Bilt Obsidian Review

Overview

The Bilt Obsidian is a flexible travel rewards card from Bilt, running on the Mastercard network. The Bilt Obsidian earns up to 3x on dining, groceries, and travel, so it pays you the most exactly where you already spend. It carries a $95 annual fee, so the real question is whether its rewards, credits, and perks clear that bar for the way you spend. New cardholders can earn $200 in Bilt Cash on account opening.

It lands in the mid tier: a modest annual fee in exchange for stronger earn rates and a meaningful welcome offer. The right call depends on whether your spending and the perks clear that fee each year.

Our 4.5 out of 5 rating

Each score weighs the rewards rate, value after the annual fee, welcome offer, points flexibility, and perks, with every point valued at a flat 1 cent. This is our editorial assessment to help you compare cards, not a guarantee of approval or of the value you will get.

Rewards: how it earns

Where the Bilt Obsidian earns its rewards is its bonus categories: 3x on dining (about $90 a year on the $3,000 a typical household spends there), 3x on groceries (about $180 a year on the $6,000 a typical household spends there), and 2x on travel (about $36 a year on the $1,800 a typical household spends there). Across a full year of average household spending, the card returns roughly $490 in rewards before any welcome bonus, so the more your spending overlaps those categories, the better it does.

Every point and mile above is valued at a flat 1 cent, the same honest standard we use for every card. Run your own spending through the calculator to see what this card would actually return for you.

Pros and cons

The welcome bonus

The current welcome offer is $200 in Bilt Cash on account opening. Stacking the welcome offer on top of a typical year of rewards and accounting for the $95 annual fee, the first year is worth roughly $395.

Is the annual fee worth it?

To come out ahead on the Bilt Obsidian you need to clear its $95 annual fee. On typical spending it earns about $490 a year in rewards, and it carries up to $300 in statement credits. For anyone who spends in its categories, the fee is easy to justify.

Benefits and protections

Beyond the rewards, the perks and protections worth knowing about include:

• Earn Bilt Points on rent and mortgage, no transaction fee
• $100 annual Bilt Travel Hotel credit
• Transfer points to 15+ airline and hotel partners
• No foreign transaction fees
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Purchase protection and rental car insurance

Statement credits

• $200 Bilt Cash on account opening
• $100 annual Bilt Travel Hotel credit

Ecosystem and transfer partners

The Bilt Obsidian earns Bilt Points, one of the more valuable currencies in rewards because of where the points can go. You can move points 1 to 1 to 7 airline and hotel partners: United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, World of Hyatt, American Airlines, Air Canada Aeroplan, Emirates Skywards, and Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. As a hub card, this is the one you route points through before transferring out. The sweet spots are usually premium-cabin flights and high-end hotel nights, where a single point can be worth well more than the 1 cent we value it at here.

Who should get it, and who should skip it

It is best for people who spend heavily on dining and groceries and will earn back the $95 fee through those bonus categories and the card's perks.

Skip it if your spending does not line up with its bonus categories, or if you would rather not think about where you swipe at all.

How it compares

If the Bilt Obsidian is not quite the right fit, these related cards are worth weighing against it:

Frequently asked questions