I write quite a bit about how the hobby has changed as a result of widespread exposure. The evidence is all over the place – for example, when I went to visit my parents over the holidays, I fielded “best card” questions from pretty much all of their friends. It’s kind of endearing in a way.

I don’t have to explain to any of you why people are naturally interested in the idea of free travel, points and money, and there’s neverending churning content out there in every form you can think of. From business traveler blogs down to gen alpha TikTok videos, reward cards have never had a moment quite like they’re having right now. 

To go along with big new benefits, there are big new annual fees, which come with big new customer acquisition budgets and big new affiliate payouts. That’s all well and good – the big banks have marketing budgets so huge that why wouldn’t they make sure to involve the influencers in the space to help get the word out? 

It’s the duty of the Brian Kellys of the world to get the word out when a big bank launches something new and shiny (especially when Brian Kelly is an “adviser and investor” of said program, lol), so it’s not surprising when everybody is abuzz with a new launch. 

You’ll no doubt hear the march of the Bilt PR drum over the next weeks (if not months), and there are some interesting changes. Gone is the absurdly expensive partnership between Bilt and Wells Fargo, and in is fintech Cardless, known for just two weeks ago being so kind as to let people open two whole cards with them in their lifetime.  

Two cards per lifetime is probably fine unless you really need the Qatar card (because Avios are so hard to come by, right?) and since you can’t pay rent or your mortgage on the LATAM or TAP card, the new Bilt portfolio is your best bet. 

I know this started a little sarcastic, but the Bilt cards do have some interesting angles. Mesa spontaneously combusting leaves Bilt as one of few housing games left in town, they have some solid transfer partners (and awesome transfer bonuses on “Rent Day”), and any uncapped 2x card is always worth a quick look by any MSer worth their salt. 

However, I can’t help but feel a little skeptical of this launch. First, they attached plenty of strings to earning on rent while simultaneously adding some weird quasi-currency that is separate from the points you’re used to earning. 

There’s nothing consumer friendly quite like earning two different currencies and requiring specific transactions involving the new currency to use the card for its whole value prop, am I right?

Of course, those are the main drawbacks for beginning churners. For MSers, there’s the more obvious one – that one of the main voices driving product at Bilt is a former MSer that now takes to Twitter to vaguely threaten MSers. While this provides endless entertainment on reddit, it just doesn’t make me froth at the mouth to apply for a card they’re involved with the way that Big Blog would like me to.

Pictured: The immortal legend of Cracker Barrel is invoked to confuse some earnest Bilt users, circa weird Tweeting days

Somehow, I just think the phrase “manufactured spend” might show up in the terms and conditions once or twice. After checking, the answer is 6, which I certainly would have taken as the under if I was looking at the O/U. 

Anyway, I can see some ways to make money with this card, but I’m not sure I’d listen to the blogosphere chorus talking about how amazing it is. In today’s economic atmosphere of apprehension around credit seeking and new inquiries, the napkin math doesn’t do it for me. But that’s just my situation, and if it works for you, go for it! 

This is just a reminder to critically think about the swirl of PR language that inevitably accompanies a new product launch, even on the major churning blogs. Only you can tell for yourself if something new is worth adding to your wallet. 

Ofa atu!