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For renters and credit users looking to build up their scores, the Bilt Mastercard® has some standout features. You can earn rewards for charging rent to your Bilt card — and rather than face the card transaction fee, Bilt covers the fee, so you only need to cover your rent payment.
With travel and dining benefits as well as other rewards, the Bilt Mastercard lets you earn rewards faster without an annual fee or foreign transaction fee. It’s issued and administered through Wells Fargo, one of the largest financial institutions in the world. Here’s what to expect from the Bilt Mastercard and how it might fit for you.
APR
The variable APR for the Bilt Mastercard ranges from 21.49% to 29.49%, depending on your creditworthiness. This APR is for both purchases and balance transfers. The APR for cash advances is 29.24%.
Annual fee
There’s a $0 annual fee to use the Bilt Mastercard. There’s also no foreign transaction fee, but you could face other costs, including:
Rewards rate
How to earn rewards
You can earn rewards as long as you use your Bilt Mastercard at least five times every month. You can double your points when you use your card on the first of the month (rent payments are excluded from this). You’ll earn:
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3x points on dining (6x on the first of the month)
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2x on travel (4x on the first of the month)
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1x on rent payments and everything else
How to redeem rewards
Bilt lets you redeem points in many different ways, including travel, shopping, goods and services, as well as rent.
You’ll need to download the Bilt rewards app where you can manage redemptions, autopayments, and card management. You can also go through the Bilt website. You can redeem points:
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As a statement credit
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As funds for a down payment
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On flights, hotels, or other travel accommodations
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On select fitness classes
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Home decor
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On upcoming rent payments
Points convert at different rates depending on how they are redeemed. For travel, it’s a 1:1 ratio. But when converting to funds as a down payment, for example, points convert to $0.015 per point. So if you have, say, 10,000 points, that equates to $150 towards a down payment.
Each partnership Bilt has can yield different redemption ratios, including shopping with Amazon or redeeming for rent payments. So you may not get the same redemption ratio every time you redeem your points differently.
Additional benefits
Bilt Mastercard points don’t expire as long as your account is open and active. But remember, you need to use your card at least five times a month to earn points. If you don’t use your card for 18 consecutive months, your card is considered inactive. Once inactive, you’ll lose all your points that haven’t been redeemed yet.
If you pay your cell phone bill with your Bilt Mastercard, you’ll get up to $800 in cell phone protection in case your phone is damaged or stolen. All purchases made with your Bilt Mastercard are also covered, up to $10,000, within 90 days of your purchase.
You can also enjoy trip cancellation protection, where you can get the cost of a nonrefundable trip reimbursed when you pay for it with your Bilt Mastercard. You also get delay reimbursement, which is equivalent to trip insurance. You can get up to $200 in trip delay expenses per day, per traveler, up to $1,800 in total for all travelers for each trip.
Who is the Bilt Mastercard best for?
The Bilt Mastercard is best for renters who want to prove strong creditworthiness through on-time rent payments and wouldn’t otherwise have a way to showcase their good credit use (whether through another credit card or loan).
It’s also a great card to earn and redeem rewards in many different ways. There aren’t very many ways to showcase that you’re responsible with credit through rent payments while also earning points towards a statement credit, rent payments, a down payment, as well as other traditional methods, like shopping and traveling. If you’re a renter and want to maximize rewards in alternative ways, including saving for a down payment later on, this card might be great for you.
If you’re a homeowner, you don’t travel much, or you already have a card that rewards you for the type of spender you are, then you may not benefit too much from the Bilt Mastercard. But even those who don’t rent can still enjoy the vast rewards redemption options, cellphone protection, and travel perks.
Bilt Mastercard pros
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Pay your rent. Paying rent with a credit card without facing transaction fees is the biggest benefit, even for folks who use traditional payment methods, like with a check or through Venmo.
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Hefty point-earning options. Earning points when you spend on rent, travel, and other purchases is really nice as an all-around card, especially since you can double points when you use your card on the first of the month.
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No foreign transaction fees. You can use it as a travel credit card without facing any foreign transaction fees when you use it overseas.
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Lots of redemption options. You can convert points to future rent payments or down payment on a home.
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$0 annual fee. Having any type of travel-related card without an annual fee is enticing.
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Trip cancellation protection and trip delay reimbursement. You can get reimbursed the cost of a nonrefundable ticket and also get delay reimbursement if you buy travel accommodations with your card.
Bilt Mastercard potential cons
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Required minimum card usage to qualify for rewards: You need to use your card at least five times a month to qualify for rewards. Most cards don’t have this requirement.
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No sign-up or welcome bonus: Many travel and cash-back cards offer sign-up bonuses for new customers, which Bilt doesn’t offer.
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Non-rent rewards aren’t competitive: While rent-related rewards are good, earning and redeeming travel points might be more competitive with other cards on the market.
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No Zelle support: You can use Bilt if you pay your rent through Venmo, PayPal, and even with a check. But Bilt doesn’t support Zelle payments quite yet.
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Inconsistent redemption policy: While some redemption options are clearly outlined, Bilt has loads of partners that offer different redemption rates. It makes it hard to follow and figure out how to maximize reward redemptions.
Where can you use Bilt Mastercard?
You can use your Bilt Mastercard at millions of restaurants, retailers, gas stations, and other businesses around the world, wherever Mastercard is accepted.
How to make a Bilt Mastercard payment
You can pay your Bilt Mastercard through the app or website. Once you log in, you can manage payments, including one-time payments and auto-pay.
For renters who live at select Bilt Alliance properties, you have the opportunity to pay your rent with a personal check or cash. You can make your cash payment at participating MoneyGram kiosks near you using the company name and receive code. You’ll need to enter your unique biller account number in the app or on the website when you’re logged in.
To pay with a check, you’ll log into your Bilt account through the app or online and go to the “check payments” tab to follow the prompts.
Bilt Mastercard customer service info
You can contact customer service using the Mastercard concierge service at 1-866-800-0302 available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For travel-related inquiries, such as replacing lost or stolen credit cards, you can contact the Mastercard global services at 1-800-307-7309.
To file a claim on your Bilt Mastercard, call 1-800-316-8051 or the customer service number on the back of your card. Find additional phone numbers based on your needs through Wells Fargo, the Bilt Mastercard administrator.
Alternative cards to consider
While you’ll be hard-pressed to find a credit card that lets you pay rent, you’ll find even fewer that don’t charge you transaction fees to do so. But you can find other credit cards with higher rewards opportunities in other categories, like travel, dining, and more. Compare the Bilt Mastercard to these other credit card options.
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Annual fee
$0
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Welcome offer
Earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending $500 within the first 3 months
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Card type(s)
Travel
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Purchase APR
19.99% – 29.99% variable
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Introductory APR
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then variable 19.99% – 29.99% APR
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Recommended credit score
Good, Excellent
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Rewards rate
- 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 1.25x miles on all other purchases
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Benefits
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
- Transfer your miles to more than 15 travel partners
- Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad
You can enjoy 1.25 miles for every dollar you spend on every purchase with the Capital One VentureOne Rewards card. You can also earn five miles for every dollar on hotels and rental cars you book through the Capital One Travel portal. Using the travel portal can save you around 15% on flights as well — Bilt doesn’t have this feature.
There’s also no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, and lots of different ways to redeem your miles. There’s no limit to how many miles you can earn, either.
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Annual fee
$0
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Welcome offer
Earn a $200 statement credit after spending $2,000 within the first 6 months
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Card type(s)
Cash-back
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Introductory Balance Transfer APR
0% on balance transfers for 15 months
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Ongoing Balance Transfer APR
18.74%-29.74% Variable
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Introductory Purchases APR
0% on purchases for 15 months
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Ongoing Purchases APR
18.74%-29.74% Variable
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Recommended credit score
Excellent, Good
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Rewards rate
- 3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
- Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or on Amazon.com at checkout
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Benefits
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
- Get a $7 monthly statement credit after spending $9.99 or more on a streaming subscription to the Disney Bundle, plus earn up to $15 in monthly statement credits after purchasing a Home Chef subscription
While this card doesn’t prioritize rent payments like Bilt, you can maximize cash-back rewards. The Amex Blue Cash Everyday card gives you 3% cash back on groceries, gas, and online retail purchases (each up to $6,000 a year). Then, earn 1% on all other purchases.
Most Amex cards require good to excellent credit, so if you have bad or fair credit, you might not qualify.
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Annual fee
$0
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Welcome offer
Earn $200 cash back after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months
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Card type(s)
Cash-back, Rewards
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Purchase APR
19.99% – 29.99% variable
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Introductory APR
0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then variable 19.99% – 29.99% APR
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Recommended credit score
Good, Excellent
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Rewards rate
- 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target)
- 1% cash back on all other purchases
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Benefits
- Get a 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months
- No foreign transaction fees
This card from Capital One prioritizes spending on grocery shopping and dining out. You can earn unlimited 3% in those categories as well as entertainment and popular streaming services. Plus, you can earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars when you book through the Capital One Travel portal. There’s also 1% cash back on everything else, and rewards don’t expire.
The SavorOne Cash Rewards card has a 0% introductory offer for the first 15 months of opening your account. You can take advantage of purchases and balance transfers at that rate during that time.
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn’t include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.