I don't currently have a Bilt credit card , and I don't have plans to open one any time soon. Despite that, I earn Bilt Points every month on my rent and every time I take a Lyft ride .

If you're like me, you may be ignoring Bilt altogether or assuming you can't earn Bilt points on your rent.

Here's how you can earn Bilt points without a Bilt credit card and what to consider before paying rent with one.

If you rent an apartment and your complex participates in Bilt, you may be able to earn Bilt Points on your rent with any credit card you link to your account.

Of course, you'll need to set up a Bilt account if you don't have one already. I recommend checking with your leasing office before assuming you can pay your rent with a credit card through Bilt. Even if a complex participates in Bilt, they have the option to only accept Bilt credit cards rather than any credit card.

Alternatively, you can log into your Bilt account and check what payment options are available to you for your rent. If you're able to pay your rent with any credit card, you'll have the option to link your card to your account and use it to pay your rent via autopay.

Provided your leasing office accepts any credit card through Bilt, you'll earn 1 point for every $2 spent on your rent. This will be on top of whatever points you earn with the credit card you use, though keep in mind you'll need to pay a 3% transaction fee on every rent payment.

I often use my rent to help meet the spending requirements for welcome bonuses , so I consider this transaction fee a small price to pay for heaps of rewards. Just keep in mind that you'll likely need to use both Bilt and your card issuer's transfer partners to get enough value to offset that transaction fee.