Is the Bilt Palladium Card worth the higher annual fee?

The Bilt Palladium Card costs $495/yr vs $150/yr for the American Express Green Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $345 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Bilt Palladium Card also lists lounge access).

Which card earns more rewards, the American Express Green Card or Bilt Palladium Card?

The Bilt Palladium Card has a higher base earn rate (2X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.

What benefits does the American Express Green Card have that the Bilt Palladium Card doesn't?

The American Express Green Card offers lounge access. The Bilt Palladium Card offers lounge access, cell phone protection.

Should I get the American Express Green Card or the Bilt Palladium Card?

Use the spend scenarios on this page: the American Express Green Card has a lower $150/yr fee; the Bilt Palladium Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $495/yr.

American Express Green Card vs Bilt Palladium Card

Annual fees: American Express Green Card $150/yr, Bilt Palladium Card $495/yr. Strongest bonus categories: American Express Green Card on travel, Bilt Palladium Card on rent and travel.

Card data as of October 12, 2026.

Credit card comparison
Overview
	American Express Green Card American Express · $150/yr	Bilt Palladium Card Cardless · $495/yr
Annual fee	$150 Lowest	$495
Welcome offerCurrent public offer	40,000 points	50,000 points
Rewards	American Express Membership Rewards	Bilt Points
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Network	American Express	Mastercard
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
Dining	3x Highest	2x
Ridesharing	3x Highest	2x
Transit	3x Highest	2x
Travel	3x Highest	2x
Mortgage	1x	1.25x Highest
Rent	1x	1.25x Highest
Everything else	1x	2x Highest
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
Travel	$100 LoungeBuddy credit	$400 hotel credit
Shopping & wellness	—	$200 Bilt Cash
Perks & access— means none on record
Lounges	—	Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
Other perks	Amex Offers Early access to concerts and events 24/7 global travel assistance	—
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
Trip insurance	Trip delay coverage up to $300 per trip after 12 hours	Trip Delay
Baggage	Baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on, $500 checked	—
Rental car	Car rental insurance up to $50,000 for theft or damage	MasterRental Coverage
Purchase & returns	Purchase protection up to $1,000 per item for 90 days Return protection up to $300 per item within 90 days	Purchase Assurance · up to $1,000 Price Drop Protection · up to $250
Extended warranty	Extended warranty adds 1 year to eligible purchases · up to $10,000	—
Cell phone	—	Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection · up to $800
Other protections	Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges	—
Pros & cons
Pros	3X on travel, transit, and dining worldwide covers most everyday spending CLEAR Plus statement credit helps offset the $150 annual fee for CLEAR users $100 LoungeBuddy credit provides flexible airport lounge access No foreign transaction fees for international travel Made from reclaimed ocean plastic (environmentally friendly)	$600+ in annual credits ($400 hotel + $200 Bilt Cash) partially offsets $495 fee Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage with no transaction fees 2X points on all everyday purchases 50,000 points + $300 Bilt Cash welcome bonus (highest among Bilt cards) Transferable points to major airline and hotel partners
Cons	$150 annual fee is not waived first year No direct lounge network membership (LoungeBuddy is pay-per-use) CLEAR credit has limited value outside major airports Lower-tier welcome bonus compared to Gold or Platinum $35 authorized user fee adds up for multi-card households	Requires high spending volume to qualify and maintain Palladium status No card-level bonus categories beyond the 2X flat rate (headline multipliers are membership-inclusive composites) Housing multiplier (up to 1.25X) depends on everyday-spend tiers or Bilt Cash redemption Benefits still lag behind premium travel cards from Chase/Amex
	Card details	Card details

American Express Green Card
American Express · $150/yr
Bilt Palladium Card
Cardless · $495/yr

Overview

Annual fee: American Express Green Card
$150
Lowest
Bilt Palladium Card
$495
Welcome offerCurrent public offer: American Express Green Card
40,000 points
Bilt Palladium Card
50,000 points
Rewards: American Express Green Card
American Express Membership Rewards
Bilt Palladium Card
Bilt Points
Foreign transaction fee: American Express Green Card
None
Bilt Palladium Card
None
Network: American Express Green Card
American Express
Bilt Palladium Card
Mastercard

Earn ratesPer $1 spent

Dining: American Express Green Card
3x
Highest
Bilt Palladium Card
2x
Ridesharing: American Express Green Card
3x
Highest
Bilt Palladium Card
2x
Transit: American Express Green Card
3x
Highest
Bilt Palladium Card
2x
Travel: American Express Green Card
3x
Highest
Bilt Palladium Card
2x
Mortgage: American Express Green Card
1x
Bilt Palladium Card
1.25x
Highest
Rent: American Express Green Card
1x
Bilt Palladium Card
1.25x
Highest
Everything else: American Express Green Card
1x
Bilt Palladium Card
2x
Highest

Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record

Travel: American Express Green Card
$100 LoungeBuddy credit
Bilt Palladium Card
$400 hotel credit
Shopping & wellness: American Express Green Card
—
Bilt Palladium Card
$200 Bilt Cash

Perks & access— means none on record

Lounges: American Express Green Card
—
Bilt Palladium Card
Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
Other perks: American Express Green Card
Amex Offers
Early access to concerts and events
24/7 global travel assistance
Bilt Palladium Card
—

Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record

Trip insurance: American Express Green Card
Trip delay coverage up to $300 per trip after 12 hours
Bilt Palladium Card
Trip Delay
Baggage: American Express Green Card
Baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on, $500 checked
Bilt Palladium Card
—
Rental car: American Express Green Card
Car rental insurance up to $50,000 for theft or damage
Bilt Palladium Card
MasterRental Coverage
Purchase & returns: American Express Green Card
Purchase protection up to $1,000 per item for 90 days
Return protection up to $300 per item within 90 days
Bilt Palladium Card
Purchase Assurance · up to $1,000
Price Drop Protection · up to $250
Extended warranty: American Express Green Card
Extended warranty adds 1 year to eligible purchases · up to $10,000
Bilt Palladium Card
—
Cell phone: American Express Green Card
—
Bilt Palladium Card
Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection · up to $800
Other protections: American Express Green Card
Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Bilt Palladium Card
—

Pros & cons

Pros: American Express Green Card
3X on travel, transit, and dining worldwide covers most everyday spending
CLEAR Plus statement credit helps offset the $150 annual fee for CLEAR users
$100 LoungeBuddy credit provides flexible airport lounge access
No foreign transaction fees for international travel
Made from reclaimed ocean plastic (environmentally friendly)
Bilt Palladium Card
$600+ in annual credits ($400 hotel + $200 Bilt Cash) partially offsets $495 fee
Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage with no transaction fees
2X points on all everyday purchases
50,000 points + $300 Bilt Cash welcome bonus (highest among Bilt cards)
Transferable points to major airline and hotel partners
Cons: American Express Green Card
$150 annual fee is not waived first year
No direct lounge network membership (LoungeBuddy is pay-per-use)
CLEAR credit has limited value outside major airports
Lower-tier welcome bonus compared to Gold or Platinum
$35 authorized user fee adds up for multi-card households
Bilt Palladium Card
Requires high spending volume to qualify and maintain Palladium status
No card-level bonus categories beyond the 2X flat rate (headline multipliers are membership-inclusive composites)
Housing multiplier (up to 1.25X) depends on everyday-spend tiers or Bilt Cash redemption
Benefits still lag behind premium travel cards from Chase/Amex

Card details

Add a 3rd or 4th card to this comparison →

Category-by-Category Winner

The American Express Green Card wins in 4 of 7 categories. The Bilt Palladium Card leads in 3.

Travel

American Express Green Card earns 3X vs 2X

Transit

American Express Green Card earns 3X vs 2X

Dining

American Express Green Card earns 3X vs 2X

Ridesharing

American Express Green Card earns 3X vs 2X

Rent

Bilt Palladium 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 Palladium Card earns 1.25X vs 1X

1.25X via tiered option or up to 1X via Bilt Cash option; no transaction fee

Everyday purchases

Bilt Palladium Card earns 2X on all other spending vs 1X

Year One vs Ongoing Value

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.

Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.

Scenario	American Express Green Card	Bilt Palladium Card	Ongoing winner	Year-one winner
Light spender: $1,000/month	Rewards: $270 Credits (our usable estimate): $60 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $180 Year one: $780	Rewards: $480 Credits (our usable estimate): $300 − Annual fee ($495) Ongoing: $285 Year one: $1,285	Close — depends on how much of the credits you use	Bilt Palladium Card
Heavy spender: $4,000/month	Rewards: $1,080 Credits (our usable estimate): $60 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $990 Year one: $1,590	Rewards: $1,920 Credits (our usable estimate): $300 − Annual fee ($495) Ongoing: $1,725 Year one: $2,725	Bilt Palladium Card	Bilt Palladium Card

Is the Fee Difference Worth It?

The Bilt Palladium Card costs $495/yr — that's $345 more than the American Express Green Card ($150/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $345 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.

The Bilt Palladium Card includes lounge access. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $345 fee gap for your own usage.

Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $345 fee gap means the Bilt Palladium Card needs roughly $345 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on travel and rent and everyday spend.

Which Card Is Right for You?

Get the American Express Green Card if you:

+Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out

Get the Bilt Palladium Card if you:

+Prefer a high flat rate across all spending

The Bottom Line

Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.

Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 2X on the Bilt Palladium Card vs 1X on the other card.

Published annual fees: American Express Green Card $150/yr, Bilt Palladium Card $495/yr — a $345 difference before welcome offers and credits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Bilt Palladium Card worth the higher annual fee?: The Bilt Palladium Card costs $495/yr vs $150/yr for the American Express Green Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $345 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Bilt Palladium Card also lists lounge access).
Which card earns more rewards, the American Express Green Card or Bilt Palladium Card?: The Bilt Palladium Card has a higher base earn rate (2X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
What benefits does the American Express Green Card have that the Bilt Palladium Card doesn't?: The American Express Green Card offers lounge access. The Bilt Palladium Card offers lounge access, cell phone protection.
Should I get the American Express Green Card or the Bilt Palladium Card?: Use the spend scenarios on this page: the American Express Green Card has a lower $150/yr fee; the Bilt Palladium Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $495/yr.

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Official issuer pages: American Express cards · Cardless cards

Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.