Lyft Partners Compared: Atmos vs. Bilt vs. Hilton
Tl;dr: Atmos has the greatest upside, but you can’t go wrong with Bilt.
We’ve been talking a lot about Atmos Rewards, so it might be a great time to take a look at one of their partners–Lyft. Lyft currently offers three partners for rewards on rides taken with their service: Atmos, Bilt, and Hilton. Just like we did with Uber, let’s compare the options to see which is best.
Breaking down the earnings
Atmos Rewards: 3x points per $1 spent on Airport and “high-value mode” rides, 2x points per $1 spent on Standard rides (standard, XL, priority pick up), but no points on Wait & Save rides. Additionally, starting in 2026, Lyft rides will earn 1 status point per dollar spent.
Bilt Rewards: 2x points per $1 spent.
Hilton Honors: 3x points per $1 spent on economy, luxury, and extra seat rides, 2x points per $1 spent on shared rides.
(Terms in the links above)
Which is better?
Interestingly, Bilt points can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to both Atmos and Hilton. Considering that, along with Bilt’s wealth of other transfer partners, plus the ability to redeem points for 1.25¢ each in Bilt’s transfer portal, Bilt points are generally the most valuable option. And if you ever schedule Wait & Save rides, you’ll probably want to avoid Atmos and the risk that your ride could end up with no bonus points.
Even in the situations where you could get 3 Hilton points instead of 2 Bilt points, the massive gulf in value between them (Nerdwallet estimates that Bilt points are worth over three times as much as Hilton points, and I agree) makes it difficult to justify choosing Hilton even if you are a Hilton devotee (I say this as a Hilton Diamond thanks to my Aspire card).
For Atmos enthusiasts (like me), though, choosing Atmos will probably be the better choice. Although Bilt points are valuable and flexible, I mostly see them as Atmos points in waiting, so earning 50% more Atmos points on airport trips is worthwhile to me, and the ability to use Lyft rides to inch closer to the next level of status in 2026 seals the deal.
Supercharging rewards
Remember, regardless of your rewards partner you can still earn additional rewards with your credit card.
Credits. World and World Elite Mastercards earn a $5 Lyft credit after taking three rides in a single calendar month. Delta’s Platinum and Reserve cards offer a $10 monthly rideshare credit. The Chase Sapphire Reserve also offers $10 in monthly Lyft credits.
Bonus points. Various cards offer bonus points on rideshare generally or Lyft specifically, including 5x points on Chase Sapphire cards (through September 2027), 3x when paying with Bilt, 2x on the Atmos Ascent, and 3x on the Wells Fargo Autograph, among others, so be sure to stack those rewards efficiently! You can save your payment method in the app, so you only have to figure it out once, then you can set and forget. (Or keep your eye out for merchant offers on your card, or bonus rewards when using a linked card through SimplyMiles or ThanksAgain.)
Lazy take 🦥
You can’t go wrong with Bilt, but I’ll be choosing Atmos for the higher earnings and status points in my go-to points system. But Bilt isn’t left out—I’ll be paying with Bilt for the triple points that way, plus the possible $5 Mastercard credit if I take 3+ rides in a month. The possibility of earning 3x Atmos points, plus 3x Bilt points (potentially 6x Atmos points total), plus status points, plus credit toward future rides could make those trips to the airport very rewarding.
Curious how Lyft stacks up to Uber for partner awards? Check out my Uber partner comparison to see how to earn with Delta or Marriott with Uber.
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