IHG (International Hotel Group) is a global hotel chain that has a hotel in most cities you travel from Holiday Inn to boutique Kimpton hotels. They also partner with Las Vegas strip hotels for perks and free nights. The IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card is a newish card that everyone should have because they have hotels everywhere and you get a free night each year along with elite perks. This rewards card not only has a great sign up bonus but great benefits year after year making it one of those cards where the benefits surpass the annual fee.
Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. $89 annual fee. GO here to apply!
Top 6 Reasons We Love the IHG Rewards Premier Rewards Card:
1. Free Night Every Single Year
With this credit card you’ll receive a free night certificate with every anniversary year at eligible hotels. This perk pays for the small annual fee and then some! You just need to book the free night certificate before it expires at the end of the year. For example, you can use this free night certificate at the Z Ocean in South Beach Miami which is right on the beach and can easily go for a free $300+ a night.
2. 4th Night Free on Award Stays
When you book with your IHG points, you’ll receive your 4th night free just by being a cardmember. With many other chains, such as Marriott and Hilton, your free night doesn’t appear until the 5th night. There is no maximum number of times you can take advantage of this benefit.
3. Global Entry or TSA Precheck Fee Credit
You normally have to pay a $400+ annual fee for a credit card that gives you this perk. When you pay for your Global Entry application fee you’ll receive a $100 statement credit — ultimately giving you free Global Entry to avoid lines at airports. This also gives you TSA Precheck. If you already have Global Entry all you have to do is pay for another friend or family members application and you’ll still get the $100 statement credit. You can receive this statement credit every 4 years.
4. Platinum Elite Status
One of my favorite benefits of this card from Chase is the included IHG Platinum status, such as:
Your points will never expire. Typically IHG points expire if there is no activity in the account for a 12 month period. When you have Platinum status (even if it is just earned from having the credit card), your points will not expire even if there has not been any activity in 12 months. This is definitely one of the shorter expiration periods amongst hotel chains, so not having to remember to keep your account active is nice.
Raid the Bar Credit. Platinum status also matches to Kimpton’s “Tier 3” status which will get you a $10 Raid the Bar credit when staying at Kimpton properties. Who doesn’t love a mini-bar they can raid?
Discount at Shell Gas stations. You’ll save 6 cents per gallon at Shell Gas stations due to the Fuel Rewards partnership.
5. Chase Offers
This is a new thing going on with Chase cards that no one is really talking about. Chase has offers in the Chase App or on the Chase Pay app where you can order food and pick it up and get freebies or save in cash back at certain retailers. For example, I had a Chase offer where it saved me $10 after making 3 purchases from any of the order ahead restaurants near me using the Chase Pay app which is better than calling ahead. The other version of Chase offers may include Starbucks at 10% back or Applebee’s at 8% you just have to look in the app to see what comes up! This perk alone adds up to huge savings if you use it often.
6. 20% Discount on Purchasing Points
This is yet another benefit to get more bang for your buck when it comes to booking stays at IHG ran hotels. Sometimes it may be better to book buying points than paying directly. Note this discount is not on top of any other purchasing points promotions that might be running at the time but if you need a last minute hotel it sometimes helps to go this route.
There’s More: 10,000 Extra Points a Year for Big Spending
This is a benefit many of us will not use but it’s nice to have if you use it as your only card and want a annual bonus without having to sign up for a new card. If you spend $20,000 on your card within the year, you’ll receive 10,000 bonus points. Although for everyday spending such as groceries we have other cards that we recommend with better cash back.
Chase has the best portfolio of credit cards overall but for everyday spending the Freedom card really stands out. Freedom cards we have talked about on our site since it first came out and they can earn Ultimate Rewards points without the annual fee.
The Freedom cards from Chase are more rewarding than ever before. Both cards are currently offering improved welcome bonuses that are among the best we’ve seen.
Both Freedom Cards are Similar but Chase Freedom Flex is Our Pick
The cards have most things in common. Identical sign-up bonuses & eligibility requirements, Both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited offer excellent bonuses for no annual fee cards, which were recently improved. Each card currently offers:
20,000 points or $200 BONUS after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months
Additionally, earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases including Target (not Walmart purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year
Furthermore, both cards have identical eligibility requirements:
Each card is only available to those who don’t currently have that specific card, and those who haven’t received a new cardmember bonus on that specific card in the past 24 months Both cards are subjected to Chase’s typical eligibility restrictions, including the 5/24 rule Overlapping bonus categories Both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited offer the following overlapping bonus categories on spending:
5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on dining, takeout, and eligible delivery services
3x points on drugstores
Flexibility to earn cash back or Ultimate Rewards points
Both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited accrue the same types of rewards:
Each point earned on either card can be redeemed for one cent cash back If you have either card in conjunction with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, or Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, then points can also be transferred to the Ultimate Rewards program; Ultimate Rewards points have a value around ~1.7 cents each, so to me that increases the value of these points by 70%
Earn Ultimate Rewards points with Chase Freedom cards
Differences between Chase Freedom cards
There is one primary area where the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited differ, and that’s one aspect of the bonus categories. Both cards offer:
5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on dining, takeout, and eligible delivery services
3x points on drugstores
But each card has one unique bonus category:
The Freedom Flex offers 5x points in rotating quarterly categories, on up to $1,500 of spending per quarter The Freedom Unlimited offers 1.5x points on everyday spending, making it one of the best cards for non-bonused categories, and beating the Freedom Flex in that regard by 50%
The Freedom Unlimited offers a better return on everyday spending
Which Chase Freedom card is better?
Deciding whether the Chase Freedom Flex or Chase Freedom Unlimited makes more sense comes down to one very simple question — would you rather earn 1.5x points on all purchases (with the Freedom Unlimited), or would you rather earn 5x points in rotating quarterly categories and 1x points on non-bonused purchases?
Everyday spending will work out differently for everyone, but here are a few general considerations:
What card do you otherwise use for non-bonused spending, and how much do you spend in categories that don’t otherwise qualify for bonus categories? If you don’t have a great card and you spend a lot in non-bonused categories, then the Freedom Unlimited is the obvious choice Do you have another great card for non-bonused spending but think you could get value from the 5x points categories on the Freedom Flex? Then the Freedom Flex is the obvious choice The good thing is that you don’t have to choose — you can get both the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited, and that’s a great way to maximize your rewards, especially since neither card has an annual fee. Personally, that’s my approach, but I also get that lots of people want a simpler credit card strategy than that.
Bottom line Both the Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited are great no annual fee cards that can help you maximize the Ultimate Rewards points that you earn. For savvy consumers they’re an essential complement to a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Which Freedom card makes more sense depends on your circumstances. The Freedom Unlimited is the all-around more rewarding card, given that it offers one of the best returns of any card for non-bonused spending. But some may get more value out of the Freedom Flex’s 5x points categories.
One great thing is that you don’t have to choose, as you can always pick up both cards at the same time or upgrade from another card if you change your mind by calling Chase.
Back-to-school buying just got cheaper with this tax-free weekend guide where states cut sales tax on certain items just in time. While 16 states are participating in the tax-free days you also have Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon that never charge sales tax. Be aware that most of the tax holidays begin at 12:01 a.m. and end at midnight. Is your state lacking this tax-free day? Then it may be time to take a road trip. Here’s some free gas for all of the driving from store to store.
Maximize Rewards! Another tip for back-to-school shopping is to make sure you have a proper credit card to maximize your savings. From initial bonuses worth $600+ to 2% cashback on all purchases, there are plenty of great credit card deals available to parents this back-to-school season. You can even get 5% back on restaurant purchases while dining and shopping with these cards.
On top of a cashback credit card why not sign up for Drop and iBotta. Two amazing apps that are paying huge and you can double dip all of these programs. iBotta, for instance, will allow you to send in your receipt into the app if you shopped at Target to claim money back. With Drop, you simply add your credit cards and it knows where you shopped and will give you cash back from places such as Starbucks, Old Navy, Nike, Aerie, and other retailers. You then redeem the cashback for gift cards. If you use this link for Drop you’ll get $5 towards your first gift card.
What is a sales tax holiday?
A sales tax holiday is a period of time during which many states remove sales tax on certain types of items. Often, the tax-free benefits are limited to a single weekend, but sometimes there are much longer terms.
Sales tax holidays typically restrict eligible purchases by criteria such as product and price. For example, you might be able to purchase computer models that cost up to $1,000 tax-free, but not ones that cost more.
When is the sales tax holiday or tax-free weekend in my state?
Sales tax holidays vary by location — and not every state has one. In some cases, the state sales tax may be zero during the holiday, but stores might still have to collect a city or local sales tax. Keep in mind that some states already don’t collect a state sales tax. Local governments (the city or county, for example) can still levy tax in those states, though.
Here’s a look at the states with sales tax holidays in 2023 and the items that will be tax-free, according to the Federation of Tax Administrator.
Energy Star products / No maximum Air conditioners / $6,000 Other / $2,000
Aug. 11-13
Clothing, backpacks, school supplies / $100
West Virginia
Aug. 4-7
Clothing / $125 School supplies / $20 Sports equipment / $150 Computer or tablet / $500
Source: Federation of Tax Administrators
How to save big with a sales tax holiday
Here are some tips for leveraging sales tax holidays to save money:
For back-to-school savings, reserve major purchases like laptops for the tax-free periods in late July or August. For weather-preparedness savings, try to time purchases with tax holidays sprinkled throughout the year.
Keep an eye on the price tags. Typically, only items priced below the limit qualify for the tax-free treatment. When back-to-school shopping for new outfits, for example, if the limit is $100 on clothing then, as long as each piece of clothing in your cart is priced below $100, you should save on sales tax for those items. But if the limit on shoes is also $100 and you’re buying a pair priced at $125, you might have to pay sales tax on them.
Check with the state for exceptions. Before you start shopping, head to your state’s taxation and revenue website and find out if there are unusual exceptions. Previously in New Mexico, for example, clothing was part of its tax-free weekend, but sports uniforms and bathing suits didn’t count, which meant they were still taxable.
Shop around. Eliminating sales tax shouldn’t be your only means of saving money. Check out local kids consignment shops for clothes and shoes not covered by the tax-free holiday. You might also try using websites like Google Shopping or apps such as Flipp to search for products by name and compare their prices at multiple merchants. Doing research ahead of time for bigger purchases, like Energy Star appliances or hurricane-preparedness items, is also key.
Remember to Stick to a Budget! It’s hard to avoid overspending if you don’t have both a shopping list and a budget. Before heading to these retail or outlet stores, make a list of what you need and do a quick search to see how much each item costs. This will help you make an overall back-to-school budget and decide how to allocate the funds. It’s too bad Amazon is not able to get in on the B2S offers but you can get Boxed tax free year long.
Discover Card has made many positive changes in the past year and now we are starting to blog about them again. If you think that Discover is outdated or not competitive with other banks you better think again. One news anchor reporting on Discover was shocked people still use Discover. Oh yes, there are many of us out there and we are getting cash back and loving it. The credit card company recently rolled out a new Travel Card and offer some great bonus cards that you do not see on many blogs mainly because they do not get a referral. Let’s start with a $50 bonus promotion card because we love a good sign-up offer. If you are not already a cardmember then you can get a $50 Bonus by applying here.
You can sign up through this $100 Discover it® Link to get a $100 (formerly a $50 Cashback Bonus) after your first purchase within 3 months of approval. The $100 bonus will be credited to your Discover it card account within 2 billing cycles of your first purchase for any amount. This is made available through the Discover Refer-A-Friend Program, where both the referring member and new applicant receive the $50. Once you are a cardholder you can participate in the Discover referral program to earn a $50 bonus for each new member referred. So give share this and the link with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter.
Get 5% – 10% on Gas and More! You’ll earn 5% Cashback Bonus on Gas stations and Sam’s Club on up to $1,500 in purchases and more for 2023 Discover will match that for new cardmembers of 10x the cash back!
If you are a new cardmember and sign up for the Double Cash Back offer you can get ip to 12% Cash Back at Department Stores, Sam’s Club, and Amazon online. You can get 5% extra Cashback Bonus at Sam’s Club and SamsClub.com, 5% extra Cashback Bonus at Department Stores, and at Amazon.com right now. It will be doubled and added to your regular 1% back so that totals 12% if you were signed up for the Double Promotion on top of this. With the Sam’s and Discover promo you need to log-in and click on the links in “Discover Deals” then pay with your Discover card at checkout within three hours. There does not seem to be a maximum on this cashback but with Amazon just use your card and it is automatic up to $1,500 in spend.
Comparison Chart below that compares Blue Cash Everyday Card from AMEX, Chase Freedom, Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards, Citi Double Cash Card, and Bank Americard Cash Rewards to the Discover IT Card. You will notice that Bank Americard is among the worst according to Discover. Also, the Chase Freedom is pretty competitive and it also offers a sign-up bonus. I have both cards myself. On a personal note the Capital One Quicksilver is one of my favorite cards in my wallet because it gives 1.5x rewards and it actually does let you redeem for any amount and works well with Apple Pay.
5%Cashback Bonus on Restaurant and Movie purchases between April 1 and June 30 is my favorite thing about the card this coming quarter. Mainly because this normally counts as bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and fast food which I spend a a lot of money on when traveling. The up to $1,500 I will max out in a month and that will be a free $75 towards my statement. Don’t forget to sign-up now before the promotion starts or before you use your card at one of those establishments.
Amazon just announced that their ninth annual Amazon Prime Day will run from July 11 through July 12. Not only should you be able to snag a ton of deals during this 48 hour event, typically, there are many ways to stack your savings. In past years, this included using your Amazon credit card, earning Amazon credits and applying just a single credit card point — I am sure we will see these opportunities start to pop up over the next few weeks.
Additionally, Amazon has already announced some pre-saving Prime Deals which you can jump on now and not have to wait until July.
What is Amazon Prime Day Amazon Prime Day is a yearly two-day event where you’ll see different daily or flash discounts on many popular items. Many offers continuously pop up and while some deals will last all day, many will quickly sell out.
To take advantage of many of the discounts you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member. If you don’t have a Prime Membership, you can sign up for a free trial which will give you 30 days of free prime access. After the free trial expires, you’ll be charged $139 for the year or $14.99 per month — you’re choice (or you can cancel before the free trial expires).
Early access Amazon Prime Day Amazon is starting Prime Day early with early access to many of their own Amazon devices. This is similar to what we’ve seen in the past and typically the pricing stays the same. However, if pricing by chance drops, you can always re-purchase at the lower price and return your previous purchase within the return window (typically 30 days).
You can shop all of the Amazon device deals here, but some of the better ones include:
If you’re looking to signup for Prime to get in on Prime Day, here are some options (let us know if anything is missing):
Get free Amazon Prime trial for 30 days. Interestingly, readers let us know that Amazon will sometimes let you get the free trial even if you previously had a trial at one point on the same account. You can also try adding a large item to cart and going to checkout, see if they pop up with another free Prime trial offer for you.
A yearly subscription costs $139. Instead of using our links (found in this post), we recommend going through a shopping portal to get a bonus when you signup. Swagbucks is offering a $15 Amazon gift card. Topcashback is offering the same.
Amazon Shop With Points & Card Link Deals
(Direct Amazon link) Amazon: Get 40%/$60 Discount When Using 1 American Express Membership Rewards Point
(Direct Amazon link) Amazon: Use 1 Chase Ultimate Rewards Point & Get 50% Off (Max $60 Discount)
(Direct Amazon link) Amazon: Get 30% off Amazon when Using 1 Discover Point
(Direct Amazon link) Amazon: Add Discover Card And Get $20 with promo code 23DISCOVERPD
(Direct Amazon Link) Amazon: Add Citi Card & Get $15 Off (Promo Code CITICARD15)
(Direct Amazon Link) Amazon: Get 40% Off Amazon when Using 1 U.S. Bank Point (Max $15 Savings)
Popeyes is offering their Chicken Sandwich for Free with Purchase of Chicken Sandwich Combo. Offer valid on the Popeyes App (iOS or Android) or through Popeyes.com until 7/9/23.
How to Get A Free Chicken Sandwich:
Goto Popeyes website or use the app and Select BOGO Chicken Sandwich Offer
Click Add to Mobile Order
Select your choice of Chicken Sandwich (blackened or spicy is good too!)( and add to cart
Click Combo Meals
Select one of the available Chicken Sandwich Combos
Make your selection of sides on following page and add to cart
Proceed to checkout and select your pickup details
Your final total will vary depending on your selected combo/sides, discount for the Free Chicken Sandwich will apply in cart.
About this Deal:
Available for redemption through Popeyes App or on popeyes.com.
Valid on Popeyes delivery. Prices higher on delivery. Delivery terms and fees apply. See popeyes.com/delivery-terms.
Not valid on third-party delivery.
One offer per order.
Not available in AK or HI.
Not valid with any other offers, discounts, or coupons.
DoorDash’s Summer of DashPass is bringing plenty of freebies and discounts that you can use to kick off your summer.
DashPass is DoorDash’s subscription service that normally costs $9.99 per month but you can get it with a FREE 30 day trial or Free with a Chase Freedom Card. With this service, you’ll get free delivery on orders that are $12 or more, 5% cashback on pickup orders, and access to exclusive deals that aren’t available to regular customers. Go here to read our full review of DoorDash delivery and pickup.
Summer of DoorDash DashPass deals
The Summer of DashPass has deals every week for DashPass members from June 15 – July 19. Here are the different themes and deals that you can get for the upcoming weeks:
Fourth of July: June 29 – July 5
Taco Bell: Free Volcano Burrito or Taco on orders of $15 or more. Plus, you’ll get a code for downloadable content in Final Fantasy XVI and enter to win a PS5 when you order a Volcano menu item from June 29 – July 5.
Sprouts Farmers Market: 40% off orders of $50 or more (up to $25)
Dollar General: 30% off orders of $15 or more (up to $10)
General Grocery: 20% off alcohol orders of $35 or more (up to $10 off)
7-Eleven: Get a free Slurpee when you spend $5 on Friday, June 30.
Dog Days of Summer: July 6 – 12
Little Caesar’s: Free ExtraMostBestest pepperoni or cheese pizza on purchases of $25 or more
Wendy’s: $10 off orders of $20 or more after 10 p.m.
Aldi: $20 off orders of $50 or more with the purchase of one Aldi Find
National Ice Cream Day and Coffee Deals: July 13 – 19
National Ice Cream Day Deal: Buy 2 and get $5 off Talenti, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Popsicle, Magnum, Good Humor, and Klondike in select stores.
Starbucks: $10 off orders of $20 or more from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Wingstop: $6 off orders of $30 or more
DashMart: 50% off orders of $20 or more (up to $15)
RiteAid: 30% off orders of $30 or more
7-Eleven: 30% off orders of $25 or more (up to $10)
7-Eleven: Get a free Slurpee when you spend $5 on Friday, July 14.
The Summer of DashPass will also give you access to exclusive merchandise, festival tickets, and sporting event tickets. While they haven’t currently released how these tickets and experiences will be released, we have a list of what’s up for grabs:
MLS Sweeps (June 15 – 21): Chance to win a trip for four to the All Star Game in D.C..
NBA Sweeps (June 15 – 21): Chance to win a trip for two to the Summer League in Las Vegas.
WNBA Sweeps (June 22 – 28): Chance to win a trip for two to the Las Vegas All Star Game.
Summer Concert Sweeps (June 22 – 28): Use the $5 off Sprite deal this week to get a chance to win a concert for two from a top artist.
Final Fantasy XVI Sweeps (June 29 – July 5): Order off the Taco Bell Volcano Menu to get a chance to win a PS5 and a free copy of Final Fantasy XVI.
Bluetooth Cooler Sweeps (June 29 – July 5): Chance to win a Bluetooth Cooler and $1,000 worth of bottomless drinks all summer long.
Pitchfork Sweeps (July 6 – 12): Chance to win a trip for two to the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.
Plus, for the entirety of the Summer of DashPass, you can watch your favorite summer flicks through Roku.
Get $10-$25 In Free Lyft Credit By Linking Lyft With Bilt App (Free To Signup)
Link your Lyft account with the Bilt rent app (free to signup– our link will take you to credit card but you scroll up and it says sign up and that is where you join the FREE app) and you can get the following offer:
Anyone with the free Bilt app can get a $10 Lyft credit.
Take a ride on July 1st to receive an additional $5 credit. That’s $15 total for anyone or $25 total for Bilt cardholders.
After linking accounts, you must select ‘Activate Credits’ in the Rent Day tab. Activation will become available on June 27, 2023 and continue through July 1, 2023.
The Lyft ride credit ($10/$20) will show under ‘Lyft Pass’ in the Payment section of the Lyft app.
Credits can take up to 72 hours to show up and will be valid for 90 days.
Should be an easy $10/$20 credit. Usually the Bilt Rent Day promos are on the first of the month only; this time it’s available beginning on June 27th.
The Bilt Mastercard is a valuable no annual fee card but it is also an app for renters where they run promos for free points NOT just a card that I recently picked up. The card lets you pay your rent by credit card and earn rewards, even if your landlord doesn’t ordinarily allow no-fee credit card payments. For us homeowners, you can potentially even pay your HOA this way. Again anyone can sign up for this without the card and no credit check.
Details of the June Bilt Rent Day promotion There are two aspects to the Bilt Rent Day promotion, including the ability to earn bonus points (which is the same every month) plus an additional promotion.
Note that Bilt Rent Day promotions are valid from 12:00AM ET until 11:59PM PT, so technically you have around 27 hours to take advantage of them.
Earn 2-6x Bilt points on your purchases Ordinarily the Bilt Mastercard earns 1-3x points per dollar spent, as you earn 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel, and 1x points on all other purchases. On the first day of each month, you earn double those rewards, meaning you earn 6x points on dining, 4x points on travel, and 2x points on all other purchases (except rent, where you earn 1x points).
With this offer, you can earn up to 10,000 bonus points each month. Keep in mind that you need to use your Bilt Mastercard five times each statement period in order to earn these points. It could be worth strategically making some purchases on the first day of each month to maximize this as much as possible.
There are many innovative things about Bilt, including that there’s a Bilt Rent Day promotion on the first day of each month. Since we’re coming up on the first day of June, I wanted to share the details of the June 2023 Bilt Rent Day promotion, as it’s potentially quite lucrative.
The Offer For Bilt Rent Day (6/1/23) Bilt is offering prizes for who solve the Rent Day puzzle a special gift in real time. Prizes are as follows: 25 Bilt Points 50 Bilt Points 10,000 Bilt Points 100,000 Bilt Points 5,000 Bilt Points for The Collection 25,000 Bilt Points for The Collection $100 Lyft Ride Credit 1 Month of Free Rent Virgin Flight to London – Fly Upper Class roundtrip with a Companion Emirates Flight to Dubai – Fly Business Class roundtrip with a Companion
The Fine Print [25, 50, 10,000 or 100,000] Points: These points never expire and will be deposited directly into the winners Bilt account in the next 24 hours. Winner will see them in their timeline as ‘Rent Day Game’. [5,000 or 25,000] Points to use toward the Bilt Collection: These points never expire and will be deposited directly into the winners Bilt account in the next 24 hours. Winners will see the Points reflected when they go to the Collection tab and view their balance of Collection-specific Points. Upon checkout, Collection Points will be automatically used if the winner has any. If the item the winner chooses is worth less than the balance of their Collection Points, the winner will see the remainder showing in your Collection tab. If winner redeems for an item that is worth more than the Collection Points they have, the outstanding amount will pull from their spendable points and they will see this as a redemption in their timeline. $100 Lyft ride credit via a Lyft Pass: Winner will see this reflected in their Lyft account over the next 48 hours, and the Pass will be valid for a year. To view winners’ Lyft ride credit, head to the ‘Payment’ tab from the app menu, and the winner will see a pass from Bilt called Bilt Rent Day Birthday. When the winner takes their next ride, the Lyft Pass will be applied automatically. If the winner doesn’t have a Lyft account, make sure the winner signs up with the same number associated with their Bilt account, and the Pass will be available in their account. 1 Month of Free Rent: Winner will be hearing from Bilt over the next 24 hours at their email address with next steps. Virgin Flight to London – Fly Upper Class Roundtrip with a Companion: Winner will be receiving Virgin Points to get them on their next adventure. Winners can use these to get themselves and a companion to the UK in Virgin’s Business Class, take a Virgin Voyage, and more. Winner will be hearing from Bilt within 24 hours at their email address with next steps and instructions. Emirates Flight to Dubai – Fly Business Class Roundtrip with a Companion – Winner will be getting Skywards Miles with Emirates to get them on their next adventure. Winners can use these to get themselves and a companion to Dubai, Milan, and more. Winner will be hearing from Bilt over the next 24 hours at their email address with next steps and instructions. Our Verdict
The Bilt Mastercard recently started accepting applications for anyone who wishes to apply after a waitlist program. This is an innovative no annual fee card that virtually anyone who pays rent in the United States should consider picking up.
The no annual fee Bilt Mastercard is issued by Wells Fargo. The card has lucrative bonus categories, and earns points that can be transferred to popular airline and hotel partners. But the truly unique feature of the card — and really the fundamental value proposition — involves the ability to pay rent with the card with no fee, all while earning rewards.
That’s right, you can pay your rent with no fee even if your landlord doesn’t accept credit card payments, or would otherwise charge a fee. For many people that probably sounds too good to be true.
The Bilt rewards card makes sense for anyone who pays rent and doesn’t currently earn rewards doing it. Rent for many people is the largest monthly expense. The national average or median rents are in the $1100-$1300 range per month
Finally a credit card you can pay your rent with!
Earning points with the Bilt Mastercard
The Bilt Mastercard earns the following rewards when you have at least five posted transactions per billing cycle:
3x points on dining
2x points on travel
1x points on rent payments without any transaction fees, up to a limit of 50,000 points per year
The card also has no foreign transaction fees and is a World Elite Mastercard, so has great global acceptance, and is a good card to use abroad (especially given that a lot of foreign spending is on dining and travel).
Redeeming points with the Bilt Mastercard
You” be earning 1-3x points per dollar spent with a variety of ways to redeem points (ranging from experiences to merchandise). Frequent travelers would be most interested in the ability to transfer these points to airline and hotel partners.
Bilt has the following travel transfer partners, all offering 1:1 transfers:
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
American AAdvantage (the only program that transfers to American Airlines 1:1)
These transfer partners are competitive with what you’ll find with major transferable points currencies. What some might find most exciting is the World of Hyatt partnership, as well as the American AAdvantage partnership. That’s because the former only otherwise partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards, while the latter doesn’t otherwise partner with any major transferable points currencies.
Disadvantages of the Bilt Rent Payment Card
The most intriguing aspect of the Bilt Mastercard is the ability to pay rent by credit card without fees and earn up to 50,000 points per year. This works even if your landlord doesn’t accept credit card payments, as Bilt will send a check. We assume that Bilt loses money when giving out rewards and then mailing a check to a landlord it has no relationship with. They most likely hope to get rental companies on its platform, hoping that being associated with Bilt gets more renters, and streamlines the payment process.
My two biggest cons with the card is that The Bilt Mastercard doesn’t offer any sort of a welcome bonus, some apartments do not take anything but money orders or cashier’s checks, and you have to spend a certain amount ($250) to get the cash back on your rent payment. You also have a minimum redemption of $50 which is more than most programs including Discover where you can redeem at any amount.
Is the Bilt Mastercard worth it?
Is it worth getting the Bilt Mastercard? If you’re a renter in the United States and you can’t currently pay your rent by credit card, or have to pay a fee to make such a payment by credit card, then yes, this card is absolutely worth it. You can earn valuable rewards for money you have to spend anyway, so that’s a complete no-brainer.
If you don’t pay rent and have a mortgage it may still make sense for some because of the transfer partners. Given that you can’t make fee-free payments for mortgages, HOAs, etc., could it still make sense to get the card? Earning 3x transferable points on travel and 2x transferable points on dining on a no annual fee card is still a great deal.
For someone looking to earn transferable points without an annual fee, I’d say this is an excellent option, especially if you spend a lot on dining and travel.
Bottom line
The no annual fee Bilt Mastercard is issued by Wells Fargo, and recently opened to applicants without a waitlist. This card is mostly targeted for those who rent an apartment who can pay up to $50,000 per year in rent without fees. This happens when you pay through the Bilt app, and a check will be sent to your landlord on your behalf. A fascinating way to earn money when paying rent.
The Bilt card offers 3x points on dining, 2x points on travel, and those points can be transferred to several valuable partners, ranging from American AAdvantage to World of Hyatt.
I think this card is absolutely worth it for renters, and even for non-renters this could be a great no annual fee card option, assuming you’re looking for travel rewards and spend a lot on dining and travel.
