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

Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5

4.7

See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Apply now

on American Express's secure site

Annual fee

$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150

Intro offer

Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles

Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

Rewards rate

1X - 2X

Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases at U.S. Shipping providers and at U.S. providers for Advertising in select media on up to $50,000 of purchases per category, per year. Earn 2 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent at restaurants. Earn 1 Mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

American Express® Business Gold Card

Bankrate Score

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

5.0

See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Apply now

on American Express's secure site

Annual fee

$375

Intro offer

Earn 100,000 points

Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.*

Rewards rate

1X - 4X

Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.*. Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com using your Business Gold Card.*. 1X is earned for other purchases. **.

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5

4.4

Apply now

on Chase's secure site

Annual fee

$95

Intro offer

Earn 90,000 bonus points

Earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Rewards rate

1X - 3X

Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases – with no limit to the amount you can earn.

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card vs. American Express® Business Gold Card

  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.

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

  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.

• Delta loyalists

  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.

• No-frills business travelers

  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.

• Rewards 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.

• Rates and fees

  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.

• Flexibility

  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. 

• Perks

  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.

• What credit score do I need to get approved for the Delta Gold Business Amex?

  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.

• Can I have a personal and business Delta credit card?

  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.

• Will my Delta Gold Business card show up on my personal credit report?

  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.

What cardholders think

Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card

4.2

48 ratings

In May 2024, Bankrate collaborated with third-party SliceMR to survey 6160 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers.

83% of customers recommend this card

Score breakdown

5 stars

54%

4 stars

29%

3 stars

8%

2 stars

0%

1 star

8%

Score by category

Overall 4.2 / 5

Extra perks 4.0 / 5

Customer service 4.5 / 5

Online portal or mobile app 4.2 / 5

Intro APR length 4.0 / 5

Intro APR value 3.8 / 5

In May 2024, Bankrate collaborated with third-party SliceMR to survey 6160 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are based on individual cardholder’s product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Users received an incentive for their feedback. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own reviews of these cards.