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Bilt Obsidian Card vs Amex Gold Card

At our sample profile ($31,100/yr spend, only “easy” credits counted), the Bilt Obsidian Card comes to $1,059 in the first year and $859 a year after that; the Amex Gold Card comes to $2,840 and $990. Annual fees are $95 and $325, against $100 and $424 a year in stated credits. Figures from the issuers’ pages, checked October 23, 2026; your spending will change the result.

Data checked by Chris Manns · Last updated October 23, 2026

	Bilt Obsidian Card	American Express® Gold Card
Issuer	Bilt	American Express
Annual fee	$95	$325
Welcome bonus	$200 Bilt Cash≈ $200spend requirement not stated	As high as 100,000 points≈ $1,850after $8,000 in 6 months
Rewards currency	Bilt Points	Amex Membership Rewards
Value per point	~1.9¢ each, median of 6 published valuations	~1.85¢ each, median of 6 published valuations
Earning	3x Dining & takeout you choose one 3x Groceries up to $25,000/yr you choose one 4x Travel booked on the card’s own travel site 2x Flights (booked with the airline), Hotels (booked with the hotel), Other travel 1x Rent / mortgage paid by card 1x everything else	4x Dining & takeout up to $50,000/yr 4x Groceries up to $25,000/yr 5x Travel booked on the card’s own travel site 3x Flights (booked with the airline) 1x everything else
Fee vs stated credits	$95 vs $100stated credits a year (face value)	$325 vs $424stated credits a year (face value)
Yearly cost after year 1	$95fee − $0 of “easy” credits (our default)	$325fee − $0 of “easy” credits (our default)
Year 2+ value*	$859 each year after the first, after the annual fee	$990 each year after the first, after the annual fee
First-year value*	$1,059	$2,840
Credits & perks	Bilt Travel Hotel credit niche $100/yr · $50 statement credit twice a year	Dining credit (Grubhub/Seamless, Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, Wonder) niche $120/yr · up to $10/mo Uber Cash niche $120/yr · $10/mo Resy credit niche $100/yr · up to $50 Jan–Jun + $50 Jul–Dec Dunkin’ credit niche $84/yr · up to $7/mo
Perks (no $ unless the issuer states one)	Earn on rent/mortgage with no transaction fee	The Hotel Collection: $100 property credit on 2+ night bookings Hertz Five Star status (enrollment required)
Source	Issuer page	Issuer page

Face value isn’t real value: a credit only saves you money if you’d have spent it anyway. *Year 2+ and first-year values use our sample profile and default credit ticks. Add a third card · How we calculate

Bilt Obsidian Card vs Amex Gold Card: quick answers

Which has the bigger welcome bonus, Bilt Obsidian Card vs Amex Gold Card?

The Amex Gold Card has the bigger headline bonus in dollars: $200 Bilt Cash (≈$200) vs As high as 100,000 points (≈$1,850), at median published point values, checked October 23, 2026.

Which has the lower annual fee?

The Bilt Obsidian Card: $95 vs $325 a year.

Which costs less after year 1, once credits are counted?

Yearly cost after year 1 (annual fee minus the easy credits we count by default): Bilt Obsidian Card $95, Amex Gold Card $325. Tick the credits you’d really use on each card page to get your own figure.