If you’ve been in the points and miles game for a while, you know there’s a special kind of thrill that comes with stacking rewards. Earning miles for spending with a credit card? Great. Earning miles for paying off the bill for that credit card? Even better. It’s the essence of “double dipping” — getting rewarded twice for the same dollar.
But another one of those double-dip opportunities is about to disappear, and this time it’s a particularly long-running one that’s been hiding in plain sight.
The Vanishing Act of a Hidden Gem
For years, the Truist Delta SkyMiles Debit Card (originally from SunTrust) has quietly allowed travelers to earn airline miles on everyday spending — not just groceries and gas, but also automatic bill payments. Power bills, rent, car loans, and even credit card payments can all contribute to earning Delta SkyMiles.
That made it a rare kind of double dip: earning miles on the bill itself, then earning again when paying it. It wasn’t flashy — the earn rate was low, typically 0.5 miles per dollar — but for dedicated SkyMiles collectors, every fraction of a mile counts.
Multiple cardholders have now confirmed that this program is being phased out. Truist has begun notifying users that the Delta SkyMiles Debit Card will continue to earn miles until October 31, 2026, after which it’ll be replaced with standard Truist debit cards that no longer earn miles. The bank will stop issuing new Delta debit cards on November 10, 2025, though replacements will still be available until the final sunset date. (FlyerTalk discussion)
Why Stackers Loved It
When asked why anyone would use a debit card that earned only half a mile per dollar, longtime cardholders gave two answers:
- It was an easy way to earn SkyMiles on payments that typically don’t accept credit cards, such as rent or utilities.
- It allowed for a genuine double dip — earning miles on both the underlying bill and the payment itself.
One Reddit user summed it up perfectly:
“I set up my home expenses — power bill, loan payments, credit card payments, etc. — through automatic bill payment for more miles.”
That ability to earn SkyMiles from making automatic bill payments made this card special — and it’s exactly the kind of creative stacking that points enthusiasts love.
The Slow Death of the Double Dip
As banks and loyalty programs streamline their partnerships, these small but meaningful opportunities continue to disappear. The Truist Delta SkyMiles Debit Card was one of the last of its kind — a mainstream airline debit card that rewarded checking account activity.
We’ve already seen the same thing happen with other niche earning methods: credit card dining bonuses, online shopping portal stacking, and limited-time partnerships that quietly fade away. Each time, the game gets a little harder and a little less flexible.
Final Thought
For travelers who love finding creative ways to earn miles, the end of this card is one more reminder that the best stacking opportunities rarely last forever. If you’ve still got a debit card earning SkyMiles, enjoy it while you can — because another double dip just bit the dust.
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