Bilt Obsidian Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Which Travels Best?
Two travel rewards cards with $95 annual fees — the new Bilt Obsidian Card and the long-established Chase Sapphire Preferred — are drawing comparisons for their diverging benefits, from housing-payment rewards to shifting transfer-partner values.
The Bilt Obsidian Card entered the travel rewards market in 2026, offering a path to earn points on rent or mortgage payments, a feature the Chase Sapphire Preferred does not provide [1]. Both cards charge a $95 annual fee and earn 3 points per dollar on dining and 2 points per dollar on most travel purchases [1]. The Bilt card also includes cell phone protection of up to $800 per claim with a $50 deductible, capped at two claims and $1,000 per year, which is absent from the Sapphire Preferred [1].
On transfer partners, Bilt holds 11 unique options including Alaska Airlines, while Chase offers only JetBlue and Singapore Airlines as exclusive partners [1]. Bilt is the only transferable points program that partners with Alaska Airlines, according to NerdWallet [1].
Chase has adjusted the Sapphire Preferred’s benefits. The card now includes a one-year Apple TV subscription, with a deadline of Dec. 31, 2026 to activate the offer [2]. Cardholders can also receive a credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus [2]. The annual hotel credit has increased to $100 [2].
Two features are ending on Oct. 1, 2026: the 10% anniversary bonus on all points earned each year and the ability for existing cardholders to transfer points at the old ratio [2]. Chase also added new bonus spend categories, though details were not specified [2].
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