The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Bilt Mastercard® are popular credit card options for those seeking travel rewards and benefits.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee.
The Bilt Rewards Mastercard lets you earn valuable travel rewards on rent payments without fees while offering bonus points on dining and travel purchases. This no-annual-fee card stands out for its unique rent payment feature and strong travel benefits like rental car coverage and trip protection.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Reviews: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Bilt Mastercard®.
Overview: Sapphire Preferred vs Bilt Rewards
Welcome Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
Let’s begin with one of the most attractive aspects of the Chase Sapphire Preferred: the welcome bonus. Currently, new cardholders can earn the following welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Bilt Rewards Mastercard:
The Bilt Mastercard® stands out in an interesting way when it comes to welcome bonuses. Unlike most rewards credit cards, you won’t find a traditional sign-up bonus offering a set number of points after meeting a spending requirement. The card makes up for this by offering unique bonuses in other ways. Many new cardholders receive an email offering 5x points on all purchases up to $10,000 within the first five days of card membership – potentially netting you 50,000 Bilt points right off the bat.
Earning Points
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points and offers bonus points on spending in several categories:
Bilt Rewards Mastercard:
The Bilt Mastercard® earns the following rewards when you have at least five posted transactions per billing cycle:
Winner:
It depends. If you are a renter, the Bilt Mastercard is the winner because you can earn many points easily by paying your rent without any additional fees. If you are not a renter, the Chase Sapphire Preferred has a slight edge because it offers 3x points on select streaming and online grocery.
Card Benefits
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers nice benefits, including: 10% Points Bonus: You will earn bonus points equivalent to 10% of your total spending in points earned with your Chase Sapphire Preferred Card during the past account anniversary year. For example, if you spent $10,000 during your cardmember year, you would receive an additional 1,000 points ($10,000 * 10% = 1,000 points). $50 Hotel Credit: The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers up to $50 in statement credits every account anniversary year if you book your hotel stays through Chase Travel. DashPass Membership: This card offers a one-year DashPass membership for free, which includes DoorDash and Caviar, offering unlimited deliveries with free delivery fees and reduced service fees for eligible purchases. The offer must be activated by December 31, 2027. Once the free membership is over, you will be automatically enrolled in DashPass at the prevailing monthly rate. Instacart Membership: Have your groceries delivered to your doorstep with a complimentary 6-month Instacart+ membership plus a $15 credit once every quarter. Enrollment is required by July 31, 2024. No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose. Primary Rental Car Insurance: When you rent a car and pay with this card, you’ll receive comprehensive coverage including damage and theft protection. Simply decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and charge the entire rental to your card to activate coverage. This insurance covers damage, theft, and valid loss-of-use charges worldwide. Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: This protection reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel before departure or cut your trip short due to covered situations like severe illness or weather events. Coverage activates when you pay for your trip with the card, but it’s important to note that reimbursement only applies for specific covered reasons rather than any cancellation. Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first. Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card. Baggage Delay Insurance: Missing luggage doesn’t have to derail your trip – this coverage steps in to reimburse you for essential purchases when your checked bags are delayed by airlines, trains, or other carriers. You can grab the necessities you need, from a fresh outfit to personal care items, while waiting for your bags to arrive. 120-Day Purchase Protection: Get 120 days of protection against damage, theft, and even loss of your purchases – one of the longest windows available. This premium coverage automatically applies when you pay with your card. Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans.
Travel Benefits
Purchase Benefits
Bilt Rewards Mastercard:
The Bilt Mastercard® offers nice benefits for a no annual fee card, including: Primary Rental Car Insurance: When you rent a car and pay with this card, you’ll receive comprehensive coverage including damage and theft protection. Simply decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and charge the entire rental to your card to activate coverage. This insurance covers damage, theft, and valid loss-of-use charges worldwide. Cell Phone Protection: When you use your card to pay your monthly phone bill, you’ll receive valuable coverage against damage or theft of your device. Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first. 90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them. Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: This protection reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel before departure or cut your trip short due to covered situations like severe illness or weather events. Coverage activates when you pay for your trip with the card, but it’s important to note that reimbursement only applies for specific covered reasons rather than any cancellation. Referral Program: Earn 2,500 Bilt points for each friend who gets approved for the Bilt Mastercard using your referral link, plus receive a 10,000-point bonus for every fifth successful referral. You can earn rewards for up to 50 total referrals, meaning significant earning potential through sharing the card with friends and family. No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Winner:
Chase Sapphire Preferred. It has better trip protections, a $50 hotel credit, and an extended warranty. But the Bilt Rewards offers many valuable benefits that no other no-annual fee offers.
Annual Fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee, which may give some people pause. However, as a frequent traveler, I’ve found that the card’s benefits and rewards can easily offset this cost. Think about it this way: if you take advantage of the welcome bonus and redeem those points for travel, you’ve already recouped the annual fee many times over. Plus, the ongoing rewards and perks like travel insurance, hotel credit, and no foreign transaction fees can save you money and provide peace of mind during your trips.
Bilt Rewards Mastercard:
The Bilt Mastercard® has no annual fee for both primary cardholders and authorized users, making it one of the best no-fee cards available.
Winner:
Bilt Rewards. It offers a lot of benefits and rewards all for no annual fee.
Redeeming Points
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers exceptional flexibility when it comes to points redemption, allowing you to create the travel experiences you’ve been dreaming of. One popular redemption option is booking travel through the Chase Travel portal. Here, your points are worth 1.25 cents apiece, meaning that a substantial amount of points can be redeemed for a significant value towards travel. I’ve used this option to book flights, hotels, and rental cars, and I appreciate the simplicity of the process. Plus, when you book through the portal, you can still earn airline miles and hotel points on your reservations. If you’re looking to stretch your points even further, transfer to Chase’s airline and hotel partners. Some notable transfer partners include United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Hyatt, and Marriott. By strategically transferring points, you can unlock incredible redemption opportunities like first-class flights or luxurious resort stays. In my experience, transferring points to Hyatt has yielded some of the most valuable redemptions. By leveraging my Ultimate Rewards points, I’ve booked top-tier properties like the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme and the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort for a fraction of the cash price. Of course, if you’re not in the mood for travel, you can always redeem your points for statement credits or gift cards at a rate of 1 cent per point. While this may not provide the most bang for your buck, it’s a decent option to have for those times when you need a little extra cash in your pocket.
Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
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Aer Lingus
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Air Canada Aeroplan
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Air France/KLM
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British Airways
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Emirates
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Hyatt Hotels
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Iberia
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IHG Hotels
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JetBlue
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Marriott
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Singapore
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Southwest
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United
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Virgin Atlantic
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Bilt Rewards Mastercard:
Bilt points offer versatile redemption options, with transfers to airline and hotel partners standing out as the most valuable. The program offers 18 transfer partners, including thirteen airline and five hotel loyalty programs. Notable partners include Alaska Airlines, Iberia, Turkish, and World of Hyatt, providing unique opportunities for premium travel experiences. For those seeking flexibility, the Bilt Travel Portal allows point redemptions at 1.25 cents per point for flights, hotels, rental cars, and activities. A distinctive feature is the ability to use points towards a home down payment at 1.5 cents per point, catering to renters looking to transition to homeownership. While other redemption options exist, such as Amazon purchases, fitness classes, and rent payments, these offer lower value and are not recommended for maximizing point value. Keep an eye out for Bilt’s monthly Rent Day promotions and transfer bonuses, which can provide exceptional value, especially for those with Bilt elite status. These promotions have offered bonuses of up to 150% to select partners, making them prime opportunities for point transfers.
Bilt Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
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Accor [3 to 2]
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Aer Lingus
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Air Canada
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Air France/KLM
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Alaska Airlines
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Avianca LifeMiles
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British Airways
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Cathay Pacific
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Emirates
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Hawaiian
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Hyatt Hotels
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Iberia
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IHG Hotels
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Marriott
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TAP Portugal
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Turkish
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Virgin Atlantic
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United
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Winner:
Bilt. It already has Chase’s four most valuable partners (Hyatt, United, Aeroplan, and Iberia), plus several other good options like Alaska Airlines and Turkish Airlines. Additionally, Bilt occasionally offers amazing transfer bonuses during their Rent Day promotions, which I have taken advantage of in the past to get 125% bonuses to Air France Flying Blue and Air Canada Aeroplan.
The Verdict
The best card for you will depend on if you pay rent or own a home.
If you pay rent each month, the Bilt Mastercard® is the best option. Personally, I use a combination of the Bilt Mastercard for rent, dining, and travel, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) for everyday spending and airport lounge access, and the American Express® Gold Card (review) for groceries and dining.
But if you don’t pay rent, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® is an excellent option for a solid travel rewards credit card with only a $95 annual fee.
