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: Bilt Obsidian Card $95/yr, Birch Lane Mastercard $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Bilt Obsidian Card on rent and dining, Birch Lane Mastercard on grocery stores.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | Bilt Obsidian Card | Birch Lane Mastercard |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | 3X | 1X |
| Grocery Stores | 3X |
The Bilt Obsidian Card wins in 4 of 5 categories. The Birch Lane Mastercard leads in 1.
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
Dining
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 3X vs 1X
Travel
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 2X vs 1X
Online Shopping
Birch Lane Mastercard earns 2X vs 1X
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 | Bilt Obsidian Card | Birch Lane Mastercard |
|---|
Both scenarios favor the Bilt Obsidian Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: Bilt Obsidian Card $95/yr, Birch Lane Mastercard $0/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| 3X |
| Online Shopping | 1X | 2X |
| Travel | 2X | 1X |
| Mortgage | 1.25X | 1X |
| Rent | 1.25X | 1X |
| Everything Else | 1X | 1X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
| Ongoing winner |
|---|
| Year-one winner |
|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $370 Credits (our usable estimate): $85 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $360 Year one: $560 | Rewards: $156 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $156 Year one: $232 | Bilt Obsidian Card | Bilt Obsidian Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,478 Credits (our usable estimate): $85 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,468 Year one: $1,668 | Rewards: $624 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $624 Year one: $700 | Bilt Obsidian Card | Bilt Obsidian Card |
The Bilt Obsidian Card costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the Birch Lane Mastercard (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $95 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 $95 fee gap means the Bilt Obsidian Card needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on dining and grocery stores 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.
