Bilt Obsidian Card vs Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Annual fees: Bilt Obsidian Card $95/yr, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card $150/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Bilt Obsidian Card on rent and dining, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card on dining.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Bilt Obsidian CardCardless · $95/yr
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardAmerican Express · $150/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Bilt Obsidian Card$95LowestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card$150Waived first year
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Bilt Obsidian Card$200 in rewardsDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardAs high as 80,000 miles — offers vary
- Rewards
- Bilt Obsidian CardBilt PointsDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardDelta SkyMiles
- Foreign transaction fee
- Bilt Obsidian CardNoneDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardNone
- Network
- Bilt Obsidian CardMastercard World EliteDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- Bilt Obsidian Card3xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card2x
- Grocery Stores
- Bilt Obsidian Card3xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card2x
- Travel
- Bilt Obsidian Card2xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card1x
- Mortgage
- Bilt Obsidian Card1.25xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card1x
- Rent
- Bilt Obsidian Card1.25xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card1x
- Everything else
- Bilt Obsidian Card1xDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- $100 hotel credit
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- $200 Delta flight credit
- $100 Delta Stays
- 20% inflight purchases · $20 per transaction
- Rideshare & transit
- Bilt Obsidian Card—Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
- $10/mo rideshare · $10 monthly
Perks & access— means none on record
- Airline perks
- Bilt Obsidian Card—Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
- First checked bag free for cardholder plus 8 companions
- Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights
- Other perks
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- 10% intro APR for 12 months
- 0% foreign transaction fees
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
- TakeOff 15
- No foreign transaction fees
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Trip cancellation up to $2,000/trip
- Trip Delay
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card— - Baggage
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Luggage insurance up to $1,500
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on items
- Rental car
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- MasterRental Coverage
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Secondary car rental insurance coverage
- Purchase & returns
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Purchase Assurance
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Purchase protection for new items
- Extended warranty
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Extended warranty up to $10,000/claim
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
- Cell phone
- Bilt Obsidian Card
- Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card— - Other protections
- Bilt Obsidian Card—Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
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)
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- First checked bag free for you + 8 companions; second checked bag free on domestic Delta flights
- Priority boarding in Main Cabin 1
- $120 rideshare credit ($10/month after first renewal; enrollment required)
- 2X miles on Delta, restaurants, and supermarkets
- No foreign transaction fees
- 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
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- $150 annual fee after first year ($0 intro year)
- No companion certificate included
- No Delta Sky Club access
- Only 1X on most purchases
- SkyMiles have variable redemption value
Category-by-Category Winner
The Bilt Obsidian Card wins in 3 of 3 categories. The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card leads in 0. 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
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; Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Travel
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 2X vs 1X
Grocery Stores
Depends: up to $25,000/yr; 3X applies only if grocery replaces the default dining as the elected 3X category (switch within 30 days of opening or each January); grocery 3X is limited to $25,000 a year.
Bilt Obsidian Card earns 3X when conditions are met; Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card earns 2X (2X 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.
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
| Scenario | Bilt Obsidian Card | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express 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: $187 Credits (our usable estimate): $182 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $219 Year one: $369 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,056 Credits (our usable estimate): $20 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $981 Year one: $1,181 | Rewards: $749 Credits (our usable estimate): $182 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $781 Year one: $931 | Bilt Obsidian Card | Bilt Obsidian Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card costs $150/yr — that's $55 more than the Bilt Obsidian Card ($95/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $55 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card includes travel credits, free checked bags. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $55 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $55 fee gap means the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card needs roughly $55 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on dining and grocery stores and everyday spend.
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing Bilt Obsidian Card means losing:
- -Free checked bags
The Bottom Line
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
Published annual fees: Bilt Obsidian Card $95/yr, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card $150/yr — a $55 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card costs $150/yr vs $95/yr for the Bilt Obsidian Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $55 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card also lists travel credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the Bilt Obsidian Card or Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express 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 Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card doesn't?
- The Bilt Obsidian Card offers cell phone protection. The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card offers travel credits.
- Should I get the Bilt Obsidian Card or the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Bilt Obsidian Card has a lower $95/yr fee; the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $150/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.