Bilt Palladium Card vs SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®
Annual fees: Bilt Palladium Card $495/yr, SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Bilt Palladium Card on rent and travel, SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® on everyday spending.
Card data as of November 13, 2026.
Bilt Palladium CardCardless · $495/yr
- SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®
Comenity · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Bilt Palladium Card$495SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Bilt Palladium Card50,000 pointsSaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®—
- Rewards
- Bilt Palladium CardBilt PointsSaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®SaksFirst
- Foreign transaction fee
- Bilt Palladium CardNoneSaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®None
- Network
- Bilt Palladium CardMastercardSaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®Mastercard World Elite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Mortgage
- Bilt Palladium Card1.25xSaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®2xHighest
- Rent
- Bilt Palladium Card1.25xSaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®2xHighest
- Travel
- Bilt Palladium Card2xSaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®2x
- Everything else
- Bilt Palladium Card2xSaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®2x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Bilt Palladium Card
- $400 hotel credit
SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®— - Shopping & wellness
- Bilt Palladium Card
- $200 Bilt Cash
SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- Bilt Palladium Card
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®—
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Bilt Palladium Card
- Trip Delay
SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®— - Rental car
- Bilt Palladium Card
- MasterRental Coverage
SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®— - Purchase & returns
- Bilt Palladium Card
- Purchase Assurance · up to $1,000
- Price Drop Protection · up to $250
SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®— - Cell phone
- Bilt Palladium Card
- Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection · up to $800
SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®—
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
SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®— - 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
SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®—
Category-by-Category Winner
The SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® wins in 2 of 2 categories. The Bilt Palladium Card leads in 0.
Rent
SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® earns 2X vs 1.25X
Mortgage
SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® earns 2X vs 1.25X
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 | SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® | 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: $240 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $240 Year one: $240 | 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: $960 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $960 Year one: $960 | Bilt Palladium Card | Bilt Palladium Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Bilt Palladium Card costs $495/yr — that's $495 more than the SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $495 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 $495 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $495 fee gap means the Bilt Palladium Card needs roughly $495 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 SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® means losing:
- -Airport lounge access
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Bilt Palladium Card if you:
- +Fly frequently and value airport lounge access
The Bottom Line
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
Published annual fees: Bilt Palladium Card $495/yr, SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® $0/yr — a $495 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 $0/yr for the SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $495 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 SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®?
- Both cards earn 2X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the Bilt Palladium Card have that the SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® doesn't?
- The Bilt Palladium Card offers lounge access, cell phone protection. The SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
- Should I get the Bilt Palladium Card or the SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard®?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the SaksFirst World Elite Mastercard® has a lower $0/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 November 13, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.