Compare the Features and Benefits of Citi Strata℠ Card and
Bilt Obsidian Card

As a no-annual-fee card, the Citi Strata℠ Card doesn’t come with a ton of additional benefits. However, the primary thing to note before applying is the impressive earning potential. As we’ve already mentioned, you’ll earn 3 points per $1 at supermarkets and on gas purchases. You’ll earn 2 points per $1 at restaurants, and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

In addition, you have the opportunity to self-select a 3X earning category from a list of options: fitness clubs, select streaming services, live entertainment, cosmetic stores/barber shops/hair salons, and pet supply stores. Sure, it would be nice to see travel listed as a self-select option, but we can’t have it all. The ability to personalize your earning potential is fantastic.

If you subscribe to every streaming service out there, you can earn a solid chunk of points each month. If you have a pricey gym membership, you might as well earn as much as possible while you’re working out. And if you love going to concerts, live entertainment is your best option.

You’ll also earn 5 points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through cititravel.com. If you prefer to book directly with the provider, this won’t do you much good. However, you can try to book your attractions through the portal when you go on vacation to maximize your earning potential.

The welcome bonus, although not extremely high, is easily accessible for most people. You can spend your bonus points by booking travel through Citi Travel at a flat rate of 1 cent per point. Or, you can stretch your points farther by taking advantage of Citi’s comprehensive list of transfer partners — which includes American Airlines. Although you’ll transfer at a lower ratio than if you held the Citi Strata Elite℠ or the Citi Strata Premier®, having access to American Airlines is phenomenal.

Unfortunately, cardholders won’t be able to take advantage of any statement credits or be covered by things like trip cancellation coverage or cell phone insurance. Still, the Citi Strata℠ Card is worth considering.

The Bilt Obsidian Card sits in the middle of the three Bilt credit cards with its $95 annual fee.

You’ll earn valuable Bilt Rewards points with each purchase. One unique feature of this card is the ability to choose a 3X bonus category. You can choose (at the start of each year) whether you prefer 3X on groceries (up to $25,000 a year) or 3X on dining. You’ll then also get 2X on travel and 1X + 4% Bilt Cash on Everyday Spend.

It has no foreign transaction fees and the $95 annual fee can be offset by the $100 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. It’s available once per half year as $50 statement credits for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.

Bilt Obsidian Card

Your Best Credit Cards values Bilt Rewards points at 1.8 cents each, although the personal value you get from each point may be higher or lower. With 1X points earned on all everyday spend, you are earning an approximate value of 1.8% worth of Bilt Rewards plus another 4% in Bilt Cash on top.

Many know Bilt for the ability to pay your rent and mortgage with the card. You’ll be able to earn points for paying any personal rent or mortgage with this card. Simply redeem the Bilt Cash you earn from all of your non-rent spend to earn 1X points on your rent or mortgage payment, which has no transaction fees. Applying $30 worth of Bilt Cash for every $1,000 in rent or mortgage payments paid will earn you points on that portion of the rent or mortgage payment, up to the full amount. You can redeem Bilt Cash for all or part of your payment.

We love Bilt Rewards for their strong list of transfer partners which include World of Hyatt, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and JAL Mileage Bank, among many others as mentioned above. You can also get 1.25 cents per point in value simply by redeeming Bilt points in their travel portal and they even offer “direct bookings” that offer loyalty benefits despite being a third party booking. Just look for “Member Rate” or “Home Away From Home” labels when searching hotels or “Direct Book” when searching flights.

If you are looking for a Bilt card that offers a huge 2X (+ 4% Bilt Cash) on Everyday Spend with premium benefits, you might consider the Bilt Palladium Card. If you want to explore a Bilt card with no annual fee, that’s the Bilt Blue Card.