As a factors and miles fanatic, I’ve over 10 playing cards from 4 issuers. Many of those playing cards have annual charges, and yearly, a couple of days earlier than that annual charge posts to my account, I’ve to determine if that card is value it or if I ought to downgrade it.
Even when the cardboard prices a low annual charge, you continue to must get extra worth from its advantages than the price of the annual charge. This may be an particularly powerful choice for these with cobranded airline playing cards.
This begs the query: Is the entry-level Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Specific Card with its $150 annual charge — $0 introductory annual charge the primary yr (see charges and costs) — value it? Let’s soar into it.
Welcome supply
For a restricted time, the Delta SkyMiles Gold card is providing new cardmembers the possibility to earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases throughout the first six months of card membership.
TPG’s February 2025 valuations peg Delta SkyMiles at 1.2 cents apiece, making this supply value $960.
Be aware that you could be not be eligible for this welcome supply when you have or beforehand had a special Delta SkyMiles Amex card. Thankfully, American Specific will let you understand forward of performing a tough pull in your credit score if you happen to aren’t eligible to obtain a welcome supply for this card.
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Incomes charges
With the Delta Gold Amex, cardmembers are restricted to incomes Delta SkyMiles. This card earns 2 miles per greenback spent on all Delta purchases and eating at eating places and on groceries at U.S. supermarkets. It earns 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases.
Primarily based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations, this can be a 2.4% and 1.2% return on spending, respectively.
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There are different playing cards with increased returns on spending, even throughout the Delta Amex portfolio, however if you happen to’re in search of a card within the SkyMiles household with a low annual charge, this can be a affordable possibility.
Flight credit score
With this card, you may obtain a $200 Delta flight credit score after spending $10,000 or extra on qualifying purchases in a calendar yr. This spending requirement is steep — particularly contemplating it will solely earn you $120-$240 in worth in SkyMiles on prime of the flight credit score, relying on which class by which you are spending.
When you spend massive quantities with Delta, this may be an added perk, however there are higher playing cards that earn extra. One instance is the American Specific® Gold Card, which earns 3 Membership Rewards factors per greenback spent on flights booked immediately with the airline or by means of amextravel.com.
Since Delta is a switch accomplice of Amex, you may then take these (extra useful) Membership Rewards factors and switch them to Delta.
Realistically, most cardmembers will not spend that a lot on their Delta Gold Amex every calendar yr, so I do not advocate contemplating this profit when calculating the worth you may get out of this card.
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Award flight low cost
Delta Gold cardmembers obtain 15% off the price of all award flights operated by Delta (however not accomplice airways). This is called the TakeOff 15 profit and is my favourite perk of this card.
The great factor about this 15% off an award flight is that it’s legitimate on all cabins. I’ve used this card perk many instances to take 15% off last-minute transcontinental flights and flights to Central America.
Associated: How you can use and maximize Delta’s TakeOff 15 characteristic to avoid wasting on Delta award tickets
Delta journey perks
Free checked bag
With the Delta Gold card, the cardmember and as much as eight individuals of their get together on the identical reservation get their first checked bag free. This advantage of the cardboard nets me nice worth as I’m a persistent overpacker.
On condition that it often prices as much as $35 every method to verify a bag, this profit simply covers the annual charge when you have a number of individuals on the identical reservation otherwise you fly with Delta a number of instances annually.
Associated: I at all times verify a bag — and I am proud to confess it
Precedence boarding
The Delta Gold card comes with precedence boarding, which is a good way to make sure there’s sufficient overhead bin house to your carry-on bag.
20% inflight low cost
Cardmembers additionally obtain 20% again as an announcement credit score on prepurchased meals and inflight purchases of meals and drinks (excluding Wi-Fi purchases).
Delta Stays assertion credit score
Delta Gold cardmembers obtain an annual up-to-$100 assertion credit score every calendar yr for Delta Stays reservations. That is an internet journey company powered by Expedia that you should use to e-book lodges and trip leases. That is basically a free evening if yow will discover a room below $100.
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Backside line
The Delta Gold card is an entry-level bank card within the SkyMiles Amex household that cardmembers can obtain outsize worth from in the event that they make the most of the free checked bag perk, the inflight reductions and the Delta Stays credit score. Plus, the perk of 15% off award flights is a stable profit and might make devalued SkyMiles go barely additional.
Nevertheless, if you happen to do not fly Delta at the very least twice a yr or verify luggage while you fly with this airline, it’s tough to justify the $150 annual charge. As an alternative, you may need to think about the no-annual-fee Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Specific Card (see charges and costs) as an alternative.
To study extra, learn our full evaluate of the Delta Gold Amex card.
Apply right here: Delta SkyMiles Gold
Associated: How to decide on an airline bank card
For charges and costs of the Delta Gold Amex, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Amex Gold Card, click on right here.
For charges and costs of the Delta Blue Amex click on right here.
