by Cory Santos | Last updated on November 14th, 2023
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
- 20.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
- 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate Cash Advance APR
At a Glance
Featuring a sizable introductory bonus and convenient perks that frequent travelers adore like priority boarding and a free first checked bag, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a solid travel partner for loyal Delta flyers.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months
- Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $99
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights
- Cardmembers can get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees
- Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases
- $100 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, receive a Credit to use toward future travel
- Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com
- Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- With Send & Split®, you can send money and split your Card purchases with any other Venmo or PayPal user, directly from the Amex App. Enroll today
- Terms Apply
- Regular Purchase APR: 20.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance APR: 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Cash Advance Transaction Fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
- Penalty APR: 29.99% variable based on the Prime Rate
- Annual Fee: $0 for the first year, then $99
- Late Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $40
- Return Payment Penalty Fee: Up to $40
- You want to earn 2X miles on Delta purchases
- You are interested in earning 2X miles at supermarkets in the U.S. and on dining worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- You are interested in earning 40,000 bonus miles after making $2,000 in purchases in the first three months of card ownership
- You don’t want to pay foreign transaction fees while you travel with your airline rewards card
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Review
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card draws travelers in with a lucrative welcome offer, before reaching a cruising altitude of decent, everyday miles on eligible purchases. All this plus Delta perks for a modest $99 annual fee – which, for new cardmembers, is offered at an introductory $0 annual fee on the first year.
Impressive Welcome Offer
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Amex offers a welcome bonus similar to its bigger sibling, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Amex. New cardmembers earn 40,000 Bonus SkyMiles after making $2,000 in purchases within the first six months of account membership. That welcome offer has a cash value of around $400, which is a considerable tally for a modest spend.
How to Earn SkyMiles
The Gold SkyMiles Card features decent rewards on all eligible purchases. That rate is 2X miles per $1 spent on purchases and applies to the following categories:
- Purchases made directly with Delta, including Delta Vacations
- Groceries from U.S. supermarkets
- Dining at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
Those bonus categories offer enough value for the dedicated Delta traveler. Even if you don’t plan on booking flights right away, the Gold Delta Card makes sense for anyone saving for a vacation using their credit card to buy groceries or dine out. All other purchases earn 1X miles, with no cap on the total number of miles a cardholder can earn. Best of all, these miles don’t expire.
Delta SkyMiles Personal Card Comparison
The Amex Delta Air Lines credit card portfolio is robust, with multiple options for both business and personal use. Not sure which SkyMiles credit card is right for you? Here is a head-to-head comparison of the four Delta consumer credit cards from American Express:
SkyMiles® Blue |
Delta SkyMiles® Gold |
SkyMiles® Platinum |
Delta Reserve |
Earn 10K (after spending $1,000 within the first 6 months)* | Earn 65K (after spending $2,000 within the first 6 months)* | Earn 85K (after spending $4,000 within the first 6 months)* | Earn 85K (after spending $6,000 within the first 6 months)* |
No annual fee | $99 annual fee ($0 year one) | $250 annual fee | $550 annual fee |
2X Miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and at at restaurants worldwide; 1X on all other purchases. | 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.; 1X on all other purchases. | 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels; 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets; 1X Miles on all other purchases. | 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with Delta; 1X Miles on all other purchases. |
20% inflight savings | 20% inflight savings | 20% inflight savings | 20% inflight savings |
No foreign transaction fees | No foreign transaction fees | No foreign transaction fees | No foreign transaction fees |
– | First checked bag free | First checked bag free | First checked bag free |
– | $100 Delta Flight Credit after spending $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year. | Annual companion certificate | Annual companion certificate |
– | – | Priority boarding | Priority boarding and upgrades; complimentary upgrades |
– | – | Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck® | Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck® |
– | – | Sky Club access for fee | Sky Club & Centurion Lounge access |
*See Terms |
How to Redeem Rewards
SkyMiles provides numerous redemption options for miles. The easiest way to use miles is through flight bookings with Delta Air Lines. To use miles for flights, you must book at Delta.com. Bookings with Delta also have the bonus of featuring no blackout dates, meaning you don’t need to worry about compromising your ideal dates.
Miles are redeemable not only on Delta flights but also on 30 additional airline partners via SkyTeam. Here’s a list of the current SkyTeam alliance partner carriers:
Aeromexico | China Airlines | Garuda Indonesia | Air France | Saudia |
Air Europa | China Eastern Airlines | Kenya Airlines | China Southern Airlines | TAROM |
Aeroflot | Czech Airlines | LATAM | Korean Air | Vietnam Airlines |
Aerolineas Argentinas | Delta Air Lines | KLM Royal Dutch Airlines | Middle East Airlines | XiamenAir |
Air Europa | ITA Airways | Virgin Atlantic | Shanghai Airlines | JinAir |
Other ways to redeem SkyMiles include seat and cabin upgrades through Delta, Delta gift cards, Delta Vacations or Experiences, and incidental fees when flying with Delta. Delta miles are redeemable for gift cards or purchases made through the Delta SkyMiles Shopping portal.
Related Article: The Ultimate Guide to Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
Travel Perks
Plenty of travel perks accompany the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card. Enjoy priority boarding on Delta flights and one free checked bag on each trip; cardholders even save 20% on in-flight purchases to sweeten the deal. This in-flight discount takes the form of a statement credit when you use your Gold SkyMiles Card to make purchases on board a Delta-operated flight.
The card also boasts no foreign transaction fees. Speaking of convenience, this card also includes exclusive access to select entertainment ticket presales, extended warranties for eligible retail product purchases, and other American Express payment network protections:
Extended Warranty | Return Protection | Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance | Amex Concierge |
Purchase Protection | Zero Fraud Liability | Trip Delay Insurance | Amex Offers |
Annual Bonus
The card also offers a yearly bonus that provides some value but lacks in excitement. Cardholders that make $10,000 in purchases during the calendar year receive a $100 statement credit. While this isn’t exceptionally valuable, it is a nice bonus for those who plan to use the card extensively.
TakeOff 15
TakeOff 15 is a new perk from Delta and American Express. The feature lets eligible cardholders get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through Delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Please note that this discount does not apply to partner-operated flights or taxes and fees.
American Express Ratings
How is Amex as a credit card issuer? Here is a selection of ratings for American Express from experts and the general public:
BestCards | Better Business Bureau | TrustPilot |
3.5/5 |
2/5 |
1.5/5 |
Should You Apply for the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card?
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers cardholders excellent value for their annual fee. This value is even more apparent when Amex waives the fee for the first year. The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card’s perks are also lovely, especially priority Zone 1 boarding and a first checked bag complimentary on Delta-operated flights. However, the 2X miles the card earns on worldwide restaurants and U.S. supermarkets sets it apart. Even for the most casual of travelers, this feature allows them to save up for an award vacation to remember.
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