This Credit Card Is a Sleeper Hit of a Travel Card

I love to travel (and write about it). I love to save money (and write about it). And I'm a big proponent of credit cards that allow you to redeem miles or points for travel experiences — especially flights and hotels. But most travel cards charge exorbitant annual fees: I have a few airline cards that do, and my trusty Amex Platinum Card, which ranges from $99 to $695 annually. (I also recommend the Chase Sapphire Reserve for a high-fee card, but Amex makes the most sense for my purchases.)

If you're not a frequent traveler, or if you're not crazy about having a credit card with a sizable annual fee (even if you do travel often), it may seem like many travel cards aren't made for you. And you'd be right. Except there's one that's a sleeper hit of a travel card, and I'm obsessed with it: the Bilt Rewards card.

What I Like About the Bilt Rewards Card

The Bilt Rewards program, app, and card launched in 2021, and I've had the Bilt card since early 2022. In its early days, Bilt billed itself primarily around its main selling point: using the card on your rent payments, thus earning rewards (and a credit boost!) on many people's biggest and most regular payment.

Here's how it works: you can either rent from one of its co-branded properties within the Bilt Alliance, or pay rent directly to your landlord through their app, even if they don't accept credit cards. The credit card covers the transaction fee and/or provides a routing and bank account number to skirt this fee altogether (like when landlords charge a fee for credit cards but not for direct bank transactions). You can then link it with credit reporting through the app to help boost your credit score, all while getting points for dollars spent. (And extra points when used on "rent day," or the first of the month.)

While the card was still new, its loyalty program was slightly tricky to navigate and didn't have a ton of redemptions. I still liked it because it absorbed my transaction fee, and felt like I was at least getting something worthwhile. (After all, I still had to pay rent.)

Now, the Bilt rewards card is basically a travel card with no annual fee, with transfer partners including airlines like United, Alaska, British Airways, Air France, Virgin, Emirates, and more, as well as hotel chains Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, Accor, and IHG. These partnerships make it easy to convert points into valuable travel rewards — often one-to-one, but sometimes for even better redemptions.

Case in point: I recently booked a one-way ticket to Cancun from Los Angeles via Alaska Airlines for a bachelorette, while using other points on the way back. I love how simple it is to transfer the points over and book. (I've also used the points to "pay" my card and for gifts in their store — all stellar options when you're not traveling.)

I'm not the only one who loves Bilt: NerdWallet ranks it as one of the top no-annual-fee travel rewards cards, while Points Guy has also given it honors (including Readers' Choice).

What to Consider About the Bilt Rewards Card

Three caveats exist with the card itself: you must use it five times in the billing period to "keep" your points, and you can only gain 100,000 points in a calendar year. And finally, it's a Wells Fargo Bank-affiliated card, which hasn't always had the best reputation for consumers. (That being said, I've had no issues, even with fraudulent spending.)

Surprisingly, you don't even need the credit card to earn rewards, as founder and CEO Ankur Jain mentioned to members over email, "Through our platform, you can earn rewards on rent payments regardless of how you pay — whether by bank account, debit card, or credit card. You get access to exclusive neighborhood benefits and can now earn rewards at every step of your housing journey, from signing a new lease to buying your first home." And yes, you read that right — it sure sounds like they're expanding into mortgage payment rewards soon.

I love that Bilt has introduced more perks throughout the years, like rent-day promotions offering double points on dining and travel and free neighborhood workout discounts. It's a competitive option even for non-rent-related spending and a fun app to play around in, with rent-day games that can win you free rent like, for example, interactive quiz games with Jain and celebrities like Paris Hilton and Martha Stewart. Over time, the card has evolved from a card marketed to renters to a versatile rewards card that appeals to anyone looking to maximize benefits with no annual fee.

And yes, I'm hooked. Sign up, or don't, I guess; maybe then I'll have a better chance to win one of the monthly free rents. (Just kidding.)

Samantha Leal is a lifestyle writer, editor, and editorial consultant who writes about beauty, wellness, travel, drinks, and more — basically, all the good things in life. She's held editorial roles at The Knot, Latina magazine, Marie Claire, and Well+Good, and she's written for PS, Bustle, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Travel + Leisure, Byrdie, StyleCaster, The Zoe Report, and more.