Bilt Obsidian
What it earns on rent, dining and groceries, the hotel credit and its catch, the insurance, and whether the $95 fee pays for itself.
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Everyday travel · Bilt
Welcome offer
$200 Bilt Cash
Annual fee
$95
$200 of Bilt Cash on approval. There is no points bonus on this card.
Issued by: Column N.A., a U.S. bank; Bilt runs the rewardsForeign transaction fees: NoneRewards: Bilt PointsAuthorized users: $50 each a year
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The Atelier Take
The everyday Bilt card for most renters: rent points plus a strong food category for under $100.
Who it suits
Renters and homeowners who spend heavily on either dining or groceries and want points on their housing payment too.
Who should skip it
Anyone who wants 3x on both dining and groceries (the Amex Gold earns 4x on both), or whose everyday spending is too low to unlock housing points.
Every credit, and the catch
One credit, worth the fee for anyone who books a hotel through Bilt Travel twice a year.
Bilt Travel hotel credit
Up to $100 a year
Bookings of two nights or more through the Bilt Travel portal only; the credit must be selected in the booking flow, and each half-year's $50 is lost if unused.
What it earns
Rewards: Bilt Points, which transfer to Bilt's airline and hotel partners, most at 1:1, including World of Hyatt.
3x
Dining or groceries, your choice
Groceries capped at $25,000 a year
6x
Bilt partner restaurants
Up to 6x at 20,000+ U.S. restaurants in the Bilt Neighborhood network
4x
Hotels booked through Bilt Travel
3x
Flights booked through Bilt Travel
3x
Lyft rides
After linking Bilt and Lyft accounts
2x
Other travel
1x
Everything else
1.25x
Rent and mortgage, with no transaction fee
The maximum; see how housing points work below
Housing points come two ways; cardholders choose one. Housing-only rewards: the rate on rent or mortgage depends on everyday card spending that billing cycle, from 0.5x at 25% of the housing payment to 1.25x at 100% or more (250 points if under 25%). Flexible Bilt Cash: everyday purchases earn 4% back in Bilt Cash, and every $30 of Bilt Cash redeemed unlocks 1,000 points on housing, up to 1x. TPG values Bilt Points at 2.2¢ each, so 3x on the chosen food category returns about 6.6¢ per dollar.
Lounges, status and other benefits
No fee on housing payments
Pay rent, mortgage or HOA through Bilt by card, ACH, Venmo or a mailed check, without a card fee.
Bilt Cash uses
Transfer bonuses, status upgrades and a points accelerator that adds 1x on category spending up to $5,000.
Will the $95 fee pay off?
Enter what would go on this card. The result values points at TPG’s valuation, adds the credits that would actually be used and, in year one, the welcome offer, then sets the total against a no-fee card that pays 2% back on everything.
1 · Spending on this card
Example figures are filled in; replace them with real ones.
DiningUp to 6x at Bilt partner restaurants; counted at the base rate here
3x
Groceries3x capped at $25,000 a year
3x
Hotels booked through Bilt Travel
4x
Flights booked through Bilt Travel
3x
Flights and hotels booked elsewhere
2x
Gas
1x
Everything else
1x
Rent or mortgagePaid through Bilt, no transaction fee. Up to 1.25x, depending on everyday spending
1.25x
2 · Credits that would be used
Tick only what would be used anyway, at full value.
3 · Assumptions
The result
3x applies to dining or groceries, chosen by the cardholder; the calculator uses whichever earns more at the amounts entered. Housing points: both of Bilt’s options are worked out and the better one is used. Housing-only rewards pay 0.5x to 1.25x depending on everyday spending as a share of the housing payment (250 points a month below 25%); Flexible Bilt Cash earns 4% in Bilt Cash on everyday spending, and every $30 redeemed unlocks 1,000 housing points, up to 1x. Bilt measures this each billing cycle, so uneven months can earn less. Not counted: 3x on Lyft and partner-restaurant bonuses. Bilt Cash is counted at face value.
Insurance and protections
Mastercard benefits, described in the Obsidian Guide to Benefits. Pay for the trip or purchase with the card to be covered.
Trip cancellation and interruption
Up to $2,000 per trip and $5,000 per account per 12 months.
Trip delay
Up to $300 per trip after a delay of more than 6 hours, for 1 claim per 12 months. Secondary.
Extended warranty
Extends eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of two years or less.
Cell phone protection
Up to $800 per claim and $1,000 per 12 months, after a $50 deductible. Pay the monthly phone bill with the card.
Purchase assurance
Damage or theft within 90 days: up to $1,000 per loss and $50,000 per 12 months.
Car rental (MasterRental)
Secondary cover for damage and theft on rentals of up to 31 days.
Lost or damaged luggage
Included, per Bilt’s card page; limits are in the Obsidian Guide to Benefits.
Pros and cons
Pros
- 3x on dining or groceries, plus points on rent, for $95
- Bilt Points transfer to airline and hotel partners, including World of Hyatt
- The hotel credit covers the fee for Bilt Travel users
- Trip delay and cancellation cover, rare at this fee
Cons
- Only one of dining or groceries earns 3x
- 1x on everyday purchases
- Housing points depend on everyday spending
- No points welcome bonus
Card terms change often and some offers are personalized; the issuer’s page is the final word.