The new Bilt 2.0 credit cards were officially announced earlier today. Along with the card details we have already reported (see card details here), we have answers to some frequently asked questions about these new cards.
Transition questions from Bilt 1.0 to Bilt 2.0
Will existing cardholders be eligible for the sign-up bonus if they choose to transition to a Bilt 2.0 card?
Yes! Both existing cardholders who transition from Bilt 1.0 to Bilt 2.0 and new customers are eligible for the sign-up bonus. Note that the launch sign-up bonuses are available for a limited time.
Are authorized users available? Will authorized users be carried over for existing cardholders?
Authorized users will be available on the new Bilt cards, but authorized user cards from Wells Fargo accounts will not automatically transfer over to Cardless. Existing cardholders will need to re-add authorized users.
Up to five authorized users can be added to Bilt cards in the Bilt app. The following fees apply:
- $0 for authorized users on the Bilt Blue card
- $50 per authorized user for the Bilt Obsidian card
- $95 per authorized user for the Bilt Palladium card
Note that each authorized user on the Palladium card gets access to Priority Pass.
When can existing cardholders choose their new Bilt card?
Beginning today (1/14/26), existing cardholders can choose a new Bilt Card. Selection must be made by 1/30/26 to ensure a seamless upgrade and receive the card by February 6th. All Bilt Card 2.0s will be activated on February 7, 2026.
Will my Wells Fargo card continue to work after choosing a new Bilt card 2.0?
Wells Fargo Bilt Mastercards will still work as normal through February 6, 2026. After February 6th, cardholders can continue to access statements and make payments on their balance by visiting wellsfargo.com.
Existing cardholders who choose to transition to the new Bilt Card 2.0 will keep the same card number, and digital wallets should continue to function automatically. Cardholders transitioning from Wells Fargo will also be able to transfer the balance from their old Wells Fargo account. If they so choose, cardholders can have Bilt close the Wells Fargo account on the cardholder’s behalf, which will then happen without further intervention needed by the cardholder (in other words, Bilt will close it with Wells Fargo without you needing to contact Wells Fargo).
If a cardholder keeps their Wells Fargo account open, their Bilt 1.0 card will become a Wells Fargo Autograph Visa Card that earns Wells Fargo Rewards points and will have a new card number.
Will my credit limit transfer automatically from Wells Fargo to the new Bilt 2.0 card?
No. Credit limits will be determined by the new issuing bank and are subject to a review of the individual’s profile. We are told that many customers will see similar or better credit lines, but it remains to be seen how this shakes out.
Can you get two Bilt cards?
No. You can only be the primary cardholder on one account. You may be an authorized user on another account.
Card features and benefits
How will the hotel credits work on the Bilt Obsidian and Bilt Palladium cards? Are there minimum spend or minimum night requirements to use the credits?
There is no minimum amount in order to use the hotel credits, but there is a 2 night minimum stay while using the travel credit or using Bilt Cash. Neither the travel credits nor Bilt Cash can be used for one-night stays.
We’ve been told that it will be possible to pay for a stay using a combination of hotel credits, Bilt Cash, and Bilt points (at 1.25 cents per point value).
Note that we do not yet know what other limits may apply to hotel bookings. There may be a maximum amount of hotel credit or Bilt Cash that can be used per booking or within a set time period.
Is Gold status an automatic benefit on the Palladium Card? How long will it last?
Gold status is part of the welcome bonus on this card. New Bilt Palladium cardholders can unlock Gold elite status after spending $4,000 in spending in the first three months.
That Gold status will be valid for the remainder of the year in which it is earned and the entire next year, as is the norm for Bilt elite status. In other words, those who apply and meet the minimum spending requirements early in 2026 may end up with ~22 months of Gold status.
When and how often can Bilt Obsidian cardholders make or change their selection between 3x dining and 3x grocery?
The Obsidian card will default to dining. After approval, if a cardholder would rather earn 3x grocery, they can go to their Bilt wallet, where they have 30 days from the date of approval to change their desired 3x category to grocery.
Members can switch between dining and grocery one time annually in January, regardless of when their card was opened. We are still clarifying whether those who wish to earn 3x grocery need to re-select it each year.
Those cardholders transitioning from Wells Fargo will be able to make their selection on 2/7/26 when activating the new card.
Will all three Bilt cards offer the same fast track to status by spend?
Yes. Members can fast-track to Bilt elite status by meeting the following non-rent/non-mortgage spend on a Bilt card or through the Bilt network:
- Silver: $10,000 in eligible spend
- Gold: $25,000 in eligible spend
- Platinum: $50,000 in eligible spendYes
Are Bilt elite benefits changing?
No. Benefits and qualifications for Bilt elite status are unchanged thus far.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my card if I want to product change?
We are told that upgrading and downgrading of card products will not be supported in the first year of the Bilt Card 2.0 program. It remains to be seen whether it will be possible to upgrade/downgrade in the future.
Note that Cardless issues the Qatar Airways credit cards (there are two), and the FAQ for those cards indicates that it is not possible to move between Cardless products. The Bilt cards could be handled differently, but to my knowledge, Cardless has not made product changes possible in the rest of their lineup, so I wouldn’t count on it.
Will the Bilt cards be Mastercard World Elite or World Legend cards, and will they carry any Mastercard-related benefits?
The Bilt Blue and Bilt Obsidian cards are World Elite Mastercards. The Bilt Palladium card is a World Legend Mastercard. Bilt provided a quick-reference chart for Mastercard-related benefits which is embedded below, but this list turned out to be incorrect.
The Bilt Blue card is listed in that table as having both Trip Cancellation & Interruption Protection and Trip Delay Reimbursement, but it has neither. On the opposite end of things, the Obsidian card does have Lost or Damaged Luggage Insurance despite that box not being checked in the table.
Bilt Cash: What we know and don’t know
Are there specific redemption requirements or minimum thresholds for using Bilt Cash to unlock rewards on rent/mortgage payments?
No. Cardholders can use any amount of Bilt Cash to earn rewards on rent/mortgage at a rate of $30 in Bilt Cash for up to 1,000 points on rent/mortgage. However, it will be possible to use less Bilt Cash or more Bilt Cash depending on how much Bilt Cash you have and how many points you want to earn from rent/mortgage.
In other words, if you have $45 in Bilt Cash, you can earn up to 1,500 Bilt Points from rent/mortgage fee-free. If you have $4.50 in Bilt Cash, you can earn up to 150 Bilt points from rent/mortgage fee-free, etc.
Does Bilt Cash expire?
Yes. Bilt Cash replaces Milestone Rewards and will expire on December 31st each calendar year, regardless of when it is earned. Up to $100 of Bilt Cash will be rolled over to the next year.
Examples:
- If you end the year with $90 in Bilt Cash, all $90 will roll over to the next year, so none of your Bilt Cash will expire
- If you end the year with $250 in Bilt Cash, $100 will roll over and $150 will expire.
How can Bilt Cash be used?
The short story is that we still don’t know all the details of Bilt Cash’s uses beyond waiving mortgage/rent payment fees.
All Bilt cardholders will earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on all non-rent spend with no cap. We are told that there will be multiple ways to use Bilt Cash, including:
-
- To unlock one-time status upgrades for transfer bonuses or early access to member experiences
- Use Bilt Cash credits dollar-for-dollar in the Bilt network (Lyft, hotel spend, fitness classes, mobile dining, Bilt Collection items, and GoPuff deliveries) with “more redemption options to come.”
- Unlock points on rent/mortgage: every $30 in Bilt Cash unlocks 1,000 points on rent/mortgage payments (with no minimums or specific increments required)
However, there are some limitations we know and some questions that haven’t yet been answered:
- Hotel bookings made using Bilt Cash will be subject to a 2-night minimum
- We don’t yet know about other limitations. For example, will there be caps on how much Bilt Cash can be used per transaction, per day, per week, per month? We will update this FAQ once more is known.
What are the maximum redemption limits for Bilt Cash?
While the new Bilt cards advertise the ability to earn an unlimited 1x on mortgage and rent, the terms of the program indicate that there are maximum amounts of Bilt Cash that can be redeemed per day/week/month. According to program terms, these are the limits at the time of writing:
4.1 Bilt Cash Redemption Maximum Limits
● Maximum Bilt Cash redemption per day: $1,000
● Maximum Bilt Cash redemption per week: $5,000
● Maximum Bilt Cash redemption per month: $10,000
We don’t yet know whether these maximums will apply to redemptions for rewards on mortgage/rent payments or how they may apply to other redemption options.
Update: Bilt has removed this redemption limit wording from their program terms. We don’t know yet if they’ll be added back in once Bilt Cash details have been finalized.
Will new Palladium cardholders get the $200 Bilt Cash benefit (ongoing annual benefit) at opening or only after renewal?
The annual $200 Bilt Cash benefit will be available at account opening in the first year. This stacks on top of the $300 in Bilt Cash offered as part of the new card intro bonus.
Paying rent and mortgage with Bilt
Are all mortgage holders and servicers supported for mortgage payments?
Yes, we are told that all personal mortgage holders and services are supported. Commercial rent and mortgage payments are not supported at this time.
Is there a limit to the amount of rent or mortgage I can pay per month?
Bilt has removed caps on annual rent and mortgage earnings. You will be able to earn across multiple homes, redeeming as much Bilt Cash as you want to unlock up to 1X points on every rent and mortgage payment.
Unlike with Bilt 1.0, rent and mortgage payments made through Bilt will no longer impact your credit line, keeping your spending power available for everyday purchases. There is no preset spending limit on housing. You can earn up to 1X points per dollar of rent/mortgage per home.
How will Bilt cardholders pay their mortgage with the card?
Bilt cardholders will be able to pay their mortgage using Mastercard’s billpay services (embedded directly in Bilt) or via check.
In addition, Bilt will allow you to use your Bilt Card at in-network mortgage providers who are partnered with Bilt (e.g., UWM, where available)
Will cardholders be able to earn rewards on mortgages from any lender?
You will be able to unlock access to Bilt Points on any mortgage with no transaction fee using your Bilt Cash as a Bilt Cardholder.
For every $30 of Bilt Cash, you can get 1,000 points, up to your full rent or mortgage amount, with no minimum or specific increment of Bilt Cash redemption required.
Can we use Bilt Cash to offset rent/mortgage fees when paying with non-Bilt cards?
No. Using Bilt Cash to offset rent and mortgage payment fees is exclusively for Bilt Cardholders.
If you don’t use Bilt Cash, are you paying a 3% fee?
Cardholders are not required to pay a fee to pay rent or mortgage, but a 3% fee applies to earn rewards. Bilt Cardholders can use Bilt Cash to offset that fee up to their Bilt Cash balance to earn up to 1x rewards. Members who do not have enough Bilt Cash to unlock the full 1x points on their rent or mortgage payment will have an option to incur a 3% fee for the difference to earn the full 1x.
Bilt provided the following example: If a Bilt member’s mortgage is $3,000 and they have earned $60 in Bilt Cash, they can use their Bilt Cash and earn 2,000 points with no additional fee. Alternatively, if they want to earn 3,000 points on their mortgage, they will have the option to pay the $30 difference. There will always be the option to not earn on the full rent amount and incur no transaction fee.
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WHEN DOES THE BILLIN CYCLE END?
I decided on Obsidian. I just went to sign up but got a message for me to agree that all future and pending transactions will merge onto the new card. I want to keep the old card active until Feb rent posts. 10K points on the line. Will the old card still allow me to collect 10K in points under 1.0 if I wait to switch (or don’t switch at all).
When it says mortgage payments (like taxes and gift cards) are excluded in the terms, does that mean only Bilt mortgage payments? Since it’s a mastercard, could I use plastiq to pay my mortgage and hit the minimum spend? I’m not sure if plastiq payments code as mortgage payments or something else. I think I remember it coding as “utilities” with BoA.
Also, as a separate question, can you make a mortgage “overpayment” directly to principle and indicate that the overpayment should go to principle when paying with Bilt?
Nick / Greg
i Think you should add the exclusions of purchases that not earn Bilt points and do not count for the SUB
per the terms and Conditions, the following charges to the card do not earn Bilt points and do not count for the SUB
Tax Payments is a nerf ,
Yes, we published a stand-alone post about that earlier today. We will add that here as well, thanks!
One thing not covered is that the TnCs mention that tax payments won’t earn any Bilt points or Bilt cash. That’s a big negative when every other card earns points on tax payments (which anyway charge a fee for paying via a card)
Any idea how Bilt 2.0 plays with the United Wholesale Mortgage partnership? I see you mention that if your mortgage is with UWM (or another preferred lender), you can pay with your Bilt Card — but will you have to apply Bilt cash to earn points on that mortgage payment? I assume so, but not really clear. All the marketing materials for the UWM partnership say you “can earn” Bilt points each time you make an on-time payment with no mention of needing to have the Bilt card or apply Bilt cash.
It seems that not a single travel or card site is expanding on how mortgages will be paid. According to the AMA they had on Reddit, it seems that you’ll have to use/link your bank’s information and pay your mortgage through ACH, but again using YOUR bank and not your Bilt card, so no “floating” rent or mortgage anymore.
Why is no one mentioning this? What’s the point of using the Bilt card if you’re using your one bank to make the payment and not the card? Just for the POTENTIAL of getting Bilt points, that’s it?
Yes — that is the same as rent if your landlord offers an ACH debit feature.
Seems a bit obvious to me, so perhaps that is why no one is mentioning.
What happens to locked mortgage/rent points? Do they continue to accumulate indefinitely, reset each month, or reset on 12/31 like Bilt Cash?
For example: if I pay $3000 mortgage in January and unlock 2000 pts of it with 60 Bilt Cash, what happens to the remaining 1000 mortgage points? Can I unlock them in February?
If I pay my $3000 mortgage again in February, will I now have 4000 points accumulated and able to unlock if I spend enough?
Nope. I forgot where I read this yesterday (I think somewhere in the hundreds of comments on the AMA) but you can only apply Bilt Cash at the time you make the mortgage/rent payment, you can’t go back in time to apply it to previously made payments.
Oh I see. So you will have to have built cash saved up ready to go before you make a mortgage payment. Got it. Thanks.
I reached out to BILT’s live chat and got some answers to a bunch of questions I’ve seen people asking here. Rather than respond to them individually, can I just upload the screen record of my text message chain with BILT?
I know I can add someone as an AU on the Palladium card for $95 and they will get Priority Pass. I don’t need Priority Pass as I have on another card. Would I be able to sign another person up for the Bilt Priority Pass in my place or would they need a Bilt card too?
Wondering the same thing. I have multiple priority passes but my P2 does not. It would be awesome if I can sign them up for priority pass. But if I have to add them as an authorized user for $95 and they get their own, that might be very worth it. Unless I’m missing something?
The terms and conditions you have linked for Bilt Cash do not indicate a $1000 limit or that hotel bookings have a 2 night minimum. My research shows neither of these indicated in any currently-published Bilt documentation. These items should probably be hashed out with Bilt, but they are currently not supported by the provided terms.
We’ve updated the post. That certainly was in the terms — I copied and pasted it from their site.
Appreciate the update. Hopefully they’ll provide more clarity soon. It’d be nice if deleting that from the terms means they won’t be including limits, but I don’t know that I see that happening.
The one question I haven’t seen answered anywhere is if estimated tax payments will count as 1x spend on the card and earn Bilt cash? With Bilt 1.0, estimated taxes were exempt from the Rent Day bonus so I’m curious about how it will work with 2.0.
It doesn’t look like it. T&C for BILT 1.0 only excludes tax payments from bonus points, but still earns the standard points. T&C for BILT 2.0 excludes tax payments from earning any points or BILT cash, which is a bummer. I don’t think they want to be giving out 4% BILT cash and 2x points on high dollar amount estimated tax payments.
What about property tax payments? I get them closing the IRS tax loophole, but property taxes seems more relevant to the card’s purpose.
the Terms and Conditions ( page 3 ) excludes Tax Payments and Gift Card to earn Bilt Points, Bilt Cash and Do not count for the SUB.
this is a huge bummer
the Terms and Conditions ( page 3 ) excludes Tax Payments and Gift Card to earn Bilt Points, Bilt Cash and Do not count for the SUB.
this is a huge bummer
Three things I’d like to learn more about.
I was wondering about your first point as well!
Quick answers as best I can:
1) You can roll over $100. So, in theory, if you use all of your Bilt Cash throughout the year so you’re at $0 in Bilt Cash after the rent payment, and you spend more than $2,500 on your card in the month of December, you’ll need to find other ways to use Bilt Cash I guess. I don’t disagree that the December 31st expiration is really poorly designed.
2) I think (and this is just an educated guess) that they mean you can’t pay rent for your pizza shop in Times Square — commercial space. That said, I don’t know for sure — I wasn’t even familiar with what a DSCR mortgage is, so I really don’t know the answer here for sure.
3) Since paying mortgage hasn’t even launched yet, I don’t know the answer to this and probably won’t have a full picture until sometime after the new cards come out in February.
Some mortgage providers will let you reschedule your payment for an earlier day. That’s going to be my strategy for end of year payments.
We are missing one important FAQ: what do we need to do if we don’t want to transition into Bilt 2.0 and stay with Wells Fargo only?
I’m not interested in their new cards and won’t pay rent with Bilt anymore. Do i just wait for the time to expire on their transition period?
I believe you just don’t pick a new card, but I’ll see if I can get confirmation on that.
Nick, if we don’t choose a Bilt card, we keep all our Bilt points in our account, right? We don’t need to have a Bilt card to keep our points, right? (I hope)
TY.
Correct that you don’t need a Bilt card. I don’t have a Bilt card, but I earned points yesterday at Walgreens by using a linked credit card to pay at checkout and I earned a bunch from the last Rakuten payout. Bilt is a rewards program that exists independently from the credit card. In fact, the credit card is a small part of the overall program these days.
Will transferring to Bilt 2.0 take up a 5/24 slot?
I expect that it will. And if you keep Wells Fargo, I expect that the Autograph card will as well. If you’re concerned about 5/24, this transition is definitely a pain.
From Wells Fargo FAQ (https://sites.wf.com/bilt-conversion-faq/): Your account age and credit history from your existing Wells Fargo Bilt Mastercard will carry over. Does this still mean it will count for 5/24?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the WF card will only count toward 5/24 if you got the Bilt card within the last two years. If you’re past 5/24 on the old Bilt card, I don’t think the WF conversion will restart the clock or anything like that. But I would be interested in double checking that with @Nick Reyes.
on the other hand, if you decide to get the Bilt 2.0 card, that will most certainly take up a new spot on 5/24, as has previously been reported. But if you apply by the deadline, no hard inquiry at least.
Everyone got a Bilt card in the past 2 years (for 5/24 puposes) because it hasn’t been two full years since the last time they did this (converting all of us to Well Fargo version of Bilt).