The Bilt Palladium Card is Bilt’s flagship premium product. It’s designed for renters, homeowners, and frequent travelers who want to turn everyday spending into high‑value, transferable points. While Bilt’s ecosystem is newer than established programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, this card’s earning structure makes it exceptionally attractive.

It earns a flat 2x points on everyday spending, alongside unique earnings on rent and mortgage payments. It’s also an ideal option for cardholders who already earn points with Chase, Amex, or Capital One and want to diversify their transfer partner options.

With a $495 annual fee and a suite of upscale perks, it sits at the top of Bilt’s refreshed card lineup and introduces benefits Bilt has never offered before. To help offset the annual fee, the card includes up to $400 in annual hotel credits for bookings made through the Bilt Travel Portal, as well as $200 in annual Bilt Cash. It also charges no foreign transaction fees and comes packed with comprehensive luxury travel protections, including trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, and a Priority Pass membership.

Who is this card for?

The Bilt Palladium Card is aimed at travelers who want premium perks without jumping to the $795–$895 tier of the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Platinum. It’s a great fit for:

• Renters or homeowners who want to earn points on housing payments with no transaction fees
• Travelers who value Priority Pass lounge access, premium travel protections, and hotel credits
• People who want a simple, high‑earning structure on everyday purchases
• Cardholders who want access to Bilt’s 25+ transfer partners, including Hyatt, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and Air Canada Aeroplan

If you’re already in the Bilt ecosystem or you’re looking for a premium card with a more curated, lifestyle‑focused set of perks, the Palladium Card is worth a look.

You can apply for the Bilt Palladium Card here.

Card Features

Welcome Bonus

You’ll earn 50,000 Bilt points plus Bilt Gold Elite status after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months. You also receive $300 in Bilt Cash upon approval, which can be used across the Bilt ecosystem. Bilt also offers a referral program where you can earn additional points when family and friends apply and are approved using your unique link.

Annual Fee

The card comes with a $495 annual fee, which is not waived the first year.

Earning Rates

On everyday, non-housing spending, the Bilt Palladium Card earns an uncapped 2x Bilt Points per $1 spent.

For housing payments (rent or mortgage), payments processed through the Bilt network incur $0 in transaction fees and earn points based on your account setup and overall monthly credit card spend. Cardholders must choose between two primary reward tracks in their Bilt account settings:

Option 1: Flexible Bilt Cash Track

If you opt into Flexible Bilt Cash, you earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on all everyday non-housing spending in addition to your baseline 2x Bilt points.

• How Bilt Cash Works: Bilt Cash is a separate currency pegged at a $1 face value; cardholders earn $4 of Bilt Cash for every $100 spent on everyday purchases
• Redeeming Bilt Cash for Housing Points: Bilt Cash can be redeemed to unlock Bilt points on rent or mortgage payments at a rate of $30 of Bilt Cash per 1,000 Bilt points (or $3 per 100 points); for example, on a $2,000 monthly rent payment, redeeming $60 of Bilt Cash unlocks the full 2,000 Bilt points
• Redeeming Bilt Cash for the Point Accelerator: Bilt Cash can also be used toward the Point Accelerator perk (spending $200 Bilt Cash to boost card earnings to 3x points on up to $5,000 of spend), applied toward fitness classes/merchant partners, or redeemed toward student loan balances
• Alternative Bilt Cash Uses: Bilt Cash can also be applied toward statement credits, gift cards, fitness classes, merchant partners (i.e. Walgreens or Lyft), or redeemed toward student loan balances

Option 2: Housing-Only Rewards Track

If you choose Housing-Only Rewards, you forgo earning 4% Bilt Cash on everyday spending. Instead, you automatically unlock points on your monthly rent or mortgage payment based on how much you spend on the card relative to your housing cost during that billing cycle:

Monthly Non-Housing Spend (as % of Housing Payment)	Housing Multiplier Earned
Less than 25%	Flat 250 points total
25% to 49%	0.5x points
50% to 74%	0.75x points
75% to 99%	1.0x points
100% or more	1.25x points

Example: If your mortgage is $3,000/month and you put at least $3,000 of everyday purchases on your Bilt Palladium Card in that billing cycle, you automatically earn 1.25x points on the mortgage ($3,750 Bilt Points) without needing to hold or manage a Bilt Cash balance.

Which Strategy Makes Sense?

1. High Spenders (Spend ≥ Housing Payment): The Housing-Only track is typically the most effortless option. Matching or exceeding your monthly housing cost with card spend unlocks the maximum 1.25x multiplier on rent/mortgage without manual redemptions.
2. Flexible/Strategic Users: The Flexible Bilt Cash track benefits those who want flexibility. High earners can apply Bilt Cash toward the Point Accelerator (to earn 3x on everyday spend) or use earned Bilt Cash to cover housing points on months when non-housing credit card spend fluctuates.

Earning Through Partner Programs and Booking Methods

The Bilt Palladium Card also features other ways to earn more than the flat 2x.

• 3x extra points per $1 at Bilt Dining partner restaurants for a total of 5x points
• 2x extra points per $1 on hotels and flights booked through the Bilt Travel Portal for a total of 4x points
• 2x extra points per $1 on Lyft rides after linking accounts for a total of 4x points

Rent Day Boost

On the first of every month (“Rent Day”), Bilt doubles the points earned for credit card spend, with a limit of 1,000 bonus points.

Compared to top competitors like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or The Platinum Card® from American Express, this card shines by offering a solid 2x base multiplier on all non-category spending while still unlocking high-value rewards on rent or mortgage payments.

Card Benefits

Annual Travel Credit

Each year, you receive up to $400 in hotel credits, applied as two $200 statement credits every six months, for qualifying hotel bookings of two consecutive nights or more made through the Bilt Travel Portal.

Airport Lounge Access

The Palladium Card includes Priority Pass membership for you and two guests, valued at $469 per year. This grants access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide.

Bilt Dining Program

The Palladium Card unlocks enhanced benefits at over 20,000 Bilt Dining restaurants, including:

• Bonus points on eligible dining experiences
• Access to curated restaurant events
• Priority reservations at select partner restaurants

When you pay with your linked Bilt Palladium Card at one of these partner venues, your base card earning stacks with the Bilt Dining program rewards to total 5x points per $1 spent. For frequent diners, this can add meaningful value throughout the year.

Bilt Cash

Cardholders receive $200 of Bilt Cash annually to use toward travel redemptions, student loans, or unlocking full point earnings on housing costs. Up to $100 of unused Bilt Cash rolls over to the following year. You can also earn 4% Bilt Cash on everyday purchases, which can be used toward fitness classes, experiences, or other Bilt ecosystem redemptions.

While Bilt Cash can be redeemed for various lifestyle credits, the two absolute best uses for maximizing your overall points-earning power are focused directly on boosting your return on spend:

• Unlocking Rent or Mortgage Points: Every $30 in Bilt Cash unlocks 1,000 Bilt Points on your housing payments (with zero transaction fees). You can even set Bilt to apply your Bilt Cash to your housing balance automatically each month. From a pure points-yield perspective, converting Bilt Cash into high-value Bilt points on rent or mortgage is consistently one of the strongest standing redemptions available.
• Activating the Points Accelerator: Cardholders can redeem $200 in Bilt Cash to add an extra 1 bonus point per $1 spent on their next $5,000 in everyday purchases. You can trigger this option up to 5 times per calendar year, effectively transforming everyday spending into a supercharged 3x points-earning machine.

Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance

Get reimbursed up to $2,000 maximum per covered traveler per trip for the cost of nonrefundable common carrier tickets if your trip is cancelled or interrupted for a covered reason. Eligible covered travelers include you, your spouse or domestic partner, and your dependent children traveling on the trip. You must pay for entire cost of the covered traveler’s common carrier fare (less any certificates, vouchers, or coupons) with your Bilt Palladium Card.

Trip Delay Reimbursement

Provides coverage if a trip you paid for with your covered card is delayed for six hours or more due to a covered loss, which may include inclement weather or sudden injury or illness, you will be reimbursed up to $300 for covered expenses including meals and accommodations during your delay.

Baggage Delay Insurance

Provides reimbursement, up to $250 per claim, for the cost of essential items such as clothing and toiletries if the cardholder’s luggage is delayed in getting to the scheduled destination.

Lost or Damaged Luggage Reimbursement

Provides reimbursement, up to $1,500 per claim, for checked or carry-on luggage that is lost or damaged while traveling on a common carrier. You must pay the entire cost of the common carrier ticket(s) with your covered card and/or accumulated points from your covered card.

MasterRental Coverage (car rental insurance)

Coverage is secondary within the eligible renter’s country of residence and primary outside of that country. The vast majority of credit cards offer some type of coverage when it comes to auto rentals. However, there are two different coverage categories (primary and secondary) and knowing the difference is key. 

Secondary coverage is what most credit cards offer and it applies after your own personal auto insurance policy. Typically it means that your auto insurer pays the claim, but the card will reimburse your deductible and potentially other costs not covered by your personal policy.

There are only a handful of consumer credit cards that offer primary auto rental CDW coverage:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred®
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• United℠ Explorer Card
• United Quest Card
• United Club Infinite Card
• Capital One Venture X Card
• Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® Card

No Foreign Transaction Fees

The Palladium Card charges no foreign transaction fees, making it a strong option for international travel.

Cell Phone Protection

When you pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card, you can get up to $800 per claim if your cell phone is damaged or stolen. Coverage is limited to 2 claims in a 12 month period, $1,000 maximum per card and each claim has a $50 deductible.

Purchase Protection

Eligible new purchases are covered against damage or theft for 90 days from the date of purchase, up to $1,000 per loss and $50,000 per account per year.

Extended Warranty Protection

This benefit extends the manufacturer’s warranty by up to two additional years on eligible original warranties of five years or less.

Redeeming Points

Maximizing the value of Bilt Rewards points comes down to understanding the gap between convenience and potential return. Depending on how you choose to redeem them, your points can yield anywhere from half a cent to well over two cents apiece.

The absolute best way to stretch your Bilt points is by transferring them to one of Bilt’s 1:1 airline and hotel loyalty partners. By sending points directly to programs like World of Hyatt, Air Canada Aeroplan, American Airlines AAdvantage, or Flying Blue, you unlock redemption values that routinely reach 1.8 to 2.2 cents per point. Values can be even more when booking premium business class seats or high-end luxury resort stays.

For a middle-ground approach that prioritizes simplicity, booking directly through the Bilt Travel portal yields a solid fixed value. Points redeemed through the portal for flights, hotel stays, or car rentals typically cover purchases at 1.0 to 1.25 cents per point. While this caps your upside compared to partner transfers, it eliminates the need to search for award space availability or navigate partner award charts, making it a great fallback for cash-rate travel bookings.

If you are saving for a milestone, Bilt offers a unique middle-tier option that lets you apply points toward a home down payment or closing costs at a rate of 1.5 cents per point. This delivers an above-average return on a practical goal for renters looking to transition into homeownership.

The least lucrative way to use your points involves converting them into cash-equivalent daily redemptions. Applying points directly as statement credits toward your monthly rent payment, booking boutique fitness classes, or checking out on Amazon and Lyft generally yields only 0.5 to 0.8 cents per point. While these options offer quick, flexible savings on everyday expenses, they severely undercut the potential value your points could command when saved for travel.

Rent Day Transfer Bonus

On the first of every month (“Rent Day”), Bilt frequently offers limited-time transfer bonuses ranging from 25% to 150% to featured travel partners, dramatically increasing the value of transferred points.

For more information on Citi’s flexible points program, check out The Complete Guide to Bilt Rewards.

Who should look for another card?

The premium travel card space features plenty of compelling alternatives. To decide which card best aligns with your goals, compare annual fees, credits, and point-earning structures against your monthly budget.

One option, that is a fairly direct competitor, is the Capital One Venture X® Rewards card. It carries similar annual fee (actually $100 less) and offers flexible transfer partners alongside broad travel perks.

If you want strong point multipliers without as high of an upfront fee, look into mid-tier options like the Bilt Obsidian Card or American Express® Gold Card.

The Bilt Obsidian Card carries a $95 annual fee and offers 3x points on your choice of dining or groceries (up to $25,000/year) along with a $100 annual Bilt Travel hotel credit.

The American Express® Gold Card is another solid alternative. While it carries a $325 annual fee, it delivers massive rewards for food lovers with 4x points on dining and U.S. supermarkets (up to statutory limits), along with annual dining credits.

Bottom Line

With a flat 2x point earning rate on all everyday spend, solid introductory Bilt Cash, and fee-free rewards on housing payments, the Bilt Palladium Card delivers high value for high-spending cardholders. Generous perks like the $400 annual hotel credit, Priority Pass, and robust travel coverage quickly help offset its $495 annual fee.

If you are looking for a standalone luxury card that simplifies daily earning while offering versatile transfer options to top airlines and hotels, the Bilt Palladium Card is an excellent addition to your wallet.

The Bilt Palladium Card is a polished, premium addition to the Bilt Rewards ecosystem. With a 50,000‑point welcome bonus, Gold status, Priority Pass access, $400 in hotel credits, and a simple 2x earning structure on everyday purchases, it delivers meaningful value—especially for renters and homeowners who want to earn points on housing payments without fees.

If you’re already earning transferable points with Chase or Amex, the Palladium Card is a strong complementary option. And if you’re in the Bilt ecosystem already, it’s arguably the most powerful way to accelerate your rewards.

Apply here for the Bilt Palladium Card.