Which Delta Amex Business Credit Card Is Best?

American Express and Delta have a co-brand credit card portfolio, and as part of that, there are three business credit cards.

I’ve reviewed all the versions of the personal credit cards, including the Gold, Platinum, and Reserve. However, in reality it’s the business cards that are most lucrative, as they typically have better welcome offers than the personal cards. In this post, I wanted to focus on what’s available with the business cards.

Delta business credit card basics

Anecdotally I find Amex business cards to be quite easy to be approved for, and on top of that keep in mind that applying for an Amex business card won’t count as a further card toward the Chase 5/24 limit, in case that’s a consideration.

You’re eligible for the bonuses on all three Delta Amex business credit cards, so there’s lots of potential to pick up cards here. Just keep in mind Amex’s general application restrictions. Let’s cover the basics of the three business cards, including the welcome bonus offers, annual fees, and perks.

Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex

The Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card has a welcome offer of 50,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending $2,000 within the first three months. The card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 (Rates & Fees).

I’d say the five best perks of the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex Card are:

• Access to special award redemption options, including Delta Pay With Miles (letting you redeem miles for one cent each toward Delta flights) and TakeOff 15 (giving you a 15% discount on award tickets for travel on Delta)
• A first checked bag free for the primary cardmember and up to nine people traveling on the same reservation
• Priority boarding with Main Cabin 1 on Delta flights
• 20% savings on Delta inflight purchases, including on food, drinks, and headsets
• The ability to get a Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver in conjunction with credit card spending

Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Amex

The Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum Business American Express Card has a welcome offer of 60,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending $3,000 within the first three months. The card has a $250 annual fee (Rates & Fees).

I’d say the four best perks of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Amex Card are:

• An annual companion certificate, valid for a domestic roundtrip economy ticket
• The ability to earn Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) for spending
• A fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry (once every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck, or once every four years for Global Entry)
• The ability to buy discounted Sky Club access, at the cost of $50 per person per visit

Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Amex

The Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve Business American Express Card has a welcome offer of 70,000 bonus SkyMiles after spending $5,000 within the first three months. The card has a $550 annual fee (Rates & Fees).

I’d say the seven best perks of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business Amex Card are:

• An annual companion certificate, valid for a domestic roundtrip ticket, including in first class
• The ability to earn Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) at the fastest rate of any Delta co-branded credit card
• Complimentary Delta Sky Club access when flying Delta the same day (within three hours of departure)
• Complimentary Amex Centurion Lounge access when flying Delta the same day (within three hours of departure)
• Two Delta Sky Club passes annually, which you can gift to friends and family members
• If you have SkyMiles Medallion elite status, having the Reserve Card gives you priority for complimentary upgrades over those with the same status without the card
• If you don’t have SkyMiles Medallion elite status, having the Reserve Card makes you eligible for complimentary upgrades to Comfort+ and first class

Which Delta business credit card should you apply for?

If I were looking to pick up a Delta Amex right now, personally I’d go for a business card over a personal card. That’s both because the business cards have better offers, and also because the application wouldn’t count toward the 5/24 limit from Chase (which I’m trying to stay under).

With that in mind, which of the business cards is most appealing? Let’s talk about this both in terms of the welcome offers, and in terms of the long-term perks.

Which Delta Amex business card has the best welcome bonus offer?

Which card has the best welcome bonus offer? As we examine that, let’s conservatively say that SkyMiles are worth a penny each, which is the rate at which you can redeem them through the Delta Pay With Miles program:

• The Delta Gold Business Amex offers $500 worth of value — that includes 50,000 SkyMiles, and a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99
• The Delta Platinum Business Amex offers $350 worth of value — that includes 60,000 SkyMiles, but then I subtracted the $250 annual fee.
• The Delta Reserve Business Amex offers $150 worth of value — that includes 70,000 SkyMiles, but then I subtracted the $550 annual fee (admittedly this math doesn’t account for the huge perks this card offers, which are the primary reasons to pick it up)

Which Delta Amex business card has the best benefits?

Beyond the first year, which of the three Delta Amex business cards makes the most sense? There’s no “one size fits all” answer, but here are my general thoughts:

• The Delta Gold Business Amex is best if you’re looking for basic benefits when traveling with Delta, all while paying a reasonable annual fee; this isn’t the card for you if you’re a frequent Delta flyer with elite status
• The Delta Platinum Business Amex is best if you could get value from the annual companion certificate, or if you’re looking to earn SkyMiles Medallion elite status through credit card spending
• The Delta Reserve Business Amex is often underrated in terms of the value it can offer; in addition to lounge access, upgrade priority (or upgrades to begin with if you don’t have status), and the easiest qualification toward SkyMiles Medallion elite status, the card also offers a first class companion certificate that could more than cover the annual fee in and of itself

Bottom line

American Express and Delta have a portfolio of co-branded credit cards, including three excellent business credit cards.

There’s no consistent correct answer as to which card is best. I’d say that the Delta Gold Business Amex is great for its bonus and low annual fee. For the more frequent Delta traveler who values perks and a companion certificate, I think the Delta Platinum Business Amex is worth the premium. And for the really frequent Delta traveler, the Delta Reserve Business Amex is a must.

What’s your favorite Delta Amex business credit card?

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card (Rates & Fees).