Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card review: A cost-effective card for Delta loyalists

If you’re considering upgrading to a premium card, the American Express Business Gold Card can deliver more valuable and flexible rewards and better luxury travel perks. However, with an annual fee of $375, those who prefer affordability over luxury may want to stick with the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business.

Unlike the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business card where you can only redeem with Delta or its SkyTeam partners, the added versatility of the Amex Business Gold is that you can use your points with any of Amex’s transfer partners, including Delta. You’ll earn 4X points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month (up to $150,000 in combined purchases each year, then 1X) — tracked automatically. There are six eligible bonus categories, which can add flexibility to your rewards strategy and provide significantly more value, making it easier to offset the card’s higher annual fee.

Business owners who don’t spend much outside Delta Airlines flights when booking airfare will find better value with the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business. However, the Amex Business Gold is better if you want more flexibility and higher rewards-earning rates.

The Ink Business Preferred Credit Card also earns better rates on travel than the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business card. You’ll earn 3X points on general travel and other eligible purchases (up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year), which you can redeem for an extra 25 percent value with Chase’s travel portal. Chase’s Ultimate Rewards program is one of the most valuable rewards programs, offering a different set of transfer partners.

The annual fee on the card is $95, cheaper than the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business. However, since your first year's annual fee is waived, you might enjoy better first-year value with the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business also has an easier-to-earn welcome offer. Consider welcome offer spending requirements as one of the benchmarks to help decide which card is right for you. If your business expenses aren’t high enough for the Ink Business Preferred’s welcome offer, it might not be the right card. However, you’ll also want to consider the card’s long-term benefits like rewards rates, bonus categories and rewards value.

If you travel frequently with Delta and its partners, the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business may be a better choice since the Ink Preferred does not offer a way to earn Delta SkyMiles. But if you want flexibility, more perks and can meet the high spend for the signup bonus, the Ink Preferred may be ideal.

Since the card earns Delta SkyMiles, business owners loyal to Delta and its partners will benefit the most. Frequent business travelers can also rack up additional savings through frequently used flight benefits like free checked baggage.

If your business doesn’t need lounge access or can’t be bothered with elite status, this card is the optimum choice among Delta business cards. The premium options provide more luxury perks in exchange for a much higher annual fee. If that doesn’t interest your business, take this lower-fee card for better overall value.

The primary criteria for a rewards or cash back card’s rating is its rewards value. This includes the card’s average rewards rate, estimated annual rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value and reward redemption value.

To estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings, we first calculate its average rewards rate based on how much it earns in different bonus categories and how closely its categories align with the average person’s spending habits, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The most recent BLS data estimates average total spending in 2022 was $72,967 per consumer. We then narrow our focus to which purchases are likely to be put on a credit card and earn rewards, subtracting expenditures like housing, vehicle purchases and education. This gives us a total “chargeable” annual spend of around $22,500.  

Some of the major spending categories that contribute towards the annual spend include:

• Groceries: $5,700
• Dining out: $3,600
• Entertainment: $2,400
• Gas: $3,100
• Apparel and services: $1,900

Using this data, we assign a weighting to each of a card’s bonus categories. For example, a card’s grocery rewards rate receives a 22 percent weighting based on how much of the average person’s budget is spent on groceries. We also estimate the redemption value of points or miles from various issuer, airline and hotel rewards programs.

This weighting and rewards valuation allows us to estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings — how many points or miles you’d earn with a given card if your spending was about average and you used the card for all of your purchases, as well as what those points are worth. We also use point valuations to determine a card’s sign-up bonus value.

With these calculations complete, we assign each card a score based on how its average rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value, rewards rate and redemption value stack up against other rewards cards.

We also rate cards based on how much it costs to keep them in your wallet or carry a balance. 

To start, each rewards or cash back card is scored based on whether it offers an intro APR and how its ongoing APR compares to the rates available on other rewards or cash back cards. 

We also score each card based on how its annual fee influences its overall value. 

We consider a card’s annual fee in two ways — how it ranks relative to the fees you’ll find on other cards in the category and how it impacts a card’s overall rewards value. Cards with an annual fee will always be at a slight disadvantage in our scoring system since annual fees inherently cut into your rewards value, but if a card offers terrific value via its ongoing rewards and perks, it can earn a high score even if it carries a high annual fee. 

With this in mind, we rate a card based primarily on how its ongoing rewards value and ongoing perk value (such as annual credits or bonuses) stack up against other cards in the category when you subtract its annual fee.

We rate each card’s flexibility based on the restrictions it imposes on earning and redeeming rewards and factor this rating into a card’s overall score. 

Flexibility factors include whether a card only allows you to earn a high rewards rate on a small amount of spending or requires you to meet a certain earning threshold before you can redeem rewards. We also examine whether your points are worth less when you redeem for some options versus others and whether a card gives you the flexibility to transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners. 

We also score each card’s set of features – its perks and benefits — against five tiers of features to provide a rating. 

We break down these tiers as follows:

• Tier 1 has less than standard card features (an ultra-streamlined card that offers basic utility and next to nothing in the way of ancillary benefits. 
• Tier 2 includes the benefits you’d expect on standard Visa or Mastercard credit cards, such as free access to your credit score, car rental insurance and $0 liability for fraudulent charges. 
• Tier 3 includes “prime card” or better-than-average card features like cellphone insurance, lost luggage insurance, concierge services and purchase protection. 
• Tier 4 includes luxury features such as airport lounge access, elite status with an airline or hotel and credits for expedited security screening membership programs. 
• Tier 5 includes the sort of exemplary benefits you’ll find on top-tier luxury cards, such as high-value travel credits, cardholder memberships and other unique and valuable perks.

You’ll have the best chance of approval with good to excellent credit — a FICO score between 670 and 850 or a VantageScore between 661 and 780.

Yes. You can hold multiple personal and business cards with Delta. Just make sure you have the correct Delta frequent flyer number attached when you book travel and that the name matches the primary cardholder.

Business credit cards are typically not reported to your personal credit report, but some exceptions exist, like a delinquent account. You should consider your credit history when determining a business credit card application.