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If you have Built Mastercard® (see Rates and Fees), you’re probably familiar with at least one monthly Built Rent Day promotion. Finally, cardmembers earn double built-in points on non-rent purchases on the first day of each month as long as they use their card at least five times per statement period (see Rewards and benefits).

This means that the Bilt Card member earns as follows for every rental day purchases:

• to eat: 6 points per dollar
• journey: 4 points per dollar
• Other purchases (excluding fares): 2 points per dollar
• hire: 1 point per dollar (up to 100,000 points in a calendar year)

Cardmembers can currently earn up to 10,000 bonus points on purchases per rental day with their Bilt MasterCard. However, starting October 1, Built Rewards has reduced the bonus points you can earn through the Double Points promotion to just 1,000 per rental day. You can see this change in Terms for August Rental Day:

“Effective 10/1/2024, the maximum bonus points you can earn under this promotion will be 1,000 per month, regardless of how many purchases you make.”

Related: Fly to Ireland for just 13K Bilt Rewards points and 4 more ways to redeem points for maximum value

Starting October 1, you’ll maximize your double points by spending just $334 on dining each rental day.

TPG Credit Cards Editor and Built MasterCard card member Emily Thompson is upset about the upcoming change, noting: “I use Rent Day to earn 6 points per dollar on those purchases on my dining apps, like Starbucks. I also take advantage .The new 1,000-point bonus cap means I need to be strategic about how I take advantage of my bonus-earning opportunities every month, when I’m at a built restaurant or when I’m in NYC Instead of putting dining apps on top, I can just do a couple and use them American Express® Gold Card Earn 4 Membership Rewards points* per dollar on my remaining dining spend.”

With Amex Gold, cardholders earn 4 points per dollar on the first $50,000 spent on restaurant dining, then 1 point per dollar thereafter.*

A Built Rewards spokesperson offered the following statement to TPG about the upcoming changes: “Here’s the context for the change: Less than 2% of members exceed 1,000 bonus points on a rental day. With this update, we’re able to fund the full base. points. [plus] All bonus points for 98% of our members while enabling us to invest in new Rental Day benefits such as transfer bonuses and Rental Day experiences. We know there is no perfect solution, but we want to make sure we provide the most value to as many members as possible.”

RELATED: 6 Reasons I Love My Built MasterCard As a Renter in the Most Expensive City in the US

Richard Kerr, vice president of travel with Built Rewards, Took it to X over the weekend with the same message.

Interestingly, less than 2% of Built Rewards cardmembers — TPG confirmed with Built that this figure refers to Cardmembers, not total Built members — earn more than 1,000 bonus points through the Double Points promotion on any given rental day. That likely indicates that less than 2% of cardholders are maximizing the number of rewards earned by saving purchases for rent day and prepaying future spending on rent day.

If you’re one of the less than 2% of Bilt cardholders who typically earn more than 1,000 bonus points through double point promotions on rental day, you’ll want to follow Emily’s plan: Be strategic and look at the bonus categories on all your cards. Then choose what purchases to make on rental day with your Built MasterCard, focusing on purchases that would otherwise be difficult to earn bonus points for.

See Built MasterCard rates and fees here.
View built-in MasterCard rewards and benefits here.