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If you're a fan of Delta and fly with the airline a few times per year, you may be interested in acquiring one of its co-branded credit cards. After all, Delta's cards offer perks like upgraded boarding and free checked bags, even if you don't have a top-tier card.
However, not all of Delta's cards are created equally. The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offer similar perks in many ways, but one costs more than the other and offers a more elevated experience as a result. Which is best for you? Read on to find out.
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Platinum Delta Amex vs. Delta Gold Card: Welcome Offer
Both of these cards allow you to earn a welcome bonus, though you'll need to meet minimum spending requirements to qualify. Here are their current offerings:
- Platinum Delta Amex: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Delta Gold Card: Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
The Platinum Delta Amex offers a slightly better bonus most of the time, although often with a higher spending requirement.
Winner: Platinum Delta Amex
- Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Receive a Companion Certificate on a Main Cabin round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of the government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $20 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members 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 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Resy Credit: Get up to $10 in statement credits each month after you pay with your enrolled Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: earn up to $10 in statement credits each month after using your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- You can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $70 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that's a potential savings of up to $280 per round-trip flight.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Members with an eligible ticket will be added to the Complimentary Upgrade list, after Delta SkyMiles Medallion Members and Reserve Card Members.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $350 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 3X miles per dollar at hotels
- 2X miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X Miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
Both cards will follow the same application rules, including “once per lifetime” rules, holding a maximum of five Amex credit cards at once, and only opening two Amex accounts within a 90-day period. Then, there are rules specific to Delta co-branded cards, limiting which bonuses you're eligible for by way of which Delta cards you've had in the past.
Related: Can I Receive Welcome Offers From Multiple Delta Amex Cards?
Platinum Delta Amex vs. Delta Gold Card: Annual Fee
Both of these cards got more expensive in February 2024. The Delta Gold Card comes with a $150 annual fee in years two and beyond—you don't pay an annual fee during the first year (Rates & Fees). The Platinum Delta Amex charges $350 per year (Rates & Fees).
Winner: Delta Gold Card
- Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $150.
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card Members 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.
- $200 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel.
- Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- You can check your first bag free on Delta flights, saving up to $70 on a round-trip Delta flight per person. For a family of four that's a potential savings of up to $280 per round-trip flight.
- Receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
- $100 Delta Stays Credit: Get up to $100 back per year as a statement credit after using your Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.
- 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.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 2X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 2X miles per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1X miles on all other eligible purchases
When To Use the Platinum Delta Amex vs. Delta Gold Card
These cards feature very similar bonus categories, though the Platinum Delta Amex gives you better earnings at hotels and on Delta purchases.
- Platinum Delta Amex: Earn 3X on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and at U.S. supermarkets, and earn 1X on all other eligible purchases.
- Delta Gold Card: Earn 2X miles on purchases made directly with Delta, at U.S. supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and 1X mile on all other eligible purchases.
Unless you're a huge spender on both Delta and hotels, you'll get the same earning bonuses with both cards when it comes to restaurants and U.S. supermarkets. That means the Gold wins out, due to its lower annual fee.
Winner: Delta Gold Card
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Delta SkyMiles
Other Platinum Delta Amex Benefits vs. Delta Gold Card
These are co-branded Delta credit cards, so it makes sense that their major benefits are going to be associated with Delta flights. The two do share some benefits, including:
- One free checked bag on flights
- Priority boarding
- 20% back on inflight purchases (as a statement credit)
- 15% award redemption discount on Delta flights
Exclusive Delta Gold Card benefits
The Delta Gold Card has a few exclusive perks that you won't find on the Platinum Delta Amex:
- $200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year.
- Redeem 5,000 miles for $50 off a ticket when you use Pay With Miles.
It's interesting that Delta will allow you to redeem your miles at a rate of 1 cent each toward a paid ticket, which can be helpful if you don't have enough miles to redeem for a full flight. However, it's less value than most users will get; recent AwardWallet redemptions show that the average value of a Delta SkyMile is 1.34¢.
Exclusive Platinum Delta Amex benefits
As a higher-end card, the Platinum Delta Amex comes with correspondingly better benefits:
- Earn 1 Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) for each $20 spent on your card.
- Receive an annual companion certificate each year, valid for roundtrip domestic, Caribbean, or Central American flights in the Main Cabin. Just pay the taxes and fees for the ticket, typically less than $80 for domestic and capped at $250 for international.
- Receive a boost of $2,500 MQDs on February 1 each year
Although you'll only be able to fly in the Main Cabin with your companion, domestic and regional flights can be incredibly expensive. Snagging a free ticket for your friend or relative can easily save you hundreds of dollars per year.
Winner: Platinum Delta Amex
Annual, monthly, or other credits
Both cards come with additional benefits to help reduce the sting of those annual fees.
Delta Gold Card
We already mentioned this above, but you can earn a flight credit when you spend on your card:
- Earn a $200 Delta flight credit toward future travel after spending $10,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.
Platinum Delta Amex
The Platinum Delta Amex has some additional credits that the Gold version doesn't:
- Up to a $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit to cover your application fee. This is available every four years for Global Entry or every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck.
- Up to $120 Resy credit (available as $10 per month)
- Up to $120 rideshare credit (available as $10 per month)
- Up to $150 Delta Stays credit
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Although this benefit can be useful, it's limited, as tons of other travel credit cards also offer a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit. Plus, you'll only be able to take advantage of it every four years at best.
Winner: Delta Gold Card
Travel insurance protections and other benefits
Both the Platinum Delta Amex and Delta Gold Card offer trip protections and other benefits, though their coverage levels vary.
Shared benefits
- Rental car damage and loss protection: This is secondary coverage, which means it'll cover you for damages after your personal insurance or other coverage kicks in, though you can use this policy to reimburse deductible costs on your primary policy. Coverage is up to $50,000.
- Baggage insurance plan: Your luggage is covered against loss or damage up to $500 per checked bag and $1,250 per carry-on bag per person, per trip. This is excess coverage in addition to what your travel carrier provides.
- Extended warranty protection: Receive an additional year of warranty protection on items you've purchased with your card (warranty must be five years or less and issued by a U.S. manufacturer).
- Purchase protection: Coverage against loss, damage, or theft of items bought with your card for 90 days from the date of purchase. Coverage is up to $10,000 per incident and up to $50,000 annually — or up to the amount spent on your card to pay for the item.
Platinum Delta Amex only
- Trip delay insurance: Reimbursement for expenses during a delay of at least 12 hours, though coverage is limited to $300 per trip and two claims per 12-month period.
- Cell phone protection: Reimbursement of up to $800 per claim for a phone that is damaged or stolen if it's listed on a phone bill you pay with your card. A $50 deductible applies, and there's a maximum of two claims in a 12-month period.
Winner: Platinum Delta Amex
Related: Best Credit Cards With Free Travel Insurance
Redeeming Delta SkyMiles
Both cards earn Delta SkyMiles, which can be redeemed in a variety of ways. These include flights, vacation packages, gift cards, seat upgrades, unique experiences, magazine subscriptions, and more.
However, the best way to redeem your SkyMiles will always be flights. Depending on where you're going, you can find some relatively affordable flights in economy when redeeming SkyMiles. For example, here's a flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo (HND) that'll cost you just 35,000 miles in basic economy.
However, that same flight would otherwise cost you $606 in cash.
Redeeming your SkyMiles for this flight gives you a value of 1.7 cents per mile — well above the average value of 1.34¢ cents most users obtain. Keep in mind that this doesn't take into account the 15% discount you'll receive as a Delta cardholder. That would yield an excellent 2¢ per mile on the redemption.
Winner: Tie
Related: The Best Uses of Delta SkyMiles
Which Is Better: Platinum Delta Amex or Delta Gold Card?
The Platinum Delta Amex and Delta Gold Card came out tied in our head-to-head breakdown, and, honestly, that makes sense. These cards share a lot of the same features — especially when it comes to Delta benefits.
If you're not a super frequent Delta flyer but still want a few basic perks like a 15% discount on award bookings and free checked bags, the Delta Gold Card may be a better fit for you. If you can make use of the annual companion certificate and will rely on a card for trip protection benefits or can maximize the statement credits, the Platinum Delta Amex may be the way to go. Either way, you'll enjoy free checked bags, priority boarding, inflight purchase discounts, and a 15% discount on all award flights with either card.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees), and Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Rates & Fees)
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