Bilt Palladium Card vs Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Annual fees: Bilt Palladium Card $495/yr, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card $150/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Bilt Palladium Card on rent and travel, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card on dining.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
- Bilt Palladium Card
Cardless · $495/yr
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardAmerican Express · $150/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Bilt Palladium Card$495Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card$150LowestWaived first year
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Bilt Palladium Card50,000 pointsDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardAs high as 80,000 miles — offers vary
- Rewards
- Bilt Palladium CardBilt PointsDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardDelta SkyMiles
- Foreign transaction fee
- Bilt Palladium CardNoneDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardNone
- Network
- Bilt Palladium CardMastercardDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- Bilt Palladium Card2xDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card2x
- Grocery Stores
- Bilt Palladium Card2xDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card2x
- Travel
- Bilt Palladium Card2xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card1x
- Mortgage
- Bilt Palladium Card1.25xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card1x
- Rent
- Bilt Palladium Card1.25xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card1x
- Everything else
- Bilt Palladium Card2xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Bilt Palladium Card
- $400 hotel credit
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- $200 Delta flight credit
- $100 Delta Stays
- 20% inflight purchases · $20 per transaction
- Rideshare & transit
- Bilt Palladium Card—Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
- $10/mo rideshare · $10 monthly
- Shopping & wellness
- Bilt Palladium Card
- $200 Bilt Cash
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- Bilt Palladium Card
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card— - Airline perks
- Bilt Palladium 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 Palladium Card—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 Palladium Card
- Trip Delay
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card— - Baggage
- Bilt Palladium Card—Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
- Baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on items
- Rental car
- Bilt Palladium Card
- MasterRental Coverage
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Secondary car rental insurance coverage
- Purchase & returns
- Bilt Palladium Card
- Purchase Assurance · up to $1,000
- Price Drop Protection · up to $250
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Purchase protection for new items
- Extended warranty
- Bilt Palladium Card—Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
- Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
- Cell phone
- Bilt Palladium Card
- Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection · up to $800
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card— - Other protections
- Bilt Palladium Card—Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Pros & cons
- Pros
- 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
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 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
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 Palladium Card wins in 4 of 4 categories. The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card leads in 0.
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
Travel
Bilt Palladium Card earns 2X vs 1X
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 | Bilt Palladium Card | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $480 Credits (our usable estimate): $300 − Annual fee ($495) Ongoing: $285 Year one: $1,285 | 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 | Bilt Palladium Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,920 Credits (our usable estimate): $300 − Annual fee ($495) Ongoing: $1,725 Year one: $2,725 | Rewards: $749 Credits (our usable estimate): $182 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $781 Year one: $931 | 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 Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express 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.
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card means losing:
- -Airport lounge access
Choosing Bilt Palladium Card means losing:
- -Free checked bags
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Bilt Palladium Card if you:
- +Fly frequently and value airport lounge access
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
Get the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
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: Bilt Palladium Card $495/yr, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card $150/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 Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express 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 Bilt Palladium Card or Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express 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 Bilt Palladium Card have that the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card doesn't?
- The Bilt Palladium Card offers lounge access, cell phone protection. The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card offers travel credits.
- Should I get the Bilt Palladium Card or the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express 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.
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.