Rakuten to Bilt? A New Points Transfer Option May Be Coming Soon

Could Bilt become Rakuten’s next transfer partner and potentially dethrone American Express as the default cash-out option for points and miles fans? Well, according to Rakuten’s FAQ section, Bilt is (or may soon be) the fourth way to receive your cash-back payments.

Rakuten is one of our favorite tools for shopping and earning rewards thanks to elevated cash-back rates which can be converted to American Express Membership Rewards Points. If Bilt gets added to that mix, both Rakuten and Bilt could become even more valuable.

There is nothing confirmed as of writing, but let’s take a look at what we know so far.

Transfer Rakuten to Bilt Rewards Points

Rakuten has been busy lately. The online shopping portal has an increased new member bonus of $50 or 5,000 American Express points and has been rolling out elevated cash-back at some of our favorite stores.

If you signed up recently and were searching for how to receive your cash-back payments, you may have noticed that Bilt was briefly listed as a transfer partner on the Rakuten FAQ page.

Details on the page stated, “Have your Cash Back sent as Bilt Points if you’re a Bilt Rewards member. You’ll see Cash Back deals when shopping, and will be paid in Bilt Points. Bilt Points will be sent to your Bilt account every 3 months.”

We havent received any official word from Bilt or Raktuen on whether this is accurate or when it may officially roll out. If this comes true, though, this is big news for points and miles fans.

Until now, Rakuten users could opt to earn cash-back or Amex Membership Rewards points. Choosing the points is a no-brainer around here, as we value those points at 2.2 cents each, meaning it is quite easy to get more value from Rakuten when receiving your earnings as points instead of cash.

If Bilt were to be added as an option, that would mean another high-value points currency for users to choose from — and more high-value options are always good news.

This Could Be Great News

Bilt Rewards points are quite valuable, thanks to Bilt’s impressive list of transfer partners, unique dining program, Bilt Rent Day bonuses, and more. However, unless you are earning points on rent every month, it can be difficult to build up a solid balance.

However, if Bilt is added as a cash-out option from Rakuten, that changes the game. Suddenly, it is possible for far more people to start earning Bilt Rewards points in a relatively easy way.

That means a few well-timed online shopping trips could mean finding yourself with thousands of Bilt points that you could transfer to some of our favorite programs like Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards and World of Hyatt.

Final Thoughts

Raktuen just updated its “Choosing How You Get Paid” page and added Bilt as 1 of the 4 options to receive your cash-back payment. Neither Bilt nor Rakuten has confirmed the partnership at the time of writing, but if this comes true, this is great news for travelers and shoppers alike.