Kristen
Bilt 2.0: Palladium – My New Go-To Card
When Bilt launched their redesigned card suite in February, the rollout was — let’s be honest — incredibly confusing. But once the dust settled, I found myself genuinely excited, and after spending some time with the card in my wallet, I can say without hesitation: the Bilt Palladium has earned a permanent spot.
A quick look back at what made Bilt special
Before 2.0, Bilt had already built a loyal following by solving a problem most rewards programs ignored entirely: your rent. The original ecosystem let you earn points on housing payments and tapped into everyday life through neighborhood perks — bonus points at participating restaurants, extra earning at fitness clubs, and credits at Walgreens for things like prescription refills. It wasn’t flashy, but it was genuinely useful and it was unique because you could have a Bilt account without having a Bilt credit card.
The new card lineup
Bilt 2.0 brings three tiers: the Blue card (no annual fee), the Obsidian ($95/year), and the Palladium ($495/year). As shown in the comparison above, each card is designed for a different type of spender, but all three share the ability to earn on both rent and mortgage payments — a significant expansion from the original program – and one that should make almost everyone really excited.
The headline new feature is Bilt Cash, a second rewards currency you earn alongside Bilt Points. You earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases, which you can then spend on monthly credits for restaurants, hotels, and rideshare — or use it to unlock points on your housing payments.
Why I chose the Palladium
With a primary mortgage, investment properties, and paying my college son’s rent, housing is my single biggest spending category. The Palladium was the obvious choice. To earn rewards on housing payments, you spend on the card throughout the month, and the Bilt Cash you accumulate can be used to unlock points on your rent or mortgage — with no transaction fee charged to you. Essentially, the Bilt Cash offsets the cost of processing those payments, so you’re earning points you otherwise couldn’t.
The welcome offer alone made a strong first impression: 50,000 Bilt Points plus Gold status after $4,000 in everyday spend within the first 90 days, plus $300 in Bilt Cash upon approval — and an additional $200 in Bilt Cash annually. Between the $400 annual hotel credit (split semi-annually) and that $200 Bilt Cash, the card effectively returns $600 in value before you even think about points. Add in Priority Pass with two complimentary guests per visit, and the $495 fee starts looking very reasonable.
On top of all of these great benefits, the card also earns 2x on all purchases, which makes it a perfect catch-all card.
Stacking points with Rakuten
One of my favorite recent moves has been linking Rakuten to earn Bilt points. The Rakuten connection allows you to convert cash back into Bilt Points, meaning your shopping portal earnings flow directly into your Bilt balance. Between housing points, everyday card spend, and Rakuten earnings, my balance has grown faster than I expected — fast enough that I’ve already booked our summer trip to Ireland and Scotland using Aer Lingus and British Airways Avios transferred directly from Bilt.
Transfer partners
The transfer partner list (shown above) is genuinely one of the best in the business. With 25 partners at a 1:1 ratio, Bilt has the largest 1:1 transfer network of any US rewards currency — ahead of Chase, Amex, and Capital One. For me, the standout is World of Hyatt. Bilt is the only non-Chase currency that transfers to Hyatt, which consistently delivers the highest hotel redemption value on the market. Also worth noting: Alaska Airlines is an exclusive Bilt partners you can’t reach through most other programs and is the only program that still offers Emirates at 1:1.
Rent Day bonuses
Then there’s Rent Day — the first of every month. Bilt offers limited-time transfer bonuses on Rent Day, with recent promotions reaching up to 100% on select partners. The bonus tier you receive is tied to your Bilt status level. Silver status requires 50,000 points or $10,000 in spend; Gold requires 125,000 points or $25,000 in spend; and Platinum requires 200,000 points or $50,000 in spend. Palladium cardholders receive automatic Gold status, which means Rent Day transfer bonuses up to 75% — and you can use Bilt Cash to temporarily unlock Platinum-level bonuses if a particularly lucrative promotion comes along. And don’t forget: on Rent Day itself, all points earned on credit card purchases are doubled, up to 1,000 bonus points — making the first of every month a great day to put extra spend on your Bilt card.
Bottom line
Bilt has quietly assembled all the ingredients for a top-tier points program: a unique ability to earn on housing, a best-in-class transfer partner list, meaningful neighborhood benefits, Rakuten compatibility, and Rent Day bonuses that reward loyalty. The Palladium made sense for my situation, and it’s paying off. If you’re paying rent or a mortgage and not earning points on it, this is the card to fix that.
