Bilt Mastercard comes with a surprising amount of useful purchase and travel protections, including:

You can also earn Lyft credit each month with your Bilt card. Through Sept. 30, 2025, you can earn $5 in Lyft credit per month after you take three eligible rides.

To help you make the most of your points, Bilt Rewards members have complimentary access to the Point.me and Awayz award search tools through the Bilt app. Both of these services are integrated with Bilt Travel. You can search for hotels or flights and book directly with Bilt points or cash. However, with the Point.me and Awayz integration, you also have the option of viewing search results with prices that are based on the cost of booking through a Bilt transfer partner.

Find the best credit card for you by reviewing offers in our credit card marketplace or get personalized offers via CardMatch.

Bilt Elite Status

Bilt Rewards offers an elite status program, based on how many points you earn in a year (referral bonuses and certain promotional bonus points do not qualify). When you earn status, you’ll have that status through the end of the year you earned it and the entire following year. Here are the status tiers:

• Blue: Enroll in Bilt Rewards
• Silver: Earn 50,000 qualifying Bilt points or $10,000 in eligible spending
• Gold: Earn 125,000 qualifying Bilt points or $25,000 in eligible spending
• Platinum: Earn 200,000 qualifying Bilt points or $50,000 in eligible spending

Elite benefits include perks such as earning interest on your points balances (in the form of more Bilt points), lower points transfer minimum and a bonus for new leases or renewing your lease. The most valuable benefit to having Bilt status might be the bonuses it can unlock on Rent Day. Rent Day deals change each month, but in the past, Bilt offered a transfer bonus of up to 150% for its top-tier elite members, which is a phenomenal deal.

You’ll also get perks with partner brands like discounts, complimentary flights and lounge access with the airport helicopter transfer service Blade. With Bilt Platinum status, you’ll receive Gold status with Air France/KLM’s Flying Blue program (activation required), which gets you perks like priority check-in and boarding and international lounge access when traveling with a SkyTeam member airline, including Delta.

As you work towards status, you’ll also receive Milestone Rewards for every 25,000 points you earn. You can choose from the following Milestone Rewards:

• Double points on Neighborhood Dining for seven days
• 2X Bilt points at grocery stores for 30 days
• 2X Bilt points at gas stations for 30 days
• 2X Bilt points on sports and concert tickets for 30 days
• 1,000 points to use toward a purchase from the Bilt Collection
• 5,000 qualifying points toward the next status level (these points cannot be redeemed; unlock once you’ve earned 50,000 points)
• 2X Bilt points on digital wallet purchases for seven days (unlocks once you’ve earned 75,000 points)
• 10X Bilt points on your next three Lyft rides (unlocks once you’ve earned 75,000 points)
• $10 toward your next fitness class booked through the Bilt app (unlocks once you’ve earned 150,000 points)
• 7,500 points to use toward a purchase from the Bilt Collection (unlocks once you’ve earned 225,000 points)
• 4X Bilt points at gas stations for 30 days (unlocks once you’ve earned 250,000 points)

Bilt Mastercard, you need to use the card at least five times each statement period. If you qualify, you’ll earn:

• 3X points on dining
• 2X points on travel
• 1X points on other purchases.
• Up to 1X points on rent payments with no transaction fee (up to 100,000 points each calendar year)

Bilt also has several ongoing offers that allow you to earn even more points. As part of Bilt’s monthly Rent Day promotion, you can earn double points on the first of each month (excluding rent, up to 1,000 bonus points). When you link your Lyft and Bilt accounts you can earn 2X points on Lyft rides on top of the points you earn from the card you pay with.

You can also earn Bilt points even when you’re not using your Bilt card by linking your other credit cards to your Bilt wallet. Linked cards earn additional rewards at local restaurants, fitness studios and other merchants in the Bilt’s Neighborhood Rewards network.

On top of that, thanks to a partnership with Walgreens, you can earn 2X Bilt points on Walgreens branded products, 1X Bilt points on other Walgreens purchases and 100 Bilt points on eligible prescription refills, and these bonuses are all on top of what you normally earn with your credit card. Plus, you can automatically apply FSA or HSA benefits to eligible Walgreens purchases when you link those accounts to your Bilt Rewards account.

Redeeming

Bilt offers a range of redemptions for its members, you can redeem Bilt points for airlines, hotels, rent payments, statement credits, toward a down payment on a home, fitness classes and merchandise. When you use Bilt points to book travel through Bilt, each point is worth 1.25 cents, and points are worth 1.5 cents each when you redeem them toward a down payment on a house. The other redemption options typically aren’t as valuable, as you may receive one cent per point or less.

You can maximize the value of Bilt points by transferring them to Bilt’s travel partners. You can transfer Bilt points to these loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio (unless otherwise noted):

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Accor Live Limitless (3:2)
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
• Avianca Lifemiles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Cathay
• Emirates Skywards
• Flying Blue (Air France and KLM)
• Hilton Honors
• World of Hyatt
• Iberia Plus
• IHG One Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• TAP Miles&Go
• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
• United MileagePlus
• Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

With these transfer partners, you can unlock incredible value. For example, you can use your points with Flying Blue’s monthly promo rewards which offer rotating deals — such as round-trip economy award flights from the U.S. to Europe that typically cost 25,000 miles or less. Bilt is also the only major flexible travel rewards program that transfers to Alaska Airlines, making it a great option for topping off your Mileage Plan account.

Bilt Mastercard has a $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. For your card’s APR, see the terms. There is a late fee of up to $40, a cash advance fee of $10 or 5% of the advance (whichever is greater) and a balance transfer fee of up to 5% of the transfer ($5 minimum).

Citi Double Cash® Card

Bilt Mastercard has the potential to be an exceptionally rewarding credit card because you can turn rent into rewards without extra fees. Bilt points are also valuable and Bilt’s monthly Rent Day promotion offers opportunities to dramatically boost that value and earn additional points.

However, if you own your home or otherwise don’t pay rent, the value of this card drops. If you’re not earning points on rent, this card is still as good as many of the best travel credit cards, but it doesn’t stand out. Plus, it doesn’t have a welcome bonus, which means you’re missing out on the opportunity to earn hundreds of dollars in value that you’d have with many other cards in this class.

Subscribe to the CNBC Select Newsletter!

Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox. Sign up here.

credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Select rates/fees to learn more about the product features, terms, and conditions of the Bilt Mastercard.

Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.

]]> https://thenewshub.in/2024/12/01/bilt-mastercard-review-turn-rent-into-rewards-with-no-transaction-fees/feed/ 0 https://thenewshub.in/2024/11/27/us-economy-grows-2-8-in-third-quarter-as-consumer-spending-surge/ https://thenewshub.in/2024/11/27/us-economy-grows-2-8-in-third-quarter-as-consumer-spending-surge/?noamp=mobile#respond Wed, 27 Nov 2024 15:30:22 +0000 https://thenewshub.in/2024/11/27/us-economy-grows-2-8-in-third-quarter-as-consumer-spending-surge/

The United States economy grew at an annual rate of 2.8% in the third quarter, driven by strong consumer expenditure and increased exports, according to data released on Wednesday.
Additionally, the commerce department’s report mentioned that the US gross domestic product (GDP) decreased from the 3% rate recorded in April-July. The GDP of the world’s largest economy has exceeded 2% in eight out of the past nine quarters.
The GDP data also revealed that a measure of the economy’s fundamental strength which includes consumer spending and private investment and excludes variable components such as exports, inventories and government expenditure, increased at a robust 3.2% annual rate from July through September, improving from 2.7% in the April-June period.
Consumer expenditure, representing approximately 70% of US economic activity, grew to a 3.5% annual rate in the last quarter, rising from 2.8% in April-June and marking the fastest increase since the fourth quarter of 2023. Exports also enhanced third-quarter growth, rising at a 7.5% rate, the highest in two years.
However, both consumer spending and export growth were below the Commerce Department’s initial projections.
Business investment growth decelerated notably due to reduced investment in residential properties and commercial structures like offices and warehouses, although equipment expenditure increased significantly.
The incoming President-elect will assume leadership of a generally stable economy when he takes office next month.
The economic indicators show stability. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%. Inflation, which reached its peak at 9.1% in June 2022, has decreased to 2.6%. While this exceeds the Federal Reserve’s 2% objective, the central bank’s satisfaction with inflation control led to interest rate reductions in September and this month. Most market analysts anticipate another rate cut in December.
The latest report presented positive indicators regarding inflation. The PCE index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure, increased at only 1.5% annually in the last quarter, reduced from 2.5% in the previous quarter. Core PCE inflation, excluding volatile food and energy costs, measured 2.1%, down from 2.8% in the April-June period.
The public continues to experience inflation’s impact, with prices approximately 20% higher than February 2021, when inflation began rising.
The President-elect has outlined significant economic changes. His recent announcement included plans for new import duties on Chinese, Mexican and Canadian goods. Economic experts consider such tariffs inflationary, as American importers bear these costs and typically transfer them to consumers. Additionally, his proposed deportation of unauthorised workers could create labour shortages for businesses.
The Commerce Department will release the final third-quarter GDP report on December 19.

]]> https://thenewshub.in/2024/11/27/us-economy-grows-2-8-in-third-quarter-as-consumer-spending-surge/feed/ 0 https://thenewshub.in/2024/10/30/us-economy-grew-at-a-solid-2-8-pace-last-quarter-on-strength-of-consumer-spending/ https://thenewshub.in/2024/10/30/us-economy-grew-at-a-solid-2-8-pace-last-quarter-on-strength-of-consumer-spending/?noamp=mobile#respond Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:27:46 +0000 https://thenewshub.in/2024/10/30/us-economy-grew-at-a-solid-2-8-pace-last-quarter-on-strength-of-consumer-spending/

WASHINGTON: The US economy grew at a healthy 2.8% annual rate from July through September, with consumers helping drive growth despite the weight of still-high interest rates.
Wednesday’s report from the Commerce Department said the gross domestic product – the economy’s total output of goods and services – did slow slightly from its 3% growth rate in the April-June quarter. But the latest figures still reflect surprising durability just as Americans assess the state of the economy in the final stretch of the presidential race.
Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of US economic activity, accelerated to a 3.7% annual pace last quarter, up from 2.8% in the April-June period. Exports also contributed to the third quarter’s growth, increasing at an 8.9% rate.
On the other hand, growth in business investment slowed sharply on a drop in investment in housing and in nonresidential buildings such as offices and warehouses. But spending on equipment surged.
Wednesday’s report also contained some encouraging news on inflation. The Federal Reserve‘s favored inflation gauge – called the personal consumption expenditures index, or PCE – rose at just a 1.5% annual pace last quarter, down from 2.5% in the second quarter and the lowest figure in more than four years. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core PCE inflation was 2.2%, down from 2.8% in the April-June quarter.
The report is the first of three estimates the government will make of GDP growth for the third quarter of the year. The US economy has continued to expand in the face of the much higher borrowing rates the Fed imposed in 2022 and 2023 in its drive to curb inflation. Despite widespread predictions that the economy would succumb to a recession, it has kept growing, with employers still hiring and consumers still spending. And with inflation steadily cooling, the Fed has begun to cut interest rates.
The report “sends a clear message that the economy is doing well, and inflation is moderating – good news for the Federal Reserve,” said Ryan Sweet, chief US economist at Oxford Economics.
Within the GDP data, a category that measures the economy’s underlying strength rose at a solid 3.2% annual rate from July through September, up from 2.7% in the April-June quarter. This category includes consumer spending and private investment but excludes volatile items like exports, inventories and government spending.
Other recent economic reports have also pointed to a still-healthy economy. In a sign that the nation’s households, whose purchases drive most of the economy, will continue spending, the Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index posted its biggest monthly gain since March 2021. The proportion of consumers who expect a recession in the next 12 months dropped to its lowest point since the board first posed that question in July 2022.
At the same time, the nation’s once-sizzling job market has lost some momentum. On Tuesday, the government reported that the number of job openings in the United States fell in September to its lowest level since January 2021. And employers have added an average of 200,000 jobs a month so far this year – a healthy number but down from a record 604,000 in 2021 as the economy rebounded from the pandemic recession, 377,000 in 2022 and 251,000 in 2023.
On Friday, the Labor Department is expected to report that the economy added 120,000 jobs in October. That gain, though, will probably have been significantly held down by the effects of Hurricanes Helene and Milton and by a strike at Boeing, the aviation giant, all of which temporarily knocked thousands of people off payrolls.
Despite the continued progress on inflation, average prices still far exceed their pre-pandemic levels, which has exasperated many Americans and posed a challenge to Vice President Kamala Harris’ prospects in her race against former President Donald Trump. Most mainstream economists have suggested, though, that Trump’s policy proposals, unlike Harris’, would worsen inflation.
At its most recent meeting last month, the Fed was satisfied enough with its progress against inflation – and concerned enough by the slowing job market – to slash its benchmark rate by a hefty half percentage point, its first and largest rate cut in more than four years. When it meets next week, the Fed is expected to announce another rate cut, this one by a more typical quarter-point.
The central bank’s policymakers have also signaled that they expect to cut their key rate again at their final two meetings this year, in November and December. And they envision four more rate cuts in 2025 and two in 2026. The cumulative result of the Fed’s rate cuts, over time, will likely be lower borrowing rates for consumers and businesses.

]]> https://thenewshub.in/2024/10/30/us-economy-grew-at-a-solid-2-8-pace-last-quarter-on-strength-of-consumer-spending/feed/ 0 https://thenewshub.in/2024/10/20/chinese-food-delivery-industry-faces-downturn-workers-earnings-drop-by-1000-yuan/ https://thenewshub.in/2024/10/20/chinese-food-delivery-industry-faces-downturn-workers-earnings-drop-by-1000-yuan/?noamp=mobile#respond Sun, 20 Oct 2024 07:43:17 +0000 https://thenewshub.in/2024/10/20/chinese-food-delivery-industry-faces-downturn-workers-earnings-drop-by-1000-yuan/

China’s food delivery industry is experiencing a downturn after significant growth during the Covid-19 pandemic. Delivery workers‘ earnings have dropped by nearly 1,000 yuan ($140) per month compared to five years ago, according to a report from the China New Employment Research Center.
The $200 billion food delivery sector, the largest in the world by revenue and order volume, had provided a steady income for many casual workers.However, these workers are now struggling due to China’s economic slowdown, driven by a property crisis and weak consumer spending, leading to reduced income and job instability for delivery workers.
Last year, delivery workers earned an average of 6,803 yuan ($956) per month, as per the China New Employment Research Center report. This is nearly 1,000 yuan ($140) less per month than what they earned five years ago, despite many working longer hours. In comparison, China’s national average monthly wage was 1,838 yuan ($258) last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
NBS also reported a slowdown in third-quarter growth, with gross domestic product (GDP) rising by 4.6% from July to September, slightly exceeding economists’ forecasts of 4.5%.
Jenny Chan, an associate professor of sociology at the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong, said that delivery workers face continued pressure due to cost-cutting measures by delivery platforms. “They are working long hours, really being squeezed,” Chan said. “They will continue to face pressure as delivery platforms need to keep costs low,” she added.
Chan also said that the economic downturn has shifted consumer preferences toward cheaper meals, further reducing delivery workers’ earnings, even as they work longer hours to maintain their income.
In addition, delivery workers often feel pressured to meet tight deadlines, leading them to take risks such as speeding or running red lights, which endangers both themselves and others on the road.

]]> https://thenewshub.in/2024/10/20/chinese-food-delivery-industry-faces-downturn-workers-earnings-drop-by-1000-yuan/feed/ 0