Bilt Obsidian Card vs Citi Strata Premier Card
Both cards cost $95/yr. The Bilt Obsidian Card leads on rent and dining; the Citi Strata Premier Card on hotels.
Card data as of November 13, 2026.
- Bilt Obsidian Card
Cardless · $95/yr
- Citi Strata Premier Card
Citi · $95/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Bilt Obsidian Card$95Citi Strata Premier Card$95
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Bilt Obsidian Card$200 in rewardsCiti Strata Premier Card60,000 points
- Rewards
- Bilt Obsidian CardBilt PointsCiti Strata Premier CardCiti ThankYou Rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- Bilt Obsidian CardNoneCiti Strata Premier CardNone
- Network
- Bilt Obsidian CardMastercard World EliteCiti Strata Premier CardMastercard World Elite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- Bilt Obsidian Card3xCiti Strata Premier Card3x
- Electric Vehicle Charging
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Premier Card3xHighest
- Flights
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Premier Card3xHighest
- Gas Stations
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Premier Card3xHighest
- Grocery Stores
- Bilt Obsidian Card3xCiti Strata Premier Card3x
- Hotels
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Premier Card3xHighest
- Travel
- Bilt Obsidian Card2xHighestCiti Strata Premier Card1x
- Mortgage
- Bilt Obsidian Card1.25xHighestCiti Strata Premier Card1x
- Rent
- Bilt Obsidian Card1.25xHighestCiti Strata Premier Card1x
- Everything else
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xCiti Strata Premier Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- $100 hotel credit
Citi Strata Premier Card- $100 hotel credit
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- Bilt Obsidian Card—Citi Strata Premier Card
- The Reserve by Citi Travel Luxury Hotel Program
- Airline perks
- Bilt Obsidian Card—Citi Strata Premier Card
- ThankYou Points Transfer Partners Airlines and Hotels
- Other perks
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- 10% intro APR for 12 months
- 0% foreign transaction fees
Citi Strata Premier Card- Citi Entertainment Presale Tickets and Exclusive Access
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on International Purchases
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Trip cancellation up to $2,000/trip
- Trip Delay
Citi Strata Premier Card- Five Thousand Dollar Trip Cancellation and Interruption · up to $5,000
- Five Hundred Dollar Trip Delay Protection Coverage · up to $500
- Travel Protection Benefits
- Baggage
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Luggage insurance up to $1,500
Citi Strata Premier Card- Three Thousand Dollar Lost or Damaged Luggage Insurance · up to $3,000
- Rental car
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- MasterRental Coverage
Citi Strata Premier Card- MasterRental Car Insurance Coverage
- Purchase & returns
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Purchase Assurance
Citi Strata Premier Card- Ten Thousand Dollar Purchase Protection Theft and Damage · up to $10,000
- Extended warranty
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Extended warranty up to $10,000/claim
Citi Strata Premier Card- Extended Warranty Protection Up to Twenty Four Months
- Cell phone
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection
Citi Strata Premier Card— - Other protections
- Bilt Obsidian Card—Citi Strata Premier Card
- Comprehensive identity theft monitoring
- Free FICO Score Access Through Your Citi Account
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 Premier Card- 3X points on dining, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations, air travel and other hotel purchases
- 10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions through Citi Travel portal
- $95 annual fee with no foreign transaction fees
- Transfer to 18+ airline and hotel partners including American Airlines, JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic
- No foreign transaction fees for international purchases
- 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 Premier Card- No airport lounge access included
- Transfer partners weaker than Chase or Amex (no United, Delta, or Hyatt)
- 10X portal bonus requires booking through Citi Travel, limiting flexibility
- Welcome bonus lower than competing premium cards (60K vs 75K-90K)
- Points worth 0.75 cent each when redeemed for cash back, less than the 1 cent they get through Citi Travel
Category-by-Category Winner
The Citi Strata Premier Card wins in 4 of 7 categories. The Bilt Obsidian Card leads in 3. 2 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
Travel
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 2X vs 1X
Hotels
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 10X vs 1X
10X via issuer travel portal
Car Rentals
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 10X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Attractions
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 10X when conditions are met; Bilt Obsidian Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Gas Stations
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 3X vs 1X
Electric Vehicle Charging
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 3X vs 1X
Flights
Citi Strata Premier Card earns 3X 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.
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Premier Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Bilt Obsidian Card | Citi Strata Premier 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: $367 Credits (our usable estimate): $60 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $332 Year one: $1,352 | Citi Strata Premier Card | Citi Strata Premier Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,056 Credits (our usable estimate): $20 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $981 Year one: $1,181 | Rewards: $1,469 Credits (our usable estimate): $60 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $1,434 Year one: $2,454 | Citi Strata Premier Card | Citi Strata Premier Card |
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Citi Strata Premier Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which card earns more rewards, the Bilt Obsidian Card or Citi Strata Premier 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 Premier Card doesn't?
- The Bilt Obsidian Card offers cell phone protection. The Citi Strata Premier Card focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
- Should I get the Bilt Obsidian Card or the Citi Strata Premier Card?
- Both cards have the same $95/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published November 13, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.

