Note: We have a business relationship with Bilt Rewards.
The Truth About BILT Rewards & Affiliate Compensation
Yesterday Bethany Walsh posted an article on her site Bougie Miles titled Bilt Rewards Review (Be Careful Who You Trust). Initially we were going to wait till next week’s podcast to discuss it but after giving it some thought and hearing from readers etc. I figured I should clear the air before the podcast next week.
Bethany’s Article
A quick summary on Bethany’s article is that she took umbrage with the coverage BILT Rewards has gotten and how compensation was not fully disclosed by some of the people doing the coverage. That was what the overarching theme of the article was shooting for. There is also a breakdown of the program and why she didn’t think it was a good fit for most.
The focus of the compensation received was the P.R. trip to Moskito Island that some bloggers and social media influencers were invited to near the launch of the program. This trip was mostly funded by BILT Rewards, invited people just needed to get down to the area. Shawn was one of the people invited.
Bethany goes on to say some of the people on this trip never fully disclosed that they received it as compensation during their coverage. She named some names in the article, also said some that did it right and then left others out all together. That leaves an implication that anyone not named did it wrong by association. Something I know wasn’t Bethany’s intent but that is how it was taken by some readers none-the-less.
She also goes on to point out that Richard Kerr, their loyalty program point man, has been less than forthright on Twitter about this compensation. Tweets that essentially said we didn’t pay anyone for this great coverage etc. Her feeling was that the trip was payment, which I do agree with. So I get what Richard was trying to say, they didn’t have direct affiliate payments to bloggers, and I get what Bethany was saying, you did by hosting them at the island etc. To be fair it wasn’t like only the people on the island covered the card though.
There are some other issues brought up about skip the line codes and affiliate disclosures added to coverage later on. I will discuss all of these things.
My Response To The Article
I wanted to take a moment to respond to this and to clear the air. Shawn was invited to the island and the purpose of the trip was to learn more about the BILT program and for everyone there to share ideas on how it could be better etc.
When Shawn got back from the trip he discussed his time on the island and about the program. He fully disclosed that this was a trip hosted and and paid for by BILT Rewards and how much it would cost someone to book it.
After the trip our deals editor, Danny, covered any news that came out about the program after that. Like when they added United as a travel partner etc. Danny wrote up the posts and shared his thoughts on it, if any at all. Because it was a news type post, and Shawn didn’t share any opinions, we didn’t have a disclosure on those articles. To be honest we didn’t think it was necessary. Much like when we write about Chase or Amex etc. when there isn’t an affiliate link there isn’t a disclosure. If Shawn had shared his thoughts on the program in a post he would have disclosed it then.
When we had a skip the line code, as many people did who were on and not on the island, that was nothing more than a way for people to get the card. We did not receive any commission for that. I would have to imagine the codes were meant to keep applications lower for a soft launch and also to track which areas were most effective at reaching applicants. This is pretty common procedure for any fin tech startup (see the Curve card as an example). We have no knowledge of who applied via those codes or if anyone actually did. Some still got waitlisted even with the codes.
Once BILT worked out the kinks and switched banks to Wells Fargo they were ready to open up applications far and wide. This is when they offered an affiliate program to sites and that is when we added a disclosure discussing that on any article where the links were used.
We have pretty much treated BILT the same as we do any other issuer. We cover necessary news / info so that you are informed of everything that is going on. Whether that be new partners, new promotions or a banking partnership change etc.
I will also say that in no way has BILT, or anyone else for that matter, ever had a say in the content we create. There are rules on disclosure and legal terms you need to follow for affiliate partnerships but they do not have a say in editorial content. We have always shared our honest opinion with our readers, a fact that had Citi pull their affiliate links from us. Even though I said they don’t have control, a partner can always cancel a partnership if they feel the need to. That is their right. But, if you need any more proof that we will share our honest opinion that is all you need right there. Plus, our coverage of Citi hasn’t changed one bit since that happened either.
The Truth About Affiliate Marketing And Disclosures
Having said all that I wanted to take a second to talk about affiliate marketing. I think Bethany was trying to make the point that it can be a dirty place to live in when people do it wrong. This is true, especially with the rise of social media influencers and the lack of disclosures required there. It is a topic Shawn and I have mentioned several times on the podcast and MtM Vegas show.
That is also true in the miles and points world. Sometimes sites will promote offers that are not the best available or not disclose when something was comped. Affiliate links are not always the best offers you can get but they are the only ones you can get a commission for. That is why some will promote a 60,000 point Sapphire Preferred offer without alerting you to the fact that there is a better 80,000 point offer with no annual fee in branch. We have always prided ourselves on sharing the best deal possible with you, even going as far as to say DO NOT USE OUR OR ANYONE’S AFFILIATE LINKS for certain offers.
As far as the BILT coverage goes I am not sure who or who did not disclose or talk about the trip. I didn’t read or watch other people’s coverage much. But, you should always pay attention to which sites and influencers show you that they have your best interest in mind and share the best offers with you, even at a cost to themselves.
Why Has There been So Much Positive Press?
Do I think the island trip caused others to cover BILT Rewards in a more positive light than it deserves? I am sure it plays a role some. But, probably not in the way you think. People work with people, so when someone asks for your input and treats you with respect then I think that leads to people looking at you in a better light. That is true in all business. If a vendor treats you terrible are you going to mention their product as often? Probably not.
Do I think it greatly influenced people’s take on the program. Not likely in my opinion. What it may have done is had them cover news they might have skipped over from another issuer. Some may have written up a story about a change or update that they would have glossed over elsewhere. That could lead to more coverage for sure.
I think it could have led to people giving the program more of a benefit of the doubt too. That plus the fact that many of the people have a personal relationship with Richard Kerr, which probably plays more of a role than anything honestly.
I think people were honestly excited about a new shiny object. And while the program isn’t revolutionary, people have been able to pay rent at places for no fee before, I do think the program is unique. They were able to get loyalty programs on board that are normally on other sides of the aisle. Think United and Hyatt with Chase and American Airlines with Citi etc. Heck even Citi can’t get AA as a full time transfer partner. I think that was an interesting move they made and something only Marriott’s program was able to really accomplish. The difference is Marriott have the transfer partners at way less than a 1 to 1 rate, or even 2 to 1 rate. So that made it unique and you had people that nerd out about this stuff covering it.
My Thoughts On BILT’s Program
I’ll give you a quick overview on my thoughts on the program since I have never really discussed it. I think it is aimed at the young city dweller. Someone with high rent payments and lots of dining spend. A NYC, LA, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago etc. dweller in their 20’s or 30’s. That all assumes they can’t already pay their rent for free where they are at too. If you can you may be better offer with a 2X earning card like Blue Business Plus or Citi Doublecash etc.
That doesn’t really match up to many in the miles and points community though. I would guess most of our readers own a home and have plenty of dining bonus cards. It doesn’t mean the program doesn’t have a place though, as Ryan says in the article. If you pay rent and could earn points where you couldn’t before plus are above Chase 5/24 then I say have at it. Even someone paying $2000 a month in rent is looking at 24,000 points a year they may not have had otherwise.
Am I getting the card? Not at its current design. If they added gas or grocery etc. then I may consider it a bit more. That would be solely for the American Airlines avenue since I can’t get a Citi or Barclay American Airlines card to save my life!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this sheds some light on our approach to BILT coverage, and all our credit card coverage, whether they are an affiliate or not. We are always going to try to do what is best for you, the reader. If we have a sponsored post or affiliate relationship we are always going to disclose that to you. And we are going to share our personal opinions on what we think about it regardless. Sometimes (all of the time?) that will be differing opinions shared by the people that work here. Since this isn’t a one size fits all game and we encourage people to share their individual thoughts.
Actually, hopefully you read this and thought…he didn’t even need to write it since we already know what they are all about.
Have a great weekend everyone!
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I don’t always love your content (and your laugh still hurts my soul), but I’ve always felt you were honest and forthright, and this is no different. Good article.
Don’t worry Kevin – I’ll grow on you over time haha 🙂
@Kevin, he’s not lying. There was a time when I first started reading and listening to MtM and I remember Mark’s laughter being like nails on a chalk board to my ears.
Now, I couldn’t imagine listening to MtM or their MtM Vegas podcast without it. Not only will he grow on you, but I honestly miss hearing his laughter on the rare occasion he takes a week away from the podcast.
It may seem strange but his laughter actually triggers me to laugh a good amount of the time I’m listening to him on the podcasts.
This brought a smile to my face – thanks! 🙂
Thank you for publishing your take on this Mark (and to Bethany for the bravery of calling out anti-consumer behavior, something the miles and points ecosystem needs more of).
Mark, you write, “…it can be a dirty place to live in when people do it wrong. This is true… especially with the rise of social media influencers and the lack of disclosures required there. It is a topic Shawn and I have discussed at length on the podcast and MtM Vegas show”.
I’ve followed your podcast pretty regularly for some time, but don’t recall any focused discussion of this. Would you kindly reference specific episodes where you did this? Thanks!
Never a focused topic but we have mentioned it in passing several times. I’ll remove the at length part since that is not fair as it wasn’t a main topic.
Thanks for writing this article Mark. I have to be honest, I don’t care what they disclose or not as I always google the best offer or check with sites such as this one and others to see what’s best. Most in this space will do the same. I get it that not disclosing seems kinda shady to some, but everyone goes about their own way in this space.
I felt that Frequent Miler was biased when pushing the Venture X as if it was the best card to ever hit this space. I know why they were pushing it, it’s because they were getting paid to do it. When I called them out on it they never answered.
Bias shows up in this space when folks speak of Citi. Bloggers tend to use the lame argument of Citi being difficult…and to an extent that can be true…but it can be true to most lenders. I’ve had Amex lock my card, force me to call in, and even send verification docs at one point. Does it happen as often as Citi…maybe, maybe not…we’ll never know because as long as Amex continues to offer crazy high sign up bonuses, the ability to play the upgrade/downgrade game, NLL offers, AU bonuses, etc…people will always give them a pass no matter what they do because their interest of gaining tons of points is served.
When the dust settles on Covid and Amex goes back to business as usual, and the POT 20k offers stop, the upgrade/downgrade game doesn’t work anymore, and the 99 AU offers fade into the background, people will be back to being LOUD about them and their shortcomings.
We’re all blinded by what we love and outspoken about what we hate. Need proof? If most bloggers were honest, the Citi Premier is probably one of the better $95 AF cards in this hobby even with the lack of trip protection. The card, in my opinion is MUCH better than the CSP….will folks ever say that…probably not. Tell me another 3x earning card, without earning caps, that provides the coverage that Citi does and allows you to cash out at 1cpp if you’d like without having to carry another version of their Premium card? I’ll wait….yep, not many. Citi has access to SkyTeam, OneWorld, and Star Alliance but folks will hang their hatred for Citi on them not having a domestic partner as if any of us really ever use domestic partners when transferring points.
We’ll look to KLM/AF/Flying Blue/Virgin before looking at Delta. We’ll look at BA, Iberia, Qantas, and even Alaska before looking shopping AA, and the same for United…we’ll look to Avianca, Turkish, and Aeroplan before settling on United direct…so the arguments about Citi not having a domestic partner is CRAP. They’ll also point out that Citi doesn’t have any good hotel partners but the next article they write will say that one should NEVER transfer MR/UR to hotel partners.
My point…EVERYONE IN THIS SPACE has an angle and Bilt is no different.
Full transparency, I did apply and was approved for Bilt. Why, because I want to have access to Hyatt, and American and don’t want to hold the CSR anymore. So while I’ll lose the 1x on travel as Bilt only gives 2x and Chase gives 3x, the savings of not having to pay a high AF to Chase is worth the 1x loss.
So yes, I’m a mortgage paying, non millennial, who still thinks Bilt is perfect for those who are over 5/24 like myself, those who want to get something for paying rent, and for those who don’t want to be held hostage for Chase’s rules in order to have access to partners that Chase has. The ability to have access to American, United, their other transfer partners of Bilt is just icing on the cake.
Good point it can be a good card for someone that wants 3X on dining for those partners at no fee. Something you can’t really do with a different card so I could see people getting it for that.
When I first read and listened to podcasters about the BILT card and the trip – it only reaffirmed that the points and miles space is primarily about relationships – with fellow travelers, with card providers, and on some levels – with the elite in this space. A listener cannot hear the rapport and camaraderie of promoters (and by this – I mean promoting the hobby – not promoting the cards) in this space and not feel a tad jealous of the special friendships you have all developed. It’s easy to see how the Moskito island trip would be viewed with jealousy by anyone not included. That being said, it is pretty clear when Richard, Ed and others say they are not making money – they are referring to affiliate links with BILT. Otherwise – people promote in this space to make money. There is getting to be too much chatter about that and I think it is okay to move on. Full disclosure, I am a BILT card member, do NOT pay rent, and am hoping for more fun promos like the Black Friday 5X or the January Fitness 5X.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Mary. More promos would be great and hopefully they aren’t so strict on the charge needing to post on the date you made the charge to earn the points in the future. I know that caught some by surprise
Are you referring to black friday charges posting? I didn’t have the card that early but was able to take advantage of the January fitness 5X by prepaying 6 months at my gym with BILT on January 31 and luckily – it did post and get the 5X points. It was a cost I would have incurred over 6 months anyway so I wasn’t going to be devastated if it didn’t go through.
Yeah the Black Friday deal. I heard some people made charges but they didn’t settle till the next day so they missed out on some points. Hopefully that issue has been corrected though.
We sold our home a few years ago and starting renting in another city. Count us as points people that this card is really working for!
Glad to hear it is a good fit!
I think the big issue is not so much with you guys but w Bilt saying point blank they didn’t pay anyone, even AFTER they started paying people more than just trips! Like why?
Because they are shady. No surprise that Wells Fargo joined the shadiness. As I wrote on Bethany’s blog, this is a cfpb investigation waiting to happen. And cfpb won’t just go after Wells Fargo; all the blogs will become targets also.
I’m bummed to learn the early adopters won’t switch to Wells Fargo, thus losing out on certain perks like primary insurance coverage. Not like I don’t get this thru 234234 other cards so not as big a deal…Still, though, it’s kinda a bummer..
I think the timing of the tweet was weird and not great.
Thank you for your transparency. I’m starting to think we’re looking at this card wrong. It’s not for us, it’s for us to suggest to friends who aren’t in the game. Easy way to introduce Young Urban Professionals who pay outrageous rent and never cook to points earning. People who wouldn’t know 5/24 from 4/20.
That is a great point Paul
“Her feeling was that the trip was payment, which I do agree with. So I get what Richard was trying to say, they didn’t have direct affiliate payments to bloggers, and I get what Bethany was saying, you did by hosting them at the island etc. ”
What would the IRS have to say in regards to the free trip? Was compensation received? There lies your answer, regardless how one wants to wordsmith it or try to claim innocence
I wonder if Richard Kerr uses the same logic when he does his taxes? One thing that has been proven through time – liars always lie and cheaters always cheat.
I posted a comment on her blog yesterday which she did not publish.
She wants people to provide transparency about their affiliations yet filters / cherry picks the comments posted on her articles. *Sigh* typical trash blogger
I appreciate your comments, your opinion and the level of respect and disclosure that you guys bring to the industry. AND I would also like to say that you told me not to play favorites and I appreciate your support. I will now exit the stage with my Oscar. Thank you
Fair assessment all around and commendable stance. Its just the nature of the beast… its ALL about the pump in the travel/miles/points world. No matter the venue, it’s ALL about the green. Next card please…
While Bethany raises some very valid points, I’m not sure that anyone mentioned is automatically considered guilty. The ultra-posh, ultra-exclusive location for the schmooze fest being free for those invited certainly felt wrong to me but except for that, I’d say that MTM has acted in a pretty impeccable fashion. Nonetheless I’m pretty proud of Bethany for calling out shady behavior by fellow bloggers. I don’t think you should sweat that you weren’t specifically listed as being virtuous in this case.
As a side note to Bilt: Have any future gatherings at some nondescript airport hotel in Tulsa (or similar) next time so the only people who show up are those who really care. That would make ethical considerations pretty much moot on that front.
Thank you so much and 100% that there was never any question in my mind or intention to call out MTM. so I appreciate you for reading it thoroughly some thing most people have not done.
Thanks as always Christian for sharing your thoughts