Bilt Blue Review

Overview

Bilt Blue is the free entry point to the Bilt ecosystem, and its whole reason to exist is one genuinely unique feature: you can earn points on rent with no transaction fee, which almost no other card lets you do. For renters, that alone can make it worth carrying.

Outside of rent, the earning is modest, so this is a card you get for the rent points and the transferable Bilt currency, not for everyday category bonuses.

Our 3.5 out of 5 rating

Each score weighs the rewards rate, value after the annual fee, welcome offer, points flexibility, and perks, with every point valued at a flat 1 cent. This is our editorial assessment to help you compare cards, not a guarantee of approval or of the value you will get.

Rewards: how it earns

You earn points on rent, which is rare and valuable, plus 2x on travel and 1x on other spending, with no annual fee. The rent-earning is the headline, and because Bilt points transfer to a strong set of airline and hotel partners, they are worth well over a flat cent. You do need to make a handful of transactions each month to earn, so keep that in mind.

Every point and mile above is valued at a flat 1 cent, the same honest standard we use for every card. Run your own spending through the calculator to see what this card would actually return for you.

Pros and cons

The welcome bonus

The welcome is a small amount of Bilt Cash on account opening rather than a big points bonus. Modest, but it is a free card.

Is it worth the annual fee?

There is no annual fee, so there is nothing to justify. Free access to rent-earning and the transferable Bilt ecosystem makes this an easy card for a renter to hold.

First-year value vs ongoing value

The welcome bonus makes year one the high point: roughly $510 in value once you count the bonus, this card’s rewards, and its credits, minus the no fee. After that, the honest figure is about $410 a year, so judge whether it earns its keep on the ongoing number, not the first-year headline.

*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent, on average spending.

Benefits and protections

Beyond the rewards, the perks and protections worth knowing about include:

• Earn Bilt Points on rent and mortgage payments, no transaction fee
• $100 in Bilt Cash on account opening
• Transfer points to 15+ airline and hotel partners (United, Alaska, Hyatt & more)
• Rental car insurance

Statement credits

• $100 Bilt Cash on account opening

Ecosystem and transfer partners

The Bilt Blue earns Bilt Points, one of the more valuable currencies in rewards because of where the points can go. You can move points 1 to 1 to 7 airline and hotel partners: United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, World of Hyatt, American Airlines, Air Canada Aeroplan, Emirates Skywards, and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. As a hub card, this is the one you route points through before transferring out. The sweet spots are usually premium-cabin flights and high-end hotel nights, where a single point can be worth well more than the 1 cent we value it at here.

Airline partners: United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Air Canada Aeroplan, Emirates Skywards, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

Hotel partners: World of Hyatt.

See the full Bilt ecosystem →

Who should get it, and who should skip it

If you rent, Bilt Blue is close to a must-have, earning transferable points on your single biggest monthly expense, for free, is genuinely unique. Pair it with category cards for everything else.

If you own your home, the main draw disappears and the modest everyday earning will not carry the card. This one is built specifically for renters.

How it compares

If the Bilt Blue is not quite the right fit, these related cards are worth weighing against it:

Frequently asked questions

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