For years, Venmo was the app you used to split a pizza or pay back a friend. Now it’s moving into one of the biggest bills you have: your housing payment. On October 27, 2025, Venmo (owned by PayPal) and Bilt Rewards announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that lets Bilt Members pay rent and mortgage — and shop at Bilt neighborhood merchants — right inside Venmo, while earning Bilt Points along the way.
So can you actually do it today? Here’s the honest, current picture, plus how the money and points really work.
Can You Pay Rent and Mortgage With Venmo Right Now?
Not for everyone yet. The Venmo–Bilt partnership is rolling out in phases beginning in early 2026, so availability depends on when the feature reaches your account and your building or lender. It is not a universal “pay any landlord with Venmo” button — it works through the Bilt Rewards network.
What the partnership adds is meaningful: Venmo becomes a new payment option alongside Bilt’s existing choices of ACH (bank transfer), debit card, and any linked credit card. You’ll be able to make a housing payment two ways:
- Inside the Bilt app — choosing Venmo as your funding source.
- Inside the Venmo app — paying rent or mortgage using your Venmo balance or a linked payment method.
Bilt says members can complete monthly payments in a few taps, split costs with roommates, and earn Bilt Points that redeem for travel, fitness classes, home décor, and more. With over 5 million Bilt Members and a network of 45,000+ neighborhood merchants, this is a large expansion of what Venmo can do.
Do You Have to Have a Bilt Account?
Yes. The whole flow runs on Bilt’s rails, whether you start in Venmo or in the Bilt app. The good news: Bilt has a free Bilt membership (no card required) that already lets renters pay rent and earn points, and mortgage rewards are launching in early 2026 too. You don’t necessarily need the Bilt credit card to participate — but the card unlocks the richest earning, as you’ll see below.
What About Fees?
This is the question every renter and homeowner asks, because paying a landlord or mortgage servicer with a credit card normally triggers a 2%–3% processing surcharge. Here’s what’s confirmed and what isn’t:
- Bilt’s existing rent and mortgage payments carry no transaction fees and no annual caps under the Bilt Card 2.0 program — that’s a core selling point of Bilt.
- The exact fee mechanics for paying through Venmo were not finalized at announcement. Both companies said pricing details would come as the phased rollout progresses.
A key caution: paying a person or bill with a linked credit card inside standard Venmo normally incurs a 3% fee, while Venmo balance, linked bank, and debit are typically free. Whether the Bilt-powered housing flow waives the credit card fee (as Bilt’s own product does) is the single biggest detail to confirm before you route a large mortgage payment through it. Never assume — check the fee disclosure shown at checkout.
| Funding method | Typical standard Venmo fee | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Venmo balance | Free | Simplest, no card fee |
| Linked bank (ACH) | Free | Bilt already supports fee-free ACH |
| Debit card | Free | Bilt already supports fee-free debit |
| Credit card | 3% in standard Venmo | Confirm whether the Bilt flow waives this |
How You Earn Bilt Points on Rent and Mortgage
Paying through Venmo is the delivery method; the rewards come from the Bilt program. Under Bilt Card 2.0, there are two earning paths on housing, and you choose which fits you:
- Tiered housing points. You earn up to 1.25 points per dollar on rent or mortgage, scaled to how much everyday (non-housing) spending you put on your Bilt card. As a baseline, if you spend at least 25% of your monthly housing payment on everyday purchases with the Bilt card in a billing cycle, you earn 0.5 points per dollar on that cycle’s rent or mortgage.
- Bilt Cash path. Instead of tiered points, you earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on non-housing purchases. For every $30 in Bilt Cash you earn, you unlock 1,000 Bilt Points when you make a rent or mortgage payment — even across multiple homes.
Worked Example: A $2,000 Rent Payment
Say your rent is $2,000 and you’re on the tiered path. To hit the 25% threshold you’d need $500 of everyday spending on your Bilt card that cycle. At 0.5 points per dollar, your rent earns 1,000 Bilt Points. Push your everyday spend and card usage higher and you can climb toward 1.25 points per dollar — up to 2,500 points on that same $2,000. Bilt Points are frequently valued around 1.5–2 cents each toward travel, so 1,000–2,500 points can be worth roughly $15–$50 a month.
Worked Example: A $2,500 Mortgage Payment
On the Bilt Cash path, imagine you earn $60 in Bilt Cash from everyday 4% spending in a cycle. That converts to 2,000 Bilt Points when you make your mortgage payment. Mortgage rewards are new for 2026, so this is a genuinely novel way for homeowners — not just renters — to earn on their single largest monthly bill.
Should You Use It?
If you’re already a Bilt Member, adding Venmo is a convenience win: faster checkout, easy roommate splitting, and points on money you were spending anyway. If you’re chasing rewards, the tiered vs. Bilt Cash choice matters more than the payment app — model both against your real spending. And before sending a large payment, verify the fee on your chosen funding method, because a 3% credit card surcharge would wipe out most of the points value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is paying rent with Venmo available nationwide today?
Not universally. The Venmo–Bilt feature began a phased rollout in early 2026 and runs through the Bilt network, so availability depends on your account, building, and lender. Check the Bilt or Venmo app to see if it’s active for you.
Will I be charged a fee to pay rent or mortgage through Venmo?
Bilt’s own rent and mortgage payments have no transaction fees, but the precise fees for the Venmo flow were still being finalized at launch. Standard Venmo charges 3% for credit card payments while balance, bank, and debit are free — always confirm the fee shown before you pay.
Do I need the Bilt credit card to earn points?
A free Bilt membership lets you pay rent and earn points without the card, but the Bilt Card 2.0 unlocks the highest earning rates (up to 1.25 points per dollar on housing) and the 4% Bilt Cash path.
Can roommates split rent through Venmo and Bilt?
Yes — splitting costs with roommates is one of the features both companies highlighted, letting each person contribute their share within the app.
The Bottom Line
The Venmo–Bilt partnership turns your biggest monthly bill into a rewards opportunity and a two-tap payment. It’s rolling out through 2026, so confirm availability and — most importantly — the fee on your funding method before routing rent or a mortgage through it. Do that, and housing payments you’re already making can quietly earn Bilt Points every month.
WalletWisp is informational and does not provide financial advice; verify current fees, availability, and terms directly with Venmo and Bilt before you pay.
