💳 Are travel credit cards worth it compared to cash back?

Deciding between cash back and travel points is a major financial crossroads in 2026. As The RD Guarantee notes, comparing the Robinhood Gold Card, the top general cash back option, with the Bilt Palladium Card, a highly debated points card, reveals a massive variance in outcomes. This calculator pits flat-rate simplicity against high-variance travel rewards so you can find your perfect fit.

Your monthly spend determines your base earnings. The Bilt Palladium card is unique because it earns points on your housing payment at 1.25x, while the Robinhood Gold offers a flat 3% on all general purchases but nothing on rent or a mortgage.

As The RD Guarantee explains, the Robinhood Gold Card with its 3% flat earnings rate on everything you buy earns quite a lot. Against the typical American's expenditures, you can expect about $1,027 in cash back. Bilt changes the math by capturing housing, unlocking a full 1.25x on the average housing cost in America today, which is $2,329.

This is where the math flips. Cash back is worth exactly face value, but points can be transferred to travel partners for 2 cents per point or more. However, you must offset the Bilt card's steep $495 annual fee by tracking and using its statement credits, otherwise the simple $50 Robinhood Gold card easily wins.

As The RD Guarantee emphasizes, if you put everything onto the Bilt card and redeemed it through the travel portal at a guaranteed 1.25 cents per point, your net result would be $797. But if you potentially transfer your points to travel partners and earn up to 2 cents per point, you could earn over $2,000 in travel value a year.