet (2024)

Pay rent and earn rewards

It's often not possible to pay rent directly with a credit card. Many landlords don't accept cards as payment, and those who do might charge expensive processing fees for such transactions. Certain third-party payment processors like Plastiq can be a workaround, but those, too, will cost you in processing fees.

Not only does the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card let you pay your rent without incurring any processing fees, and not only does the card have no annual fee, but on top of all that, you can earn rewards on those rent payments.

That's a powerful combination you won't find elsewhere.

Competitive rewards rates

The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card isn’t just for rent. Since it’s a Mastercard, it can be used almost anywhere that credit cards are accepted. When you use the card, you’ll earn 5 points per $1 spent on Lyft, 3 points per $1 on dining, 2 points per $1 on travel, 1 point per $1 spent on rent (up to a cap), and 1 point per $1 on everything else.

The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card isn’t the only no-annual-fee card to offer heightened rewards on everyday spending categories. The Chase Freedom Unlimited®, for example, earns 5% cash back on travel booked through Chase; 3% back on dining and drugstores; and 1.5% points on all other purchases. But it, and other cards in its class, generally won’t earn rewards on rent unless you are willing to incur processing fees that would cancel out the value of those rewards.

Plentiful, flexible redemption options

Rewards earned from the Bilt program are flexible and can be redeemed in a variety of ways, including:

Bilt says the value of points used toward rent will vary by building and management company, and the value of points used toward down payments will be up to 1.5 cents each. Point values for other redemptions may vary.

Earn interest on your points

Renters can earn Bilt points in a variety of ways, like on new leases and renewals, even if they don’t hold the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card. Bilt Rewards members can also be eligible for extra incentives, such as bonus points, depending on their status tier. The more points a member earns in a calendar year, the more benefits they can be eligible for in this tiered program:

Once you become at least a Silver member in the Bilt Rewards tier system, you’ll be eligible to earn interest on your stash of points. Each month, you’ll receive interest in the form of bonus points based on your average daily points balance for each 30-day period. While it may not amount to much (the interest rate is tied to the published national savings rate from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.), it’s a unique added-value feature for the card.

Extra perks

The primary auto insurance you get on rental vehicles you pay for with the Bilt World Elite Mastercard® Credit Card sets it apart from most other no-annual-fee travel cards. This coverage means you can avoid paying more for insurance at the rental counter or getting your own insurer involved if you incur damage, saving on deductibles and potentially increased premiums.

You'll also receive up to $800 in cell phone protection when your phone is damaged, stolen or involuntarily lost (cracked screens, cosmetic damage and scratches aren't covered). To qualify, you need to pay your monthly statement with the card and a $25 deductible. Cell phone insurance has become a more common card benefit in recent years, but the $25 deductible is as low as you'll find on any card.