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Delta credit cards are issued exclusively by American Express, and there are seven different credit cards for consumers to choose from. That means there are a variety of Delta SkyMiles credit card offers out there, which is complicated by the fact that there are both personal and business versions.
Each of these cards has a separate welcome bonus, but you can typically expect to earn tens of thousands of bonus SkyMiles when you’re approved for a Delta credit card and meet the minimum spending requirements. These offers do change frequently, but OMAAT keeps this page updated as the deals and offers fluctuate. In general, the premium cards (with higher annual fees) offer more introductory miles and better ongoing benefits, but they can all be good options depending on your circumstances. Here are the best Delta credit card offers available today:
Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs)
Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
With Status Boost™, earn 15,000 MQMs after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to four times per year, getting you closer to Medallion Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases.
Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
Complimentary access into the Delta SkyClubs® for you when travelling on a Delta flight.
Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book your Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
Welcome Offer: Earn 45,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 3 months.
With Status Boost™, earn 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your new Card in a calendar year, up to four times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn toward flights.
Complimentary Delta Sky Club® Access and complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge when you book your Delta flight with your Reserve Card.
After you spend $150,000 on your Card in a calendar year, you earn 1.5 Miles per dollar (that's an extra half mile per dollar) on eligible purchases the rest of the year. If your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher accelerator will apply.
Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas.
Earn 3 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta.
Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Plus, earn a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first 3 months.
Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card.*Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 MQMs after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
Welcome Offer: Earn 45,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 3 months. Plus, earn a $100 Statement Credit after your first Delta purchase on your new Card in the first 3 months.
Earn 3 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent on purchases made directly with hotels.
Status-like benefits: First Check Bag Free on Delta flights + Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding
Earn 1.5 miles per dollar on single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (that's an extra half point per dollar), up to 50,000 additional miles per year. 1 Mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases.
Get closer to status with Status Boost™. Spend $25,000 in purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs); spend a total of $50,000 in eligible purchases on the Card in a calendar year and earn an additional 10,000 MQMs. MQMs are used to determine Medallion Status and are different from the miles you earn toward flights.
While it might not be the best option for the savvy traveler, it’s nice to see an airline with a no annual fee credit card. People often want to have a card from a brand they like, and lots of people like Delta. For a no annual fee card, the card is more generous than I was expecting.
Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $500 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
No Annual Fee.
NEW! Earn 2X Miles per dollar at restaurants, now worldwide.
Earn 2X Miles per dollar spent on Delta purchases.
Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
NEW! No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets.
Earn 35,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.
Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
Earn now. Travel when you're ready. After you spend $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year, you will receive a $100 Delta Flight Credit to inspire your next travel.
Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $99.
Welcome Offer: Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in the first 3 months.
Additionally, take $100 off your next Delta flight - after you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you will earn a $100 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel.
Earn 2 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta, on every dollar spent on eligible U.S. purchases for advertising in select media, on every dollar spent on eligible U.S. shipping purchases, on every eligible dollar spent on dining at restaurants. Earn 1 Mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
Check or stow your bag with ease: First Checked Bag Free + Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding.
Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel overseas.
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
Ironically, while the Delta SkyMiles credit cards offer great benefits when you’re flying Delta, they typically aren’t the best cards for actually earning the most SkyMiles!
That’s because Delta is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, and you can move points you earn with Amex Rewards to Delta at a 1:1 ratio. This is awesome for people who want to maximize the miles they earn, as the Membership Rewards cards typically have better returns on spend than the Delta cards.
For example, the Delta credit cards offer 2x miles for Delta purchases, but most only offer 1x on all other spend. If you have purchases beyond Delta tickets (and let’s face it, most of us do), then you can probably earn more miles with a different card. Depending on which Membership Rewards card you choose, you could earn up to:
5X Membership Rewards® on flights booked directly with airlines
5X Membership Rewards® points on eligible hotels booked on amextravel.com
4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. restaurants
4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets
4X Membership Rewards® for selected small business expenses
2X points at U.S. gas stations
2X Membership Rewards® points on everything for the first $50,000 you spend in a year
No one card offers all of these earnings rates, but the variety means it’s easy to choose a card that will allow you to earn the most miles on the purchases you’re already making. Again, these points can all be transferred directly to your SkyMiles account.
So for those wondering how to earn Delta SkyMiles quickly, you’ll want to check out these cards and their earning structures:
The card details for the American Express Green Card have been collected independently by OMAAT and have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
While the annual fee is high the card comes with lots of benefits that help negate the annual fee, including a $200 Airline Fee Credit, which gives you up to $200 a year in baggage fees and more at one airline.
Earn 75,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 10x points on eligible purchases on your new Card at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. That's an additional 9 points on top of the 1 point you earn for these purchases.
Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Starting January 1, 2021, earn 5X points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com.
Enjoy complimentary access to the Global Lounge Collection, the only credit card airport lounge access program that includes proprietary lounge locations around the world.
Receive complimentary benefits through American Express Travel with an average total value of $550 with Fine Hotels & Resorts® program at over 1,100 properties . Learn More.
Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter.
Enjoy the flexibility to put more purchases on the Card and earn rewards when you buy above your credit limit*.
You've got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power.
More buying power for your business means more opportunities to earn points. That's everyday business with the Blue Business Plus Card.
*The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors.
0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 13.24% - 19.24%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening.
Membership Rewards has many transfer partners, including Aeroplan, British Airways, Delta, and Singapore, and this card lets you earn great bonuses in the categories that many of us use most often.
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points on Restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
Earn 85,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card plus earn 5x points on eligible purchases in 5 select business categories, up to 80,000 bonus points per category, all within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
Get 50% more Membership Rewards® points. That's an extra half point per dollar, on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more. You can get up to 1 million additional points per year.
35% Airline Bonus: Use Membership Rewards® Pay with Points for all or part of a flight with your selected qualifying airline, and you can get 35% of the points back, up to 500,000 bonus points per calendar year when you book on amextravel.com.
Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
Enroll to get up to $200 in statement credits annually by getting up to $100 semi-annually for U.S. purchases with Dell. Terms apply.
PAY OVER TIME OPTION: A flexible payment option to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more.
Earning 4X Membership Rewards® for small business expenses is an awesome return, and we especially like that it automatically applies to the categories you use most in a billing cycle, rather than having to choose just one or two each year.
Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*
MORE REWARDS: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month. 1X is earned for other purchases. **
**4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year.*
AIRLINE BONUS: Get 25% points back after you use points for all or part of an eligible flight booked with Amex Travel, up to 250,000 points back per calendar year.*
PAY OVER TIME OPTION: A flexible payment option with interest to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more.*
If you make frequent transactions in a month the Amex EveryDay cards are a great option. In addition to accruing points in bonus categories, these cards offer an additional incentive based on how many times the card is used in a month. This can be quite lucrative, especially as these cards accrue Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards points can be transferred to airline partners for the best value, or used to pay for all or part of your flight, prepaid hotel, vacation or cruise through amextravel.com.
Current Offer Earn 20,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
Card Details 3x points at US Supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases; 2x points at US gas stations; 1x points on other purchases. Use your Card 30 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 50% more points on those purchases less returns and credits.
If you make frequent transactions in a month the Amex EveryDay cards are a great option. In addition to accruing points in bonus categories, these cards offer an additional incentive based on how many times the card is used in a month. This can be quite lucrative, especially as these cards accrue Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards points can be transferred to airline partners for the best value, or used to pay for all or part of your flight, prepaid hotel, vacation or cruise through amextravel.com.
Current Offer Earn 10,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
Card Details 2x points at US supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x); 1x points on other purchases. Use your Card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 20% more points on those purchases less returns and credits.
Foreign Transaction Fee: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
Annual Fee: $0 for the first year, then $95
The card details for the Business Green Rewards Card have been collected independently by OMAAT and have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Current Offer Earn 25,000 Membership Rewards you they spend $3,000 on qualifying purchases on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
Card Details 2 Membership Rewards for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases at amextravel.com.
While there may be better ways to earn SkyMiles, the Delta credit cards offer some benefits you won’t want to miss, even if you only fly Delta once or twice a year:
Free checked bags on Delta — The Delta Gold, Platinum, and Reserve cards (regardless of whether you have the personal or business version) all let you check your first bag for free. In fact, not only is your first bag checked for free, the baggage fees for nine other passengers on your same reservation are waived as well!
Earn up to 3x SkyMiles on Delta purchases — All of the Delta credit cards (even the no-fee Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card) earn more than 1 mile per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta.
In-Flight Savings — Each of the Delta SkyMiles credit cards can save you money on your in-flight purchases. Simply use your card for eligible purchases when flying Delta (this includes stuff like meals, drinks, and headseats, but excludes Wi-Fi), and you’ll receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit. Plus, since these count as Delta purchases, you’re earning up to 3x Miles!
Delta Sky Club Access — There are several great cards that give you airport lounge access, including SkyClub access, but if you only want to get into the Delta lounges, or need to earn MQMs, your best Delta credit card options are the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card Both allow you to enter a Delta Sky Club® at no cost, or you can bring up to two guests for $39 each. Meanwhile, if you have the Platinum Delta cards, you and up to two guests can access the Sky Club when flying Delta at a per-visit rate of $39 per person.
Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) Waiver — If you’re aiming for elite status with Delta, it’s no longer sufficient to just fly the requisite number of miles. You also have to spend a certain amount on Delta or partners in order to meet the Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) requirement. Fortunately, the Delta SkyMiles credit cards offer a benefit that can help you get there; by spending $25,000 in a year on any of the Platinum, or Reserve cards, you’ll receive an MQD waiver for Delta Silver, Gold, or Platinum Medallion status. You can technically spend $250,000 in a calendar year to receive a waiver for Diamond status, but we wouldn’t really recommend it.
No foreign transaction fees — We’d recommend other cards for international travel, but if you happen to use your Delta Blue, Gold, Platinum, or Reserve card overseas, you won’t pay an extra fee.
Get bumped up the upgrade list — There are a few factors that influence your spot on the upgrade list, and having a SkyMiles credit card is one of them. Just being a cardholder of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card or Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card can move you to a higher upgrade priority. If you hold either of the Platinum Delta cards and have met the spending for your MQD waiver, that can give you a boost as well.
So which is the best credit card for Delta flyers?
It really depends on your situation, but the good news is that Delta flyers don’t actually have to choose one card for all time! American Express limits you to receiving the welcome bonus once per lifetime on a particular card, but there’s no reason why you can’t apply for different Delta credit cards over time. If you have one of the Gold Delta American Express cards, for example, you could apply for one of the Platinum versions to take advantage of the companion ticket. Or, if your flying patterns change, it might make sense to apply for either the personal or business Delta Reserve cards to earn extra MQMs.
Either way, we’d recommend applying for your new Delta SkyMiles credit card “from scratch” if you’re eligible, rather than calling to ask for a product change. When you upgrade or downgrade your card, you miss out on any bonus miles being offered as part of the welcome offer.
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card (Rates & Fees).
The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.
Comments
Hi if you get the plat card and buy a delta gift certificate will they reimburse you the $100 with a a $100 GC purchase? And if not is there a way around this? Also applies for delta gold but for $50. Thx Al
Hi if you get the plat card and buy a delta gift certificate will they reimburse you the $100 with a a $100 GC purchase? And if not is there a way around this? Also applies for delta gold but for $50. Thx Al