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Why I got the Bilt Mastercard even though I don’t rent—bonus points and transfer partners

Why I got the Bilt Mastercard even though I don’t rent—bonus points and transfer partners

When it hit the market, the Bilt Mastercard’s main pitch was that it was a groundbreaking credit card for renters—but most people who don’t rent an apartment or house, and are instead homeowners, didn’t pay much attention. Despite being a homeowner who doesn’t pay rent, the Bilt Mastercard has become my go-to credit card over the past year and a half or so. 

Thanks to a mix of amazing redemption options and the ease of earning thousands of points on my normal spending that can be transferred to numerous airline and hotel loyalty programs, I’m hoping you’ll see why I love the Bilt card, and why it might fit in your wallet too.

What is the Bilt Mastercard?

Issued by Wells Fargo, the Bilt Mastercard offers users the ability to pay rent by credit card while avoiding the transaction fee you’d normally get charged for doing so—and there’s also no annual fee for the credit card itself. Paying rent is a breeze, whether your property is in the Bilt Alliance or not, and whether you pay through an online portal or even with a paper check.

Points are earned through credit card spending with a fairly simple earning structure, and can be transferred to over a dozen of the most popular transfer partners in the travel space today.

The card also provides a few useful perks, including: Cell Phone Protection, Trip Delay Reimbursement, Trip Cancellation Protection, Purchase Protection, and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver (primary coverage in most cases, while most cards merely offer secondary coverage). You even get access to a travel concierge. Some of these benefits are fairly standard for credit cards that charge annual fees, but finding them on a no-annual-fee card is a true rarity. 

How to earn points with the Bilt Mastercard

Rewards earned from using your Bilt Mastercard are very simple to understand and don’t require a degree to decipher. The card earns at the following rates:

  • 3X points per dollar spent on dining.
  • 2X points per dollar spent on travel.
  • 1X point per dollar spent on rent (up to 100,000 points per calendar year).
  • 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

You must use the card five times per statement period to earn points.

This card also earns 5X points per dollar spent on Lyft when you link your Bilt and Lyft accounts. 

Many properties may not allow residents to pay rent by credit card, and those that do accept credit cards will typically levy a fee so costly as to…

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