After poking around, they decided to give the BiltMastercard* a go.
The Bilt Mastercard is a unique housing credit card, designed to help you earn rewards for paying rent.
But is using a housing credit card worth the risk?
Let’s take a closer look.
Should you pay for housing with a credit card?
Clemons, for example, pays off her balance weekly.
A portion of each paycheck goes straight toward credit card payments, and she never accrues interest.
“I can build up enough points to take the money off my rent payment,” she said.
Why shouldn’t you pay for housing with a credit card?
It’s also important to check with your landlord or property manager about fees.
With this feature, the funds are pulled directly from your linked bank account.
Do housing-specific credit cards have requirements?
Credit cards that specialize in paying for your housing don’t have unique requirements.
What rewards come with Bilt and Mesa cards?
Bilt offers1x points per dollar on rent, up to 100,000 points a year.
To earn points, you’ll need to use the card at least five times each monthly statement period.
it’s possible for you to earn higher points when you spend on travel and restaurants.
you could transfer points throughBilt’s travel portaland rack up additional points when you book travel through the portal.
Points earned can be redeemed toward a statement credit, gift cards, travel and mortgage payments.
What protections are there with Bilt or Mesa?
Because Bilt is a co-branded Mastercard with Wells Fargo, it comes with 24/7 ID theft protection.
Are housing credit cards worth the risk?
Bilt is more established and should be expanding its reach soon.
Otherwise, it’s easy to fall immediately into debt from high interest charges.
“Credit card programs are designed to incentivize you to spend more money, period,” Wirick said.
“As long as you might keep yourself from falling into bad habits, go for it.”