Bilt Mastercard vs Chase Sapphire Preferred
On an illustrative household's spending, Chase Sapphire Preferred comes out about $3 a year ahead once both annual fees are paid.
The short version
- Over a year: Bilt Mastercard nets $715 and Sapphire Preferred nets $719, after fees of none and $95 a year.
- Where it flips: Below about $2,129 a month of spending, Bilt Mastercard comes out ahead; above it, Sapphire Preferred does.
- Category by category: Bilt Mastercard earns more on 0, Sapphire Preferred on 6 — the table below. Pick by where most of your money goes.
- What they pay in: Bilt Mastercard earns Bilt Points (2.00¢ each) and Sapphire Preferred earns Chase Ultimate Rewards (2.00¢ each) — which is why everything here is in dollars.
Priced on a household spending $2,205 a month on a card — the assumption, in full. Credits, perks and welcome offers are not priced; each card's page lists them.
Where each one earns more
| Spending on | Bilt Mastercard per $100 |
Sapphire Preferred per $100 | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas Stations | $2.00 base rate |
$6.00 3x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| Streaming | $2.00 base rate |
$6.00 3x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| Rideshare & Taxis | $2.00 base rate |
$4.00 2x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| Public Transit | $2.00 base rate |
$4.00 2x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| EV Charging | $2.00 base rate |
$6.00 3x |
Sapphire Preferred |
| Parking & Tolls | $2.00 base rate |
$4.00 2x |
Sapphire Preferred |
Only categories where the two differ and at least one pays a bonus, plus everything else. No rotating or chosen categories are switched on, and a rate that needs the issuer's travel portal is not counted.
Side by side
| Bilt Mastercard | Sapphire Preferred | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Bilt | Chase |
| Annual fee | none | $95 a year |
| Foreign transaction fee | none | none |
| Earns | Bilt Points | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
| A year, before the fee | $715 | $814 |
| A year, after the fee | $715 | $719 |
| Rates checked | 2026-08 | 2026-08 |
Protections one has and the other does not
| Benefit | Bilt Mastercard | Sapphire Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| Rental car — primary cover | — | Yes |
| Cell phone | Yes | — |
| Extended warranty | — | Yes |
| Global Entry / TSA PreCheck | — | Yes |
From each issuer's benefit summary (Bilt Mastercard: 2026-09; Sapphire Preferred: 2026-09). Summaries leave out exclusions — read the full guide to benefits before relying on one.
Each card on its own
- Bilt Mastercard — every rate, where it ranks, what the issuer lists besides rewards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred — every rate, where it ranks, what the issuer lists besides rewards
- Every travel card, ranked
- Which card adds the most to your own wallet