10xTravel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. All values of Membership Rewards are assigned based on the assumption, experience and opinions of the 10xTravel team and represent an estimate and not an actual value of points. Estimated value is not a fixed value and may not be the typical value enjoyed by card members.
Bilt Rewards has announced big changes coming soon. The current Bilt Mastercard® will be replaced by three new cards, called Bilt Card 2.0, launching February 7, 2026. Current cardholders don’t need to take action right now. In early January, Bilt will share details about the three new cards, and current members can pick which one they want. If you choose one of the new cards, you’ll only face a soft credit pull, which won’t hurt your credit score. You’ll get your new card before the February 7 launch date.
The switch to the new cards should be easy for current members. Your card number will stay the same, so you won’t need to update any subscriptions or automatic payments. Apple Pay and Google Pay will update automatically on February 7. One exciting new feature is that the Bilt Card 2.0 will let you earn points on mortgage payments, no matter which lender you use. This makes the card valuable for both renters and homeowners. If you want updates about the new cards, you can sign up on the Bilt website.
Plus, Bilt and Rakuten just launched a new partnership that starts today. This partnership lets Bilt Members redeem cash back rewards from Rakuten for Bilt Points just by shopping at thousands of stores. For the first six months, all Bilt member status tiers will enjoy a 1:1 conversion rate: $10 in Rakuten Cash Back equals 1,000 Bilt Points. After six months, Bilt Members with Blue status will receive 50 Bilt Points for every $1 in Rakuten Cash Back. Silver/Gold/Platinum Bilt Members’ rate will remain at 100 Bilt Points for every dollar. These are, however, subject to change.
Our Take
Our team is really excited about these changes to the Bilt card lineup. The addition of earning points on mortgage payments is a game-changer in the credit card world. This feature alone could make Bilt Card 2.0 one of the most valuable cards for people who own homes and want to earn travel rewards on their biggest monthly expense.
We hope that Bilt will finally offer a strong welcome bonus with these new cards. The current Bilt Mastercard has been unusual in the points and miles world for not offering a welcome bonus. Having three different card options suggests there might be different annual fee levels and reward structures. We expect at least one premium option with enhanced benefits that could be very appealing for frequent travelers who want to maximize their points earning potential.
Bilt’s partnership with Rakuten is a great opportunity to earn more Bilt points. Previously, the only other option on Rakuten was to earn American Express Membership Rewards, but it’s nice to have multiple transferable points options for earning on Rakuten, especially right as the holiday shopping season begins.
New to the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card to start with.
With a bonus of 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. , 5x points on travel booked through the Chase TravelSM 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!
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.





