Bilt Obsidian Card vs Citi Strata Credit Card
Annual fees: Bilt Obsidian Card $95/yr, Citi Strata Credit Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Bilt Obsidian Card on rent and dining, Citi Strata Credit Card on hotels.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Bilt Obsidian CardCardless · $95/yr
Citi Strata Credit CardCiti · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Bilt Obsidian Card$95Citi Strata Credit Card$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Bilt Obsidian Card$200 in rewardsCiti Strata Credit Card20,000 points
- Rewards
- Bilt Obsidian CardBilt PointsCiti Strata Credit CardCiti ThankYou Rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- Bilt Obsidian CardNoneLowestCiti Strata Credit Card3%
- Network
- Bilt Obsidian CardMastercard World EliteCiti Strata Credit CardMastercard
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Beauty
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Credit Card3xHighest
- Dining
- Bilt Obsidian Card3xHighestCiti Strata Credit Card2x
- Fitness
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Credit Card3xHighest
- Gas Stations
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Credit Card3xHighest
- Grocery Stores
- Bilt Obsidian Card3xCiti Strata Credit Card3x
- Live Entertainment
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Credit Card3xHighest
- Pet
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Credit Card3xHighest
- Streaming
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Credit Card3xHighest
- Top Spend Category
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Credit Card3xHighest
- Transit
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Credit Card3xHighest
- Travel
- Bilt Obsidian Card2xHighestCiti Strata Credit Card1x
- Mortgage
- Bilt Obsidian Card1.25xHighestCiti Strata Credit Card1x
- Rent
- Bilt Obsidian Card1.25xHighestCiti Strata Credit Card1x
- Everything else
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Credit Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- $100 hotel credit
Citi Strata Credit Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Other perks
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- 10% intro APR for 12 months
- 0% foreign transaction fees
Citi Strata Credit Card- Citi Entertainment
- Points transfer
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Trip cancellation up to $2,000/trip
- Trip Delay
Citi Strata Credit Card— - Baggage
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Luggage insurance up to $1,500
Citi Strata Credit Card— - Rental car
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- MasterRental Coverage
Citi Strata Credit Card— - Purchase & returns
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Purchase Assurance
Citi Strata Credit Card- Mastercard® ID Theft Protection
- Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
- Purchase Protection up to $1,000 per claim
- Extended warranty
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Extended warranty up to $10,000/claim
Citi Strata Credit Card— - Cell phone
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection
Citi Strata Credit Card— - Other protections
- Bilt Obsidian Card—Citi Strata Credit Card
- Citi Travel®
- FICO score monitoring
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- 3x points on your choice of dining or grocery (up to $25K/year on grocery)
- 2x points on travel
- Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage with no transaction fees
- $200 Bilt Cash welcome bonus upon approval (no spending required)
- $100 annual Bilt Travel hotel credit ($50 semiannually)
Citi Strata Credit Card- No annual fee
- 20,000 point welcome bonus
- 5X points on travel booked via Citi Travel
- 3X points on groceries, transit, gas, and Self-Select category
- Self-Select category flexibility (change quarterly)
- Cons
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- $95 annual fee plus $50 per authorized user
- Complex earning structure for housing rewards (requires spending tiers or Bilt Cash redemption)
- Bilt Cash expires at year-end with only $100 rollover
- Grocery bonus category capped at $25K/year spending
- Hotel credit requires 2-night minimum via Bilt Travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card- 3% foreign transaction fee
- 5X rate requires booking through Citi Travel portal
- Self-Select category can only change quarterly
- Lower transfer value compared to premium ThankYou cards
Category-by-Category Winner
The Bilt Obsidian Card wins in 3 of 5 categories. The Citi Strata Credit Card leads in 2. 10 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
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
Depends: 3X applies only while dining is the elected 3X category (dining or grocery). Dining is the default at account opening; grocery can be chosen within 30 days of opening or each January.
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Citi Strata Credit Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Travel
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 2X vs 1X
Hotels
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Car Rentals
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Attractions
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Gas Stations
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Transit
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X vs 1X
Top Spend Category
Depends: Must select category at citi.com/selfselect
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Beauty
Depends: 3X applies only if cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons is chosen as the one Self-Select Category (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores), changeable once each calendar quarter; the default is Select Streaming Services.
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Fitness
Depends: 3X applies only if fitness clubs is chosen as the one Self-Select Category (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores), changeable once each calendar quarter; the default is Select Streaming Services.
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Live Entertainment
Depends: 3X applies only if live entertainment is chosen as the one Self-Select Category (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores), changeable once each calendar quarter; the default is Select Streaming Services.
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Pet
Depends: 3X applies only if pet supply stores is chosen as the one Self-Select Category (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores), changeable once each calendar quarter; the default is Select Streaming Services.
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Streaming
Depends: 3X applies while Select Streaming Services is the one Self-Select Category (fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, or pet supply stores), changeable once each calendar quarter; it is the default at account opening.
Citi Strata Credit Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
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.
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Bilt Obsidian Card | Citi Strata Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $264 Credits (our usable estimate): $20 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $189 Year one: $389 | Rewards: $317 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $317 Year one: $637 | Citi Strata Credit Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,056 Credits (our usable estimate): $20 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $981 Year one: $1,181 | Rewards: $1,267 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,267 Year one: $1,587 | Citi Strata Credit Card | Citi Strata Credit Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Bilt Obsidian Card costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the Citi Strata Credit Card (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.
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: Bilt Obsidian Card $95/yr, Citi Strata Credit Card $0/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Bilt Obsidian Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Bilt Obsidian Card costs $95/yr vs $0/yr for the Citi Strata Credit Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $95 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use.
- Which card earns more rewards, the Bilt Obsidian Card or Citi Strata Credit Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the Bilt Obsidian Card have that the Citi Strata Credit Card doesn't?
- The Bilt Obsidian Card offers cell phone protection. The Citi Strata Credit Card focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
- Should I get the Bilt Obsidian Card or the Citi Strata Credit Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Citi Strata Credit Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the Bilt Obsidian Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $95/yr.
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.