Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Annual fees: American Express Business Gold Card $375/yr, Bilt Obsidian Card $95/yr. Strongest bonus categories: American Express Business Gold Card on top spend category, Bilt Obsidian Card on rent and dining.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | American Express Business Gold Card | Bilt Obsidian Card |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising | 4X | 1X |
| Dining | 4X |
The Bilt Obsidian Card wins in 3 of 3 categories. The American Express Business Gold Card leads in 0. 9 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Top Spend Category
Depends: up to $150,000/yr; Automatically selected from 6 eligible categories
American Express Business Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Advertising
Depends: up to $150,000/yr
American Express Business Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Software
Depends: up to $150,000/yr
American Express Business Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Dining
Depends: up to $150,000/yr
American Express Business Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Electronics
Depends: up to $150,000/yr
American Express Business Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Gas Stations
Depends: up to $150,000/yr
American Express Business Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Both scenarios favor the Bilt Obsidian Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: American Express Business Gold Card $375/yr, Bilt Obsidian Card $95/yr — a $280 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| 3X |
| Electronics | 4X | 1X |
| Gas Stations | 4X | 1X |
| Software | 4X | 1X |
| Telecom | 4X | 1X |
| Top Spend Category | 4X | 1X |
| Transit | 4X | 1X |
| Grocery Stores | 1X | 3X |
| Travel | 1X | 2X |
| Mortgage | 1X | 1.25X |
| Rent | 1X | 1.25X |
| Everything Else | 1X | 1X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
Telecom
Depends: up to $150,000/yr
American Express Business Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Transit
Depends: up to $150,000/yr
American Express Business Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Rent
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1.25X vs 1X
1.25X via tiered option or up to 1X via Bilt Cash option; no transaction fee; no annual cap on housing payments
Mortgage
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1.25X vs 1X
1.25X via tiered option or up to 1X via Bilt Cash option; no transaction fee
Travel
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 2X vs 1X
Grocery Stores
Depends: up to $25,000/yr
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 3X when conditions are met; American Express Business Gold Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Bilt Obsidian Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | American Express Business Gold Card | Bilt Obsidian Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $216 − Annual fee ($375) Ongoing: $21 Year one: $21 | Rewards: $370 Credits (our usable estimate): $85 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $360 Year one: $560 | Bilt Obsidian Card | Bilt Obsidian Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $216 − Annual fee ($375) Ongoing: $561 Year one: $561 | Rewards: $1,478 Credits (our usable estimate): $85 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,468 Year one: $1,668 | Bilt Obsidian Card | Bilt Obsidian Card |
The American Express Business Gold Card costs $375/yr — that's $280 more than the Bilt Obsidian Card ($95/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $280 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $280 fee gap means the American Express Business Gold Card needs roughly $280 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on top spend category and advertising and everyday spend.
Get the Bilt Obsidian Card if you:
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
