Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card review: Low annual fee but limited perks

Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card overview

For business owners looking to dip their toes into the Delta cobranded card lineup, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is a solid starting point. With perks like priority boarding, a free checked bag and inflight discounts, it’s built to make Delta travel smoother and more rewarding. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Business owners loyal to Delta Air Lines have no shortage of cobranded cards to choose from, whether you’re a casual traveler or in the air every week.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card is the starter product in the Delta business card lineup. This card is built for those who want to earn SkyMiles and take advantage of perks when flying Delta, but who might not travel with the airline enough to justify a more premium card.

This card has a $150 annual fee ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year) (see rates and fees).

To increase applicants’ chances of approval, we recommend that they have a credit score of at least 670.

Let’s look at how this card stacks up against its Delta counterparts and other non-Delta alternatives.

Delta Gold Business Amex pros and cons

Delta Gold Business Amex welcome offer

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex offers new cardmembers the chance to earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. This offer ends Oct. 29.

This offer is worth $1,035 based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations. This matches the highest bonus we typically see on this card, which was last offered in July.

American Express limits who can apply for the card, and you’re generally ineligible for the welcome bonus if you’ve previously held this card because of their once-per-lifetime restriction. American Express may also look at other factors when determining welcome offer eligibility, but they will inform you whether you’re able to receive a card’s welcome offer before performing a hard pull on your credit score.

Delta Gold Business Amex benefits

While the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business card doesn’t have the same premium perks as it’s more expensive Delta business card counterparts, it comes with several benefits when flying on Delta (terms apply):

• Award flight discount: 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights, known as TakeOff 15 (not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees)
• Delta Stays credit: Up to $150 annual statement credit per calendar year on eligible prepaid bookings with Delta Stays, Delta’s hotel portal
• First checked bag free: You and up to eight companions on the same reservation (so nine travelers total) get your first checked bag free when flying on Delta-marketed and -operated flights. Up to $70 a bag round-trip, that can add up quickly if you travel regularly.
• Priority boarding: Receive Zone 5 boarding on Delta flights for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
• Inflight discount: Receive a 20% statement credit on inflight purchases, including pre-purchased meals, food and beverages, when paying with your card.
• Delta flight credit: A $200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 on purchases in a calendar year

Other benefits include:

• Baggage insurance plan: If your luggage is lost, damaged or stolen when you use the card to pay for travel, you’ll receive up to $1,250 for a carry-on and up to $500 for a checked bag.*
• Car rental loss and damage insurance: You’re covered if your eligible rental car is damaged or stolen when you use the card to reserve and pay for it and decline company insurance. (Note that this is secondary coverage and doesn’t include liability.)**
• Shopping protections: The card comes with an extended warranty that adds up to one year onto an original manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less and purchase protection that covers items that are accidentally damaged or stolen if you paid for them with the card for up to 90 days after the date of purchase.*

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

**Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Related: How to maximize the statement credits on the Delta Amex cards

Earning miles on the Delta Gold Business Amex

This card earns:

• 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta (2.3% return based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations)
• 2 miles per dollar spent on U.S. shipping and advertising in select media (2.3%; up to $50,000 spent per calendar year, then 1 mile per dollar)
• 2 miles per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide (2.3%)
• 1 mile per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases (1.2%)

These aren’t show-stopping earning rates, but it is nice to see some non-travel earning categories thrown in to help business owners earn miles on more than just Delta purchases. That said, we generally recommend putting non-Delta purchases on another card that earns transferable rewards.

Related: Best business credit cards

Redeeming miles on the Delta Gold Business Amex

Award flights on Delta or its SkyTeam alliance partners are your best redemption options. Delta’s dynamic award pricing often makes it hard to maximize SkyMiles, but you can still find value with the program if you can put in the time to do your own searches and be flexible when it comes time to redeem your miles.

Delta frequently offers flash sales and other deals on its website and offers excellent redemption options for international and domestic itineraries.

You can also use your SkyMiles for seat upgrades. Just know that since Delta doesn’t have award charts, you won’t know how many miles those premium seats will cost until you’re ready to book.

SkyMiles upgrades are also valid on certain flights operated by Aeromexico, Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic when using Mileage Upgrade Awards once your flight is booked. These three airlines are close partners with Delta.

You can also redeem your SkyMiles for gift cards, magazines, unique SkyMiles Experiences, online shopping and more, though those options almost always yield less-than-optimal returns.

TPG senior editorial director Nick Ewen redeems his SkyMiles for domestic trips, taking advantage of the 15% TakeOff discount. This effectively reduces the number of miles he needs to redeem for Delta flights.

Related: How to redeem Delta SkyMiles for maximum value

Which cards compete with the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex?

While the Delta Business Gold Amex comes with a solid portfolio of perks for its annual fee, you may want a card offering even more Delta perks or flexibility.

• If you want flexible rewards: The American Express® Business Gold Card earns American Express Membership Rewards points that can be transferred to Delta SkyMiles and other loyalty programs. While it doesn’t have perks specific to Delta, it earns 4 points per dollar spent on your two highest-spend business categories each billing cycle (on the first $150,000 in combined purchases in a calendar year, then 1 point per dollar). To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Business Gold Card.
• If you fly Delta regularly: The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card offers additional Delta perks like an annual companion certificate and a faster path to elite status that could be a better fit for regular Delta travelers. (Terms apply.) To learn more, read our full review of the Delta Platinum Business Amex.
• If you want Sky Club access: The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card gives you lounge access (limited to 15 visits annually unless you meet specific spending requirements; additional terms may apply) and comes with a higher annual fee of $650 (see rates and fees). To learn more, read our full review of the Delta Reserve Business Amex.

For additional options, check out our full list of the best travel cards and best American Express cards.

Read more: Who qualifies for a business credit card?

Is the Delta Gold Business Amex worth it?

For the Delta Gold Business Amex to be worth its annual fee, you’ll want to maximize perks such as getting your first checked bag free and inflight purchase discounts to surpass $150 in value each year. Even if you only fly the airline a few times a year, that shouldn’t be hard to do.

Bottom line

You’ll want to choose the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex if your business needs a credit card with basic Delta perks like a free checked bag and priority boarding to help make travel easier, and you don’t want to spend a huge amount in annual fees.

However, if you hope to use your card to help you hit elite status, one of the other Delta business credit cards will be a better fit.

Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card

For rates and fees of the Delta Gold Business Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Business Amex, click here.