Bilt Card Authorized User Trick Boosts

Adding an authorized user to a Bilt credit card can create a separate rewards account, potentially unlocking significant extra value for high spenders. This trick is particularly useful for cardholders who accumulate more Bilt Cash than they can redeem before it expires.

Bilt offers a portfolio of three credit cards that earn transferable Bilt points and Bilt Cash. The Bilt Cash is a 4% back reward that can be redeemed for various benefits, but up to $100 of it expires if not used each year. For cardholders who max out their own redemption limits, adding an authorized user provides a new avenue.

Bilt Card Portfolio and Rewards Structure

The source details three Bilt credit card options. Spending on these cards earns Bilt points for transfer to travel partners and Bilt Cash for other redemptions.

How the Authorized User Strategy Works

When adding an authorized user, the primary cardholder can choose whether the user's spending accrues rewards in the primary account or in a separate account for the authorized user. This separate account resets all the limits on Bilt Cash redemptions. For the Bilt Palladium Card, adding an authorized user costs $95, and that user also receives a Priority Pass membership.

The core of the trick involves the spending accelerator. A cardholder can redeem $200 in Bilt Cash for an accelerator that provides an extra 1x points per dollar on the next $5,000 spent. This can be done up to five times per year per account, for a maximum of 25,000 bonus points. With a separate authorized user account, this limit effectively doubles if that user also earns enough Bilt Cash.

The report's author, who holds the Palladium card, argues that spending $95 for an authorized user could net an extra 25,000 points annually if that user earns $1,000 in Bilt Cash to fund the accelerators. The authorized user could also pursue their own Bilt elite status, Lyft and Walgreens credits, and Rent Day promotions, which often have per-account caps.

Considerations for Cardholders

The strategy involves some complexity and requires significant spending to generate the necessary Bilt Cash across multiple accounts. It is presented as most beneficial for holders of the Bilt Palladium Card who are big spenders but do not have huge housing payments, leaving them with surplus Bilt Cash. The author concludes that in their specific situation, paying $95 for an authorized user to unlock an extra 25,000 points is worth it.