The Bilt Blue card has no annual fee. It earns 1× on everyday purchases, 2× on flights and 3× on hotels and car rentals booked through Bilt Travel, and 3× on Lyft. Housing payments through Bilt have no transaction fee and earn up to 1.25×. Bilt points transfer to airline and hotel partners, so each one can be worth about 2.2¢. With no fee to clear, the honest question is whether Blue earns enough, or whether Obsidian’s 3× category is worth $95.
Use the estimate below, then open the full MaxPoints calculator with your rent or mortgage. Housing tiers are not in this break-even. The Bilt Blue card page has the catalog rates.
Bilt Blue value for your spend
Enter rough monthly amounts. With no annual fee, rewards are upside. Housing payments are left out because the rate depends on your other spend on the card.
Your monthly spend
Monthly averages · annualized automatically. Rates shown are illustrative.
Credits you’ll use
Bilt Blue has no annual credits to toggle. I’ll actually use this. The welcome offer is Bilt Cash, not an ongoing credit.
Signup bonus
{"annualFee":0,"bonusPoints":0,"breakEvenLabel":"everyday and Bilt Travel spend","cpp":0.022,"fields":[{"key":"hotels","multiplier":3,"prefill":"hotels","breakEven":true},{"key":"flights","multiplier":2,"prefill":"airfare","breakEven":true},{"key":"lyft","multiplier":3},{"key":"other","multiplier":1,"prefill":"other","breakEven":true}],"verdicts":{"borderline":"Positive, but modest. If dining or groceries are large, Obsidian’s 3× may be worth the $95 fee.","not":"Net is $0 or negative only with near-zero spend. A no-fee card does not lose money on rewards alone.","worth":"With no annual fee, Blue nets positive on these numbers. Everyday 1× and any Bilt Travel spend are upside."},"worthThreshold":25}How we estimate
We estimate Blue value from hotels and car rentals through Bilt Travel at 3×, flights through Bilt Travel at 2×, Lyft at 3×, and everything else at 1×, at 2.2¢ per point. There is no annual fee and no annual credit, so ongoing value equals earn. The $100 welcome offer is Bilt Cash, not points, and is left out. Housing payments, which earn up to 1.25× with no transaction fee, are not in this estimate. Educational only—confirm terms with Bilt.
When it’s usually worth it
You want transferable points on rent or a mortgage and do not want an annual fee.
You can pay rent, a mortgage, or HOA dues through Bilt with no transaction fee.
You will transfer points to airline or hotel partners and value them near 2.2¢.
Dining and groceries are not large enough to justify Obsidian’s $95 fee.
You want the simplest Bilt card. The Bilt card guide compares Blue, Obsidian, and Palladium.
When it isn’t
Dining or groceries are a top category. Bilt Obsidian earns 3× on one of them for $95.
You put almost all everyday spend on one card and want a flat 2×. Bilt Palladium earns that, at $495, if the credits fit.
You will not pay housing through Bilt and you do not value transferable points above a no-fee 2% card.
You need a fixed high rate at restaurants. Blue earns 1× on dining, and the higher Bilt dining-partner rate varies by restaurant.
Tips
Housing is the reason most people get Blue. This break-even leaves it out because the rate depends on how much else you put on the same card, up to 1.25×. Run Bilt vs paying rent with no rewards with your rent.
1× everywhere else is the tradeoff. Dining and groceries earn 1×. That is the gap Obsidian’s $95 fee is meant to close, on one category you pick.
Do not count the welcome offer as points. It is $100 of Bilt Cash on approval, with no minimum spend, not a Bilt points bonus.
Value points by how you will redeem them. Near 2.2¢ needs a transfer to a good partner. See Bilt transfer partners and active transfer bonuses.
FAQ
Is the Bilt Blue card worth it?
What does the Bilt Blue earn?
Does Bilt Blue earn on rent?
Is Bilt Blue better than Bilt Obsidian?
Is the Bilt Blue welcome offer points?
Is MaxPoints free to check Bilt Blue?
See how this card fits the rest of your wallet—not just the categories above.
Optimize my whole walletHow we estimate · Free · No signup
Related: Is Bilt Obsidian worth it? · Is Bilt Palladium worth it? · Bilt vs paying rent with no rewards · Bilt transfer partners · Best credit card for rent · Rewards calculatorRunning several cards? Audit the whole wallet's fees at once.