Which Delta SkyMiles card is best for you?

If you’re a frequent Delta flyer, it’s time to consider whether one of the Delta credit cards will improve your travel experience. Most top travel credit cards offer rewards when you spend money on flights, hotels and restaurants, and adding one of the best airline credit cards to your wallet can help you save money on checked bags, take advantage of perks like priority boarding, earn elite status with your favorite airline and more.

What is the best Delta SkyMiles credit card? It depends on what you want from your card. Delta offers four travel credit cards and three business credit cards, all of which earn Delta SkyMiles and come with unique benefits and perks.

Which Delta credit card is best?

Card	Rewards rate	Intro bonus	Annual fee
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card	2X miles on restaurants and Delta purchases 1X miles on other purchases	10,000 bonus miles after spending $500 in the first 3 months	$0
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card	2X miles on restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and Delta purchases 1X miles on other purchases	40,000 Bonus Miles after spending $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.	$99 (waived the first year)
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card	3X miles on Delta flights and purchases made directly with hotels 2X miles at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants 1X miles on other purchases	50,000 Bonus Miles  and 5,000 MQMs after spending $2,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.	$250
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card	3X miles on Delta purchases 1X miles on other purchases	50,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.	$550
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card	2X miles on restaurants, Delta purchases, U.S. shipping and U.S. advertising in select media 1X miles on other purchases	50,000 bonus miles and a $50 statement credit after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months.	$99 (waived the first year)
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card	3X miles on Delta and direct hotel purchases 1.5X miles on single purchases over $5,000 (for up to 50,000 additional miles per year) 1X miles on other purchases	60,000 bonus miles, 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles and a $100 statement credit after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.	$250
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card	3X miles on Delta purchases 1X miles on all other purchases 1.5X miles on eligible purchases for the rest of the year after spending $150,000 on non-Delta purchases in one calendar year	60,000 bonus miles, 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles, and a $100 statement credit after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.	$550

Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card: Best Delta credit card with no annual fee

If you want a Delta credit card that lets you earn SkyMiles without paying an annual fee, you want the Delta SkyMiles Blue Amex card. This no-annual-fee credit card offers 2 miles per dollar on restaurants and eligible Delta purchases, 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases and the opportunity to earn 10,000 bonus miles if you make $500 in purchases in the first three months.

The Delta SkyMiles Blue card gives you a 20% discount on Delta in-flight purchases, but otherwise doesn’t offer much in the way of travel perks. If you’re only in the game to earn Delta SkyMiles and don’t need extra benefits, this is a great no-annual-fee choice.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: Best entry-level Delta card

Are you looking for an entry-level travel card that lets you earn Delta SkyMiles while also giving you travel perks like priority boarding and free checked bags? You might consider the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card. In exchange for a $99 annual fee (waived the first year), you’ll get your first checked bag free, priority boarding and a 20% discount on in-flight purchases. Plus, cardholders who spend more than $10,000 in a calendar year will receive a $100 Delta flight credit.

Additionally, you can rack up the SkyMiles with the Delta SkyMiles Gold card by earning 2 miles per dollar on purchases at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and Delta purchases, as well as 1 mile per dollar on all general purchases. You can also earn 40,000 Bonus Miles after spending $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex is an excellent travel card for people who want to improve their Delta travel experience while saving money and earning SkyMiles. If you’re trying to decide between the Blue Delta card and the Gold Delta card, ask yourself whether you’ll be able to use enough of the Gold card’s benefits to cover the cost of its $99 annual fee. Even if you don’t spend enough to earn the $100 Delta flight credit, you can still earn back the cost of the card with free checked bags and in-flight discounts.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Best Delta credit card welcome bonus

If you want to maximize your credit card rewards, you need to pick a credit card with an excellent welcome bonus – and the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card delivers. You’ll earn 50,000 miles  and 5,000 MQMs after spending $2,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.

That’s why we’re recommending the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express card for people who want the most bonus for their buck – and you’ll also get to take advantage of great SkyMile-earning opportunities and travel rewards, including 3 miles per dollar on Delta flights and purchases made directly with hotels, 2 miles per dollar on U.S. supermarket and restaurant purchases and 1 mile per dollar on general purchases. Add in free checked bags, priority boarding, a TSA Precheck/Global Entry application fee credit, Delta Sky Club lounge access for just $39 per person and an annual companion certificate, and you’re looking at even more ongoing benefits.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: Best credit card for Delta status

If you want a Delta credit card that can help you earn Medallion Qualification Miles and gain Delta Medallion status levels, check out the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card. The Delta Reserve Card is a premium travel card that is only available to people with excellent credit – plus, it comes with a $550 annual fee. That said, this luxury credit card offers one of the best ways to earn elite Delta status as quickly as possible.

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex card offers a limited time offer: Earn 50,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 3 months.

Additionally, the Delta Reserve card gives you the opportunity to earn 15,000 MQMs after spending $30,000 in a calendar year, and you can repeat this earning opportunity up to four times per year (offer ends 12/31/21).

If you don’t anticipate putting $30,000 on your Delta Reserve Card in a calendar year, you might be better off with the Delta Platinum Card – especially because you have the potential to earn more SkyMiles per purchase with the Platinum Card than with the Reserve Card. The Reserve card offers 3 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on general purchases, in contrast to the Platinum card’s more generous miles rewards on additional categories.

However, if your goal with the card is to earn elite status with Delta and enjoy elite travel benefits, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card might be right for you.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card: Best Delta points credit card for small business owners

Choosing a travel credit card for your business can be difficult, which is why it’s important to know what you want to get out of your business credit card before you apply.

If you’re looking to earn Delta SkyMiles without committing to a high annual fee, start with the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card. The first year’s annual fee is $0, and then $99 annually after that. You’ll earn 2 miles per dollar on restaurants, Delta purchases, U.S. shipping purchases and select U.S. advertising purchases – making it one of the best credit cards for online advertising with search engines and social media.

With 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases, a limited time welcome bonus that includes both 50,000 bonus miles and a $50 statement credit (awarded to cardholders who spend $2,000 in the first three months), plus the opportunity to take advantage of travel perks like free checked bags and priority boarding, the Delta Gold Business card is one of the best Delta points credit cards for small business owners.

Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to earn a $100 Delta flight credit if you put $10,000 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex in a calendar year – but if you find yourself regularly making big business purchases on your Delta Gold Business card, you might want to consider upgrading to the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business card instead.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card: Best Delta business credit card for big purchases

Small business owners know the importance of investing in their businesses. If you’re currently putting a lot of money into your business and its growth, you need a credit card that rewards those big purchases.

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card might have exactly the rewards you need. This card offers 3 miles per dollar on Delta purchases and direct hotel purchases and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases, as well as 1.5 miles per dollar on all single eligible purchases over $5,000 (for up to 50,000 additional miles per year). This makes the Delta Platinum Business card the best Delta business credit card for big purchases – and that’s before you add in the introductory bonus of a $100 statement credit, 60,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles if you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months.

Plus, you’ll get travel perks like free checked bags, a fee credit for your TSA Precheck/Global Entry application and an annual companion pass – all of which can help you save money as your business continues to grow (and offset the card’s $250 annual fee).

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card: Best Delta credit card for frequent business travelers

If your small business requires a lot of business travel, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card can help make your business trips more comfortable. This premium travel credit card comes with a $550 annual fee, and it gives you relaxing, business-friendly travel benefits that include complimentary Delta Sky Club and Centurion Lounge access.

What about rewards? As you might expect, the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business card offers plenty of opportunities to earn miles. You’ll receive 3 miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases – and if you spend more than $150,000 in a calendar year, that base mile rate bumps up to 1.5 miles per dollar for the rest of the year.

That said, the Delta Reserve Business Card’s SkyMile earning potential is roughly equivalent to the Delta Platinum Business Card, especially if your business regularly makes purchases over $5,000. Don’t apply for the Reserve Business card because you want to maximize your SkyMiles – apply because you want to maximize your business travel perks.

Bottom line

Which Delta credit card is best for you depends on what you want from your card. Whether you want the best credit card for Delta miles, the best credit card for Delta status or the best Delta business card, Delta and American Express have at least one option that might have everything you’re looking for – so take the time you need to evaluate our list of the best Delta credit cards and choose the Delta SkyMiles card that’s best for you.