Every dollar, explained.

How ranking works

We apply the same spending scenario to each card individually. The top three are alternative choices, not a combined wallet. The model does not assume extra spending to earn a welcome bonus.

Your reward preference controls the order. Prefer broad transfers ranks cards with standalone airline/hotel transfer programs first, then sorts each group by net dollars. Transfer programs only filters the catalog to those programs. Dollar value only sorts all included cards strictly by net dollars. A transfer preference adds no invented dollar premium.

Points are an assumption, not a cash guarantee

Non-Bilt points and miles use exactly 1¢ per point, including airline and hotel currencies. This is a comparison assumption; some programs redeem for more or less and may offer no equivalent cash withdrawal.

Bilt points default to a separate, editable 1.25¢ direct Bilt Travel redemption assumption. This is not a universal cash-out rate. Bilt’s public travel example states 1.25¢ for direct redemption; Bilt’s point-value guidance says value varies with redemption. Transfers and other uses require your own expected value. The up-to-1.25× housing earning rate counts points per dollar and is a separate quantity. At the default, 1,000 points are $12.50 in estimated travel value; spending $30 Bilt Cash to unlock them does not add another $30 to net return. Bilt Cash is restricted and is counted only through modeled redemptions. Unused Bilt Cash contributes $0 to net value. Transfer redemptions have no universal or guaranteed value.

Choose a time horizon

The ongoing view is not necessarily half the 2-year total. Opening benefits, calendar-year caps and known expirations can change the result. Turning welcome bonuses on or off changes their contribution; it does not change the selected time horizon.

Count savings you will actually use

Credits and personal perks start at $0. Enter your expected incremental savings after enrollment, booking and merchant requirements. Do not count the same benefit twice. Spending changes, portal price differences, interest, late fees and other unentered costs are not included.

For non-Bilt cards, usable annual credits are generally spread monthly and capped at face value. Known expirations apply. Application-fee credits count once within the modeled horizon. This approach does not maximize calendar-credit double dipping.

Merchant coding and card acceptance

Enter each purchase once. Club spending belongs in the dedicated Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s fields, rather than also in supermarkets or generic gas. Card network and issuer bonus eligibility are separate checks.

Unsupported purchases earn $0 on that card and do not contribute to welcome or spending thresholds. A different payment method is needed; its rewards are not included in this single-card estimate. Variable card networks must be confirmed using the actual offer or card logo.

Bilt has a separate ledger

The model distinguishes housing-only rewards from flexible Bilt Cash rewards. Flexible mode combines ordinary purchase points with restricted purchase-earned Cash; Cash used to unlock housing points is deducted from the balance rather than counted again as cash back.

Your plan controls the housing-points target, Cash priority, accelerator spending and expected service redemptions. The ledger tracks eligible purchase exclusions, posting assumptions, status, redemption caps, recurring grants, milestones, expiration and remaining accelerator capacity. Housing is funded from a linked bank account.

It is a monthly billing-cycle approximation. Exact transaction dates, refunds, independently owned authorized-user rewards accounts, dynamic transfer bonuses and transaction-by-transaction optimization remain outside scope. Read the Bilt calculation details and official sources before relying on a strategy.

Coverage and freshness

The catalog includes 41 selected US personal cards. Business, invitation-only, regional and credit-union products are outside the current scope. The header shows the latest manual research check; it does not imply that every card was rechecked at that time. This is not a live offer feed.

Sources are linked in each card’s details. Your application channel may show a different offer. Personalized offers need the terms actually shown to you; check eligibility before counting any bonus.

Questions people ask