This is a clip from a recent full-length episode.
Bilt Updates: Bilt Cash Expiration, Hotel Redemptions, Rental Car Status Matches & Daily Rewards
Justin Vacula of the Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast is joined by returning co-host Darren to explain major Bilt Rewards changes, including improved Bilt Cash expiration rules, changes to hotel redemptions, new rental car status matches, Daily Rewards, updated annual credits, and changes to how cardholders can earn rewards on housing payments.
One of the biggest improvements is a change to Bilt Cash expiration. Instead of most Bilt Cash expiring at the end of the calendar year, Bilt Cash will now expire 12 months after you earn it, giving cardholders more time to use their rewards. Justin and Darren also discuss changes to Bilt Cash hotel redemptions. Instead of a monthly hotel redemption opportunity, Bilt plans to offer the benefit twice per year.
They examine whether the added flexibility around expiration makes up for having fewer hotel redemption windows. Bilt is also adding new rental car status opportunities for 2027, including status matches with Sixt and Hertz.
Justin and Darren discuss how rental car elite status can provide benefits such as upgrades, faster service, and other perks for travelers. Another major change involves Bilt’s housing rewards structure.
Bilt is retiring the flexible Bilt Cash mode, which offered 4% back in Bilt Cash. Cardholders will instead default to an option providing a 1.25x housing rewards benefit tied to the card anniversary unless they opt out. Justin and Darren compare the value of the previous 4% Bilt Cash option with the new 1.25x structure and discuss which cardholder may benefit more.
Annual credits are also moving from the calendar year to the cardmember anniversary year. The episode also covers Bilt’s upcoming Daily Rewards feature, which rewards activity such as making housing payments and interacting with neighborhood partners.
Prizes include points and other rewards, with top prizes advertised as high as $1 million toward a home or 10 million Bilt points. Justin and Darren also react to the upcoming Bilt Rent Week promotion, review their own Bilt points, Bilt Cash balances, spending totals, and redemptions, and answer listener questions.
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