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 Mastercard® Black Card® ($699/yr) comes down to where you spend most. Mastercard Black Card needs about $10,070 a month in groceries, gas or other purchases, counting that spending alone, to make up its $604 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.
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Limited-time 75,000 bonus point offer. 2X points on airfare and hotels booked through LuxuryCardTravel.com, 1X on everything else; up to $300 in annual credits ($200 airline + $100 dining), plus a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every 5 years. Earns 1X points on everything else.
Perfect if: You spend enough in bonus categories to easily offset the annual fee.
Beyond the points: Up to $300 in annual statement credits ($200 airline + $100 dining), plus a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every 5 years, offset a large share of the $699 fee before any points are counted. Then add Priority Pass Select with unlimited guest visits and 24/7 concierge.
Apply Now| Feature | Bilt Obsidian Card | Luxury Card Mastercard Black Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $95 | $699 |
| Sign-Up Bonus | None | 75,000 points after $6,000 spend in 90 days |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 0% | 0% |
| Base Reward Rate | 1% | 1X points |
| Redemption Value | 1.0¢ per point | 2% redeemed for airfare, 1.5% redeemed for cash back |
| Travel Rewards | 2% | 1X points |
| Dining Rewards | 3% | 1X points |
| 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%. |
None |
| Key Benefits | 3x on dining or grocery (your choice), 4x on hotels through Bilt Travel, up to 1.25x on rent and mortgage. | Limited-time 75,000 bonus point offer. 2X points on airfare and hotels booked through LuxuryCardTravel.com, 1X on everything else; up to $300 in annual credits ($200 airline + $100 dining), plus a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit every 5 years. |
Bilt Obsidian Card pulls ahead for travel, dining spending.
Luxury Card Mastercard Black Card wins on groceries, gas.
The $604/year fee difference means Luxury Card Mastercard Black 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 Luxury Card Mastercard Black Card carries $420/year in credits (mostly unlocked by everyday bonus-category spending). Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.
Rewards rates aren’t the whole story here. Lounge access, concierge service, travel protections, and statement credits can be worth more than a fraction of a percent in earn rate. See the key benefits above and weigh them against how you travel and spend.
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.