Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card review: Low annual fee but limited perks
Editor's Note
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 (then $150 per year; see rates and fees) and a few decent perks. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is 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 perks and a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 each year. It has a recommended credit score of 670.
This card is built for those who want to earn SkyMiles and take advantage of elitelike perks when flying Delta but who might not travel with the airline enough to justify a higher annual fee.
Let's look at how the card stacks up against its Delta counterparts and other non-Delta alternatives.
Delta Gold Business Amex pros and cons
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Delta Gold Business Amex welcome offer
The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex offers new cardmembers a welcome offer where they can earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first six months of cardmembership.
TPG's September 2024 valuations place the value of this offer at $720.
Its $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $150 per year) makes it a decent choice for business owners who occasionally fly Delta.
American Express also limits who can apply for the card, and you're generally ineligible for the welcome bonus if you've previously held this card. American Express may also look at other factors when determining welcome offer eligibility, but they will inform you whether you're able to receive a card's welcome offer before performing a hard pull on your credit score.
Related: Best Delta credit cards
Delta Gold Business Amex benefits
While the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex card doesn't have the same premium perks as its more expensive Delta business card counterparts, it comes with several benefits when flying on Delta:
- Award flight discount: 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights (when paying taxes and fees with this card)
- Delta Stays credit: A $150 annual statement credit every calendar year with Delta Stays, Delta's hotel travel portal
- Delta flight credit: A $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 the same reservation (so nine travelers total) 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: Receive Zone 5 boarding on Delta flights for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
- Inflight discount: Receive a 20% statement credit on inflight purchases, including pre-purchased meals, food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets when using the card (excludes inflight Wi-Fi purchases).
- Baggage insurance plan: If your luggage is lost, damaged or stolen when you use the card to pay for travel, you'll receive up to $1,250 for a carry-on and up to $500 for a checked bag.*
- Car rental loss and damage insurance: You're covered if your eligible rental car is damaged or stolen when you use the card to reserve and pay for it and decline company insurance. Note that this is secondary coverage and doesn't include liability.**
- Shopping protections: The card comes with an extended warranty that adds up to one year onto an original manufacturer's warranty of five years or less. Purchase protection covers items that are accidentally damaged or stolen if you paid for them with the card for up to 90 days after the date of purchase.
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types 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 is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Related: How to maximize the statement credits on the Delta Amex cards
Earning miles on the Delta Gold Business Amex
This card earns:
- 2 miles per dollar on eligible purchases made directly with Delta
- 2 miles per dollar on U.S. shipping and advertising (limit $50,000 spent per year; 1 mile per dollar thereafter)
- 2 miles per dollar on dining at restaurants
- 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases
These aren't show-stopping earning rates, but it is nice to see some non-travel earning categories thrown in to help business owners earn on more purchases than just travel with Delta.
Based on TPG's September 2024 valuations, you get an effective return of 2.4% and 1.2%, respectively.
Related: Best business credit cards
Redeeming miles on the 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 hard to maximize SkyMiles, but you can still find value with the program if you can put in the time to do your own searches and be flexible when it comes time to redeem your miles.
Delta frequently has flash sales and other deals on its website, and you can find excellent redemption options for international and domestic itineraries.
For example, we've seen deals for domestic awards from 2,000 SkyMiles one-way and New York to Bogota, Colombia, in Delta One from 12,000 SkyMiles one-way.
You can also use your SkyMiles for seat upgrades. Just know that since Delta doesn't have award charts, 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, unique SkyMiles Experiences, online shopping and more, though those options almost always yield less-than-optimal returns.
TPG senior editorial director Nick Ewen redeems his SkyMiles for domestic trips, taking advantage of the TakeOff 15% benefit. This effectively reduces the number of miles he needs to redeem for Delta flights.
Related: How to redeem Delta SkyMiles for maximum value
Which cards compete with the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex?
While the Delta Business Gold Amex comes with a solid portfolio of perks for its annual fee, you may want a card offering even more Delta perks or flexibility.
- If you want flexible rewards: The American Express® Business Gold Card earns American Express Membership Rewards points that can be transferred to Delta SkyMiles and other loyalty programs. While it doesn't have perks specific to Delta, it earns 4 points per dollar on your two highest spend business categories each billing cycle (on the first $150,000 in combined purchases, then 1 point per dollar), including transit and U.S. restaurant purchases. To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Business Gold Card.
- If you fly Delta regularly: The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card offers additional Delta perks like an annual companion certificate and a faster path to elite status that could be a better fit for regular Delta travelers. To learn more, check out our full review of the Delta Platinum Business Amex.
- If you want Sky Club access: The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card gives you lounge access (limited to 15 visits annually beginning Feb. 1, 2025). But that comes with a higher annual fee of $650 (see rates and fees). To learn more, check out our full review of the Delta Reserve Business Amex.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best travel cards and best American Express cards.
Read more: Who qualifies for a business credit card?
Is the Delta Gold Business Amex worth it?
For the Delta Gold Business Amex to be worth its annual fee, you'll want to maximize perks such as getting your first checked bag free and inflight purchase discounts to surpass $150 in value each year. Even if you only fly the airline a few times a year, that shouldn't be hard to do.
Bottom line
You'll want to choose the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex if your business needs a credit card with basic Delta perks like a free checked bag and priority boarding to help make travel easier, and you don't want to spend a huge amount in annual fees.
However, if you hope to use your card to help you hit elite status, one of the other Delta business credit cards will be a better fit.
Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card
Related: Business cards vs. personal cards: Key differences
For rates and fees of the Delta Gold Business Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Business Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum Business Amex, click here.