TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt advisor and investor.
One of the best ways to boost your loyalty account balances is by double-dipping on rewards. Stacking rewards takes many forms and requires different levels of effort, but one of the easiest stacking opportunities involves the ride-hailing company Lyft.
With Lyft’s new partnership with Bilt Rewards, now is a great time to earn valuable miles when you summon a Lyft. Here’s what you need to know.
Lyft partners
Lyft has close partnerships with the following loyalty programs:
Before June 2021, you could earn points and miles on Lyft rides with Delta and Hilton. However, now you must choose among Bilt, Alaska, Hilton and Delta. Whichever of the four you select, you’ll still be eligible to earn credit card points.
Now, let’s look at how to earn rewards through each Lyft partnership.
Bilt Rewards
Bilt Rewards is Lyft’s newest partner. You can transfer Bilt Rewards points to Bilt’s travel partners, including American AAdvantage, United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt. And you don’t have to pay rent with Bilt to earn Bilt Rewards points on Lyft rides. Here’s what you can earn:
- 2 points per dollar on Lyft rides (including taxes, fees, tolls and tips).
- 3 additional points per dollar on Lyft rides when you pay with the Bilt Mastercard® (including taxes, fees, tolls and tips, as well as rates and fees).
To link your Bilt and Lyft accounts, download the Bilt app, sign up for a Bilt Rewards account or log in and follow the prompts to link your Lyft account.
Related: 6 of the best ways to redeem Bilt Rewards points for maximum value
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Alaska Mileage Plan
Alaska is Lyft’s second newest rewards partner. Despite recent devaluations, Alaska Mileage Plan can still provide value. Here’s what you’ll earn from Alaska’s partnership with Lyft:
- 1 mile per dollar on all Lyft rides in the U.S. and Canada (excluding taxes, fees, tolls and tips).
Linking your Lyft and Alaska accounts takes just a few taps. Go to AlaskaLyft.com and select “Link your accounts.” The site will prompt you to log in to your Mileage Plan account and agree to the terms and conditions.
Next, you must sign in with Lyft and agree to Lyft’s terms and conditions. After that, your Alaska and Lyft accounts will be linked.
There’s no limit to the number of Alaska miles you can earn with Lyft.
Related: How to book free stopovers with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Delta SkyMiles
Delta and Lyft launched their partnership in 2017, allowing you to earn bonus SkyMiles on Lyft rides.
While Delta’s SkyMiles program isn’t always the most lucrative, you can still book some great sweet spots using your miles. Here’s what you’ll get through Delta and Lyft’s partnership:
- 1 mile per dollar spent (excluding taxes, fees, tolls and tips) on all U.S. rides.
- 2 miles per dollar spent (excluding taxes, fees, tolls and tips) on all U.S. airport rides.
- $20 ride credit as a new Lyft user.
To unlock these rewards, just link your Delta and Lyft accounts. Visit deltalyft.com and enter your first name, last name and SkyMiles number. Agree to the terms and conditions and then click “Link Account.”
Once you click “Link Account,” you must confirm your Lyft account or create a new one.
Then, the final step is to confirm your details on Lyft’s website or app. Once you’ve finished this linking process, you’ll automatically earn Delta SkyMiles every time you pay for an eligible Lyft.
Related: How to redeem Delta SkyMiles for maximum value
Hilton Honors
While I credit my Lyft rides to Bilt Rewards, Hilton Honors is a popular alternative. Here’s what you can earn with Hilton Honors on Lyft rides in the U.S. and Canada:
- 3 points per dollar spent (excluding taxes, fees, tolls and tips) on Lyft economy, luxury and extra-seat rides.
- 2 points per dollar spent (excluding taxes, fees, tolls and tips) on shared Lyft rides.
- $5 off the first three rides for new users.
- Bonus points on up to $10,000 in Lyft rides.
If you reach the maximum spending of $10,000 in Lyft rides per year, you’ll earn up to 30,000 Hilton Honors points. Based on TPG’s valuations, 30,000 Hilton points are worth about $180.
To start earning Hilton points on Lyft rides, visit hiltonhonorslyft.com.
Click “Link your accounts” and sign in to your Hilton Honors account.
You must agree to the terms and click “Link account.”
Once you’ve completed all these steps, you can earn Hilton Honors points every time you pay for an eligible Lyft.
Related: 8 ways to maximize Hilton Honors redemptions
Which Lyft partner is best?
Deciding whether to credit your rides to Bilt, Alaska, Delta or Hilton depends on your ride patterns.
Bilt’s 2 points per dollar is arguably the best out there. Unlike the other partners, Bilt points are transferrable and you earn on the total price of your ride (including taxes, tips and tolls). At our valuations, that’s effectively 3.6 cents back on the dollar.
If you generally use Lyft for airport rides, you might consider Delta SkyMiles, which earns 2 SkyMiles per dollar (worth 2.82 cents based on TPG’s valuations) on airport rides.
With Alaska Mileage Plan, you’ll earn 1 mile per dollar spent (worth 1.8 cents at TPG’s valuations).
Standard Lyft rides earn 3 Hilton Honors points per dollar (worth 1.8 cents based on TPG’s valuations), the same return you’d get crediting to Alaska Mileage Plan.
If you link your Bilt, Alaska, Delta and Hilton accounts to Lyft, you’ll likely earn on whichever you most recently linked. To change your rewards partner, select “Rewards” on the left-side toolbar in the Lyft app.
Scroll to “Change partner” and select Bilt Rewards, Alaska Mileage Plan, Delta SkyMiles or Hilton Honors.
Related: What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
Best cards for Lyft
Best of all, you can stack loyalty program bonuses and your standard credit card earnings. To maximize your Lyft rides, use a card that offers additional rewards for ride-hailing services.
If Bilt is your linked rewards program, the Bilt Mastercard® earns an extra 3 Bilt points per dollar (worth 5.4 cents per dollar at TPG’s valuations). While Bilt Rewards is possibly the strongest rewards partner, you might not want to pay for your Lyft rides with the Bilt Mastercard.
Chase extended its partnership with Lyft last year through March 2025, so select Chase cardholders earn bonuses on Lyft purchases. Here are some of the Chase cards that earn 5 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar (worth 10 cents back per dollar spent at TPG’s valuations) or 5% cash back on Lyft:
Also, the Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 10 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar (worth 20 cents per dollar spent at TPG’s valuations) on Lyft.
If you have a Chase card that earns bonus rewards on Lyft rides, consider adding your Chase card to the “payment” section of the Lyft app.
There’s also a case for using a Mastercard for some rides. After all, World and World Elite Mastercard cardholders can earn a $5 monthly credit after taking three Lyft rides in a month. After your third ride, the credit will automatically be applied to the next ride, capped once per month.
Related: Start checking Uber and Lyft as soon as you land
Bottom line
Making the most of your points and miles can be complicated, but once you link your preferred reward program and credit card, it’s smooth sailing with Lyft.
By taking advantage of these partnerships and using the right rewards card, you’ll earn travel rewards every time you hail a Lyft.
For rates and fees of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
Additional reporting by Liz Hund.
