Delta’s credit cards are offered through American Express, with interest rates varying between 17.49 and 26.49 percent based on creditworthiness. A high credit score will certainly increase your chances of being approved, but some customers with credit scores below 700 report being approved
Interested in Delta’s business credit cards? In this post, we’ll review the benefits of the SkyMiles cards, the differences between them, and some potential drawbacks.
Delta SkyMiles
SkyMiles credit cards are designed with travelers in mind, so most of the features center around traveling. Unsurprisingly, the Platinum and Reserve cards offer more benefits than the Gold. Every SkyMiles card, however, offers many of the same great benefits, so let’s start by looking at those perks:
- One mile per every dollar spent
- Two miles per every mile spent on Delta
- First checked bag is free
- Priority boarding
- 20 percent in-flight savings
- No foreign transaction fees
- Easily add employee cards
The free checked bag is especially noteworthy because it could save you as much as $200 per round trip flight. In addition, Gold and Platinum SkyMiles cards offer discounted access to the Delta Sky Club. The Reserve for Business credit card offers complimentary access.
Platinum and Reserve Benefits
The Platinum and Business Reserve credit cards offer additional benefits. To access these benefits, you’ll need to pay higher fees. For many travelers, however, these fees are a small price to pay given the perks provided.
First, the Platinum and Reserve for Business credit cards offer companion certificates. You’ll be able to invite a companion to fly for free on eligible domestic round trips once per year. For the Platinum card, the companion certificate is valid for the main cabin, and for the Reserve card, the certificate is eligible for business and first class.
Another great benefit for Platinum and Reserve credits is Delta’s Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQM) program. As you acquire MQMs, you qualify for certain extra benefits, such as waived baggage fees and complimentary upgrades. You can learn more about the MQM program here.
The Platinum and Reserve credit cards also feature built-in miles boosts. For the Platinum card, if you make $25,000 in eligible purchases you’ll receive an extra 10,000 miles and 10,000 MQMs. For the Reserve card, if you make $30,000 in eligible purchases you’ll receive 15,000 miles and 15,000 MQMs.
While the Platinum card offers many of the benefits as the Business Reserve card, there are a few exclusive features.
Additional Business Reserve Card Benefits
- Upgrade priority
- Sky Priority access
- Concierge services
- MQM gifting
Drawbacks of Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards
Unfortunately, there are also some drawbacks to Delta’s SkyMiles cards. For one, some businesses don’t accept American Express credit cards. Further, American Express cards frequently have high annual fees. That’s certainly true for the Delta SkyMiles credit cards.
Annual Fees
- Gold- $95 per year
- Platinum- $195 per year
- Reserve- $450 per year
The first annual fee is waived for Gold cards, but not for Platinum or Reserve cards. These fees are quite high compared to other frequent traveler cards.
Meanwhile, the penalty APR is 29.99 percent, while the cash advance APR is 27.24 percent. These fees are also rather high, so keep them in mind.
Signup Bonuses and Processes
To apply for a Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card simply visit American Express’ signup page and fill in your basic details. You can find out if you qualify in just one minute!
If approved, you’ll receive a 0 percent introductory APR for the first six months and if you spend $3,000 in purchases and make a $50 credit statement within the first 3 months, you’ll receive 30,000 bonus miles.
Conclusion: A Good Card with High Annual Costs
Overall, Delta SkyMiles credit cards provide significant benefits and reasonable interest rates. However, these perks come with high annual fees. If you’re going to taking advantage of the free checked bags and other benefits, the card can quickly pay for itself. On the other hand, if you’re not a frequent traveler, it may be difficult to justify the high annual fees and other costs.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
