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3. Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card review: Potential value for everyday spending

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reviews

3.8

Rating: 3.8 out of 5.

Editors’ take: The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card may make sense for travelers who occasionally fly with Delta and want to take advantage of free checked bags and priority boarding. But this card doesn’t have some of the premium perks that other airline credit cards offer.

Great for Delta loyalists

Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.

Here’s the average credit limit of members who matched their Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card or similar cards.

% of members by credit limit range

The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $13,867, with $1,000 being the most common.

Here’s the average credit score of members who matched their Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card or similar cards.

% of members by credit score range

The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 708, with 816 being the most common. Note this is just one of the deciding factors when it comes to getting approved.

This content is curated by Intuit Credit Karma’s Editorial team using data from members who were approved for this card or similar cards, or who self-matched this card or similar cards. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse this content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.

Member stats

Updated daily

28.8%

Average credit utilization (or what percent of the card’s credit limit is being used) of members who matched with this card or similar cards.

45 years

Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.

$110,921

Average annual income of members who matched this card or similar cards. Note: Income may be estimated for some members by Credit Karma and may differ from members’ actual incomes.

Pros and cons

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Annual fee waived the first year

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Bonus miles for Delta purchases and other everyday spending categories

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Solid welcome bonus

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Ongoing annual fee might make sense only if you use it as a primary card

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No companion fare offer

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No complimentary lounge access

Is the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card worth it?

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card could make sense for people who fly at least occasionally with Delta.

If you fly with Delta from time to time, you might be able to offset the annual fee with convenient flight perks like free checked bags and priority boarding. If you use the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card as your primary credit card, you may have even more opportunities to earn flight credits and rewards.

But the card lacks some perks and travel credits you may find from other travel cards with similar annual fees, including lounge access and a credit for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card at a glance

• Welcome bonus: 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases during the first 6 months following account opening
• Estimated welcome bonus value: $856
• Standout benefit: $200 Delta flight credit when you make at least $10,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year
• Standout rewards rate: 2 miles for every $1 you spend on Delta purchases, at U.S. supermarkets and at restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) worldwide
• Foreign transaction fee: None

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card best perks and features

The welcome bonus could help pay for your next flight

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers 80,000 bonus miles when you spend $3,000 on purchases during the first 6 months of card membership.

Credit Karma’s point valuations estimate Delta SkyMiles® are worth approximately 1.07 cents each. That means the welcome bonus could worth about $856 when you redeem for flights. The solid welcome bonus can help you pay for your next trip.

The rewards program is geared toward everyday use

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card encourages you to use it as the main card in your wallet by offering bonus rewards in several everyday spending categories.

With this card, you’ll earn …

• 2 miles for every $1 spent on purchases made directly with Delta
• 2 miles for every $1 spent on purchases at supermarkets in the U.S. 
• 2 miles for every $1 spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, including delivery and takeout in the U.S.
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases

The discount on award flights could help your miles go further

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers 15% off when booking qualifying award travel.

Use your SkyMiles to buy a ticket through delta.com or the Fly Delta app, and you’ll automatically receive the 15% discount on eligible purchases.

The travel credits could make up for the annual fee

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card offers a $200 Delta flight credit when you spend at least $10,000 in eligible purchases during the calendar year.

While this could more than make up for the card’s annual fee, the high spending requirement could make it difficult to reach if you don’t use this card regularly.

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card also comes with a $100 annual credit when you use your card to book a prepaid hotel stay or vacation rental through Delta Stays.

You’ll also receive the following perks:

• First checked bag free — You and along with up to eight companions on your reservation can save by checking your first bag for no additional cost.
• Priority boarding — You and up to eight companions traveling in the same reservation will receive Zone 5 priority boarding on Delta flights.
• Save on in-flight purchases — You’ll get 20% back in the form of a statement credit on eligible in-flight purchases like food and beverages.

What are the drawbacks of Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card?

Annual fee might not be worth the benefits

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card has an annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. But despite being more expensive than some of its competitors, the card lacks some of the perks you can find at this tier.

For example, the card doesn’t provide companion fares or access to airport lounges. And it doesn’t offer a statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. 

How to redeem Delta SkyMiles®

You can only redeem Delta SkyMiles directly through Delta.

The best way to use your Delta SkyMiles is to book flights, where we estimate your miles will be worth 1.07 cents each, based on Credit Karma’s point valuations.

You can redeem your SkyMiles for more than just Delta flights. You can also use them for seat upgrades, vacation packages and to book flights with Delta’s partner airlines, which include Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Aeromexico and WestJet.

Other cards to consider

• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card: Delta loyalists may prefer this card since it offers a companion fare.
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card: This premium Delta card offers lounge access and a head start for flight status. 
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: This card offers simple rewards and good value for everyday spending.

FAQs about the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card