How to Earn Double United Miles on Bilt Rent Payments

Your rent just became twice as rewarding, if you’re willing to pay for it. You can now earn bonus united miles on bilt rent payments.

Bilt Rewards just announced that United MileagePlus cardholders can now earn 2x United miles on Bilt rent payments, up to $50,000 per year. That’s potentially 100,000 bonus United miles annually just from paying rent.

Sounds amazing, right?

Before you rush to switch your payment method, let me break down the real math on earning United miles on Bilt, including the 3% fee that nobody’s talking about upfront.

What Changed: United Miles on Bilt Just Got Better

Starting December 4, 2025, you can earn 2 total miles per $1 spent when you pay rent through Bilt using any eligible United MileagePlus credit card.

Eligible cards:

United Gateway℠ Card
United℠ Explorer Card
United Quest℠ Card
United Club℠ Card
United Presidential Plus℠ Card (closed to new applicants)

The cap: Up to $50,000 in rent payments per calendar year means maximum 100,000 bonus United miles annually.

How the United miles on Bilt post:

1 mile per $1 appears in your MileagePlus account as Bilt Rent Cardmember Bonus Miles
1 mile per $1 shows on your credit card statement under United MileagePlus Award Miles Summary

Two separate postings, same result: double the miles you’d normally earn.

Is Earning United Miles on Bilt Actually Worth It?

Here’s what the marketing materials don’t lead with: there’s a 3% transaction fee when you pay rent through Bilt with anything other than the Bilt Mastercard.

Let me show you exactly what this costs.

Example 1: $2,000 Monthly Rent

You pay:

$2,000 rent
$60 transaction fee (3%)
Total: $2,060

You earn:

4,000 United MileagePlus miles
1,000 Bilt Points (0.5x on third-party cards)

The value:

4,000 United miles at 1.2¢ each = $48
1,000 Bilt Points at 2¢ each = $20
Total rewards value: $68

Net result: $8 profit ($68 rewards – $60 fee)

Example 2: $3,000 Monthly Rent

You pay:

$3,000 rent
$90 transaction fee (3%)
Total: $3,090

You earn:

6,000 United miles
1,500 Bilt Points

The value:

6,000 United miles at 1.2¢ each = $72
1,500 Bilt Points at 2¢ each = $30
Total rewards value: $102

Net result: $12 profit ($102 – $90)

Annual Numbers at $2,000/Month

Over 12 months:

Rent paid: $24,000
Fees paid: $720
United miles earned: 48,000
Bilt Points earned: 12,000

Total rewards value:

48,000 United miles @ 1.2¢ = $576
12,000 Bilt Points @ 2¢ = $240
Combined: $816

Net profit: $96 ($816 – $720)

You’re paying $720 in fees to earn $816 in rewards = $96 net gain for the year.

When Earning United Miles on Bilt Makes Sense

The math above shows you’ll come out slightly ahead, but there are specific scenarios where this becomes genuinely valuable:

Scenario 1: You’re Working Toward a Welcome Bonus

If you just got a United card with a minimum spend requirement, using it for rent is an easy way to hit that threshold.

Example:

United Quest℠ Card: 70,000 bonus miles + 1,000 PQP after $4,000 spend in 3 months
Pay $2,000/month rent x 2 months = $4,000 spend ✓
Cost: $120 in fees
Earn: 70,000 bonus miles + 8,000 base miles + 2,000 Bilt Points
Total value: ~$960 in rewards for $120 in fees

This is a massive win.

Scenario 2: You’re Chasing United Premier Status

Here’s where earning United miles on Bilt gets interesting for frequent flyers.

Consumer United cards with annual fees earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) on all purchases:

United Quest, Club, Presidential Plus: 1 PQP per $15 spent
United Explorer: 1 PQP per $20 spent

Example: $2,000 monthly rent on United Quest Card

$24,000 annual rent spend
Earns: 1,600 PQPs toward status
Plus: 48,000 redeemable miles

United Premier status requirements:

Silver: 4,000 PQPs + 12 flights
Gold: 8,000 PQPs + 24 flights
Platinum: 12,000 PQPs + 36 flights

If you’re already flying United regularly and need PQPs to top off your status, the $720 annual fee might be worth it to secure lounge access, upgrades, and other elite benefits worth thousands.

Scenario 3: You Have a Specific Redemption in Mind

United miles are worth significantly more than 1.2¢ each when redeemed strategically:

Sweet spot redemptions:

Business class to Europe: 70,000-88,000 miles one-way (cash price: $3,000-6,000)
Business class to Asia: 80,000-90,000 miles one-way (cash price: $4,000-8,000)
Domestic first class: 12,500-25,000 miles one-way (cash price: $400-800)

If you’re saving United miles on Bilt for a specific high-value redemption, suddenly those miles are worth 3-5¢ each instead of 1.2¢.

At 3¢ per mile value:

48,000 annual miles = $1,440 value
Minus $720 in fees = $720 net profit

Now we’re talking.

When Earning United Miles on Bilt Doesn’t Make Sense

1. You’re Just Earning Miles to Earn Miles

If you don’t have a specific plan for those United miles and you’re not working toward status, you’re essentially paying $720/year for $96 in net value.

That’s a 13% return on your fee spend. Not terrible, but not compelling either.

2. You Could Use the Bilt Mastercard Instead

The Bilt Mastercard earns:

1 Bilt Point per $1 on rent (no fee)
Up to 100,000 points per year

At $2,000/month rent:

24,000 Bilt Points earned annually
Worth: $480 (at 2¢ per point)
Cost in fees: $0

You’d earn less in raw value ($480 vs $816), but you’d also pay zero fees ($0 vs $720), making your net outcome $480 vs $96.

Bilt Mastercard wins financially if you’re not optimizing for United miles specifically.

Important: The Bilt Mastercard is currently closed to new applicants, so this only applies if you already have one.

3. You Don’t Fly United

United miles are most valuable when redeemed on United flights or Star Alliance partners. If you primarily fly Southwest, Delta, or American, these United miles on Bilt won’t help you much.

How to Start Earning United Miles on Bilt

If you’ve decided this makes sense for your situation, here’s how to set it up:

Step 1: Add Your United Card to Bilt

Open the Bilt app or website
Navigate to Wallet
Select Add Card
Enter your United MileagePlus card details
Link the card

Step 2: Set It as Your Rent Payment Method

Go to Pay Rent
Select your United card as the payment method
Confirm the 3% fee

Step 3: Pay Rent on Time Pay rent by your due date each month to ensure you earn the bonus miles.

Step 4: Watch Miles Post

Bilt bonus miles: Post within 5 days to your United account (labeled Bilt Rent Cardmember Bonus Miles)
Chase base miles: Post 7-10 days after your credit card statement closes

Comparing United Miles on Bilt vs Alaska Miles on Bilt

Back in May, Bilt launched a similar partnership with Alaska Airlines, offering 3x Atmos Rewards points when paying rent with Alaska personal cards.

How they compare:

Feature	United on Bilt	Alaska on Bilt
Earning rate	2x United miles	3x Atmos points
Annual cap	$50,000 rent	$50,000 rent
Transaction fee	3%	3%
Mile value	1.2-1.4¢	1.0-1.2¢
PQP earning	Yes (fee cards)	Yes (fee cards)
Best for	United flyers, Star Alliance	Alaska/oneworld flyers

The winner depends on your airline loyalty. If you fly United or Star Alliance partners, go with United. If you fly Alaska or oneworld (American, Cathay, Japan Airlines, Qantas), go with Alaska.

Both programs let you transfer Bilt Points at 1:1, so you’re not locked into one choice.

5 Strategies to Maximize United Miles on Bilt

Strategy 1: Stack With Welcome Bonus Spending

Time your rent payments to help meet minimum spend requirements on a new United card. The welcome bonus makes the 3% fee completely worth it.

Strategy 2: Pay Q4 Rent in December for Status

If you’re close to hitting Premier status, paying December rent plus prepaying January rent in December can push you over the threshold before year-end.

Example:

Need 500 more PQPs for Gold status
Pay December ($2,000) + January ($2,000) rent on United Quest
Earn: 267 PQPs
Close the gap, unlock status

Strategy 3: Transfer Bilt Points During Bonuses

Bilt occasionally runs transfer bonuses to United (and other partners). If you’re accumulating Bilt Points from other spending, transfer them to United during a bonus period for maximum value.

Strategy 4: Combine With United Dining Program

Stack your United miles on Bilt earnings with the MileagePlus Dining program to maximize miles on food spending:

Earn up to 5 miles per $1 at participating restaurants
No transaction fees
Combines with credit card earning

Strategy 5: Use a High-Earning United Card

Not all United cards are created equal for this:

Best options:

United Quest℠: 1 PQP per $15 spent (best PQP earning)
United Club℠: 1 PQP per $15 spent + lounge access
United Explorer: 1 PQP per $20 spent (cheaper annual fee)

The United Gateway Card doesn’t earn PQPs, making it less valuable for rent payments.

Common Questions About United Miles on Bilt

Q: Do I earn Bilt Points AND United miles? A: Yes, but not at the normal rate. You earn 2x United miles PLUS 0.5x Bilt Points (half the rate of using a third-party card normally).

Q: Is there a minimum transfer from Bilt to United? A: Yes. Blue status members need 2,000 Bilt Points minimum. Silver/Gold/Platinum can transfer in 1,000-point increments.

Q: Can I use a United business card? A: No. Only personal United MileagePlus cards are eligible for 2x miles on Bilt rent payments.

Q: Do the miles count toward status? A: The miles themselves don’t count toward status, but the PQPs you earn from the credit card spend do (on annual fee cards only).

Q: What if my rent exceeds $50,000/year? A: You’ll continue earning 1x United mile from Chase on rent over $50,000, but you won’t get the bonus mile from Bilt.

Q: How long do United miles take to post? A: Bilt bonus miles post within 5 days. Chase base miles post 7-10 days after statement close.

Q: Can I pay roommates’ portions of rent through Bilt? A: If you’re the leaseholder and collecting from roommates, yes—you can pay the full rent through Bilt with your United card. Just make sure you’re reimbursed before the payment processes.

Conclusion on United Miles on Bilt

Earning United miles on Bilt rent payments is worth it if:

You’re working toward a United card welcome bonus

You’re chasing United Premier status and need PQPs

You have a specific high-value United redemption planned

You fly United or Star Alliance partners regularly

It’s NOT worth it if:

You don’t have a plan for the United miles

You already have the Bilt Mastercard and can earn fee-free points

You don’t fly United or Star Alliance

You’re just earning miles because more is better

My take: This is a niche play for United loyalists and status chasers, not a universal win.

The $720 annual fee (at $2,000/month rent) only makes sense if you’re extracting at least 2-3¢ per United mile in redemption value or if the PQPs are critical to your status strategy.

For everyone else? The Bilt Mastercard’s fee-free 1x Bilt Points (worth 2¢ each) is actually more valuable than paying 3% to earn 2x United miles worth 1.2¢ each.

Do the math for YOUR situation before switching payment methods.

□ Calculate your annual fees: Monthly rent x 12 x 3%

□ Multiply miles earned by realistic redemption value (1.2¢ conservative, 2-3¢ optimistic)

□ Subtract fees from rewards value = net outcome

□ If positive AND you have a plan for the miles → switch payment method

□ If barely positive or negative → stick with Bilt Mastercard or fee-free options

How to Earn 2X United Miles on Bilt Rent Payments (And Whether It’s Actually Worth It)