Card comparison
Which card is better between The Rakuten American Express Card and Bilt Obsidian Card?
The Rakuten American Express Card is the better overall pick over Bilt Obsidian Card because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (62 vs 38) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee.
Effective rate Bilt Obsidian Card
Annual fee The Rakuten American Express Card
Welcome bonus The Rakuten American Express Card
Benefits value The Rakuten American Express Card
The Rakuten American Express Card is the stronger overall pick between The Rakuten American Express Card and Bilt Obsidian Card because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (62 vs 38) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. The Rakuten American Express Card (2% top effective rate) vs Bilt Obsidian Card (3%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Choose A if
Choose The Rakuten American Express Card when its strongest categories, bonus, or perks match how you actually spend.
Choose B if
Choose Bilt Obsidian Card when the fee, welcome bonus, or issuer ecosystem fits better than the headline winner.
Full comparison
How do The Rakuten American Express Card and Bilt Obsidian Card compare across all spend categories?
Across all five spend categories, The Rakuten American Express Card and Bilt Obsidian Card trade wins row by row. The Rakuten American Express Card peaks at 2% effective; Bilt Obsidian Card peaks at 3%. Bilt Obsidian Card wins the headline effective-rate view in this pair.
| Category / metric | The Rakuten American Express Card | Bilt Obsidian Card | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 2% back (2%) | 3x points (3%) | Bilt Obsidian Card · 1 pts |
| Grocery | 2% back (2%) | 3x points (3%) | Bilt Obsidian Card · 1 pts |
| Gas | 1% back (1%) | 1x points (1%) | Tie |
| Travel | 1% back (1%) | 1x points (1%) | Tie |
| Other | 1% back (1%) | 1x points (1%) | Tie |
| Welcome bonus | $25 | ~$2 estimated | The Rakuten American Express Card |
| Est. annual benefits | $10025/yr | $4105/yr | The Rakuten American Express Card |
| Annual fee | $0 | $95 | The Rakuten American Express Card |
| Holistic overall | 62 pts (cat 14, bonus 19, benefits 18, fee 11) | 38 pts (cat 26, bonus 1, benefits 7, fee 4) | The Rakuten American Express Card |
Madeen take
How to think about this pair
The Rakuten American Express Card (2% top effective rate) vs Bilt Obsidian Card (3%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Strategy
Use The Rakuten American Express Card when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2% back. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Use Bilt Obsidian Card when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. The Rakuten American Express Card is.
Hold both?
Many First Electronic Bank users can hold both cards if each covers a different spend lane and the combined annual fees still clear your break-even math.
Welcome bonus playbook
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, The Rakuten American Express Card leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Madeen analysis
Which card has stronger benefits: The Rakuten American Express Card or Bilt Obsidian Card?
Madeen estimates $10025 annual benefit value on The Rakuten American Express Card versus $4105 on Bilt Obsidian Card. Credits only matter if you will use them.
The Rakuten American Express Card
Total est. value: $10,025/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- Extended Warranty $10,000/yr
- Retail Protection $25/yr
- Amex Experiences
Bilt Obsidian Card
Total est. value: $4,105/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- Lyft $1,440/yr
- Purchase Assurance $1,000/yr
- Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection $800/yr
- Mastercard Transit Benefit $200/yr
- World Elite Concierge $150/yr
Welcome bonus
Which welcome bonus is stronger for The Rakuten American Express Card or Bilt Obsidian Card?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, The Rakuten American Express Card leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend. The Rakuten American Express Card lists $25; Bilt Obsidian Card lists 200 Bilt.
The Rakuten American Express Card
$25
Bilt Obsidian Card
200 Bilt Points
Caps & conditions
Caps and earn limits
Both The Rakuten American Express Card and Bilt Obsidian Card carry structured reward caps in the catalog. Compare the category that matters most before assuming the headline multiplier lasts all year.
The Rakuten American Express Card
- Earn 2% at restaurants
- Earn 2% on groceries
Bilt Obsidian Card
- 3X points on your choice of dining or grocery )Grocery up to $25K/year)
- 3X points on your choice of dining or grocery )Grocery up to $25K/year) Capped at $25000 per year.
Who should pick which
Scenario playbook
Cashback-first user
Pick The Rakuten American Express Card
The Rakuten American Express Card is the better cashback-style pick because it has the cleaner effective-rate and fee blend for this pair.
Travel & points user
Pick Bilt Obsidian Card
Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger travel-style pick because it combines better reward value with more travel-friendly positioning.
No annual fee priority
Pick The Rakuten American Express Card
The Rakuten American Express Card is easier to keep for no-fee users because it has the lighter annual-fee burden in this pair.
Heavy dining spend
Pick Bilt Obsidian Card
For restaurant and dining-coded spend, the winner is whoever posts the stronger dining effective rate after caps and exclusions — see the category matrix for the current snapshot.
Heavy grocery spend
Pick Bilt Obsidian Card
Supermarket and grocery coding can differ from superstores and delivery, so compare the grocery row before you optimize a weekly shopping basket.
Welcome bonus chaser
Pick The Rakuten American Express Card
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, The Rakuten American Express Card leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Fee-sensitive keeper
Pick The Rakuten American Express Card
When you want the card that is easiest to keep year two, annual fee often matters more than a narrow category edge.
Decision guide
Which card is better between The Rakuten American Express Card and Bilt Obsidian Card?
The Rakuten American Express Card is the better overall pick because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (62 vs 38) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. The Rakuten American Express Card (2% top effective rate) vs Bilt Obsidian Card (3%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
When should you pick The Rakuten American Express Card over Bilt Obsidian Card?
Choose The Rakuten American Express Card if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2% back. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Best for dining-heavy spend when you want to avoid an annual fee; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 2% effective (2% back).
- No annual fee in our catalog snapshot.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- Compare simpler no-fee cards if you want minimum complexity.
When should you pick Bilt Obsidian Card over The Rakuten American Express Card?
Choose Bilt Obsidian Card if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Best for dining-heavy spend when the $95 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 3% effective (3x points).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 81% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $95 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Bilt Points value depends on how you redeem, not straight cash back.
Common questions about The Rakuten American Express Card vs Bilt Obsidian Card
Which card is better between The Rakuten American Express Card and Bilt Obsidian Card?
The Rakuten American Express Card is the stronger overall fit because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (62 vs 38) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. The overall winner depends on your spend mix — use the scorecard rows and scenario playbook to see where each card actually wins.
Which card wins on dining: The Rakuten American Express Card or Bilt Obsidian Card?
Bilt Obsidian Card leads dining at 3% effective versus 2%.
Which card is better for cashback users: The Rakuten American Express Card or Bilt Obsidian Card?
The Rakuten American Express Card is the better cashback-style pick between The Rakuten American Express Card and Bilt Obsidian Card.
Which welcome bonus is stronger between The Rakuten American Express Card and Bilt Obsidian Card?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, The Rakuten American Express Card leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Which card has stronger benefits: The Rakuten American Express Card or Bilt Obsidian Card?
The Rakuten American Express Card leads on estimated annual benefit value in the Madeen snapshot.
Which card has the lower annual fee: The Rakuten American Express Card or Bilt Obsidian Card?
The Rakuten American Express Card has the simpler fee story in this pair ($0 vs $95). Annual fee only wins if you use the rewards and credits that justify it.
Is The Rakuten American Express Card or Bilt Obsidian Card better for travel spend?
Bilt Obsidian Card is the stronger travel-style pick between The Rakuten American Express Card and Bilt Obsidian Card in this snapshot.
Can you hold both First Electronic Bank cards?
Yes, many people can hold both First Electronic Bank cards when each covers a different spend lane and the combined fees still make sense.
Compare
Related comparisons
Related topics
Explore the related pages
Reviewed by Madeen editorial review
Catalog snapshot 2026-05-01
Updated 2026-06-25
Content tier Standard
First Electronic Bank and First Electronic Bank (and related product names) are trademarks of their respective owners. Madeen is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by either issuer. Madeen is an independent credit-card comparison and education service.
Madeen compares cards you add to your wallet using published catalog rules — no bank login required. Issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility; Madeen does not issue cards, make approval decisions, or provide financial advice. Apply links are temporarily hidden on madeen.app. Affiliate disclosure