Bilt, the fintech rewards program best known for rent- and mortgage-related benefits, announced a set of program changes for 2027 that alter how cardholders earn and spend rewards. The company said it is retiring the program’s current default Bilt Cash earning mode and moving card accounts to a simpler set of benefits beginning on each account’s next anniversary.
What Bilt is changing
The company outlined several updates, some of which reduce flexibility for existing members and others that add new options for elite members. Key changes Bilt announced include:
- Default earning mode removed: Bilt will stop awarding Bilt Cash by default. The program’s existing Flexible Bilt Cash mode — which currently provides 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spending in addition to points — will be retired.
- New default rent/mortgage earning: Cardholders will by default earn up to 1.25x points on rent and mortgage payments, with the rate tiered by monthly card spending, the company said.
- Bilt Cash expiration and redemptions: The program will change when Bilt Cash expires and impose new limits on hotel bookings that can be paid with Bilt Cash.
- Elite status and upgrades: Bilt said it will expand elite-status perks and introduce online product upgrades and new Daily Rewards redemptions.
Bilt framed the changes as a simplification of benefits. The company said the default move to points and the retirement of Flexible Bilt Cash are part of a broader retooling of how members earn and redeem rewards.
Context and what it means for cardholders
For cardholders who currently rely on the Flexible Bilt Cash mode, the change is material. Under that mode, members received 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases in addition to points; Bilt’s announcement says that mode will no longer be the default. Cardholders who value the 4% Bilt Cash feature will need to review Bilt’s new account options when their next card anniversary arrives to see whether they can opt into an alternative earning configuration if Bilt makes one available.
The changes also tighten how Bilt Cash can be spent on hotels, an important redemption channel for many rewards consumers. Bilt did not publish exact new limits or the precise new expiration terms in the material released with the announcement, but said those rule changes will take effect for members as accounts convert to the new benefit set.
Program adjustments like these are common across credit‑card and rewards issuers as companies rebalance benefits, profitability and customer segmentation. For consumers, the practical effects depend on how Bilt implements opt-in or grandfathering options, whether competitors respond with more generous offers, and how members who pay rent by card re-evaluate the value of points versus cash-style rebates.
What cardholders should watch for
- Account anniversary notices from Bilt describing the exact effective date for an individual card and whether any legacy options remain available.
- Detailed terms on Bilt Cash expiration and the new hotel‑booking limits before attempting a large redemption.
- Whether Bilt offers a switch or opt-in back to any cash-style earning modes for members who prefer the previous 4% Bilt Cash benefit.
Bilt’s announcement lists a series of product and policy updates for 2027 and frames them as an effort to simplify the program. Cardholders who use Bilt for housing payments, hotel redemptions or as a regular cashback vehicle should review any notices from Bilt ahead of their next account anniversary to understand how the changes will apply to their accounts.
