Finally: Blacklane Bilt Cash Redemptions Are Here!

Bilt has added premium chauffeur service Blacklane to the Bilt ecosystem, giving members a new way to book airport transfers, hourly car service, and city-to-city rides through Bilt. Most importantly: you can redeem Bilt Cash for Blacklane credits!

TL;DR

• Book Blacklane through the Bilt Concierge or Bilt Travel Portal

• Earn 1X Bilt Points on every eligible Blacklane ride booked through Bilt (in addition to the normal rewards from a linked card used to pay)

• Pay with Bilt Points, a linked card, a Bilt Cash credit, or a combination

• Redeem Bilt Cash once per calendar year for a Blacklane credit based on Bilt status

What Is Blacklane?

Blacklane is a premium chauffeur service offering prearranged rides in more than 60 countries. Unlike an on-demand rideshare like Lyft, Blacklane is designed around professionally chauffeured transportation booked in advance.

Its services include airport transfers, hourly chauffeur bookings and longer city-to-city rides. This is all to say: Blacklane is going to be way more expensive than a standard Uber or Lyft ride. Eg if you look at this sample pricing comparison for a ride between JFK and Penn Station on Sep 04, Uber charges $73.90 but Blacklane costs $180:

How the Bilt Cash Blacklane Credit Works

You can redeem Bilt Cash for a Blacklane credit; the maximum annual Blacklane credit depends on the member’s Bilt status:

The credit operates on a calendar-year cycle from January 1 through December 31 and resets each year. Members may redeem Bilt Cash for the Blacklane credit once per year.

That distinction matters. If you don’t use the full allocation, you’re out of luck and will need to think about other Bilt Cash uses.

How to Book Blacklane Through Bilt

To book a Blacklane ride with Bilt:

1. Open the Bilt app/website

2. Navigate to the Bilt Concierge or Bilt Travel Portal (under Rewards tab).

3. Select Car Service and enter the details of the ride.

4. At checkout, choose to pay with Bilt Points, a linked card, an available Bilt Cash credit, or a combination of payment methods.

5. Complete the booking to earn 1X Bilt Points on the journey (you still earn normal credit card rewards)

Members can book Blacklane as a standalone ride or add car service to a trip already booked through the Bilt Travel Portal.

If using the Bilt Cash benefit, the redemption must be made through Bilt.

Can You Stack Bilt’s Bilt Cash Blacklane Credit With the Strata Elite Blacklane Credit?

The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card offers up to $200 in annual Blacklane statement credits, divided into up to $100 from January through June and another $100 from July through December. Citi’s T&C says this for using the credit:

Purchases must be made directly through the Blacklane app or their online website at blacklane.com.

Bilt’s Blacklane credit, meanwhile, must be redeemed through the Bilt Concierge or Bilt Travel Portal. Because the reservation is made through Bilt rather than directly with Blacklane, the transaction is likely to code under Bilt instead of an eligible Blacklane purchase.

You’ll definitely be able to select a Citi Strata Elite as the linked card for the portion not covered by Bilt Cash, but you should not assume that doing so will trigger Citi’s Blacklane statement credit. If it does… well that’s a pretty cool stack. Unlikely though.

How Blacklane Compares With Other Bilt Cash Redemptions

The Blacklane credit gives a nominal 1:1 redemption rate: $1 in Bilt Cash can unlock $1 in Blacklane credit, subject to the annual status-based limit.

That is generally stronger than redeeming Bilt Cash against housing or using it for a Points Accelerator. Using the default 1.55-cent Bilt Point valuation in the nextcard Bilt Cash Redemption Calculator, the options compare as follows:

The Points Accelerator calculation assumes a member pays $200 in Bilt Cash and completes the full $5,000 of eligible spending needed to earn 5,000 additional points. Its value falls lower if the member does not fully spend the $5,000 needed to max out the +1X points bonus.

Redeeming against housing is much easier for members who need to use a large Bilt Cash balance, but $1 in Bilt Cash converts into only 33.3 Bilt Points. You’d need to value Bilt points at approximately 3 cents each just to equal the fixed 1:1 value available through a partner credit (this may be true for some, but definitely not for all).

One potential exception is a paid upgrade into a higher transfer-bonus tier during an eligible Rent Day promotion. That can produce more than $1 of value per $1 in Bilt Cash when the offer, transfer amount and intended redemption align, but it is not consistently available & varies wildly on the quality of the transfer bonus.

Our Take

Blacklane is a sensible addition to Bilt’s travel ecosystem. The ability to book a chauffeured ride alongside an existing Bilt trip, combine payment methods, and earn 1X Bilt Points creates a convenient end-to-end travel option.

The Bilt Cash credit is most compelling for members who already value premium transportation or have a lot of Bilt Cash they want to use. Platinum members receive the strongest potential benefit at up to $150 per calendar year, while the $50 Blue and Silver benefit is more likely to function as a partial discount.

Before redeeming, compare the final Blacklane price with other transportation options and consider the alternative Bilt Cash redemptions. If Blacklane fits an existing trip, this can be one of the more straightforward ways to put Bilt Cash to work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Bilt Blacklane credit (Bilt Cash)?

Blue and Silver members can redeem Bilt Cash for up to $50 in Blacklane credit per calendar year. Gold members can redeem up to $100 in Bilt Cash, while Platinum members can redeem up to $150.

How often can you redeem Bilt Cash for Blacklane?

Members can redeem Bilt Cash once per calendar year for the status-based Blacklane credit. The benefit runs from January 1 through December 31 and resets annually.

That means you get one Blacklane credit per calendar year at most, even if you don’t max out the usage limit.

Do Blacklane bookings earn Bilt Points?

Yes. Blacklane rides booked through Bilt and paid with a linked credit card earn 1X Bilt Points. Members also earn the normal rewards offered by the linked card used for the paid portion of the booking.

Can you pay for Blacklane with Bilt Points?

Yes. At checkout, members can use Bilt Points, a linked card, an available Bilt Cash credit, or a combination of those payment methods. But, my guess is that this is not going to be a good use of your Bilt Points…

What types of Blacklane rides can be booked through Bilt?

Bilt members can book airport transfers, city-to-city rides, and hourly Blacklane service. A ride can be booked on its own or added to a trip already booked through Bilt.