Is Bilt 2.0 worth it for you?

    How Bilt 2.0 Works

    Rent is always fee-free: You can pay rent through Bilt with no transaction fee. However, to earn points on your rent, you need to cover a 3% fee.

    How to cover the fee: You earn 4% "Bilt Cash" (separate from points) on all other spending. This Bilt Cash automatically offsets the 3% rent fee. Spend $1,500/month = earn $60 Bilt Cash = cover the fee on $2,000 rent.

    Partial coverage: If your spending doesn't generate enough Bilt Cash to cover the full fee, you'll earn points on a portion of your rent proportional to how much fee you can cover.

    Note (1/16/25): Bilt now offers two options—Option 1 (tiered multipliers) and Option 2 (Bilt Cash system). This calculator evaluates Option 2 only, as Option 1 is mathematically worse in most scenarios.

    My take: Bilt has made this product unnecessarily complicated. Two different earning structures, Bilt Cash vs. points, partial coverage mechanics—it's a lot to track. I'd be wary of a rewards program that requires a spreadsheet to understand. Simplicity has value.

    Rent Economics

    $

    3% fee to earn points (covered by Bilt Cash from spending)

    Annual Rent
    $28,800
    Fee to Earn Points on Full Rent
    $864/yr
    Spending Needed to Cover Full Fee (Bilt Blue)
    $1,800/mo
    Note: If your spending doesn't fully cover the fee, you'll earn points on a proportional amount of your rent.

    💸Monthly Spending Profile

    Your non-rent spending generates Bilt Cash (4%) to cover the rent fee, and also earns Bilt points based on category multipliers.

    $

    Break it down by category:

    $
    $
    $
    $

    Auto-calculated, but you can edit

    💳My Current Card

    Use a standard cash back rate or pick a common card (e.g., Chase Sapphire Preferred).

    2.5%
    Note: This card is never recommended in results—it only determines opportunity cost

    🏠BILT Perk Valuation

    How much do you value each of these perks at?

    0.5¢3.0¢
    1.25¢ per point

    Default is 1.25¢ per point

    $0$100
    $100
    $0$400
    $400
    $

    Results Summary

    How much better or worse you'd be each month using this card instead of your current card, after fees, tradeoffs, and perks. All figures are monthly except "Return on Rent" which is annualized.

    How rent point coverage works: Bilt gives you 4% back ("Bilt Cash") on all non-rent spending, which covers the 3% fee to earn points on rent. If your spending doesn't generate enough Bilt Cash, you earn points on a proportional amount of your rent.

    How to interpret these results

    • Positive monthly value: Bilt improves your finances. The card provides additional monthly value beyond opportunity cost.
    • Negative monthly value: Stick with your existing card. Redirecting spend to Bilt costs more in opportunity cost than you gain monthly.
    • Partial rent coverage: If your spending doesn't fully cover the rent fee, you'll earn points on a proportional amount of your rent. This is still often valuable!
    • Obsidian 3x choice: For Obsidian, you must choose either dining OR groceries for 3x points. The calculator assumes you pick whichever category has higher spend.
    • Higher tiers: Obsidian and Palladium require perk utilization (travel credits, Priority Pass) to justify their annual fees.
    • Valid outcome: "None of these cards are worth it" is a perfectly valid and common result, especially if your existing card earns strong rewards.