I’ve had the Bilt Mastercard for almost two years. While I’ve shared information on Bilt Rewards, often about the unbelievable Rent Day promotions they’ve run over that time, I’ve never done a breakdown of the card itself. And that’s a shame because I’ve already called it the “Best No-Annual-Fee Card If You’re Getting Started Collecting Points.”
Here’s my Bilt Mastercard review.
Bilt Mastercard
Annual Fee
No Annual Fee
Sign Up Benefits
The Bilt Mastercard doesn’t offer a sign-up bonus. This isn’t a card you get for the quick score. However, current Bilt Rewards members can refer new cardholders and earn 2,500 for each referral. If you’d like to support Your Mileage May Vary, here’s our referral link for the Bilt Mastercard.
Spending Bonus Categories
The Bilt Mastercard has the following bonus categories:
- 3x points for dining expenses (based on merchant code reporting)
- 2x points for travel expenses booked directly with airlines, hotels, cruise and car rental companies
- 1x points for rent expenses (up to 50,000 points per year)
- 1x points for all other expenses
To earn the bonus points, you must use the card 5 times per statement period, which isn’t much to ask.
Rent Day
On the 1st of every month, cardholders earn double points:
- 6x points for dining expenses
- 4x points for travel expenses booked directly with airlines, hotels, cruise and car rental companies
- 2x points for all other expenses (except for rent)
Bilt Rewards can be transferred to other programs at a 1:1 value
Several programs partner with Bilt, allowing you to move points to other programs. This enables you to take advantage of the values in multiple programs without being locked into any particular one. In addition to Bilt offering more point bonus categories than any other no-annual-fee card, the list of transfer partners is one that seasoned points hackers dream about:
- Are Lingus Aerclub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Alaska MileagePlan
- Avianca Lifemiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Emirates Skywards
- Flying Blue (KLM & Air France)
- Hilton Honors
- World of Hyatt
- Iberia Plus Miles
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- United MileagePlus
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Bilt Mastercard doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees.
Cell Phone Protection
Reimbursement is limited to the cost to repair or replace your original cell phone, less a $25 deductible, with an allowable maximum of two paid claims per 12-month period. Each approved claim has a benefit limit of $800
This protection is only available when cell phone bills are paid with a Bilt Mastercard. Eligible cell phones are the lines listed on your most recent cellular wireless service provider’s monthly billing statement for the billing cycle before the incident occurred.
Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
One of the best features of this card is that it acts as primary coverage when renting a car. In common terms, if you get in an accident in your rental car, you can use the coverage from Bilt before filing a claim with your insurance. Most other companies offer secondary coverage (where you need to file a claim with your auto insurance first).
In order for coverage to apply, you must pay for all of the cost of renting the car with your Bilt Mastercard and/or Bilt rewards program associated with your covered card account. The cardholder must decline coverage from the rental company to be eligible for this benefit. Coverage is worth up to $50,000 for rentals up to 31 days and is available worldwide except in Israel, Jamaica, the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.
Points are worth 1.25 cents each when using the Bilt portal
If you book travel through the Bilt travel portal, your Bilt Rewards are worth 1.25 cents each. You can book flights, hotels, rental cars, activities and even Blade helicopter rides to/from the airport.
Travel Insurance
The Bilt Mastercard provides the following travel insurance coverages:
- Trip Delay ($200 per day per Covered Traveler for up to three days) after the initial delay of six (6) hours and for each additional 24-hour period beyond the initial delay,
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption – $5,000 maximum per Covered Traveler per Trip
Final Thought
The Bilt Mastercard stands out as an excellent option for travel enthusiasts. Its point-earning potential is notably valuable, with the ability to transfer points to various programs. Additionally, the card offers an impressive array of perks typically associated with higher annual fee cards. With the added benefit of Rent Day promotions and the opportunity to earn points by paying rent, it’s indeed a compelling choice to occupy a prime spot in your wallet.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
