The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Bilt World Elite Mastercard® seem evenly matched for earning potential. They both offer 2 points per dollar spent on travel and 3 points per dollar for dining, so they’re solid picks for these categories.

The Sapphire Preferred also throws in 3 Ultimate Rewards points for grocery delivery and streaming services. So digital subscribers and convenience shoppers can earn points as well.

Bilt’s big appeal is the option to earn rewards on your monthly rent. Currently, Bilt rewards 1 point per dollar on rent payments without the transaction fee (on up to 100,000 points each calendar year), 3 points per dollar on dining, 2 points per dollar on travel (when booked through the Bilt Travel Portal or directly with an airline, hotel, car rental or cruise company), and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. For individuals with high monthly housing costs, Bilt’s long-game strategy could pay off.

Attempting to appeal to the fitness crowd, Bilt offers 10 points per dollar for SoulCycle courses. And the Sapphire Preferred fires back with 5 points per dollar on Peloton gear purchases over $150 up to a max of 25,000 points through March 2025. Both of these bonuses are company-specific, so not every cardholder will benefit.

Bilt has a clever double point offer for purchases made on the 1st of every month. So if you’re into planning your spending, that could add up. It also has monthly bonus deals on select local dining.

But—and this is a big but—Bilt caps rent and double points earned on the 1st to 10,000 points and requires you to make at least 5 transactions per month to earn points, so you can’t only use it for rent (rewards & benefits). The Sapphire Preferred eliminates the need to schedule earning dates, think about spending limits or how often to use the card.