Bilt 2.0 Is Here: Here’s Everything You Need to Know

If you’ve had the Bilt Mastercard for a while, you’re probably feeling a mix of emotions right now. On one hand, Bilt has always been the card for people who want to earn points on housing.

On the other hand… whenever a rewards program says the words “new lineup,” everyone’s heart rate goes up a little (myself included!).

So let’s keep this simple. Bilt is introducing three new credit cards (the Bilt Blue, Bilt Obsidian, and Bilt Palladium), and the changes are significant, especially if you’re someone who wants rewards on rent or mortgage payments.

If you want this explanation in plain English, especially if you currently hold the original Bilt Mastercard, watch our full video breakdown.

What These New Bilt Changes Mean

Bilt describes itself as a membership program built around your biggest expense… your home, and says you’ll be able to earn rewards on rent or mortgage payments, plus access “Neighborhood Benefits” and Rent Day perks.

The big theme of this relaunch is that Bilt wants the card program to feel more like “everyday life around your home,” and it’s leaning heavily into a new currency called Bilt Cash, earned alongside points.

More on Bilt Cash in a second.

If you remember the original Bilt Card, this is a heavy shift. The old card was simple. Earn points, pay no annual fee, get no welcome bonus, and have a clear rent cap.

What’s Changing From the Original Bilt Mastercard

Here’s the “before vs. after” for you:

The original Bilt Card (what you may have now)

• No annual fee 

• No welcome bonus 

• Earn:

  • 3x on dining

  • 2x on travel (booked directly with airlines/hotels/car rentals/cruises)

  • 1x on rent up to 100,000 points per calendar year

  • 1x on other purchases 

• You must use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points 

• Rent Day perk: double points on the first of every month (excluding rent), up to 1,000 points per month 

With Bilt 2.0, the new changes are:

• Three cards instead of one (Blue, Obsidian, Palladium)

• First-ever sign-up bonuses across the new lineup

• New emphasis on earning both points, plus 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend

• Housing gets broader and bigger: You can now pay rent and mortgage with no transaction fee

• There’s no preset spending limit on housing, and you can earn across multiple homes with no annual housing points cap

Introducing Bilt Cash

Bilt Cash is basically an extra currency you earn on top of Bilt Points, redeemable as dollar-for-dollar credits inside Bilt’s ecosystem.

But the most important piece for most people is this:

Bilt says you can use Bilt Cash to unlock access to point earning on every housing payment, and that $3 in Bilt Cash is worth 100 Bilt Points, up to 1x on your total payment.

So yes, Bilt Cash is not just “bonus rewards.” It’s also part of how the new housing rewards work.

Meet the New Lineup: Bilt Blue, Obsidian, and Palladium

Bilt Blue Card

This is basically the entry point into the new system. If you liked the original Bilt Mastercard because it was a no-fee way to earn rewards from where you live, Blue is still that vibe, but with Bilt Cash now part of the equation.

It’s also the easiest card to recommend to someone who wants to get started with miles and points but isn’t ready to commit to an annual fee. You get the housing earning, you get the ecosystem, and you can decide later if you want to level up.

Bilt Obsidian Card

Obsidian is the “most people” card, if you will. It still takes the housing angle but adds more earnings where people actually spend: food and travel. And I love that Bilt lets you choose dining or grocery.

Also, the $95 annual fee gets a lot less dramatic when there’s a $100 hotel credit (split semi-annually per calendar year) sitting right there waiting to offset it, assuming you’ll actually use the Bilt Travel portal at least once or twice a year.

Bilt Palladium Card

This is Bilt going fully premium, with meaningful credits, lounge access, and the whole nine yards.

Here’s what I like about Palladium. Between the $400 hotel credit (split semi-annually per calendar year) and $200 Bilt Cash annually, that’s $600 in built-in value, before you even count Priority Pass.

This card is for someone who wants to commit to one rewards ecosystem for everyday spend and actually get rewarded for it.

Is it more expensive? Yes.

But, it’s still cheaper than two of the most popular premium cards on the market: the CSR and the Amex Platinum. It feels way less coupon-y to me and still offers credits to help take care of that annual fee.

So… Which Bilt Card Should You Choose?

• Choose Bilt Blue if… you want the simplest option, no annual fee, and you mostly care about earning from where you live.

• Choose Bilt Obsidian if…your spending is very food-driven, you want to earn faster in an everyday category, and you’ll use the hotel credit.

• Choose Bilt Palladium if…you want the premium version (strong everyday earning, big credits, and Priority Pass) and you’re confident you’ll use the credits. Because again, if you’re not going to use them, you’re just spending almost $500 to hold the card.

Bottom Line

If you loved the original Bilt Card for its “earn rewards from where you live” feature, then you should be excited. Now, you get to pick how premium you want that experience to be.

But honestly, these are still really big changes. We’re talking three cards instead of one, the first Bilt welcome bonuses, a bigger push into everyday rewards categories, and (most notably) a new approach to earning on rent and mortgage with no preset spending limit and no annual housing points cap.

Things definitely aren’t as simple as they once were, but if you’re a Bilt fan and you’re willing to do a little more work (and perhaps pay a higher fee), there’s something to be said for these cards.

And if you’re still processing all of this… same. We’re all in this together! 🙂