For years, Venmo was where you split a dinner tab or paid back a friend for concert tickets — not where you covered your single biggest monthly bill. That’s changing. On October 27, 2025, PayPal-owned Venmo and the loyalty program Bilt announced a first-of-its-kind partnership that brings rent and mortgage payments directly into the Venmo app, with the rollout beginning in early 2026. Here’s a clear, honest look at how it works, what it costs, and how the Bilt points stack up.
What the Venmo–Bilt Partnership Actually Does
Bilt is best known for one thing: letting you earn rewards points on rent, a payment that almost never earns anything. With more than 5 million Bilt members — covering roughly one in four U.S. residential buildings — and nearly 100 million active Venmo accounts, the two companies are connecting their networks so you can pay housing costs and earn Bilt points without a separate card or portal.
There are two ways the integration is designed to work:
- Inside the Bilt app: You choose Venmo as a payment method at checkout, alongside existing options like bank transfer (ACH), debit, or a linked credit card.
- Inside the Venmo app: You pay rent or mortgage using your Venmo balance or any linked payment method, and the payment is routed through Bilt so your points still post.
The partnership also extends Venmo acceptance to Bilt’s network of 45,000-plus neighborhood merchants — local restaurants, gyms, and shops — so points aren’t limited to housing.
What It Costs: Fees by Payment Method
This is where most people’s real question lives. The cost depends almost entirely on how you fund the payment, not which app you open. Fee-free funding sources stay free; credit cards carry a processing fee, as they generally do across Bilt.
| Funding method | Typical fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Venmo balance | No fee | Paying from money already in Venmo |
| Linked bank account (ACH) | No fee | Most renters who want zero cost |
| Debit card | No fee | Quick payment without a bank link |
| Credit card | ~3% processing fee | Hitting a sign-up bonus or max points |
A quick but important note: at launch, Venmo and Bilt had not published every granular detail about fees on Venmo-initiated credit card payments. The pattern above reflects how Bilt rent payments have long worked — bank/debit/balance free, credit card around 3%. Always confirm the exact fee on your own payment screen before you tap send, since terms can change.
The Points: How Much You Really Earn
Bilt’s earning rules are the same engine behind this partnership, so they’re the numbers that matter. They split into two buckets:
- Paying with an eligible Bilt-linked credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or Discover): 1 point per dollar on rent, up to 100,000 points per calendar year. Amex earns about 1 point per $2.
- Paying with a non-card method (bank/ACH, debit, or peer-to-peer): 1 point per dollar, but capped at 250 points per monthly payment.
One rule trips people up: to earn points on rent at all, Bilt generally requires at least 5 card transactions per month on your account. Buy coffee, fill up on gas, grab groceries — small swipes count. Skip that, and the rent points don’t post.
Worked Example: $2,000 Rent
Say your rent is $2,000 and you pay through Venmo:
- Via linked bank account (free): $0 in fees, and you earn up to 250 Bilt points that month. Over a year, that’s about 3,000 points — modest, but free.
- Via eligible credit card: You’d pay roughly $60 (3% of $2,000), but earn around 2,000 points — provided you made your 5 transactions and haven’t hit the 100,000-point annual cap.
The math is simple: paying a 3% fee to earn 1 point per dollar only makes sense if those points (or a card sign-up bonus) are worth clearly more than 3 cents each to you. For most people paying everyday rent, the free bank-transfer route is the smart default, with the credit card reserved for a specific bonus goal.
Mortgage Payments: What’s New
Earning rewards on a mortgage has historically been almost impossible. Bilt’s mortgage rewards are rolling out in early 2026 as part of this expansion, letting homeowners earn Bilt points on monthly mortgage payments too. Because mortgage balances are large, the per-payment and annual caps matter even more here — a $3,000 mortgage paid by bank transfer still tops out at the 250-point monthly cap, so don’t expect card-level earning without a card (and its fee).
Step-by-Step: Paying Rent Through Venmo
- Confirm your building or landlord is in Bilt’s network (Bilt works even if your landlord doesn’t formally participate, by sending a check or ACH on your behalf).
- Link your Venmo account within Bilt, or select Bilt/rent as a payment destination inside Venmo once the feature appears for your account.
- Choose your funding source — balance, bank, debit, or credit card — and review the fee shown.
- Make sure you’ve logged your 5 monthly card transactions if you want rent points.
- Submit the payment before your due date; points typically post after the payment clears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay rent with Venmo right now?
The feature was announced in October 2025 and began rolling out in early 2026, launching in phases. Availability depends on your Bilt and Venmo account status, so if you don’t see it yet, check back — access is expanding to Venmo’s user base over time.
Is there a fee to pay rent through Venmo?
Paying from your Venmo balance, a linked bank account, or a debit card is generally free. Credit card payments carry roughly a 3% processing fee, consistent with how Bilt rent payments work. Confirm the exact fee on your payment screen before submitting.
Do I still earn Bilt points if I pay from my bank or balance?
Yes. Non-card payments earn 1 point per dollar, capped at 250 points per monthly payment. Eligible credit cards earn 1 point per dollar up to 100,000 points a year. Either way, you typically need at least 5 card transactions that month for rent points to post.
Does my landlord have to accept Venmo or Bilt?
Not necessarily. Bilt can route your payment to landlords who don’t participate directly, which is how it has long handled rent. The Venmo tie-in simply adds a familiar app and funding sources to that process.
The Bottom Line
The Venmo–Bilt partnership turns your largest monthly bill into something that finally earns rewards, inside an app you already use. For most renters and homeowners, the winning move is simple: pay from your bank account or balance to avoid fees, make your 5 monthly swipes, and bank the free Bilt points. Reach for a credit card only when a specific bonus justifies the 3% cost. As the rollout matures through 2026, confirm fees and earning rates on your own screen — the details can evolve.
WalletWisp is an independent, informational resource and does not provide financial advice. Verify current terms with Venmo and Bilt before making payment decisions.
