Bilt, the loyalty program built around paying rent, is reshaping its rewards from January 2027 — and there's a hard deadline at the end of 2026 that cardholders shouldn't sleep on. Anyone who wants to keep the flexible 4% Bilt Cash earning option must both apply for and be approved on a Bilt card by December 31, 2026. Existing members can opt out of the new scheme in their card settings before their card anniversary, but the switch to the new model is permanent either way. Miss the opt-out window and you're in the new structure for good.
The headline addition is Daily Rewards, launching January 15, 2027. Pay rent or a mortgage on time, or make one qualifying purchase with a neighbourhood partner — a restaurant meal, fitness class or Lyft ride — and you unlock a daily choice between two rewards. One path reveals an instant prize: points or Bilt Cash of unknown value until you pick. The other path is collectible pieces; collect all four in a set and you win the attached prize outright. Prizes include $1 million toward a home, 10 million Bilt Points, a year of free rent or mortgage, free Lyft rides for a year and a dream getaway. For cardholders, this stacks on top of housing earnings; for members paying rent without a Bilt card, it replaces the existing rent rewards.
For most customers, the default card earning becomes the housing option — up to 1.25x points on rent, unlocked by spending at least as much as your housing payment each billing cycle. The 4% Flexible Bilt Cash option survives, but only for those who opt out in time. Heavy spenders arguably lose flexibility, since under the housing scheme extra spending no longer boosts the multiplier, and you can no longer toggle between options.
Premium card perks are being rebalanced too. The Palladium Card's $200 annual Bilt Cash plus $400 hotel credit becomes a simpler $600 in Bilt Cash for everyone on the new model, deposited at the card anniversary. The Obsidian's $100 hotel credit converts to $100 Bilt Cash. New-model members can also spend Bilt Cash on Point Accelerators — $200 buys one extra point per dollar on $5,000 of spend, so a $600 deposit can generate 15,000 bonus points.
Hotel redemptions are the clear loser. The monthly Bilt Cash hotel discounts drop to twice a year, and the ability to stack a $200 card hotel credit with a $100 discount — effectively $300 off a two-night stay — disappears unless you're on the legacy scheme. On the plus side, Bilt Cash expiration improves dramatically: instead of everything over $100 vanishing on December 31, each amount now lasts twelve months from when it was earned.
Elite members get some goodwill: Gold and Platinum members can book Home Away From Home luxury hotels at 1.25 cents per point, and Platinum members can match to Hertz President's Circle and SIXT Platinum status.
Why it matters: Bilt points are widely considered among the most valuable travel currencies thanks to strong transfer partners and frequent transfer bonuses. If you rent and travel on points, the December 31, 2026 deadline is the decision point — keep 4% cash earning, or lock into the housing model for good. Source: View from the Wing.
