Delta offers several co-branded credit cards through its partnership with American Express, but not every Delta flyer needs a premium card with a big annual fee.
If you’re not chasing top-tier status and you’re not living in the Sky Club, the “sweet spot” is the mid-level card that fixes the annoying parts of travel, like free checked bags, earlier boarding, and small credits that add up over a couple of trips. That’s where the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business Card fits in.
And after the latest round of updates, the card has become a little more useful for occasional Delta flyers than it used to be.
So what benefits does this card provide upon signing up, and does keeping it long-term make sense?
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
Annual Fee
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 per year.
Sign-Up Benefits
Currently, you can earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. This offer expires July 15, 2026.
If you decide to sign up for any Delta credit cards (or any AMEX card, for that matter), we’d appreciate it if you used our link. If you’re approved and get a Card, you can earn rewards — and we may also receive a referral bonus, which helps us keep Your Mileage May Vary HQ going strong.
This card is subject to AMEX’s one sign-up bonus per lifetime rule. To read more about that, check out this article from Doctor of Credit. AMEX has also added this stipulation to its cards:
You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or previous versions of this Card. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors. If you are not eligible for a welcome offer, we will notify you prior to processing your application so you have the option to withdraw your application.
I’d suggest keeping any American Express card for at least 2 years (or longer if you think the benefits outweigh the annual fee). There’s too much risk with American Express increasingly cracking down on those they feel are abusing the system, canceling cards shortly after the signup bonus is awarded.
To that end, AMEX has added this wording to the Offer Terms:
If we determine that you have engaged in abuse, misuse, or gaming in connection with this offer in any way or that you intend to do so, including if you return purchases you made to meet the Threshold Amount, we may not credit, we may freeze, or we may take away the bonus miles from your Card Account. We may also cancel any Card Accounts you have with us.
Fortunately, AMEX has not (so far) applied the “Little Brother” rule to Delta business cards, so you’re generally free to apply for this even if you have the Delta SkyMiles Platinum or Reserve Business cards.
Spending Bonus Categories
The Gold Delta SkyMiles Business card earns 2X miles on the following purchases:
- Eligible purchases made directly with Delta
- Eligible U.S. purchases for advertising in select media (up to $50,000 per calendar year)
- Eligible U.S. shipping purchases (up to $50,000 per calendar year)
- Dining at restaurants worldwide
The card earns 1X mile per dollar for all other eligible spending.
$200 Delta Flight Credit
If you spend $10,000 on the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card in a calendar year, you’ll receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future Delta travel.
$150 Delta Stays Credit
You can receive an annual statement credit of up to $150 when you book an eligible prepaid hotel or vacation rental through Delta Stays. The direct link is here: carsandstays.delta.com/Hotels.
$120 Rideshare Credit
Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Card Members can receive up to $120 per year in statement credits for eligible U.S. rideshare purchases after their first Card renewal. The benefit works up to $10 per month in statement credits with select providers after enrollment.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
As you would hope from a card you can use on Delta flights worldwide, the Gold Delta SkyMiles Business card does not charge any foreign transaction fees.
Priority Boarding
The Basic Card Member and up to eight additional passengers on the same reservation will be invited to board Delta-operated flights before general boarding. This boarding is with Zone 5.
This advanced boarding sounds great, but in reality, plenty of groups still board before Zone 5 — including Delta One/First, Premium Select, Delta Comfort+, and higher-tier Medallion members. Still, if you’re in Main Cabin on a busy flight, getting on earlier can mean less stress and (hopefully) better overhead bin space.
And if you book a basic economy ticket on Delta, having a Delta co-branded card can help keep you from being stuck at the very end of the boarding parade.
First And Second Checked Bags Free
Delta provides a free first checked bag for the Basic Card Member and up to eight others traveling on the same reservation (nine total passengers).
The newer benefit is that the Basic Card Member also gets a second checked bag free on domestic Delta flights. That’s an important distinction: the first-bag benefit extends to eligible companions on the reservation, but the second checked bag benefit is for the cardholder.
Now that your first checked bag on Delta can cost $45 each way, the checked-bag benefit alone can almost cover the annual fee for a single round trip for two people who both check a bag. And if you’re the person most likely to check a second bag, the added domestic second-bag benefit makes the card more useful than it used to be.
TakeOff 15
This quickly became one of my favorite perks of having a Delta co-brand AMEX card. Delta SkyMiles Gold, Gold Business, Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve, and Reserve Business American Express Card Members save 15% on the mileage portion of Award Travel booked on Delta-operated flights.
There are no blackout dates, but the discount is not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
20% In-Flight Savings
You’ll receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible pre-purchased meals and in-flight purchases of food and beverages (including alcoholic beverages) on Delta-operated flights.
Pay With Miles
This little-known benefit allows you to pay for part (or all) of your ticket with your SkyMiles. In essence, it lets you redeem miles at 1 cent per mile toward Delta cash tickets.
You redeem miles in increments of 5,000 miles for $50 off (10,000 miles for $100, etc.). While it’s not the best possible value for your miles, it can be handy if you find a cheap cash ticket and want to keep money in your pocket. To learn more about this benefit, visit the Delta website.
Final Thoughts
The Gold Delta SkyMiles Business card offers many of the perks we like from a co-branded card, such as priority boarding, free checked bags, TakeOff 15, and a few statement credits that can help offset the annual fee. It can be a very practical “keep it in the drawer” card if you fly Delta a few times a year.
That said, it’s not a great card to put a lot of everyday spending on. If you’re redeeming SkyMiles at around 1 cent each, it may be better to earn 2% cash back with a different card and use that money to pay for your flights.
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