Card guide · Bilt Rewards points
Bilt Palladium
Card guide overview
A $495 premium card and the only way to earn transferable points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee. 2X everywhere as a catch-all, $600 in annual credits, unique transfer partners, and Priority Pass.
Key card attributes
| Issuing bank | Reward currency | Currency type | Network | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilt | Bilt Rewards | Transferable points | Mastercard | $495 |
Closest alternatives
- U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve
- Capital One Venture X
- Bilt Obsidian
At a glance
Earn transferable points on rent and mortgage with no transaction fee—a 5/5 keeper.
The Bilt Palladium Card earns 5X at Bilt partner restaurants (20,000+ U.S. locations), 4X on hotels through the Bilt Travel Portal, 3X on flights through the portal, 4X on Lyft, and 2X on all other everyday purchases. It also earns up to 1.25X on rent, mortgage, and HOA payments with no transaction fee—the only premium travel card with this capability. On top of points, Bilt Cash earns up to 4% back on eligible purchases through the Bilt ecosystem. The $495 annual fee is offset by $200 in annual Bilt Cash (deposited automatically) and a $400 annual Bilt Travel Hotel credit.
The card's main wrinkle is the complexity of the Bilt program itself. There are two separate earning systems—Bilt Points and Bilt Cash—each with different rates, redemption paths, and expiration rules. Unlocking the full 1.25X housing rate requires hitting a non-housing spend threshold each billing cycle, while Bilt Cash expires December 31st with only up to $100 rolling over. The card is powerful, but it is not set-it-and-forget-it.
Best fit
Renters who want a premium card that earns points on housing
If you pay $3,000+ in monthly rent, the Palladium earns 37,500+ points annually from housing alone—worth $450–$675 at conservative Bilt point valuations. No other premium card offers this.
Current timing
50K + Gold Status + $500 Bilt Cash in year one is a strong entry package
The $300 welcome Bilt Cash stacks with the $200 annual credit for $500 in year one. Combined with Gold Status and 50,000 points, the first-year value can exceed $1,000.
Main watchout
Bilt Cash is a separate system that requires active management
Bilt Cash can earn up to 4% back on top of points, which is significant. But it expires December 31st each year with only up to $100 rolling over. You need to actively spend Bilt Cash at Bilt partners to capture the full value—it is not automatic cash back.
Current & historical offer
50K + Gold Status has been the standard since the Palladium launched.
We compare public points offers with public points offers. Referral, branch, targeted and mixed cash-plus-points offers are outside this ladder.
Timing assessment
50K is a solid bonus, and the Bilt Cash stack in year one is the real highlight.
At $500 in year-one Bilt Cash ($300 welcome + $200 annual) plus 50K points valued at roughly $750–$900, the first-year value is competitive with the CSR and Venture X. The ongoing value depends on how easily you can use the hotel credit in subsequent years.
Why someone may wait
The credits require active Bilt ecosystem usage to extract full value.
If you do not book hotels through the Bilt Travel Portal or use Bilt Cash at partner merchants, the card's effective net cost is higher than $95 (net of the automatic $200 Bilt Cash). The $400 hotel credit is the swing factor—unused, the card becomes a $295 net keeper.
Card benefits
The rent earning and 2X everywhere are unique; the credits require Portal engagement.
The tiers are a Points Brief editorial assessment of decision importance and rarity among comparable $400–$550 premium travel cards—not labels supplied by Bilt.
Tier 1 · Rare differentiators
Benefits uncommon enough at this fee level to influence the card decision.
Earn points on rent, mortgage, and HOA with no transaction fee
The only premium travel card that earns transferable points on housing payments with no fee. Earn up to 1.25X points when your monthly non-housing spending equals or exceeds your housing payment. This is the Palladium's defining differentiator.
- No transaction fee on housing payments—Bilt provides a unique routing number to pay your landlord, mortgage company, or HOA.
- Housing earning scales with everyday spend: 0.5X at 25% of housing, 0.75X at 50%, 1X at 75%, 1.25X at 100%+.
- Minimum 25% of housing payment in non-housing spend required to earn above 250 points/month.
- On $3,000 monthly rent at 1.25X, that is 45,000 points per year from housing alone.
Know the limits: Housing points require non-housing spending to unlock. If you only use the card for rent with no other spend, you earn just 250 points per month—far below the potential 1.25X rate.
Flat 2X points on all everyday purchases—one of the best catch-all cards available
2X on all purchases not covered by a higher bonus category. No other premium travel card offers a flat 2X earn rate—the Venture X earns 2X, but only on Capital One portal bookings, not everywhere. This makes the Palladium one of the best catch-all cards on the market for non-bonus spending.
- Includes everything from grocery runs to utility bills to online shopping.
- Combined with 1.25X on housing, a $3,000 monthly renter with $3,000 in non-housing spend earns 117,000 points annually.
Know the limits: Bilt points are worth an estimated 1.5–1.8 cents each—giving 2X an effective 3–3.6% return. This is strong, but point values can fluctuate with transfer partner availability.
Tier 2 · Strong credits, but with Portal friction
Benefits that add value but come with booking restrictions.
$600 total Annual credits: $200 Bilt Cash + $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit
$200 Bilt Cash deposited automatically at account opening then each January 1st. $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit issued as $200 semi-annually for qualifying Portal bookings. Bilt Cash can also be earned at up to 4% on eligible spending through the Bilt ecosystem—a separate layer on top of points.
The $200 Bilt Cash can be used at Bilt partner merchants including Lyft, Walgreens, Grubhub, SoulCycle, and toward housing point unlocks. The $400 hotel credit requires a 2-night minimum stay booked through the Bilt Travel Portal. Bilt Cash is a parallel earning system: you earn both points AND Bilt Cash on eligible transactions, which can effectively double your return rate. But Bilt Cash expires December 31st each year with only up to $100 rolling over.
Priority Pass Airport lounge access at 1,300+ lounges worldwide
Priority Pass Select membership providing access to participating lounges. Standard Priority Pass features—no restaurant credits included on the base membership.
This is a standard Priority Pass membership comparable to what the CSR and Venture X offer. It does not include Centurion Lounge access (Amex Platinum exclusive). Guest access policies follow the Priority Pass terms.
Automatic Bilt Gold Elite Status
Automatic Bilt Gold status as long as you remain a Palladium cardmember. Gold unlocks 50% bonus points on Rent Day (1st of each month), accelerated status earning, and exclusive transfer bonuses.
Bilt Gold is mid-tier within Bilt's loyalty program. The 50% Rent Day bonus is significant—combined with 2X everywhere, you can earn 3X on Rent Day purchases. Status is valid through the following calendar year plus January 15th of the year after.
Tier 3 · Expected premium-card basics
Useful protections and services that should not drive the decision alone.
No foreign transaction fees Travel baseline
No issuer foreign-transaction fee on purchases made abroad.
Trip cancellation and interruption Protections
Coverage for eligible prepaid travel interrupted or cancelled for covered reasons.
Trip delay reimbursement Protections
Reimbursement for essential expenses after a covered delay.
Auto rental collision damage waiver Protections
Coverage for damage or theft on eligible rental cars when paid for with the card.
Cellular wireless telephone protection Protections
Coverage for damage or theft of eligible cell phones when the monthly bill is paid with the card.
Comparison method: Premium transferable-points cards including Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Platinum, Capital One Venture X, and Citi Strata Elite; public positioning reviewed in July 2026. Tiering is editorial.
Earning rates
2X everywhere is the everyday anchor; 5X dining and housing rewards are the edge.
The Palladium earns the highest flat rate of any premium travel card—2X on all purchases—which makes it a viable daily driver. The 5X Bilt dining category and housing rewards add category-leading earn rates on top.
Bilt partner restaurants (20,000+ U.S. locations)
Bilt's curated dining network of 20,000+ restaurants. This is not all restaurants—it is Bilt's specific partner network, which is smaller than Amex's or Chase's broad dining categories.
Hotels booked through Bilt Travel Portal
Hotel bookings through the Bilt Travel Portal. Also earns 4X on Lyft rides after linking accounts.
Flights booked through Bilt Travel Portal
Airline tickets purchased through the Bilt Travel Portal.
Rent, mortgage, and HOA payments
Earn on housing with no transaction fee. Rate scales from 0.5X to 1.25X based on non-housing spend in the same billing cycle.
Value context: Bilt points are estimated at 1.5–1.8 cents each—among the most valuable transferable currencies. At 2X everywhere, that is roughly a 3–3.6% return, which exceeds any flat-rate cash-back card. The 5X Bilt Dining category returns roughly 7.5–9%. Housing rewards at 1.25X on a $3,000 rent payment add roughly $45–$54 in monthly point value. Additionally, Bilt Cash earns up to 4% on top of points through the Bilt ecosystem—a separate layer that can effectively double your return. However, Bilt Cash expires annually and requires active use at Bilt partner merchants.
Transfer partners
A growing but still maturing transfer partner roster.
Bilt Rewards points transfer to the airline and hotel partners below at 1:1 unless otherwise noted. Transfers are generally final. Bilt regularly runs limited-time transfer bonuses of 20–100%, which can significantly boost point value.
Key differentiator
Rent Daybonus transfers
Bilt runs frequent transfer bonuses—sometimes 100% or more—on Rent Day.
No other transferable-points program regularly offers 100% transfer bonuses. Bilt's Rent Day promotions (1st of each month) can make Bilt points the most valuable transfer currency on specific dates.
Major airline transfer partners (1:1)
Airline programs available for point transfers at 1:1.
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Air France–KLM Flying Blue
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Emirates Skywards
- Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
- Iberia Plus
- Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- Singapore KrisFlyer
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- United MileagePlus
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Hotel transfer partners
Hotel programs available for point transfers.
- World of Hyatt
- IHG One Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy
Why Bilt points can be more valuable than they appear
What sets Bilt apart in transfer value.
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
- Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- World of Hyatt (shared only with Chase Ultimate Rewards)
Sources and methodology
Sources for this page
- Last checked: July 24, 2026
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