PayPal plans to widen Venmo’s reach in 2026 through a partnership with Bilt Rewards, bringing rent, mortgage, and retail payments into the app’s core features. The move targets some of the largest monthly bills in the United States and signals a push to make Venmo more useful for everyday spending.
The companies did not share full product details, but the plan would let Venmo users route payments to landlords, mortgage servicers, and participating merchants, while tapping Bilt’s rewards network. The rollout is expected in the U.S. and could reshape how renters and homeowners manage monthly housing costs.
“PayPal is expanding Venmo’s capabilities in 2026, allowing users to pay rent, mortgages and retail merchants through a new partnership with Bilt Rewards.”
Why Housing Bills Are the Next Target
Rent and mortgage payments are among the largest recurring expenses for U.S. households. While people often split rent or utilities through Venmo today, formal support for paying landlords and mortgage companies has been limited. Many landlords accept checks or money orders, and mortgage servicers often require bank transfers or bill pay.
Bringing these categories into Venmo could shift tens of billions in payment volume into PayPal’s ecosystem. It also brings rewards into a space where points have been rare. Bilt Rewards built its brand by letting renters earn points for on-time payments and redeem them with travel partners or for other benefits.
How the Partnership Could Work
Though terms were not disclosed, the collaboration likely combines Venmo’s user base and payment rails with Bilt’s network of property partners and rewards infrastructure. Bilt has relationships with large property owners and offers a program that tracks rent payments and rewards tenants for paying on time.
If the integration is broad, Venmo users may be able to:
- Pay rent to landlords in Bilt’s network and earn Bilt points.
- Route mortgage payments through approved billers.
- Use Venmo at more retail merchants that participate in Bilt or accept PayPal/Venmo at checkout.
Fees, limits, and eligibility will matter. Card-funded rent or mortgage payments often carry service fees. Bank-funded transfers tend to be cheaper. The partners will need to set clear rules on which funding sources earn rewards and what consumers pay.
Competitive Pressures and Industry Impact
The expansion puts pressure on banks and other payment apps. Zelle focuses on bank-to-bank transfers, while Cash App has leaned into peer payments, investing, and debit card spending. Apple Cash and Google Pay enable person-to-person transfers and some bill pay, but housing payments are still fragmented.
Several rent-focused services already exist, including portals that let tenants pay online and earn limited rewards. Some services have struggled to support mortgage payments at scale, due to risk controls, fees, and biller integrations. If PayPal and Bilt can solve those hurdles, they could gain a first-mover edge with a large user base.
For landlords and servicers, digital payments can reduce check handling and late payments. Yet they raise questions about processing costs and data sharing. Property managers often pass card fees to tenants; a Venmo integration will need to address who pays what.
Consumer Upside and Open Questions
The promise for consumers is convenience and rewards on unavoidable bills. A single app for rent, mortgage, and retail purchases simplifies monthly budgeting. Rewards could help offset fees if structured well.
Still, several issues remain:
- Will mortgage servicers accept payments routed from Venmo at scale?
- How will fees differ by funding source, and will renters see surcharges?
- What fraud and dispute protections will apply to large housing payments?
- Will rewards be capped or limited to certain partners?
Bilt has marketed on-time payment reporting and points earning for renters. Extending that model to mortgages could appeal to first-time buyers and long-time homeowners, but it will require durable integrations with loan servicers.
What Comes Next
Details on eligibility, enrollment, and timing are expected closer to the 2026 launch. A phased rollout is likely, starting with select landlords and merchants. PayPal may also expand Pay with Venmo acceptance at retail to tie everyday spending with monthly bills and rewards.
If successful, the partnership could shift more household payments into digital wallets and intensify competition among banks, card issuers, and tech platforms. Consumers should watch for fee disclosures, reward earning rules, and whether their landlord or servicer participates.
For now, the plan marks a clear attempt to make Venmo a hub for high-value, recurring payments. The next year will show whether the partners can deliver broad acceptance and a cost structure that makes sense for renters, homeowners, and merchants alike.
