Rakuten Will Add BILT as a Transfer Partner: Here’s Why Points Stackers Should Pay Attention

If you shop online, you probably played around with cashback portals like Capital One Travel, Swagbucks, or Rakuten — the latter of which made quite the splash earlier this year by launching its own credit card, offering more ways to stack cashback. However, it might be about to roll out the most powerful way to accrue points yet…

• Per documentation, Rakuten plans to add Bilt as a points redemption partner, adding a new way to earn aside from Amex’s Membership Rewards (MR) points.
• As Bilt has added more transfer partners, it has become an increasingly attractive destination for point enthusiasts, with nearly two dozen transfer partners — more than Amex and Chase.

BILT ascends: If you’re after cashback, there’s nothing wrong with continuing to take the money and run. But if you’re versed in points or have some comfort for transfer portals, then Bilt might be a great place to stock up on points — offering 1-to-1 point redemptions at Hyatt, Southwest, American Airlines, and Etihad, among others. And with occasional bonuses, one could make the case that it’s already more versatile than Amex’s MR and Chase’s Ultimate Rewards points.