For years, Venmo was the app you used to split a pizza or pay back a friend — not to cover your biggest monthly bill. That’s changing. In October 2025, Venmo and Bilt Rewards announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that lets you pay rent and your mortgage through Venmo and earn Bilt Points for doing it. The rollout began in early 2026. Here’s exactly how it works, what it costs, who qualifies, and how to think about the rewards.
What the Venmo–Bilt partnership actually does
Bilt is a housing-and-neighborhood rewards platform used by more than 5 million members — its network covers roughly one in four residential buildings in the U.S. and over 45,000 local merchants. Bilt already let members pay housing costs by ACH bank transfer, debit card, or a linked credit card. The Venmo deal simply adds Venmo as another way to pay.
Two things are genuinely new here:
- Venmo as a housing payment rail. You can now push a rent or mortgage payment through Venmo — either inside the Bilt app or directly within Venmo — using your Venmo balance or a linked payment method.
- Mortgage rewards. Bilt expanded from rent into mortgage payments, so homeowners (not just renters) can earn points on their monthly housing payment.
Importantly, the payment still routes through Bilt’s system, which is what makes the landlord or mortgage servicer accept it and what triggers the Bilt Points. Venmo is the “wallet” you’re paying from; Bilt is the plumbing that gets the money where it needs to go.
How to pay rent or your mortgage with Venmo
- Join Bilt (free). Create or log into your Bilt Rewards account and add your housing details — your unit and landlord for rent, or your loan servicer for a mortgage.
- Choose Venmo as your payment method. In the Bilt app’s payment flow (or via the Venmo integration), select Venmo alongside the existing ACH, debit, and credit card options.
- Fund the payment. Pay from your Venmo balance, a linked bank account, debit card, or credit card.
- Split it if needed. Because it’s Venmo, roommates can chip in and split the housing payment in a few taps.
- Confirm and earn. The payment is delivered to your landlord or servicer, and Bilt Points post to your account.
The fees: this is where the money is made or lost
The funding source you choose inside Venmo determines whether you pay a fee. This is the single most important thing to get right.
| How you fund the Venmo payment | Typical fee | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|
| Venmo balance | $0 | Yes — no cost |
| Linked bank account (ACH) | $0 | Yes — no cost |
| Debit card | $0 (standard personal transfer) | Usually yes |
| Credit card | ~3% of the payment | Rarely — do the math first |
Sending from a bank account, debit card, or Venmo balance carries no extra fee. Funding with a credit card triggers Venmo’s standard 3% credit-card fee, paid by you. On a $2,000 rent payment that’s $60 — and no rent rewards program pays enough points to make a 3% surcharge worthwhile.
One more Venmo cost to know: if you ever need to move money out of Venmo instantly, Venmo’s Instant Transfer fee is 1.75% (capped at $25). Standard transfers to your bank remain free but take 1–3 business days.
A worked example
Renter paying $1,800/month from a linked bank account: $0 in fees. You still earn Bilt Points on the payment. That’s the sweet spot — free to pay, and you’re rewarded.
Same renter, but funding with a credit card: 3% of $1,800 = $54 extra every month, or about $648 a year. Even a generous points haul won’t offset that. Use the credit card route only if a bank/balance option truly isn’t available, and even then, reconsider.
Eligibility: who can use it
- You need a Bilt membership. It’s free to join; you don’t need the Bilt Card to pay through the platform.
- You need a Venmo account in good standing with a funding source linked.
- Renters: most U.S. rental situations are supported, whether or not your building is a Bilt Alliance property (Bilt can deliver payment by ACH or paper check to landlords who don’t accept cards).
- Homeowners: mortgage payments are supported through Bilt’s mortgage rewards feature, which expanded in 2026.
Because rollouts happen in waves, the Venmo option may appear in your Bilt app slightly before or after someone else’s. If you don’t see it yet, check back.
The Bilt Points you earn
The reason to route housing through Bilt at all is the points. A few key facts as of 2026:
- No more rent cap. The old Bilt Card 1.0 capped rewards at 100,000 rent points a year. Bilt Card 2.0 removed that cap, so housing earning is effectively uncapped.
- Up to 1.25 points per dollar on rent and mortgage, with your exact rate scaling based on how much non-housing spending you run through Bilt each month.
- Redemptions include travel (via airline and hotel transfer partners), fitness, home décor, and statement-style credits — travel transfers tend to deliver the highest value.
Example: Pay a $2,000 mortgage and earn 1 point per dollar and you’d collect roughly 2,000 Bilt Points that month — about 24,000 a year — all on a bill you were paying anyway, at $0 in fees if you fund from a bank account.
Should you use it?
If you pay from a Venmo balance, bank account, or debit card, this is close to free money: you cover a bill you already owe and pick up points. The trap is the credit card funding route — a 3% fee wipes out the rewards and then some. Fund from a bank or balance, treat the points as a bonus rather than the goal, and never carry a balance chasing rewards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee to pay rent with Venmo through Bilt?
Not if you fund the payment from your Venmo balance, a linked bank account, or a debit card — those are free. Using a credit card triggers Venmo’s standard 3% fee, which on typical rent amounts costs far more than the points are worth.
Do I need the Bilt Card to pay through Venmo?
No. You need a free Bilt membership and a Venmo account. The Bilt Card is a separate product that can boost your earning rate, but you can pay rent or a mortgage through the Bilt platform and earn points without it.
Can homeowners earn points on a mortgage?
Yes. Bilt expanded into mortgage rewards in 2026, so you can pay your monthly mortgage through the platform and earn Bilt Points, just as renters do — subject to your servicer and program terms.
How many Bilt Points will I earn?
You can earn up to about 1.25 points per dollar on housing, with the exact rate tied to your monthly non-housing spend. There’s no longer an annual cap on housing points under Bilt Card 2.0, so a $2,000 monthly payment can realistically generate around 24,000 points a year.
The bottom line
Yes — you can now pay rent and your mortgage with Venmo, thanks to the Bilt partnership that began rolling out in early 2026. Done right, it’s a fee-free way to turn your largest recurring bill into rewards. The only real pitfall is funding with a credit card and eating a 3% surcharge. Pay from a bank account or balance, and let the Bilt Points accumulate.
WalletWisp is an informational resource, not financial advice. Fees, rates, and program terms change — confirm current details with Venmo and Bilt before you pay.
