Bilt Mastercard Payoff Calculator (2026)

Card data, May 13, 2026

• Issuer: Wells Fargo, in partnership with Bilt Rewards
• Network: Mastercard World Elite
• APR: 21.49% to 29.99% variable
• Annual fee: $0
• Rewards:
  • 1x point per dollar on rent payments through Bilt (no transaction fee, up to $100,000 in rent annually, capped at 100,000 points)
  • 3x points per dollar on dining
  • 2x points per dollar on travel
  • 1x points per dollar on all other purchases
• Activity requirement: Must make at least 5 transactions per statement cycle to earn any points that cycle (rent counts as one transaction)
• Points value: 1.25 cents per point when redeemed for future rent through Bilt; transfer partners include American Airlines, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France/KLM Flying Blue, AVIOS family, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Emirates Skywards, Hawaiian Airlines, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott Bonvoy
• Foreign transaction fee: 0%
• Intro APR offer: None
• Late fee: up to $40
• Penalty APR: None
• Minimum payment: 1% of balance plus interest and fees, with a $25 floor
• Typical FICO floor for approval: 690

Source: Bilt Mastercard terms via Wells Fargo, verified 2026-05-13.

TL;DR

The Bilt Mastercard is the only credit card that earns rewards on rent without charging the cardholder a 2.5% to 3% transaction fee. Other cards (Plastiq, RentRedi processed) charge the renter a fee on the order of the rewards earned, making rent rewards a wash. Bilt eliminates the fee, which is what makes the card structurally unique.

The earning structure is unusual:

• 1x on rent (no fee) is uncapped to 100,000 points per year, equal to $100,000 rent
• 3x on dining and 2x on travel are competitive but not best-in-class
• The 5-transaction-per-statement rule means lazy use (1 to 2 swipes a month) earns zero points

For a renter paying $1,800 a month, the rent earning alone is 21,600 points a year. At 1.25 cents per point toward future rent, that is $270 a year of effective rent discount. No other card offers this without a fee.

For a balance carrier, the APR is high (up to 29.99%) and there is no intro 0% offer. Bilt is a rewards card, not a debt tool. Use Wells Fargo Reflect for transfers, Bilt for new spend including rent.

Math worked example

$4,000 balance at 25% APR (mid range), $200 per month payment:

• 27 months to payoff
• $1,200 in interest
• Total cost: $5,200 (no annual fee)

Same balance transferred to Wells Fargo Reflect (5% fee = $200, 21 months 0%):

• 21 months at $200 per month
• $0 interest accrual during promo
• Total cost: $4,200
• Savings: $1,000

For payoff acceleration, transfer the balance to Reflect. Keep using Bilt for the rent earning and the 3x dining once the balance is paid off elsewhere.

How rent earning actually works

Bilt’s rent earning is one of the most-discussed credit card mechanics in 2024 to 2026 because there is genuinely nothing comparable. The setup:

1. Add the landlord’s payment details in the Bilt app: ACH, check, or wire
2. Each month, Bilt charges the rent to the cardholder’s Bilt Mastercard at the rent amount
3. Bilt pays the landlord by ACH, check, or wire (whichever the landlord accepts) at no charge to either party
4. The cardholder pays the credit card bill (with the rent charge on it) as normal

Bilt earns money on the merchant fees from non-rent transactions on the card. The rent earning is the loss leader to drive non-rent spending to the card.

The 5-transaction-per-statement rule is the activity gate. If a cardholder pays rent through Bilt but never uses the card for anything else, that is 1 transaction per statement, and Bilt does not award points for that cycle. The fix is 4 more swipes per month: dining, gas, a streaming subscription, a phone bill. Easy enough but is an actual rule.

Why Bilt’s APR is higher than other Wells Fargo cards

Bilt’s 21.49% to 29.99% range starts 2 points above Reflect (17.24%) and 1.5 points above Active Cash (19.74%). The likely reason: the rent earning structure shifts more spend to the card than typical use, and the cohort skews younger and lower-income (renters in cities), both of which raise the actuarial risk Wells Fargo prices in.

The practical implication: if you carry a balance, Bilt is one of the worst Wells Fargo cards for it. Use it for rent and dining, pay in full monthly.

Run your specific Bilt numbers

The pillar tool accepts the Bilt Mastercard APR. Pull your exact rate from the statement.

How Bilt points redeem

Three main paths:

1. Future rent: 1.25 cents per point. Available once you have been a Bilt cardmember for 6+ months.
2. Travel transfer partners: variable cents per point. Partners include the 10+ airlines and 3 hotel programs listed above. American Airlines and Hyatt transfers can be worth 2 cents per point or more for premium-cabin or aspirational hotel redemptions.
3. Statement credit / Bilt Rewards portal: 1 cent per point. The least valuable option.

The rent-redemption path is the daily-driver value. The travel transfer path is the aspirational value. The statement credit path is the floor.

Bilt Rent Day (the first of each month)

On the first of each calendar month, Bilt doubles all non-rent category earnings. Dining becomes 6x. Travel becomes 4x. Other purchases become 2x. The cap is 1,000 bonus points per Rent Day.

Practical play: stockpile non-essential card spend (Costco run, Amazon purchase, a flight booking) for the first of the month. The doubled earning rates on Rent Day can add 12,000 to 15,000 bonus points per year for a deliberate user.

When Bilt is the right card

Two scenarios where Bilt is genuinely best-in-class:

1. Renter paying $1,000+ per month in rent who can also commit to 5+ transactions per statement: the rent earning alone covers months of mortgage-equivalent savings
2. Frequent traveler wanting access to Bilt’s transfer partner network (American Airlines, Hyatt, Aeroplan) without an annual fee

When Bilt is the wrong card

Two scenarios where Bilt loses:

1. Homeowner or mortgage payer: rent earning does not apply, and Bilt’s 3x dining and 2x travel are matched or beaten by Wells Fargo Autograph and Chase Sapphire Preferred
2. Low-activity user who will not hit 5 transactions a statement: the activity requirement is a soft trap that costs the rewards entirely

Bilt vs Autograph for a renter

For a renter who can sustain 5+ transactions a statement, Bilt usually wins because the rent earning is uncopiable. For a renter who pays rent by check or whose landlord does not accept ACH (rare in 2026), Bilt loses the rent angle entirely and Autograph’s broader 3x category list takes over.

How to handle the 5-transactions rule

The simplest way is to set 2 to 3 recurring small charges on the Bilt card: phone bill, a $5 to $10 streaming service, one gym membership. That alone gets you 3 transactions a statement. Add 2 to 3 dining or gas charges from the natural month and the gate is cleared with zero effort.

The opposite anti-pattern: pay rent through Bilt and use no other card. That earns zero points on rent that cycle, defeating the entire reason for the card.

Should you keep Bilt after a move (or after paying off the balance)?

Yes, almost always. No annual fee, no carrying cost. Even if you move from renter to homeowner, the 3x dining, 2x travel, and transfer partner access (especially American Airlines and Hyatt) are competitive. The card retains the World Elite Mastercard benefits package, including cell phone insurance and trip delay reimbursement.

Other Wells Fargo cards

• Wells Fargo Active Cash payoff calculator
• Wells Fargo Reflect payoff calculator
• Wells Fargo Autograph payoff calculator

Other travel and dining cards

• Chase Sapphire Preferred payoff calculator
• Capital One Venture payoff calculator
• U.S. Bank Altitude Go payoff calculator

Related

• Credit card payoff calculator (home), pillar tool
• Credit card payoff by card type, full hub

Frequently asked questions

What is the APR on the Bilt Mastercard?

21.49% to 29.99% variable as of May 13, 2026, per Wells Fargo Bilt Mastercard pricing. The high end is 29.99%, which is 1 point higher than Active Cash and Reflect and reflects the underwriting risk profile Wells Fargo prices for the Bilt cohort. The variable component adjusts with the prime rate. Your assigned APR is printed on every monthly statement.

Does Bilt charge a transaction fee for paying rent?

No. Bilt is the only major credit card in the U.S. market that charges no transaction fee on rent paid through its platform, as of May 13, 2026. Third-party processors (Plastiq, RentRedi card-pay) charge 2.5% to 3% per rent transaction, which usually erases any rewards earned. Bilt eliminates the fee by monetizing non-rent merchant fees on the card.

Do I really have to make 5 transactions to earn points?

Yes. The Bilt Mastercard requires at least 5 transactions per statement period to earn any points that cycle, including on rent. Rent counts as one of the 5. The simplest workaround is 2 to 3 recurring small charges (phone bill, streaming, gym) plus 1 to 2 natural-life swipes (dining, gas). Without 5 transactions, the entire cycle’s earning is forfeit.

Does Bilt have a 0% intro APR offer?

No. The Bilt Mastercard does not offer an introductory 0% APR on purchases or balance transfers, unlike Wells Fargo Reflect (21 months) or Active Cash (12 months). Bilt is positioned as a rewards card, not a balance transfer tool. For consolidation, transfer the balance to Reflect and keep Bilt for the rent and dining earning.

Are there foreign transaction fees on the Bilt Mastercard?

No. Bilt charges 0% on foreign transactions, which is uncommon for a no-annual-fee Mastercard. Combined with the 2x travel category earning and the Mastercard World Elite benefits package (cell phone insurance, trip delay coverage), the Bilt is a credible international travel card despite being best known for rent.