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Bilt Rewards, a program that lets you earn points on rent, has just launched its new Bilt Rewards Travel Portal. Similar to other credit card travel portals, it will allow Rewards Members to book travel, including flights, hotels and rental cars.
What Is Bilt Travel Portal?
Bilt Rewards is powered by Expedia and includes all of the flight, hotel, car and activity inventory available on the online travel agency. Expedia will provide customer service for travel bookings made via the portal.
Members can access the portal via the Bilt website or through the Bilt app. When using the app, the portal can be found under the Travel tab, where the members will find the option to search for flights, hotel stays, cars rentals and activities.
Members can book travel using Bilt Points or with any credit card, including the Bilt Mastercard® (terms & conditions). Travel booked with a credit card, or with a combination of points and credit card, will earn Bilt Points on the amount paid with the card.
How Much Are Bilt Points Worth?
Bilt Points are worth 1.25 cents apiece when redeemed through the Bilt Rewards portal. For example, 10,000 Bilt Points are worth $125 when redeemed for travel through the portal.
The redemption rate is in line with 1.25 cents per point that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card holders get when booking travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.
Why Should Bilt Rewards Members Use the Bilt Travel Portal
Members can cover all or a portion of the travel purchase with points. When using points to cover partial costs, members can pay for the remaining balance with any credit card.
Bilt Members will earn points on cash travel purchases made through the portal. Cash and points purchases will earn Bilt Rewards points on the cash portion.
The Bilt Mastercard members earn 2X points on portal purchases. Cardholders already earn 2X points on travel purchases made directly with airlines, hotels, motels, resorts, cruise lines and car rental agencies, and now they can earn points on travel purchases made through the portal.
Bilt loyalty members can pay for their portal purchases with any credit card and earn 1X point.
When you book travel through the Bilt Rewards Travel Portal, you don’t need to worry about available award space. You also can book travel experiences not available through the Bilt Mastercard transfer partners. By using the portal, members can book vacation rentals and hotels offered by Expedia, as well as various activities, such as excursions and tours.
Travel protection benefits, like trip delay and trip cancellation insurance, that come with the Bilt Mastercard will also apply on any trips booked through the portal and paid with the Bilt Mastercard.
Keep in mind that you won’t earn hotel loyalty points or receive status perks when booking hotels through a third party, such as a credit card travel portal or Expedia.
Flights booked through the portal do earn miles and qualifying segments, but if you need to cancel or rebook, or if the airline cancels your flight, you’ll have to deal with Expedia’s customer service and not directly with the airline.
How Long Does It Take to Receive Bilt Points on Portal Purchases?
The Bilt Mastercard cardholders will receive points five to seven days after booking paid travel through the portal with their Bilt Mastercard.
Loyalty-only members will receive points five to seven days after completing their travel.
In case of cancellations, if the trip was booked with Bilt Rewards points, customers will see the points refund in five to seven days.
If a member booked paid travel through Bilt Travel, the refund should be available in five to seven days and the points earned will be deducted from the member’s points balance.
Final Thoughts
More points redemption options are always better for consumers, so it’s great to see Bilt Rewards, the newest entrant into the world of travel rewards, adding more redemption opportunities.
Booking paid travel through the portal gives members an opportunity to book travel outside of Bilt’s list of transfer partners and earn 2X points on purchases not made directly with airlines, hotels, motels, resorts, cruise lines and car rental agencies.
New to the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card to start with.
With a bonus of 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel℠ purchases within your first year. , 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel℠ purchases within your first year.
after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months after account opening.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.