Denied Bilt’s 5x Bonus? Here’s What the New Review Process Means.

If you applied for a new Bilt credit card during the much-publicized 5x points promotion through a special link promoted by The Points Guy and later found out you weren’t eligible for the bonus, you weren’t alone.

Now there’s an update: Bilt is reviewing certain denied applications and giving affected cardholders another look.

Here’s what happened that left applicants surprised to hear they were ineligible after applying through the special link — and what you can do if you were one of those people.

What Happened With The Points Guy’s Bilt 5x Promotion?

Earlier this month, Bilt ran a limited-time promotion offering 5x points on eligible spending for 5 days when applying through a specific link that was only available through The Points Guy, or TPG. As you might expect, a 5x earning rate — especially on a card that already earns transferable points — generated serious interest.

However, after applicants were approved and began spending, some received disappointing news: They were told they were not eligible for the promotional 5x offer after all.

Reports surfaced that certain applications submitted through the TPG link were flagged as ineligible for the elevated earning rate. In some cases, applicants believed they had used the correct link and followed all stated terms, only to later receive denial emails regarding the bonus — even if they had screenshots to prove they applied through the correct channels.

Naturally, this created confusion and frustration. With elevated earning promotions, timing and tracking matter. Cardholders who shifted spending — sometimes significantly — in anticipation of earning 5x points were left wondering whether those rewards would ever materialize.

Bilt Introduces a Review Process for Denied Bonuses

There’s been a development that could provide relief for some affected applicants.

Bilt has reportedly begun sending emails to certain cardholders who were denied the 5x promotional earnings, indicating that a review process is underway. While details are still emerging, the outreach suggests the company is reevaluating select cases to determine whether the promotional bonus should be honored. These emails are coming from notifications@alerts.biltrewards.com with the subject “Important notice: The Points Guy × Bilt promotional offer.”

Affected customers are receiving 2 options in the email:

• Option 1: Start your 5x for 5 days promotional offer on February 20, 2026, at 12 a.m. Eastern time, running until February 24, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time — up to 50,000 bonus points from this offer.
• Option 2: Retroactively apply 5x points to purchases made within the original promotional period between February 7, 2026, at 12 a.m. Eastern time and February 12, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time, elevating the earning rate up to a total of 5x points on eligible purchases, up to 50,000 bonus points.

At this stage, it appears that not every denial may be automatically reversed. Instead, Bilt seems to be reassessing specific applications that may have been incorrectly categorized or that require further review.

For cardholders, this underscores the importance of documenting promotional terms and application pages when pursuing limited-time elevated offers. Even when applying through well-known affiliate links, tracking issues can arise.

Final Thoughts

Promotions like Bilt’s 5x offer can be incredibly valuable, but they also come with fine print and tracking requirements that don’t always work perfectly. The good news is that Bilt appears to be taking steps to address at least some of the reported bonus denials.

If you were affected, now is the time to stay vigilant, monitor your inbox, and respond promptly to any communication regarding a review. As always, when pursuing elevated welcome or earning offers, keeping detailed records can help protect your rewards — and your peace of mind.