Bilt Palladium Card vs Imagine Visa Credit Card
The Bilt Palladium Card leads on rent and travel; the Imagine Visa Credit Card leads on gas stations. See category winners and spend scenarios below.
Card data as of October 11, 2026.
- Bilt Palladium Card
Cardless · $495/yr
- Imagine Visa Credit Card
WebBank · $99 or $125 or $175/yr by version (set at approval)
Overview
- Annual fee
- Bilt Palladium Card$495Imagine Visa Credit Card$99 or $125 or $175$99 ($400 initial limit (first year)) or $125 ($500 initial limit (first year)) or $175 ($700 or $1,000 initial limit (first year)), set at approval
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Bilt Palladium Card50,000 pointsImagine Visa Credit Card—
- Rewards
- Bilt Palladium CardBilt PointsImagine Visa Credit Card—
- Foreign transaction fee
- Bilt Palladium CardNoneLowestImagine Visa Credit Card3%
- Network
- Bilt Palladium CardMastercardImagine Visa Credit CardVisa
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Gas Stations
- Bilt Palladium Card2xImagine Visa Credit Card3xHighest
- Grocery Stores
- Bilt Palladium Card2xImagine Visa Credit Card3xHighest
- Utilities
- Bilt Palladium Card2xImagine Visa Credit Card3xHighest
- Travel
- Bilt Palladium Card2xHighestImagine Visa Credit Card1x
- Mortgage
- Bilt Palladium Card1.25xHighestImagine Visa Credit Card1x
- Rent
- Bilt Palladium Card1.25xHighestImagine Visa Credit Card1x
- Everything else
- Bilt Palladium Card2xHighestImagine Visa Credit Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Bilt Palladium Card
- $400 hotel credit
Imagine Visa Credit Card— - Shopping & wellness
- Bilt Palladium Card
- $200 Bilt Cash
Imagine Visa Credit Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- Bilt Palladium Card
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
Imagine Visa Credit Card— - Other perks
- Bilt Palladium Card—Imagine Visa Credit Card
- Easy account management online and mobile
- Unsecured card—no deposit needed
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Bilt Palladium Card
- Trip Delay
Imagine Visa Credit Card— - Rental car
- Bilt Palladium Card
- MasterRental Coverage
Imagine Visa Credit Card— - Purchase & returns
- Bilt Palladium Card
- Purchase Assurance · up to $1,000
- Price Drop Protection · up to $250
Imagine Visa Credit Card— - Cell phone
- Bilt Palladium Card
- Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection · up to $800
Imagine Visa Credit Card— - Other protections
- Bilt Palladium Card—Imagine Visa Credit Card
- 3-bureau credit reporting
- $0 fraud liability—you're protected
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
Imagine Visa Credit Card- No security deposit required (unsecured card)
- Reports to all three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion)
- Available to consumers with poor or limited credit
- Earns 3% cash back on gas, grocery, and utility purchases, 1% elsewhere
- 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
Imagine Visa Credit Card- High annual fee ($99 to $175 in the first year depending on initial credit limit, then $49 a year)
- Additional monthly maintenance fee ($15/month after the first 12 months) and a $2 monthly paper statement fee
- Very high APR (36%)
- Cash back redeems only as an automatic annual statement credit
- Low initial credit limit (typically $300)
Category-by-Category Winner
The Bilt Palladium Card wins in 4 of 7 categories. The Imagine Visa Credit Card leads in 3.
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
Gas Stations
Imagine Visa Credit Card earns 3X vs 2X
Grocery Stores
Imagine Visa Credit Card earns 3X vs 2X
Utilities
Imagine Visa Credit Card earns 3X vs 2X
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.
| Scenario | Bilt Palladium Card | Imagine Visa Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $528 Credits (our usable estimate): $300 − Annual fee ($495) Ongoing: $333 Year one: $1,433 | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 Annual fee $99 ($400 initial limit (first year)) or $125 ($500 initial limit (first year)) or $175 ($700 or $1,000 initial limit (first year)), set at approval; net est. $81 ($400 initial limit (first year)) or $55 ($500 initial limit (first year)) or $5 ($700 or $1,000 initial limit (first year)) Ongoing: — Year one: — | — | — |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $2,112 Credits (our usable estimate): $300 − Annual fee ($495) Ongoing: $1,917 Year one: $3,017 | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 Annual fee $99 ($400 initial limit (first year)) or $125 ($500 initial limit (first year)) or $175 ($700 or $1,000 initial limit (first year)), set at approval; net est. $621 ($400 initial limit (first year)) or $595 ($500 initial limit (first year)) or $545 ($700 or $1,000 initial limit (first year)) Ongoing: — Year one: — | — | — |
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Bilt Palladium Card if you:
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
Get the Imagine Visa Credit Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
The Bottom Line
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 2X on the Bilt Palladium Card vs 1X on the other card.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which card earns more rewards, the Bilt Palladium Card or Imagine Visa Credit 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 Imagine Visa Credit Card doesn't?
- The Bilt Palladium Card offers lounge access, cell phone protection. The Imagine Visa Credit Card focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
- Should I get the Bilt Palladium Card or the Imagine Visa Credit Card?
- Choose based on which bonus categories and benefits 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 October 11, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.