April 2026 Newsletter

Last month we went back to the basics and slowed down. This month I want to ramp things up, just a little bit, and think about earning for everyone.

Some common things I hear:

“I don’t use credit cards, so I guess I can’t earn travel points.” or

"My friend doesn't want a credit card. Is there any way for them to earn points for free travel?"

If you have a bank account and a debit card, there are multiple ways to earn transferable points on the spending you already do. Without a credit card. Every day.

Bilt Rewards

No credit card needed. Period. Download the Bilt Rewards app on your phone. Create an account and link it to your debit card. When you use your linked debit card at participating “Bilt Neighborhood” dining or retail merchants, you earn Bilt Points.

Why this matters? Bilt Points are incredibly valuable. They have over 20 transfer partners and unmatched transfer bonuses. This is a pathway to flexible, free travel.

Rakuten

Surprised? You can link your Rakuten account to your Bilt Rewards account and earn Bilt Points on Rakuten. Like we discussed above, you do not need a credit card to have a Bilt Rewards account. Likewise you do not need a credit card to use Rakuten and have your earnings transferred to Bilt. 

Why this matters? No need to add a card to your wallet to earn Bilt Points. Activate Rakuten - earn transferable points everytime to shop or dine out!

Rove Miles

Have a hotel stay coming up? Earn Rove Miles on your cash hotel booking. Pay for your hotel through Rove’s booking portal and earn transferable miles, even when paying with a debit card.

Looking to do some online shopping? Rove can help you there too! No credit card needed. Navigate to the merchant you are shopping at, by first activating Rove’s shopping portal, pay with your debit card, and earn Rove Miles.

Why this matters? Like Bilt, Rove Miles are valuable in their transferability. With 14 (and growing) transfer partners, including two which are exclusive to Rove, Rove Miles is a tool that makes sense both for earning miles and booking hotels!

Merchant Linking

Did you know that many merchants link with frequent travelers’ programs? When you purchase a good or service at a merchant that is linked to your frequent travel program you earn points on that purchase. These programs run in the background; once linked, you earn points automatically. Some examples of current merchant linking options are:

-          Link Lyft to United or Hilton

-          Link Uber to Marriott          

-          Link Shell to American

-          Link Starbucks to Delta

-          Link Hyatt to American

Why this matters? Who doesn’t love earning extra rewards when we buy a cup of coffee or fill our gas tank?! These everyday purchases can help grow points balances and keep frequent traveler accounts active.

Debit Cards

Maybe you aren’t ready to get a credit card, but you are ready to explore a little bit further. There are even point earning debit cards!

-          Southwest Rapid Rewards Debit Card: Earns 1 point per $1 on Southwest purchases, dining, and select subscriptions, and 1 point per $2 on all other purchases.

-          United Airlines MileagePlus Debit Card: Earns 1 mile per dollar on United purchases and 1 mile per  2 dollars on other purchases

-          American Express Rewards Checking Account: Allows current cardholders to earn 1.00% APY on their balance and 1 Membership Rewards point for every $2 spent on eligible debit card purchases.

Why this matters? If you do not have (or want) a credit card there are earning options for every single purchase you make.

More Opportunities

You can link your debit card to a dining portal to earn airline miles or Bilt Points when you dine at an affiliated restaurant.

You can open a Bask Bank high yield savings account to earn American Airlines miles as your interest payment.

You can link ANY Mastercard (yes, even a debit card) to Simply Miles and earn American Airline miles when you shop at participating merchants.

Using shopping portals is not dependent on a credit card. Anytime you shop online you can activate an airline shopping portal, pay for your merchandise with a debit card, and earn airline specific miles. 

Considering opening an American Express Checking Account? Good news! You can, also, link it to Rakuten and earn Membership Reward points. This gives you the choice of transferring to Bilt Rewards or the American Express. 

Why this matters? The world is your oyster! Every purchase you make can bring you closer to your travel dreams.  Everyone deserves to travel and travel well. 

Travel rewards are not reserved for people with premium credit cards or high annual spending.

If you have a bank account, a debit card, and a few minutes to set up these programs, you can start earning transferable points on the purchases you already make every day.

The key is knowing where the opportunities exist. Once these tools are set up, your normal spending begins quietly generating miles and points in the background - turning coffee, gas, hotel stays, everything into future travel.

And, when you are ready, adding a credit card, such as the Bilt Palladium or American Express Gold Card, can dramatically accelerate these earning strategies. By layering in the right credit card with these habits your points earning will truly take off.

🗓️UPDATES🗓️

Mark your calendars for our next Live Q&A session on Monday April 13th at 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET. Get all your questions answered. Here's the link to join. Don't miss out on attending live!