Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards® both let you turn everyday spending into points you can redeem for travel at a set rate or transfer to frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs, often with a chance to get more value.
Chase has built its reputation with a broad lineup of travel cards, strong welcome bonuses and familiar transfer partners. Meanwhile, Bilt offers a smaller set of cards, the ability to earn points on rent and mortgage payments, and a deep bench of transfer partners.
Both programs bring real strengths to the table, and plenty of people carry cards from both rather than choosing one. Which one ends up mattering more for you depends on your spending, travel habits and preferences.
An overview of Bilt Rewards vs. Chase Ultimate Rewards®
Both Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards® are transferable currencies, which means you’re earning one flexible currency, not miles or points tied to a single rewards program.
You can move them to a partner program instead, and depending on how you plan your redemptions, you can get much more value than sticking with the base programs. Here’s where each program shines, and where it comes up short.
The catch is that Bilt’s card lineup is brand new and still finding its footing. Bilt relaunched its credit cards in January 2026, swapping out the original no-fee Wells Fargo card for three new cards serviced by Cardless, with annual fees ranging from $0 to $495.
Maximizing your rewards on housing payments requires you to pick between two different earning structures, and figuring out which one nets you more points can be a challenge. For people who just want a card that works without extra homework, that complexity alone could be enough to look elsewhere.
Bilt Blue Card
on Bilt’s website
Rates & Fees
Bilt Obsidian Card
on Bilt’s website
Rates & Fees
Bilt Palladium Card
on Bilt’s website
Rates & Fees
Bilt Points on rent/mortgage payments
Bilt Points on other spending
3x points on your choice of dining or grocery (on up to $25K in spending per year in the grocery category). Your choice category may be changed once a year.
2x points on travel.
1x points on everyday purchases. (You’ll also earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on these purchases, if you choose that option.)
$100 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved. At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
$200 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved. At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
Annual $200 Bilt Cash credit.
Multiple transfer partners.
$100 Bilt Travel portal hotel credit, split semi-annually, per calendar year. (Minimum two-night stay required.)
Multiple transfer partners.
$400 Bilt Travel portal hotel credit, split semi-annually, per calendar year. (Minimum two-night stay required.)
Access to participating Priority Pass lounges and landings. (Two guests allowed on every visit.)
10% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 billing cycles from account opening, and then the ongoing APR of 26.74%-34.74% Variable APR
10% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 billing cycles from account opening, and then the ongoing APR is 26.74%-34.74% Variable APR
10% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 billing cycles from account opening, and then the ongoing APR is 26.74%-34.74% Variable APR
Chase has 14 transfer partners, including 10 airlines and four hotels, and it’s a mix of household names like Southwest, United, Hyatt and Marriott alongside a few international carriers, like Aer Lingus and Iberia. Most transfer at a 1:1 ratio.
Booking travel through Chase nets you just 1 cent per point, but some cards offer a Points Boost feature that can push certain Chase Travel bookings up to 1.5 or 2 cents per point.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
$795 plus $195 for each authorized user.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• 5x points on all Chase Travel℠ purchases (exclusions apply).
• 5x on Lyft rides and Peloton equipment (for a limited time; terms apply).
• 3x points on dining, takeout and eligible delivery worldwide.
• 3x points for online grocery purchases (exclusions apply).
• 3x points for vacation homes booked through platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.
• 3x points on gas and EV charging.
• 3x points on some streaming services.
• 2x points on all other travel.
• 1x point on all other purchases.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• 8 points per $1 spent on all travel booked through Chase.
• 4 points per $1 spent on bookings directly through an airline or hotel.
• 3 points per $1 spent on dining, takeout and eligible delivery worldwide.
• 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Points worth up to 75% more on select redemptions for travel booked through Chase.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Points worth up to 100% more on select redemptions for travel booked through Chase.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
$300 annual travel credit.
$120 in Lyft credit, available at $10 a month, through Sept. 30, 2027.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Travel protections, including auto rental collision damage waiver and baggage delay insurance.
No foreign transaction fees.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Chase Sapphire Lounge and Priority Pass Select lounge access.
Travel protections, including auto rental collision damage waiver and baggage delay insurance.
Complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status through Dec. 31, 2027.
No foreign transaction fees.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Up to $300 in credit at restaurants in the Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables program. This, too, comes as two separate credits — $150 in each half of the year.
Up to $300 in statement credit for StubHub, in the form of two $150 credits a year through Dec. 31, 2027. Enrollment required.
Complimentary Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscriptions through June 22, 2027.
Up to $120 in credit toward Peloton membership, available at $10 a month, plus you earn 10 points per dollar on eligible Peloton purchases through Dec. 31, 2027.
Up to $300 in DoorDash promos, in the form of two $10 promos on non-restaurant orders and one $5 promo on a restaurant order each month.
Complimentary DashPass for at least one year when you activate through Dec. 31, 2027.
Choosing between Bilt and Chase points
Neither program wins across the board. Which one earns you more value depends on how you spend, what kind of trips you book, and how much complexity you’re willing to put up with to squeeze the most value out of your travel rewards.
With Chase, the math is fairly straightforward. Pick a card that offers point transfers based on your top spending categories and perks you’ll actually use. If you want to go all-in on Ultimate Rewards®, you can round out your wallet with other Ultimate Rewards® cards that earn stronger rewards in different categories.
If you travel a lot and want airport lounge access thrown in, the Chase Sapphire Reserve®’s benefits — such as a $300 annual travel credit, airport lounge access, and a host of lifestyle credits and perks — can offset a meaningful chunk of that annual fee.
With Bilt, the math starts with how much of your monthly budget goes toward rent or a mortgage. Bilt’s housing rewards make the most sense for people who already pay several thousand dollars a month in rent or a mortgage and want a low-effort way to turn that expense into points — though figuring out which path to take to maximize rewards is a bit complex.
Compare transfer partners
On average, transferring to an airline or hotel partner gets you the most value out of either currency. Here’s how the two sets of cards stack up:
Airlines
Aer Lingus (1:1 ratio).
Air Canada (1:1 ratio).
Air France-KLM (1:1 ratio).
British Airways (1:1 ratio).
Iberia (1:1 ratio).
JetBlue (1:1 ratio).
Singapore (1:1 ratio).
Southwest (1:1 ratio).
United (1:1 ratio).
Virgin Atlantic (1:1 ratio).
Hotels
Bilt has considerably more transfer partners than Chase, and nearly every Chase partner is also a Bilt partner. The only two Chase has that Bilt doesn’t are JetBlue TrueBlue and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer.
Weigh your other redemption options
Transferring to a partner program is usually the best use of either currency, but it’s not the only option.
Chase generally wins on flexibility here. Every card that earns Ultimate Rewards® points — not just the three that transfer — allows you to redeem rewards for cash back or statement credits at a flat 1 cent per point. Chase’s travel portal also offers at least 1 cent per point toward flights, hotels and rental cars, and the Points Boost feature can push select bookings up to 1.5 cents or even 2 cents, depending on your card.
Bilt, on the other hand, doesn’t allow cash redemptions. You can use your points to book travel through Bilt at a rate of 1.25 cents per point, beating Chase’s baseline rate. Beyond travel, you can also redeem points to cover an upcoming rent or mortgage payment, pay down student loans with several major servicers, buy gift cards, shop with Amazon or Lyft or put money toward a home down payment at a rate of 1.5 cents per point. However, most other options tend to be worth less.
You don’t have to pick just one
You don’t have to settle on one program and stick with it forever. Someone who rents an apartment or owns a home and travels every so often might get real value out of Bilt’s housing rewards feature while still keeping a Chase card for its Points Boost feature and more flexible cash-back option.
Keep track of the annual fees for each card in your wallet to ensure you’re getting enough value to offset the cost. It’s also important to avoid getting cards with too many overlapping bonus rewards rates and benefits.
How to maximize your rewards
About the author
Ben is a contributing travel writer for NerdWallet. Previously, he worked as a staff writer for Student Loan Hero, covering a range of financial topics, and earlier worked as a credit cards writer at NerdWallet.
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