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Our take: TheDelta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card can help you and your small business save on checked bag fees while earning SkyMiles towards future travel. While it offers no premium perks, the business card comes with Delta benefits such as a free checked bag and credits toward Delta Stays.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
Intro Bonus
Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership
| Annual fee | $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 |
| Regular APR | 20.24% – 29.24% Variable |
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, see this page.
Pros
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- First checked bag free on Delta for cardholder and up to eight companions on same reservation
- 15% Discount on Award Tickets on Delta Flights
Cons
- No perks when flying airlines other than Delta
- Has an annual fee after the first year
- Some of the potential credits can be hard to use
Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card overview
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is an entry-level card targeted to those Delta flyers who want to enjoy some basic perks even if they do not fly with the airline enough to earn status. With the card, you’ll be able to enjoy a first checked bag free for themselves and up to eight fellow passengers in the same reservation, helping you save potentially a minimum of up to $70 per round trip per person.
Priority boarding, a perk that’s usually reserved to loyal flyers, is also extended to cardholders of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card. By boarding along with anyone else in the Zone 5 priority boarding group, you will have additional time to find your seat and get comfortable while there’s still space left on the overhead bins.
The card comes with up to $350 in statement credits, more than making up for the $150 annual fee. You will receive a $200 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 within a calendar year. You can use this credit to offset future Delta flight purchases. Additionally, you can offset the cost an an annual statement credit of up to $150 after using your Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays.
Who is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card good for?
This card is a great entry level card for those small business owners who find themselves flying rather infrequently, but are mostly limited in their choice of airline by virtue of living in one of Delta’s hubs. They will see value in the way of savings from checked baggage waivers, credits towards future flights, discounts on in-flight purchases and additional consumer protections.
Who shouldn’t get the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card?
While this card does grant you some perks, credits and discounts, it is an entry level card that avid flyers will find rather lacking. The card includes no access to airport lounges, so if you see yourself spending a lot of time at the airport on business trips and would like a secluded place, this card won’t help you with that. If you consider yourself to be airline agnostic, you may be better served by other more flexible point earning credit cards like the Capital One Spark Miles or Chase Ink Preferred.
Finally, if you don’t have eligible business expenses, a consumer card from our list of best credit cards for flying Delta will be a better fit.
Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card: Rewards
With the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, you will be earning with every purchase, and you can also receive a new cardmember welcome bonus to get you jump started on your award travels.
- 2X miles on purchases made directly with Delta
- 2X miles on U.S. purchases for advertising in select media
- 2X miles on U.S. shipping purchases
- 2X miles on dining at restaurants
- 1X mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases
New cardholders can receive a welcome bonus of 60,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership.
How to redeem Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card miles
Delta SkyMiles can be redeemed in a variety of ways, but even when you have lots of options, the most rewarding redemptions tend to be for award flights.
Award flights on Delta are priced dynamically depending on many factors including cash price of tickets, demand for that route and seasonality, and while this translates into generally more availability for mileage redemptions, it also meant those redemptions are costlier.
Because Delta is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, you are able to use your Delta SkyMiles to redeem award flights on many of its partners to fly around the world, and as long as one of Delta’s partners flies there, you are able to use your miles to get you there.
Delta SkyMiles can also be redeemed towards upgrading your seats on flights you’ve booked previously, baggage fees, confirming a same-day change, as well as a Delta SkyClub membership, among many other uses.
Rates and fees
- Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Purchase APR: 20.24% – 29.24% Variable
To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, see this page.
Additional benefits
- Free first checked bag. Cardholders (and up to nine of their guests) can get the first checked bag for free. The standard bag fee is $35, so if you use this perk more than three times, you’ll save more in bag fees than the annual fee costs you.
- Zone 5 Priority boarding. Cardholders (and up to eight guests on the reservation) can get priority boarding if they use their SkyMiles number when booking their Delta flights.
- Flight credit. If cardholders make eligible purchases totaling $10,000 or more in a year, they will receive a $200 Delta Credit that can be used to purchase Delta flights.
- Delta Stays credit: Get an annual statement credit of up to $150 after using your Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.
- 20% back on in-flight purchases. Cardholders can get 20% back as a statement credit when they purchase eligible pre-purchased meals, in-flight food purchases, alcoholic beverages, and audio headsets on Delta flights.
- Baggage insurance. Cardholders who purchase plane, train, ship or bus ride tickets with their card are eligible for baggage insurance coverage—which kicks in if your baggage is stolen, lost, or damaged.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance. A cardholder can get damage and theft insurance on their car rental. Cardholders must use their card to book the rental and decline the collision damage waiver at the agency to receive it.
Credit cards similar to Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card
Cardholders who aren’t loyal to Delta and want more flexible options for redeeming their rewards should consider the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, which has a similar annual fee but a more generous welcome bonus and rewards structure. Of if you see yourself flying Delta more often, consider the Platinum version of this card.
| Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card |  Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business Card |
 Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Welcome bonus | Welcome bonus |
| 60,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership | 70,000 Bonus Miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of card membership | 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. |
| Rewards | Rewards | Rewards |
| 2X miles on purchases made directly with Delta, 2X miles on U.S. purchases for advertising in select media, 2X miles on U.S. shipping purchases, 2X miles on dining at restaurants, 1X mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases. | 3 miles per $1 spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and hotels, 1.5 miles per $1 on single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 50,000 additional miles per calendar year), 1 mile for each dollar of eligible purchases on other spending. | 3x points per $1 (up to $150,000 combined) spent on shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone, and advertising with social media sites and search engines, 1x point per $1 spent on all other purchases. |
| Annual fee | Annual fee | Annual fee |
| $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 | $350 | $95 |
| Our Take | Our Take | Our Take |
| If you want to earn Skymiles and duck checked bag fees, the Delta Gold Business will serve you well. The TakeOff15 benefit that gives you a discount on Delta award miles will help you spend those miles more effeciently. | The main benefit of the Delta Skymiles Platinum business is a round-trip companion certificate award each card anniversary. Between that and the free checked bag business owners who frequently travel on Delta Air Lines can easily recoup the cost of carrying this card. | The Ink Preferred is a strong business travel card due to its large welcome bonus and enhanced earnings on travel and typical business expenses.When it comes time to redeem, choose between an elevated 1.25 cents per dollar with Chase Travel or an attractive set of transfer partners. |
| View offer at Bankrate |
View offer at Bankrate |
Learn more at Cardratings.com |
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business Card is one step above the Gold version and offers much of the same benefits, like your first checked bag fee waived, priority boarding, 15% discount on your award redemptions as well as a 20% discount on in-flight purchases. It gets even better from there on, by adding in a companion certificate good for a first class, comfort+ or main cabin round trip flight to select destinations each year upon renewal of your card. This can potentially save you hundreds of dollars on flights with Delta. The card also comes with a credit towards your membership in the Global Entry or TSA Precheck program.
To view rates and fees for the Delta Skymiles Platinum Business Card click here.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card vs. Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card
The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has an annual fee of $95 and a large welcome bonus of 90k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.
With the Ink Business Preferred Card, customers receive 3x points per $1 (up to $150,000 combined) spent on shipping purchases, internet, cable, phone, and advertising with social media sites and search engines. Chase Ultimate Rewards® points can be transferred 1:1 to Virgin Atlantic or Flying Blue to book flights on Delta.
Is the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card right for you?
If you don’t currently hold status with Delta but fly with the airline every now and then, you should consider whether the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card could help you save some money on checked bags, in-flight purchases and any Delta stays you can book in the future. If that’s the case, you might be able to offset the annual fee on the card and earn some rewards in the process. If conversely, you do not see value in the benefits described above, or don’t live anywhere Delta serves, you may not want to reserve a slot in your wallet for this card.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express card worth it?
The $150 annual fee on the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express card may be worth it for business owners who frequently travel with Delta. The card offers perks like a free checked bag that could easily cover the annual fee.
How do I use the TakeOff15 discount code?
All you have to do to take advantage of the TakeOff15 discount on award travel is go to Delta.com or the Delta app and log in, choose ‘Shop with Miles’ when you start your search for flights. The SkyMiles pricing will display with the discount already applied, helping you save 15% on your Delta operated flight redemptions.
Is Delta SkyMiles Gold Card hard to get?
Cardholders should aim for a ‘good’ FICO credit score of 690 or better to qualify for the Delta SkyMiles Gold Card, though card issuers look at other factors like income, too.
Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
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