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My Experience Applying for Bilt 2.0 (And Did I Choose Correctly?)
Just like many other places online these days, Reddit is simultaneously an incredibly useful tool and an absolute cesspool. Earlier this week, when Bilt revealed its official 2.0 card details (which I won’t detail in writing right now, but you can watch my video below), that dichotomy was on full display as the r/BiltRewards subreddit exploded with excitement, vitriol, memes, and a first-person Q&A. Among those many, many posts were complaints from current cardholders that said they were either denied for a new card or saw their credit limit slashed when applying. Given these reports, I didn’t know what to expect when I went to claim my Bilt 2.0 card.
First, before I could apply, I had to decide which of the new cards I wanted. After all, there are now three options — each with its own pros and cons. In the end, though, the no annual fee aspect of the new Bilt Blue card made it the winner.
As a current Bilt cardholder, the company said that no hard credit pull would be required when applying for a 2.0 card. However, I figured they’d need to at least perform a soft pull… and I wasn’t sure which bureau they’d be pulling from. I would have expected this to be a key topic on said subreddit, yet I couldn’t find an answer (maybe it was there but just buried under all the other posts). So, I gave up and just did a temporary thaw on all three.
To get started, I (of course) needed to select which card I wanted to apply for. When I’d click through each option, Bilt would display a short recap of what each card had to offer, which was helpful. Once selected, it asked me to confirm some basic personal details as well as update some other info, such as my monthly housing payment, income, etc.
Before submitting the application, you were asked to review the terms. Interestingly, this is where I noticed that Bilt is offering a promotional APR of 10% on new purchases for the first 12 billing cycles (this info was actually on the first page as well, but I’d ignored it). That’s some clever marketing and timing on their part, but I won’t say more than that.
Following a short processing period, I got word that my application was approved! Moreover, despite reports of abysmal credit limits, mine stayed exactly the same ($15,000). From there, I was able to accept the offer and move forward.
One interesting step after accepting the new card was the invitation to close my Wells Fargo credit line. I declined this since I’m actually looking forward to the Autograph card the bank is converting people to. Similarly, I was also given the option to transfer my Wells Fargo balance to the new Bilt card. Again, I declined, so I can’t speak to what the process would have been had I selected either of these options.
While I have very mixed feelings on Bilt 2.0 overall, I will say that I’m pleased with the decision to give all cardholders a welcome bonus when they select their new card. For the Bilt Blue, that means I’m getting $100 Bilt Cash just because.
On the topic of welcome bonuses, however, the offer for the Bilt Palladium card nearly caused me to reconsider my decision. With that top-tier card, you can not only earn $300 in Bilt Cash upon approval but can score 50,000 Bilt Points and an upgrade to Gold Status after spending $4,000 on the card in three months. That’s more than enough to make up for the card’s $495 fee. Nevertheless, paying that much out of pocket now didn’t sit right with me — and, if you read my “credit card strategy for 2026” post, you’ll know that I’m currently looking to shift more to cashback and away from point currencies. In other words, for as valuable as Bilt Point may be, I just want something simple for now.
With that, while I have conflicted feelings on Bilt 2.0, I am still excited to explore my new Bilt Blue card when it launches next month. I’m also glad that I didn’t seem to run into any of the same issues others are apparently having. Will I end up loving the Bilt 2.0 ecosystem and perhaps even live to regret my decision not to get the Palladium? Stay tuned.
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