Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card Overview
For business owners looking to dip their toes into the Delta cobranded card lineup, The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is a solid starting point. It comes with an affordable $0 introductory annual fee for the first year ($150 per year thereafter; see rates and fees) and a few decent perks. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card ratings are based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and are not influenced by the card issuer.
Business owners loyal to Delta Air Lines have no shortage of cobranded cards to choose from, whether you’re a casual traveler or in the air every week.
The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card is the starter product in the Delta Business Card lineup, offering solid benefits and a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 per year. It has a recommended credit score of 670.
This card is designed for people who want to earn SkyMiles and take advantage of elite benefits while flying Delta but who can’t travel with the airline enough to justify the high annual fee.
Let’s see how the card stacks up against its Delta counterparts and other non-Delta options.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Delta Gold Business Amex
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Delta Gold Business Amex Welcome Offer
For a limited time, The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex offers new cardmembers a welcome offer of 90,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of cardmembership.
This is by far the best welcome offer we’ve seen on this card. This offer ends on 23rd October.
TPG’s September 2024 valuation values this offer at $1,080.
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Its $0 introductory annual fee for the first year ($150 per year thereafter) makes it the perfect choice for business owners who fly Delta occasionally.
American Express also limits who can apply for the card, and you’re generally ineligible for welcome bonuses if you’ve held the card before. American Express may look at other factors when determining welcome offer eligibility, but they’ll let you know if you’re able to receive the card’s welcome offer before making a hard pull on your credit score.
Related: Best Delta Credit Cards
Delta Gold Business Amex Benefits
- Award Flight Discount: 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights (when paying taxes and fees with this card)
- Delta Stays Credit: $150 annual statement credit per calendar year with Delta Stays, Delta’s hotel travel portal
- Delta Flight Credit: $200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 on purchases in a calendar year
- First checked bag free: You and up to eight companions on a single reservation (so a total of nine travelers) get your first checked bag free when flying on Delta-marketed and operated flights. At $70 a bag round-trip, that can add up quickly if you travel regularly.
- Priority Boarding: Get Zone 5 boarding on a Delta flight for yourself and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
- Inflight Discount: Get 20% statement credit on inflight purchases including pre-purchased meals, food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets when using the card (excluding inflight Wi-Fi purchases).
- Baggage Insurance Scheme: If your luggage is lost, damaged or stolen while you use the card to pay for travel, you’ll receive up to $1,250 for carry-on and up to $500 for checked bags.*
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: You’ll be covered if your eligible rental car is damaged or stolen when you use the card to reserve and pay for it and decline the company’s insurance. Note that this is secondary coverage and does not include liability.**
- Purchase Security: The card comes with an extended warranty that adds up to one year on top of the original manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less. Purchase protection covers items that are accidentally damaged or stolen if you paid with a card up to 90 days after the date of purchase.
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Not all types of vehicles or rentals are covered and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage provided by American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Related: How to Maximize Statement Credit on Delta Amex Cards
Earn miles on Delta Gold Business Amex
This card earns:
- 2 miles per dollar on eligible purchases made directly with Delta
- 2 miles per dollar on US shipping and advertising (capped at $50,000 spent per year; 1 mile per dollar thereafter)
- At 2 miles per dollar Dining in restaurants
- 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases
These aren’t show-stopping earning rates, but it’s nice to see some non-travel earning categories to help business owners earn more on purchases than travel with Delta.
Based on TPG’s September 2024 valuation, you get an effective return of 2.4% and 1.2% respectively.
Related: Best Business Credit Cards
Redeeming Miles on Delta Gold Business Amex
Award flights on Delta or its SkyTeam alliance partners are your best redemption options. Delta’s dynamic award pricing makes it difficult to maximize SkyMiles, but you still can Find value with the program if you can take the time to do your own research and be flexible when it comes time to redeem your miles.
Delta’s website often has flash sales and other deals, and you can find great redemption options for international and domestic travel.
For example, we’ve seen deals from 12,000 SkyMiles one-way to 2,000 SkyMiles one-way on Delta One and domestic awards from New York to Bogota, Colombia.
You can also use your SkyMiles to upgrade seats. Just know that since Delta doesn’t have an award chart, you won’t know how many miles those premium seats will cost until you’re ready to book.
SkyMiles upgrades are also valid on certain flights operated by Delta partners Air France-KLM, Virgin Atlantic and Aeromexico when using Mileage Upgrade Awards once your flight is booked.
You can also redeem your SkyMiles for gift cards, magazines. Experience unique SkyMilesOnline shopping and more, although those options almost always offer less-than-optimal returns.
TPG senior editorial director Nick Ewen redeems his SkyMiles for domestic trips, taking advantage of a 15% takeoff benefit. This effectively reduces the number of miles required to be redeemed for Delta flights.
Related: How to redeem Delta SkyMiles for maximum value
Which cards compete with Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex?
While the Delta Business Gold Amex comes with a solid portfolio of benefits for its annual fee, you may want a card that offers more Delta benefits or flexibility.
For additional options, check out our full list The best travel cards and the best American Express cards.
Read more: Who qualifies for a business credit card?
Is the Delta Gold Business Amex worth it?
The bottom line
You’ll want to choose the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex if your business needs a credit card with basic Delta benefits like free checked bags and priority boarding to make travel easier, and you don’t want to spend a lot of money annually. fee
However, if you’re hoping to use your card to help earn elite status, one of the other Delta business credit cards may be a better fit.
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card
Related: Business Cards Vs. Personal Cards: Key Differences
For Delta Gold Business Amex rates and fees, click here.
For Delta Reserve Business Amex rates and fees, click here.
For Amex Business Gold rates and fees, click here.
For Delta Platinum Business Amex rates and fees, click here.