Why you should still care about Bilt Rewards even if you don’t want one of its credit cards

I don't currently have a Bilt credit card, and I don't have plans to open one any time soon. Despite that, I earn Bilt Points every month on my rent and every time I take a Lyft ride.

If you're like me, you may be ignoring Bilt altogether or assuming you can't earn Bilt points on your rent.

Here's how you can earn Bilt points without a Bilt credit card and what to consider before paying rent with one.

How to earn Bilt points without a Bilt credit card

If you rent an apartment and your complex participates in Bilt, you may be able to earn Bilt Points on your rent with any credit card you link to your account.

Of course, you'll need to set up a Bilt account if you don't have one already. I recommend checking with your leasing office before assuming you can pay your rent with a credit card through Bilt. Even if a complex participates in Bilt, they have the option to only accept Bilt credit cards rather than any credit card.

Alternatively, you can log into your Bilt account and check what payment options are available to you for your rent. If you're able to pay your rent with any credit card, you'll have the option to link your card to your account and use it to pay your rent via autopay.

Provided your leasing office accepts any credit card through Bilt, you'll earn 1 point for every $2 spent on your rent. This will be on top of whatever points you earn with the credit card you use, though keep in mind you'll need to pay a 3% transaction fee on every rent payment.

I often use my rent to help meet the spending requirements for welcome bonuses, so I consider this transaction fee a small price to pay for heaps of rewards. Just keep in mind that you'll likely need to use both Bilt and your card issuer's transfer partners to get enough value to offset that transaction fee.

For example, a $2,000 rent payment would incur a $60 processing fee. Whether that's worth paying depends on the rewards you'll earn and whether the payment helps you reach a valuable welcome bonus or spending threshold.

At this time, you can only pay your mortgage through Bilt if you have a Bilt credit card.

If you take rides regularly with Lyft, I recommend linking your Bilt and Lyft accounts to earn extra points. You'll earn 2 points per dollar spent on Lyft, which will stack with the rewards you earn on your credit card. I enjoy using my Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) with Lyft, since I earn 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent (through Sept. 30, 2027).

You can also earn Bilt points at the following rates with your linked credit cards:

• 2 points per dollar spent at Bilt Neighborhood Fitness locations
• Up to 2 points per dollar spent at Walgreens
• 1 point per dollar spent at Bilt Neighborhood Restaurants

You can still access Bilt's transfer partners without a Bilt card

Thankfully, Bilt doesn't currently lock its transfer partners behind its credit cards. This is a big advantage for me, since Bilt is the only program I have access to that transfers to Atmos Rewards.

Aside from Atmos, Bilt has quite a few other valuable transfer partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. It has also recently added Amtrak Guest Rewards as a partner; that's a highlight for me, since I take a few Amtrak rides to and from Seattle every year.

Keep in mind that if you have base Blue Status (which you probably will if you don't have a Bilt card), you must transfer at least 2,000 points each time. Silver, Gold and Platinum Bilt members have a 1,000-point minimum. As with all transferable rewards, transfers are irreversible.

My recent redemption with Atmos Rewards

Recently, I transferred 4,000 points to Atmos Rewards from Bilt to top off my account for a one-way redemption between Portland International Airport (PDX) and Spokane International Airport on Alaska Airlines.

Since Atmos Rewards points are difficult to earn, I likely would not have been able to make this redemption without Bilt points. The cash price for this 5,000-point redemption was $184. After factoring in the $5.60 I paid in taxes and fees, I received around 3.6 cents per point in value, a sizable amount.

You shouldn't expect to accrue tons of Bilt points without a Bilt card, but regularly paying your rent and a handful of other expenses through the program will net you a decent stash over time. I earn a little over 800 points per month from my rent, which, after several months, adds up to enough points for most short-haul domestic flights through Atmos Rewards.

Which card should I use to pay rent?

First and foremost, if you're currently working toward a welcome bonus with a credit card, using your card for rent payments could help you meet the spending requirement.

Many of the best welcome offers require spending in the thousands to earn them, so your rent can go a long way toward reaching that goal. Just remember that the 3% transaction fee you need to pay will eat a little into the overall value of your welcome bonus.

If you're not currently spending toward a welcome bonus, consider whether any of your cards offer extra perks for a certain amount of spending. For example, with my United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees), I can earn a $100 United travel credit after spending $10,000 on my card in a calendar year. Rent payments could help me reach that threshold through spending I already planned to make.

Since you'll earn regular credit card rewards on top of Bilt points when you pay your rent through Bilt, it may be worth choosing a card that earns more than 1 point per dollar spent or 1% cash back on nonbonus spending. Cards like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) earn at least 2 miles per dollar spent or 2% cash back on every purchase.*

If you're a Air France KLM Visa Signature® credit card cardholder, you can currently earn 3 miles per dollar spent on rent payments through Bilt, on up to $50,000 annually (then 1.5 miles per dollar spent) and 75,000 miles earned maximum.

*With the Citi Double Cash, you'll earn 1% cash back when you buy and 1% cash back when you pay your bill.

When to consider a Bilt credit card

While you don't need a Bilt credit card to make use of Bilt points, it may be worth considering one if any of the following apply to you:

• You want to earn up to 1.25 points per dollar spent on rent, instead of 1 point per $2 spent (see Bilt's guide to its rewards program for further details)
• You want to avoid paying transaction fees on your rent
• Your housing complex only accepts Bilt credit cards
• You're currently paying a mortgage instead of renting

If you want to earn rewards on rent or mortgage payments without paying a transaction fee, or your property only accepts Bilt credit cards, opening one may be worth considering. Currently, Bilt offers the following credit cards:

• The Bilt Palladium Card (see rates and fees): Earn 50,000 bonus points and Gold status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. Cardholders also receive $300 in Bilt Cash upon approval. $100 of Bilt Cash rolls over into the next year.
• The Bilt Obsidian Card (see rates and fees): Receive $200 in Bilt Cash when you apply and are approved.
• The Bilt Blue Card (see rates and fees): Receive $100 in Bilt Cash after you apply and are approved.

Bottom line

You don't necessarily need a Bilt credit card to earn transferable Bilt points. If your apartment complex participates in Bilt and accepts outside credit cards, you may be able to earn points on rent, along with additional rewards through partners like Lyft.

Bilt cards are a great option for certain travelers, but they don't make sense for everyone. As someone who frequently flies with Alaska Airlines, I'm very glad that I can still earn Bilt points that I can then transfer to Atmos Rewards.

Maximizing every dollar you spend is key to getting the most out of travel rewards, and your rent certainly isn't an exception to that. However, before paying rent with a credit card, make sure the rewards you'll earn justify the 3% transaction fee.

Related: What is Bilt Cash? How to earn and redeem this reward currency