If you tried to move from the old Wells Fargo Bilt card to Bilt Card 2.0 and got denied, you’re not the only one. This rollout has been messy for some people, and a denial has been showing up even for longtime users who pay on time and have strong credit.
The part that makes this stressful is the timing. The old card is being shut off in early February, and the easy transition window ends fast. So if you’re sitting there staring at a denial screen, you feel like you’re about to get left behind.
Here’s what I learned from going through it myself, and what I’d tell anyone dealing with the same issue.
First be clear about what happened
Bilt calls it a transition, but it’s not a simple product change like most banks do. You’re still going through an approval decision under the new setup. That’s why someone can be a perfect cardholder on the old card and still get declined on the first try.
The good news is that the first decision isn’t always the final one.
What happened in my case
I was denied at first.
I did what most people do. I contacted support, asked why, and got the usual unhelpful answer that you’ll see others getting too. Basically we can’t change it and try again later.
Instead of giving up, I kept pushing for one specific thing. A manual review.
Once I got my case escalated and got written confirmation that it was being reviewed, it took about a week. Then everything changed quickly.
I received an email saying I had an offer waiting in the Bilt app. Right after that, I got the approval email. Then I got the email confirming the transition was locked in.
So the outcome wasn’t reapply later. The outcome was they looked again and it got approved.
That’s why I’m telling people not to panic after the first denial.
If you’re denied here’s what I would do
Stop hitting the button over and over. Don’t keep restarting the process every few hours. It doesn’t help. Take a screenshot of the denial message, save the date, then move on.
Ask support for one thing. Please escalate this for manual review. Don’t write a long story. Don’t argue about your credit score. Keep it simple. You were denied, you believe it may be an error, you want it reviewed, and you want a case number.
Use the app chat too because it’s usually faster. Email is good for a paper trail. Chat is often quicker for getting a case opened and getting someone to confirm they escalated it. What you want is a clear line back like we escalated the decision or we sent it to the bank partner for review.
While you’re waiting, fix the small stuff that causes a lot of denials. A lot of these denials look like verification problems. Three things that come up again and again are address mismatches, frozen credit files like Innovis, and missed verification steps that went to spam.
Once you have written confirmation that it’s escalated, give it a few days. In my case it was about a week. Then the approval emails came in a burst.
If they tell you to reapply in 45 days
This is where people get stuck because 45 days pushes you outside the transition window.
If you get that answer, I would respond like this. I’m not trying to reapply. I’m asking for escalation and review because I believe the decision may be wrong.
Then ask one direct question. Can you tell me what failed verification, address match, credit file access, or is this a final underwriting decision.
Sometimes reps don’t have detail, but pushing for a clear reason forces the case to move to someone who does.
If you’re getting nowhere, calling can help. Bilt listed a transition phone line for Card 2.0 questions. The number is 888 904 3420.
What approval usually looks like
When the review goes your way, it usually shows up like this.
You get an email telling you there’s an offer waiting in the app. You accept the offer. You receive the formal approval email with your terms. Then you get the transition confirmation email.
It tends to happen quickly once the decision flips.
Quick answers people keep asking
Does manual review mean I’m denied. No. Manual review usually means the decision isn’t final yet.
If I’m denied do I lose my points. No. Your points are tied to your Bilt Rewards account.
Is there a normal reconsideration line like Chase or Amex. Not the way people are used to. This has been more about getting support to escalate a case to the right team.
Why would someone with great credit be denied. A lot of these have looked like verification and data issues, not actual creditworthiness.
Bottom line
If Bilt Card 2.0 denies you during the transition, don’t assume it’s final. In my case, the first decision was no, and after escalation and manual review, it became yes within about a week.
The whole game is getting your case in front of the right team and cleaning up anything that could cause verification problems while you wait.
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