How to earn Bilt points, why they matter, and how to use them for nearly-free travel — even without a credit card!

Why Bilt Is Suddenly Everywhere

If you’ve been hearing more people talk about “Bilt points” lately, there’s a reason! Bilt points are incredibly valuable and getting easier and easier to earn — even if you don’t have a Bilt credit card.

What makes Bilt stand out is how strong its transfer partners are. You can move Bilt points to programs like Alaska, Hyatt, Flying Blue, and more, which opens the door to some amazing redemptions!

Here’s the part most people miss: you don’t need a Bilt credit card to start earning Bilt points!

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what Bilt points are, how they work, and the simplest ways to start earning them today — all without opening the credit card.

The Bilt credit card is going through a big refresh. The old Wells Fargo Bilt Mastercard closed to new applications in November 2025, and Bilt is rolling out an all-new three-card lineup in February 2026 that will allow you to pay your mortgage with a credit card! We will get more info on these new cards in January 2026.

What Are Bilt Points?

Most rewards currencies fall into two buckets:

Bank points (Chase, American Express, Capital One)
Airline or hotel points (Delta miles, Hyatt points, etc)

Bilt points are a third category. They’re not bank points or airline/hotel points, but like bank points, they are very flexible, they can transfer to many different airline and hotel loyalty programs, and you can get outsized value when you redeem them strategically.

4 Steps to Start Earning Bilt Points Today (No Credit Card Required):

STEP 1 — Create Your Free Bilt Account

Before you do anything else, you’ll want a Bilt account so the points you earn have a place to go.

👉🏼 Create your free Bilt account here

STEP 2 — Link Your Bilt + Rakuten Accounts

As of late 2025, Bilt and Rakuten teamed up so that any cash-back you earn through Rakuten can now be paid out directly as Bilt Points!

Here’s why this matters: when you link the two, you shop online exactly like you always do — clothes, gifts, home goods, holiday shopping — but instead of earning additional cash back, you earn Bilt Points! If you shop online even occasionally, this is a nearly effortless way to rack up travel-worthy points from purchases you’re already making.

👉🏼 Sign up for a free Rakuten account here!
(You’ll get $50 — or 5,000 Bilt Points — when you spend $50 for a limited time with my referral link.)

🚨 Important: Make sure the email on your Rakuten account matches the email on your Bilt account.

👉🏼 Then link Rakuten + Bilt inside your Bilt app.

Tap “Rewards” then “Everyday Rewards” then “Earn points with Rakuten” to link! This is truly one of my favorite ways to earn Bilt points!

For additional context about Rakuten (and why it’s a HUGE part of my point EARNING strategy) → READ HERE!

STEP 3 — Link Your Lyft Account

When you link your Lyft account to Bilt, you’ll earn an additional 2x Bilt points on any Lyft ride on top of the points you’ll earn from paying with your credit card. Every Lyft ride will earn Bilt points automatically once the accounts are linked!

👉🏼 Link Lyft + Bilt here

Tap the “Rideshare” tab and select “Link Lyft Account.” You’ll be asked to confirm that the phone number associated with your Bilt account is the same as the one associated with your Lyft account. These numbers must match to link!

STEP 4 — Link Your Credit or Debit Cards

When you link your existing cards to Bilt, you can earn Bilt points on top of the points you’re already earning with that card.

Here’s what linking lets you do:

Stack rewards: earn your regular card’s points (ex: 3x dining) plus Bilt points on the same purchase
Neighborhood Dining: thousands of partner restaurants give bonus Bilt points just for paying with your linked card
Fitness + Wellness: select fitness studios and even Walgreens earn extra Bilt points automatically

👉🏼 Link Credit Cards Here

Go to the Wallet tab, tap "Add card," and either use the instant linking feature for eligible cards or manually enter your cards.

How to Use Your Bilt Points

This is the FUN part! Bilt arguably has the very BEST transfer partners and transferring your points is where you often get outsized travel value. You can transfer/move your Bilt points at a 1:1 ratio to:

Bilt Hotel Transfer Partners:

Hilton Honors
Marriott Bonvoy
World of Hyatt
IHG One Rewards
Accor Live Limitless (this one transfers at a 3:2 ratio)

Tips for beginners:

Only transfer when you’re ready to book (transfers are one-way!)
Check award space before moving points
Compare Bilt Travel Portal prices — sometimes it’s cheaper but if you transfer to “sweet spot” transfer partners like Hyatt, Alaska, Flying Blue and more, you will almost always be better off transferring your points!

Bilt Rent Day (Monthly Bonus Day)

Bilt Rent Day happens on the first of every month and offers special bonuses for Bilt members, including things like double points, transfer bonuses, or limited-time promotions. It’s designed to reward you on the day most people pay rent—even if you don’t rent through Bilt.

FAQs

Is Bilt worth it if you don’t have the Bilt credit card?

Yes! You get access to unique transfer partners. (For example, Bilt is the ONLY transfer parter of Alaska Airlines and one of my favorite airline programs!) It costs nothing to create a free account with Bilt and it builds alongside your bank points! Why not take advantage of Bilt?!

Is Bilt worth it if you don’t rent?

Yes! By taking advantage of Rakuten, Lyft, Bilt Dining, transfer bonuses and Rent Day promos - you can earn Bilt points without paying rent through Bilt!

Do Bilt points expire?
No — as long as your account is active every 12 months.

Does linking cards hurt my credit?
No. It’s like linking your card to DoorDash, Uber, or Apple Pay.

Do I need the credit card?
No. Everything in this guide works without one.

Is Bilt safe?
Yes. Bilt uses the same bank-level security used by major payment processors.

Final Thoughts

Here’s what I wish I would’ve known when I started learning points: Bilt should be one of the very first things you set up. It’s totally free, takes minutes, and connects you to top airline and hotel partners right away with no credit card sign up required!

Ready to start earning Bilt points today?
👉🏼 Create your free Bilt account
👉🏼 Link Rakuten + Lyft
👉🏼 Link your cards
👉🏼 Make your every day purchases

You’ll be surprised how quickly those points start growing.

FREE Beginner’s Guide to Points and Miles

Want to travel for free?! ✈️ Grab a FREE Beginner's Guide to Points and Miles and learn how to redeem FREE TRAVEL this year! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD!

I appreciate it so much when you use my affiliate links that are linked in the post.

The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Bilt Rewards

Why Bilt Is Suddenly Everywhere

What Are Bilt Points?