Bilt Rewards cardholders, today is activation day.
If you apply Birt Palladium Card (See Rates and Fees), birt obsidian card (see rates and charges) or birt blue card (See Rates & Fees) You should be able to get it now by February 1st.
If you haven’t applied for a new Birt card yet, you can still apply for any of them now. However, February 1 is the last date for those holding the Bilt Mastercard® powered by Wells Fargo to choose to “seamlessly transfer” to one of three new options.
Bilt Mastercard information is collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you have a new card, you can start spending and racking up some points now, but you have to activate it first.
Not a member yet? Join Bilt Rewards Now Start earning and redeeming Bilt Points.
Cardholders now need to do the following to activate their new Bilt card.
How to set up your Bilt 2.0 card account
Assuming you have the new card in hand, open your Bilt Rewards app or scan the QR code in the email you received with your card.
Scan this QR code to enter the activation login page.
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If using the app, click “Activate Card” in the “Wallet” tab.
This will appear during the activation process if you haven’t confirmed the bank account you want to use to pay your rent and mortgage. Remember, your housing payments will now be debited directly from your linked bank account via Automated Clearing House (ACH).
Previously, housing payments were based on your credit limit, but with Bilt 2.0, that changes.
Next, you’ll be prompted to place your phone on the back of the card to activate.
You can also select “Enter CVC” and choose to activate this way.
After following these steps, you will see a screen verifying your card details.
Once the process is complete (it only took a few seconds for me), your card is officially activated. You should see a message confirming activation.
You will also receive an email confirming activation.
When your card is activated, Bilt will prompt you to add the card to your Apple Wallet.
Existing cardholders among employees transitioning to the new card will not be able to add their cards to Apple Pay right away. Bildt noted in an email that the transition may take some additional time.
However, new cardholders activating their first Bilt card haven’t had any issues setting up their card for use with Apple Pay.
After activating your digital wallet, you will be asked to decide on a housing bonus structure. Your selection can change in the future, but to start, you can choose to earn 4% Bilt Cash on all purchases, or earn up to 1.25 points per $1 spent on rent or mortgage payments (depending on how much you spend on non-home purchases each month).
You can learn more about your options to earn incentives on your home purchase here.
TPG Tips: If you’re spending a lot on the card relative to your rent or mortgage payment because you’re trying to maximize your welcome offer, Flexible Bilt Cash might be a good income option.
This is the final step where it all begins. Your new card should now be activated and ready for purchases.
Upon activation, you can expect to see Bilt Cash in your account as part of the welcome offer. Some Bilt Cash redemption options won’t go live until March, but if you want to start spending right away, there are some options available now.
TPG has tried using some Bilt Cash to redeem $10 in Walgreens points.
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Bilt Cash redemption options. BILT
After a few minutes, it appears in the app as a gift card, ready to be used. You can find it by going to the Rewards button and clicking on Daily Rewards. From this screen scroll to the “Gift Card” button and click on it. You’ll see it under “Your Gift Cards” on this screen.
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Bilt Cash redeemed for Walgreens gift cards. BILT
FAQ
Here are some common issues that may arise on activation day.
When will I receive TPG’s exclusive Bilt offer?
Exclusive TPG offers on qualifying offers Bilt Palladium, birt obsidian and bilt blue Cardholders start today, February 7th.
For those who apply through the TPG link advertising the exclusive offer on the TPG page during the qualification period (January 14 at noon ET to January 15 at noon ET), the offer is available for a very limited time and will earn you 5 Bilt points per $1 spent within the first 5 days of card membership (up to a maximum of 50,000 points; offer no longer available). The time frame for eligible cardholders to take advantage of the offer starts today, with the last day to earn 5 points per $1 spent using this offer being February 12. If your transaction does not receive the expected points, please contact Bilt Support.
TPG Tips: Eligible cardholders should have received an email from Bilt on February 6th confirming that they have signed up for this 5x offer. Cardholders who believe they are eligible but did not receive this email can contact support@biltrewards.com.
When will I get the Bilt Card welcome offer?
This depends on the card you choose.
- Birt Palladium Card: Card members who spend US$4,000 on daily purchases within the first three months can receive 50,000 Bilt points and gold membership. Plus, get $300 in Bilt Cash when you apply and are approved.
- birt obsidian card: Get $200 in Bilt Cash when you apply and are approved.
- birt blue card: Get $100 in Bilt Cash when you apply and are approved.
If you chose the Bilt Palladium, the three-month period to meet the spending requirement starts today (February 7). Once the card is activated, the Bilt Cash portion of these offers should be available and ready to be spent. Remember, only $100 of Bilt Cash rolls over each year.
What if I don’t switch to a new Bilt card?
The Bilt Mastercard powered by Wells Fargo is discontinued on February 6, which is also the last day you can service that specific card through your Bilt account.
If you don’t choose a new Bilt 2.0 card or close your Wells Fargo account, your Bilt MasterCard will convert to a no-annual-fee card Wells Fargo Autograph® Card (See Rates and Fees).
To learn more about this card, read our full review of the Wells Fargo Signature Card.
If you have more questions about the transition from Bilt 1.0 to Bilt 2.0, please see this FAQ.
bottom line
Now, three new Bilt cards are available for purchase once you activate them. Today is an important day for cardholders to earn extremely valuable Bilt points.
To learn more about the new Bilt cards, read our full reviews of the Bilt Palladium, Bilt Obsidian, and Bilt Blue.
RELATED: Are You Eligible for the New Bilt Rewards Card Welcome Offer? Your Biggest Biltcard Questions Answered
