Monthly spending. We rank on rewards minus the full annual fee, so statement credits and perks are listed separately and never counted for you.
Choosing between the Bilt Obsidian Card ($95/yr) and the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card ($150/yr) comes down to where you spend most. Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex needs about $330 a month in groceries, counting that spending alone, to make up its $55 higher annual fee over Bilt Obsidian Card. Below that, Bilt Obsidian Card comes out ahead. Enter your monthly spending above to see which comes out ahead for you.
Strongest in dining at 3%. 3x on dining or grocery (your choice), 4x on hotels through Bilt Travel, up to 1.25x on rent and mortgage.
Perfect if: You want a strong rewards rate with no spending caps to worry about.
Apply NowStrongest in dining at 2%. 2x miles on Delta, restaurants, and U.S. supermarkets. Free first checked bag and priority boarding on Delta.
Perfect if: You want a strong rewards rate with no spending caps to worry about.
Apply Now| Feature | Bilt Obsidian Card | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $95 | $150 |
| Sign-Up Bonus | None | 80,000 miles after $3,000 spend in 6 months |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 0% | 0% |
| Base Reward Rate | 1% | 1% |
| Travel Rewards | 2% | 1% |
| Dining Rewards | 3% | 2% |
| Groceries Rewards | 1% | 2% |
| Rates with conditions not counted in the rows above |
4% on hotels through Bilt Travel Earns 4% only on hotels booked through Bilt Travel, Bilt's own booking site. Hotels booked anywhere else earn 2%. 3% on flights through Bilt Travel Earns 3% only on flights booked through Bilt Travel. Flights booked direct with an airline earn 2%. 3% on Lyft Earns 3% only on Lyft rides, after linking your Bilt and Lyft accounts. Other rideshare and travel earns 2%. |
2% on Delta Earns 2% only on Delta purchases. Flights on other airlines, hotels and car rentals earn 1%. |
| Key Benefits | 3x on dining or grocery (your choice), 4x on hotels through Bilt Travel, up to 1.25x on rent and mortgage. | 2x miles on Delta, restaurants, and U.S. supermarkets. Free first checked bag and priority boarding on Delta. |
Bilt Obsidian Card pulls ahead for travel, dining spending.
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card wins on groceries.
The $55/year fee difference means Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.
Bilt Obsidian Card carries $100/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings), while Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card carries $540/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings). Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.
Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math. The calculator ranks purely on rewards minus the full annual fee, so credits and perks are yours to judge.