Here’s the short answer: If you want a simple, powerful travel card with a killer new $100 hotel credit and no rent trick required, get the Chase Sapphire Preferred. If you pay rent and want to turn that into Hyatt or United miles without any extra spending, get the Bilt Obsidian Card. Both cost $95 annually. Both have strong transfer partners. But the 2026 updates—especially the refreshed Sapphire Preferred credits and the Bilt 2.0 changes—make this a genuinely tight race for your wallet this summer.
Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash
Why This Comparison Matters Right Now (Summer 2026)
Two things happened in 2026 that reshuffled the mid-tier travel card deck. First, Chase quietly souped up the Sapphire Preferred with a $100 hotel credit that applies to any hotel booked through their portal—not just pricy luxury chains. Second, Bilt rolled out “2.0” updates that boosted dining earn to 3X but also tightened some transfer rules, especially around Hyatt. If you’re planning a trip to Europe, a domestic road trip, or a staycation before Labor Day, the choice between these two $95 cards matters more than ever.
Both cards use transferable points. Both have no foreign transaction fees. Both give you trip cancellation and primary rental car insurance. But the way you earn, the credits you get, and the sweet spots you hit are totally different.
At a Glance: The $95 Comparison Table
| Feature | Chase Sapphire Preferred | Bilt Obsidian Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $95 | $95 |
| Sign-Up Bonus (2026) | 60,000 points after $4k spend in 3 months | 40,000 points after $3k spend + 1 rent day bonus |
| Earning on Travel | 2X on all travel (flights, hotels, transit) | 2X on travel (flights, hotels, rental cars) |
| Earning on Dining | 3X on dining | 3X on dining (with Bilt 2.0) |
| Earning on Rent | N/A | 1X on rent (no transaction fee) |
| Key Credit | $100 hotel credit (new 2026) | $0 annual credits (but rent points offset fee) |
| Transfer Partners | 14 (incl. Hyatt, United, Southwest) | 12 (incl. Hyatt, United, American Airlines) |
| Primary Rental Insurance | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | $0 | $0 |
Chase Sapphire Preferred: The Balanced Travel Companion
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the card I recommend to friends who want one card to rule them all. It’s not the flashiest, but it’s the most forgiving. You don’t need to time your purchases around a “rent day.” You don’t need to remember a calendar of bonus categories. You just swipe, and the points pile up.
The 2026 Refresh: That $100 Hotel Credit
This is the headline. Starting in 2026, the Sapphire Preferred gives you a $100 hotel credit when you book a hotel through the Chase Travel portal. It applies automatically to any hotel stay—no minimum night requirement, no luxury brand filter. Book a $200 room for two nights in Portland, Maine this August? You pay $100 out of pocket. That single credit cuts your effective annual fee from $95 to negative $5 if you use it once. Compared to the Bilt Obsidian, which has no similar automatic credit, this is a massive advantage for casual travelers.
Earning Structure: Simple and Strong
- 3X on dining (including takeout and delivery)
- 3X on online grocery purchases (new 2026 category)
- 2X on all travel (flights, hotels, cruises, taxis, tolls)
- 1X on everything else
The 3X on online grocery is a sleeper hit for summer. Buying snacks and drinks for a road trip via Instacart or Walmart.com? That’s 3X points. No other $95 card does this.
Transfer Partners: The Hyatt Sweet Spot
Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers 1:1 to Hyatt, United, Southwest, and 11 other partners. In 2026, Hyatt remains the king of value. A Category 4 Hyatt Place in Austin costs 15,000 points per night. That same room might cost $300 in July. You’re getting 2 cents per point—double the average valuation. Bilt also transfers to Hyatt, but there’s a catch we’ll get to.
Pros
- $100 hotel credit makes the card effectively free (or better)
- Primary rental car insurance in 17 countries
- No foreign transaction fees—huge for summer Europe trips
- Trip cancellation/interruption insurance up to $10k per trip
Cons
- No rent earning (obviously)
- Chase Travel portal is decent but not as flexible as booking direct
- No lounge access (you need the Sapphire Reserve for that)
Who It’s Best For
You should pick the Chase Sapphire Preferred if you take one or two trips a year, spend a normal amount on dining and groceries, and want a card that works without a strategy guide. It’s the “set it and forget it” travel card for the summer road tripper who books a hotel once, uses the $100 credit, and walks away happy.
Bilt Obsidian Card: The Rent Hacker’s Dream
The Bilt Obsidian Card is the only card that lets you earn points on rent without a transaction fee. That’s its superpower. But in 2026, Bilt 2.0 made some changes that affect how you should use it.
The Rent Mechanic: Still the Best in Class
You pay rent through the Bilt app or by mailing a check. You earn 1X points per dollar on rent, up to 100,000 points per year. For someone paying $2,000/month in rent, that’s 24,000 points a year—just for paying a bill you already owe. No other card does this.
Bilt 2.0 Changes (2026)
Bilt adjusted its earning structure. The big updates:
- 3X on dining (up from 2X)
- 3X on travel (booked through Bilt Travel)
- 2X on travel (booked directly)
- 1X on everything else
The 3X on dining is now equal to Chase. But the travel categories are slightly more confusing. You get 3X only if you book through the Bilt portal, which has a smaller inventory than Chase. Book direct? You’re at 2X.
The Hyatt Transfer Headache
Here’s the 2026 catch. Bilt transfers 1:1 to Hyatt, but Bilt points have a monthly cap on transfers to certain partners. You can only transfer 50,000 Bilt points per month to Hyatt. If you’ve been hoarding points all summer for a big fall trip, you might hit that cap. Chase has no such limit. For heavy Hyatt users, this is a dealbreaker.
Pros
- Earn points on rent (1X, no fee)
- 3X on dining (equal to Chase now)
- Transfer to American Airlines (Chase doesn’t have this)
- 12 transfer partners including United, Hyatt, and Air France
- Cell phone protection (pay your bill with the card)
Cons
- No annual credit to offset the $95 fee (unlike Chase’s $100 hotel credit)
- Monthly transfer cap on Hyatt (50k limit)
- Rent day bonus requires you to remember the 1st of the month for extra points
- No online grocery bonus (Chase has 3X here)
Who It’s Best For
You should pick the Bilt Obsidian Card if you pay rent and want to turn that expense into travel. It’s also the better choice if you fly American Airlines regularly (Chase doesn’t transfer to AA). For the renter in a high-cost city like New York or San Francisco, the points from rent alone can justify the card, even without a credit.
Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash
Head-to-Head: Summer Trip Scenarios
Let’s run three real summer 2026 trips and see which card wins.
Scenario 1: Weekend in Chicago (Hotel + Dining)
You book a Hyatt Place in Chicago for two nights ($250/night). You eat out for three days ($200 total).
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 2X on hotel ($500) = 1,000 points. Earn 3X on dining ($200) = 600 points. Use the $100 hotel credit. Effective cost: $400 for the hotel, $200 for food. Points earned: 1,600.
- Bilt Obsidian: Earn 2X on direct hotel booking = 1,000 points. Earn 3X on dining = 600 points. No hotel credit. Points earned: 1,600.
Winner: Chase. The $100 credit saves you real cash. Same points, lower out-of-pocket cost.
Scenario 2: Two-Week Europe Trip (Flights + Hotels)
You fly United to Paris ($1,200). You stay in a mix of hotels and Airbnbs ($2,000 total).
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: Earn 2X on flights (2,400 points). Earn 2X on hotels (4,000 points). You can transfer points to United for a future flight. No foreign transaction fees.
- Bilt Obsidian: Earn 2X on flights (2,400 points). Earn 2X on hotels (4,000 points). You can transfer to United or Air France. No foreign transaction fees.
Winner: Tie, with a slight edge to Bilt if you want Air France/KLM options. Chase if you want to avoid portal booking.
Scenario 3: Renter in NYC (Monthly Spending + Summer Trip)
You pay $3,000/month in rent. You spend $500/month on dining. You take a $1,500 flight to Tokyo in August.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: No rent points. Earn 3X on dining ($500) = 1,500 points/month. Earn 2X on flight = 3,000 points.
- Bilt Obsidian: Earn 1X on rent ($3,000) = 3,000 points/month. That’s 36,000 points over 12 months just for rent. Earn 3X on dining = 1,500 points/month. Earn 2X on flight = 3,000 points.
Winner: Bilt, by a landslide. The rent points alone are worth $360+ in Hyatt value. No contest.
The Fine Print: Insurance, Fees, and Credits
Both cards offer primary rental car insurance—meaning you don’t have to file a claim with your personal insurance first. This is rare at the $95 price point. Both also offer trip cancellation and baggage delay insurance. But there are differences:
- Chase: Trip cancellation up to $10k per trip. Trip delay reimbursement after 6 hours (up to $500).
- Bilt: Trip cancellation up to $5k per trip. Trip delay reimbursement after 12 hours (up to $500).
Chase’s coverage is better for delays and cancellations. If you’re flying a budget airline this summer that’s prone to delays, the Sapphire Preferred gives you more protection.
FAQ: Real Questions from Travelers
1. “Can I use both cards together?”
Yes, and many people do. Use the Bilt Obsidian to pay rent and earn 3X on dining. Use the Chase Sapphire Preferred for the $100 hotel credit and to book flights directly. Just remember that you can’t combine points between the two programs—they stay separate.
2. “Which card is better for Hyatt bookings in 2026?”
For small to medium balances (under 50,000 points), they’re equal. For larger balances, Chase wins because there’s no monthly transfer cap. If you’re planning a 5-night Hyatt Ziva trip costing 200,000 points, you’d have to wait 4 months to transfer from Bilt. Chase lets you do it all at once.
3. “Do I have to use the Chase Travel portal to get the $100 credit?”
Yes. You must book a hotel through the Chase Travel portal to trigger the $100 credit. It applies automatically to the first hotel booking each account year. You can book flights direct and still get 2X points, but the credit is portal-only.
4. “Does Bilt still have the 5X on Lyft?”
No. That promotion ended in 2025. Bilt 2.0 removed it. Current earning is 3X dining, 2X travel, 1X everything else, plus rent.
5. “Which card is better for international travel?”
Both have no foreign transaction fees. For Europe, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has better trip delay insurance (6 hours vs. 12 hours). For countries where American Airlines has a strong presence (like Latin America), Bilt wins because you can transfer to AA.
The Bottom Line for Summer 2026
Pick the Chase Sapphire Preferred if:
- You want an effective annual fee of -$5 (after the $100 hotel credit)
- You book hotels 1–2 times per year
- You want simple, high-earning categories including online groceries
- You value better trip insurance and no transfer caps
Pick the Bilt Obsidian Card if:
- You pay rent and want to earn 24,000+ points per year on it
- You fly American Airlines
- You’re willing to manage transfer caps and remember Rent Day
- You want the best dining earn at $95 (tied with Chase, but with rent bonus)
My personal take: If you pay rent, get the Bilt Obsidian and consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred as a second card for the hotel credit. If you don’t pay rent, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the better all-around card for summer 2026. The $100 credit alone makes it a no-brainer for anyone who books one hotel stay per year.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links in this article (marked as AFFILIATE_LINK_CHASE or AFFILIATE_LINK_BILT) are affiliate links. If you apply for a card through these links, Light Trip Notes may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products we personally use or have thoroughly researched.
Last updated: 2026-06-21