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Some Bilt Applicants Denied Advertised 5X TPG Bonus
Update: TPG says that “if you applied through TPG’s link on a TPG page advertising the exclusive offer during the qualifying period (noon EST on Jan. 14 through noon EST on Jan. 15) and were ultimately approved for the card, you should be eligible. Bilt has told us it will send confirmation emails to everyone who qualified no later than Friday, Feb. 6.” And some people report receiving these emails already.
There are reports of a few people that received the TPG 5X bonus confirmation email, even through they didn’t apply through TPG links. So keep an eye on your inbox. Maybe everyone that applied in the first 24 hours will get he bonus?
The launch of Bilt 2.0 has been a big mess and the program has been changing even after the big announcement. I still went ahead and applied for the Bilt Palladium card since it made sense at least for the first year with the 50K bonus and the potential to earn an extra 50K through the limited time TPG offer that only lasted for 24 hours.
But that offer has now turned into yet another mess and many applicants report that Bilt is refusing to honor the promotional offer launched in partnership with The Points Guy (TPG).
What Was the Offer?
On the day of the Bilt 2.0 launch (January 14–15, 2026), TPG advertised an exclusive sign-up bonus: 5X points on all non-rent purchases for the first five days of card ownership, capped at 50,000 bonus points.
For many power-users, including myself, this extra 50k was the “nudge” needed to justify the $495 annual fee on the new Palladium card. Here’s what the offer syas:
“The Bilt Cards 5×5 Days Offer (“Promotional Offer”) is available only to cardholders who applied for a Bilt Blue, Obsidian, or Palladium credit cards issued by Column N.A. (each a “Bilt Card”) through a qualifying promotional link (“Eligible Cardholder”). Each Eligible Cardholder will receive a promotional email confirming eligibility for the Promotional Offer.
For net purchases (defined as eligible purchases minus any returns, refunds, credits, or chargebacks applied to your account) made using a Bilt Card by an Eligible Cardholder from February 7, 2026 (12:00 a.m. ET) through February 12, 2026 (11:59 p.m. PT), Eligible Cardholders will earn a total of 5 Bilt Points per $1 spent, subject to the exclusions listed below. You can earn a maximum of 50,000 Points through this spending multiplier, regardless of how much you spend.
This Promotional Offer can be combined with any Welcome Bonus Points offered at the time of application and is dependent on the specific Bilt Card the Eligible Cardholder is approved for.”
Exclusions
The following purchases and transactions are not eligible purchases for purposes of earning bonus points under this Promotional Offer: rent, mortgage, housing-related fees (e.g., HOA dues, utilities, amenity fees), tax payments, and third party payment accounts and online marketplaces with retailers who submit purchases using a mobile or wireless card reader or if you use a mobile or digital wallet, including financial intermediaries or services that process payments between you and merchants instead of directly using your card (including products that consolidate multiple payment methods into a single card or platform), digital platforms where multiple third-party sellers offer products or services, and payment processing systems that utilize portable card-reading devices that connect to mobile networks or wireless internet. Notwithstanding the foregoing, transactions made using Apple Pay are not excluded from the promotion. ATM charges, cash advances, traveler’s checks, money orders, pre-paid gift cards, balance transfers, wire transfers, fees or interest posted to your card account, bets or wagers transmitted over the internet, and casino gaming do not earn points.
You can see the terms of the offer here. While utilities are mentioned in the list of exclusions, Bilt told me that you “will earn 5x points on your utilities as long as the merchant code is not rent or mortgage-related.”
Bilt Not Honoring the Offer?
According to numerous threads on the r/BiltRewards subreddit, users who applied specifically through the TPG link within the valid 24-hour window are receiving “denied” messages from Bilt support.
Common complaints from the community include:
- Vague Denials: Support reps and AI chatbots are reportedly telling users they are “ineligible” for the promo without providing a specific reason.
- Not Approved within 24 Hour Window: Some users suspect Bilt is only honoring the bonus for those instantly approved on day one. If an application went into manual review and was approved a few days later, Bilt is allegedly claiming the “window closed,” despite the application being submitted on time.
- Lack of Tracking: Users who called or chatted to confirm the promo was attached to their account were told it wasn’t there, even though they have timestamps and screenshots of the TPG application page.
I started a chat with Bilt support while I was writing this article to check if the offer was attached. After going through the AI bot, I spoke with a customer service rep and I was told:
“After reviewing your account, we can confirm that you will receive the promotion.
Just a friendly reminder that the offer details might not show up while you’re applying, but they will be visible in your Bilt account once your card is activated on February 7th, 2026.”
The offer expired on January 15 at 12PM ET and I was lucky to apply around 10:30 AM. I was instantly approved. I also “converting” from the old Bilt Mastercard, so I wasn’t a completely new customer. But the welcome bonus was available for everyone anyway.
What Should You Do?
If you applied for a new Bilt card through the TPG link and are being told you don’t have the 5X bonus:
- Hope for the Best: Maybe this is just a technical issue and it magically shows up in your account on February 7th
- Gather Evidence: Save your approval email (with timestamp) and any screenshots you (hopefully) took during the application process.
- Escalate: Ask to speak to a supervisor via Bilt’s chat or phone support. Some users have reported success by persistently providing proof of their application time.
- File a Complaint: If the issue is not resolved then you can file a report with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or your State Attorney General regarding deceptive advertising practices. Some proof would help.
Guru’s Wrap-up
As of now, Bilt leadership has yet to issue a formal public statement addressing why so many legitimate applicants are being excluded from the TPG offer. To make matters worse, then are also reports of people applying after the TPG promotion ended, and they were able to get the extra bonus after chatting with reps online.
Let us know if you are affected but this!
The post Some Applicants Denied Advertised 5X TPG Bonus, Bilt Promises to Send Out Emails Today appeared first on Danny the Deal Guru.
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