Delta Amex Welcome Offer Rankings
Delta SkyMiles recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of its popular partnership with American Express. Below, we've ranked the Delta Amex welcome offers in terms of value. Remember that the personal cards are only good for people over (and not trying to get back under) Chase 5/24. The business cards are good for anyone since they won't add to your 5/24 count. Also it is important to remember the Delta Amex family rule for personal cards: Start from the bottom (which is also the most valuable) and work your way up. The business cards do not have the family rule, so you can go in any order at this time. Here are our Delta Amex welcome offer rankings.
Our Ranking Process
We've ranked the cards from worst to best in terms of value. We value Delta Skymiles at 1.15 cents per point. If the values are close for two cards, we've taken any perks or earning structures into account, as well. The business cards will get a little extra value added to them since they are useful to more people because of the Chase 5/24 rule. The Delta cards have quite a few “perks,” or coupons as we sometimes like to call them, to also consider. You can decide what value you find in each of those perks yourself; we haven't accounted for them in our rankings.
RELATED: Application Rules For Each Bank Explained
Full Reviews + How You Can Support ToP
If you would like to see the full review on any of the cards, we've linked to them on the card names for each below. If you would like to apply for one, and would like to support ToP, then you can use the affiliate links in the full credit card reviews. Remember that if you have a player 2 referral, that is the better option for you. If not, we always greatly appreciate the support.
Delta Card Rankings
Here are the rankings, from 6th all the way up to 1st:
6th – Delta SkyMilesยฎ Reserve Business American Express Card
Let's look at the most expensive business card. Normally, we'd give the Reserve Business a slight edge on the personal version because it doesn't count towards your 5/24 status, but the welcome offer is lower right now. The spending requirement could be out of reach for some, too. The good thing is they give you 6 months to complete it at least.
- Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $12,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership.
- The card has an annual fee of $650.
- Final value: $270
This is nothing more than a perks card for frequent Delta flyers and will not be useful to most. It is worth even less if you already have lounge access thanks to the Amex Platinum or Amex Business Platinum cards.
5th – Delta SkyMilesยฎ Platinum Business American Express Card
Next is the business version of the Delta Platinum card. The spending required is higher than the personal version this time around. Having it not count 5/24 is a nice plus, but the earning structure is a bit worse.
- Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership.
- The card has an annual fee of $350.
- Final value: $455
If you can easily use the companion certificate that comes with the card, then this could be a decent longterm keeper option.
4th – Delta SkyMilesยฎ Reserve American Express Card
Next we have the most expensive personal card. This is of course putting the value of the lounge access, and a bump in the upgrades pecking order, at zero value. Here are the terms for the current welcome offer:
- As High As 100,000 Bonus Miles. Find Out Your Offer: You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- The Delta Reserve card has a $650 annual fee which is NOT waived.
- Final value: $500
This is a perks card through and through, just like the business version. It is also a card best suited for the frequent Delta flyer who doesn't have an Amex Platinum or Business Platinum for lounge access. Remember that this one impacts your 5/24 status, and it will destroy you via Amex family rules if you're not careful.
3rd – Delta SkyMilesยฎ Platinum American Express Card
While the Platinum personal card has some decent 2x earning opportunities, you can do better in those categories with other cards in your wallet. While it is the least valuable card in the first year, it could be a decent longterm option for frequent Delta flyers because of the companion certificate it offers each year. If you don't struggle to use it, it will likely offset your costs.
- As High As 90,000 Bonus Miles. Find Out Your Offer: You may be eligible for as high as 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.ย
- The card has a $350 annual fee which is NOT waived.
- Final value: $685
Remember the family rules for this card and that it will count against your 5/24 count.
2nd – Delta SkyMilesยฎ Gold Business American Express Card
Do you want a good-sized welcome offer, no annual fee the first year, free checked bags and 15% cheaper award flights? Well, look no further. Though the the Delta Gold Business card's welcome offer is currently lower than the personal card, it probably still brings the most value in the first year for the majority of people since it is a business card.
- Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership.
- The card has an annual fee of $150, which IS waived for the first year.
- Final value: $690
If you have never held a Delta credit card, then start here.
1st – Delta SkyMilesยฎ Gold American Express Card
Just sliding into first place is the Gold personal card, thanks to its current welcome offer. The annual fee is still waived the first year, which helps out a lot in these calculations even if the miles offered are a bit lower than the premium cards. You also get the checked bags perk and 15% off award flights without that annual fee the first year. This is a card for when you're over 5/24, though.
- As High As 80,000 Bonus Miles. Find Out Your Offer: You may be eligible for as high as 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- This card has a $150 annual fee, which IS waived for the first year.
- Final value: $920
If you are over 5/24 and looking for a personal Delta card, this is where to start. It is the best way to stay on ToP of the Amex family rules.
Delta Amex Welcome Offer Rankings: ToP Thoughts
As with all things, these rankings may shake out a bit differently for you depending on your personal situation. It will also depend what level of spend you can handle. Compared with the last time these offers were elevated, the personal cards introduced two-tiered bonuses. With these cards providing 6 months to complete the required spend, it should be possible for most people. You will have to figure out if the perks that some of the cards offer change your own calculations beyond the welcome offers, though. We cover those in our full reviews. If you have any questions on the Delta Amex welcome offer rankings, tell us in the comments over on the ToP Facebook Group.
