Bilt Cash
Bilt Rewards members can currently earn up to 12 “Milestone Rewards,” aimed at delivering extra perks, in addition to Bilt Points and elite status benefits. Clearly, the rewards were confusing to members, as Bilt is now launching “Bilt Cash.” Bilt Cash will completely replace Milestone Rewards. Let's dig into the details of the announcement.
What Is Bilt Cash?
Beginning January 1, 2026, Bilt Members will earn $50 in Bilt Cash every time they earn 25,000 Bilt Points. Bilt Cash works within Bilt's network of merchants at a fixed value. To be clear, nothing is changing about earning or redeeming Bilt Points with this announcement. In the press release, here are the examples Bilt gave that you can use Bilt Cash on:
- Cash off when you use mobile checkout at Bilt's partners
- Think restaurants or stores that are in Bilt's network
- Hotels in Bilt's Travel Portal
- Fitness Classes
- Home delivery orders
- One-time access to Bilt elite benefits
- This could be useful for Rent Day transfer bonuses
On the note of the last bullet, we don't know how much Bilt will charge for early access to elite perks at this time. I looked at my personal Bilt profile and I have earned just over 50,000 points this year on $18,500 in spend. That would have earned me $100 in Bilt Cash, which is like an additional half a percent of return on that spend. Nothing worth chasing, but a higher return on spend I am making anyway is always welcome.
What happens to Milestone Rewards?
Milestone Rewards are going away after 2025, but any existing rewards claimed before the end of 2025 will remain active until their expiration dates.
If you chose a Milestone Reward that earns you bonus points, it will stay active until it expires or you've earned the maximum number of points. Unused Milestone Rewards will expire at the end of 2025, so make sure you redeem them before 2026.
Bilt Cash: ToP Thoughts
Bilt's Milestone Rewards were well-intentioned and rewarding. They were also confusing. Bilt Cash seems to be a much simpler way to reward members in between status levels. What suffers is the outsized value that members “in the know” may have received from rewards like “4x on groceries for 30 days.” If you're a low-level Bilt Rewards member, this change may not affect you in the slightest. But, maybe Bilt Cash can encourage you to hit that next 25,000 Bilt Point threshold. Let us know over in the ToP Facebook Group if you're more incentivized by Bilt Cash.
