Bilt Rewards is a loyalty program that allows members to earn rewards when they pay their rent. Bilt was the first credit card to offer rewards on rent payments without charging a fee. For many people, rent is their most costly household expense, so earning rewards when they pay their landlord is a major win.
If you’re earning Bilt points, you may wonder if your rewards ever expire. The answer is no — in most cases, Bilt points don’t expire. If your account remains open and active, you won’t lose your points due to expiration.
While Bilt points don’t expire, there are a few situations where you could lose them. It’s important to be aware of the ways this can happen so you can take steps to prevent having your points taken from you.
Here’s what you need to know to keep your Bilt points.
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Reasons why you could lose your Bilt points
While Bilt points never expire, you could lose your points for other reasons outlined in the Bilt Rewards terms and conditions.
Here’s an overview of the reasons why you could lose your Bilt points:
Misusing your account
Members risk account termination and the loss of their Bilt points if they misuse the Bilt Rewards program. Some examples of account misuse include the following:
- Buying or selling points
- Transferring points to an ineligible third-party account
- Repeatedly opening or maintaining accounts to generate rewards
- Participating in fraudulent activities
You’ll immediately lose any remaining points if your account is closed for misuse.
Closing your Bilt Rewards account
For those with a Bilt Mastercard, closing your credit card account won’t result in losing your points. However, you’ll lose your points if you close your Bilt Rewards account. You must keep your Bilt Rewards account open and active to keep your points.
Account inactivity
Bilt reserves the right to terminate your account due to inactivity and remove any remaining points.
An inactive account is defined as having no activity for 18 months. If you don’t complete any of the following actions during an 18-month period, you’ll lose your Bilt points:
- Make rent payments through your account
- Make purchases with a co-branded credit card
- Redeem Bilt points
- Participation in a promotional sweepstakes run by Bilt
Filing for bankruptcy
The Bilt Rewards program terms and conditions note that members will have their accounts closed and will lose their points if they file for bankruptcy.
How to keep your Bilt points
Here’s how to keep your account active to avoid losing your Bilt points.
Pay your rent
Paying your rent through your membership account will keep your account active, which will allow you to keep your Bilt points.
Make purchases with a co-branded credit card
Another way to keep your Bilt Rewards account active and your points from expiring is to make purchases with a co-branded credit card.
If you want to maximize your rewards, you can apply for the Bilt Mastercard.
A quick note: A previous co-branded credit card, Evolve Bilt Mastercard, is no longer available and will cease to exist after December 31, 2024.
The Bilt Mastercard has no annual fee and no transaction fees on rent payments.
The Bilt Mastercare earns rewards in the following ways:
- 1X points on rent payments (up to 100,000 points per calendar year)
- 2x points on travel purchases
- 3x points on dining purchases
- 1x points on other purchases
You must use your Bilt Mastercard five times each statement period to earn points with your card.
Rent Day Bonus: Members with a Bilt Mastercard can earn bonus rewards when making eligible purchases (excludes rent payments) on the first day of the month. Cardholders can earn 6X points on dining, 4X on travel, and 2X on other purchases. You can earn a maximum of 10,0000 points each rent day. However, beginning on October 1, 2024, a 1,000-point rewards cap will apply on Rent Day bonuses.
It’s worth noting that you do not need a Bilt Mastercard to be a Bilt Rewards member. But using this credit card can help you earn rewards faster. You can also pay your rent with a non-Bilt credit card and earn a maximum of 250 miles per payment
Redeem your Bilt points
Redeeming Bilt points also counts as activity that keeps your points from expiring. If you want to keep your Bilt Rewards account active, consider redeeming some of your Bilt points. Keep in mind that you’ll get more value from your rewards with certain redemptions, so it’s wise to consider the best redemption strategy before using your Bilt points.
Here are some ways to redeem your rewards:
Transfer your points to travel partners
You can transfer your Bilt points to select travel partners and use them to book flights and hotel stays through participating airline and hotel rewards programs. Points transfer at a 1:1 ratio. Doing this could help you save money on an upcoming vacation.
Bilt Rewards members can transfer their points to the following partners:
Airlines:
- Aer Lingus AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan®
- Air France/KLM Flying Blue®
- Alaska Airlines
- Avianca Lifemiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific
- Emirates Skywards®
- Iberia Plus
- TAP Air Portugal
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- United MileagePlus®
- Virgin Red®
Hotels:
- Accor Live Limitless (3:2 ratio)
- Hilton Honors
- IHG® One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy™
- World of Hyatt®
The value you receive from your Bilt points with this redemption method varies. But transferring your rewards to travel partners could be an excellent way to maximize the value of your points.
Book travel through the Bilt travel portal
Another way to redeem your Bilt points is to book travel through the Bilt travel portal. You can redeem points towards hotels, flights, car rentals, activities, and more. Your Bilt points are worth 1.25 cents a piece when redeemed this way.
Pay your rent
Bilt points can be redeemed for rent payments. Points are worth 0.55 cents apiece with this redemption.
Cover a home down payment
Bilt Rewards members can use their points to cover a down payment when purchasing a home. Points are worth 1.5 cents each when redeemed this way.
Go shopping
You can also redeem your Bilt points by shopping for home decor, art, and lifestyle goods through Bilt’s The Collection. The value of your points varies depending on what item you buy. As an example, the Beast Mini Blender, which retails for $99 can be redeemed for 20,000 Bilt points. With this redemption, your points are worth around 0.5 each.
Shop at Amazon.com
Bilt Rewards members can also redeem their rewards at Amazon.com. You can use Bilt points to cover all or part of your Amazon order. You must have a Bilt Mastercard to do this. Bilt points are worth 0.7 each when redeemed this way.
Redeem for fitness class experiences
Bilt Rewards members can redeem their rewards for fitness classes, such as Pure Barre, SoulCycle, and Rumble Boxing. Points are typically worth about one cent apiece with this redemption.
Participate in a promotional sweepstakes
Finally, the Bilt Rewards terms and conditions also state that participating in promotional sweepstakes run by Bilt is another way to keep your account active. As an example, in the past, Bilt has run rent-free contests where participants could submit answers to trivia questions for a chance at winning points and free renth.
Don’t lose your Bilt points
Now you know how to keep your Bilt Rewards account active and in good standing so you don’t risk losing your rewards. If you need help redeeming your Bilt points, point.me is here to help. We can help you maximize the value of your rewards so you can travel more affordably. Simply conduct an award search, and point.me will tell you which Bilt transfer partner (if any) offers the lowest redemption rates.
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