UPDATE: These offers have expired.
Maybe!! Right now there is a limited time offer for all three co-branded Delta personal credit cards which is ending on April 3, 2019. While all three have a higher than normal offer, the Platinum and Reserve version of the card is offering 15,000 more miles then the Gold version of the card (and are also the highest offer we’ve seen to date). And while both cards also comes with extra benefits, they come with significantly higher fees.
Key Links:
- Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express: Limited Time Offer: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases within the first three months and a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first three months. Offer expires on April 3, 2019. *Terms Apply.
- Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express: Limited Time Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first three months. In addition, earn a $100 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase with your new Card within your first three months. $195 annual fee. Offer expires on April 3, 2019. *Terms Apply.
- Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express: Limited Time Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first three months. Offer expires on April 3, 2019. *Terms Apply.
So is the Platinum or Reserve card where you can receive 15,000 more miles and extra benefits worth the higher annual fee?
As you can see from the offer, the Gold card has an offer that will give you 60,000 miles, while the Platinum and Reserve cards have an offer for 75,000 miles. I currently value Delta miles somewhere between 1-1.5 cents per mile. So receiving 15k extra miles is worth $150-$225 in my valuation. The annual fee for the Gold card is waived for the first year, then $95 every year thereafter, where the annual fee for the Platinum card is $195 and the Reserve Card is $450. *Terms Apply.Â
For the first year, there is a difference in $195 with the Platinum card and $450 with the Reserve card with the annual fees — this is a lot of money that should definitely be taken into consideration when making your decision. Although based on how I value my Delta miles, the extra miles earned essentially wipes away the cost of the higher annual fee. With the Reserve card, you’d 100% be paying more than the value you are receiving in solely the bonus miles earned.
So then why would you get the Platinum or Reserve card?
Even though you might spend more money the first year for getting the card (based on my valuation of Delta miles), the both the Platinum and Reserve cards still come with extra benefits. If you think you’ll take advantage of them, then the difference you are paying on the annual basis can definitely be worth it. Here are some of the extra benefits that come with the two cards
Platinum Card Benefits
Extra Redeemable Miles and MQMs
A huge benefit is with the limited time offer, the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express card will give you 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you meet the minimum spend requirement. This can be huge if you think you might be slightly shy to meet your desired status. Additionally, the Platinum card will allow you to earn extra redeemable miles and MQMs on a yearly basis. If you spend $25,000 on the card in a calendar year, you’ll get an extra 10,000 redeemable miles + 10,000 MQMs. If you spend $50,000 on the card in a calendar year, you’ll get an additional 10,000 redeemable miles + 10,000 MQMs. That means you can earn a total of 20k redeemable miles and 20k MQMs every single calendar year PER Platinum card — that is if you are able to spend that that much on the card!
Companion Certificate
With the Platinum card you’ll receive a companion certificate upon account renewal (so you won’t receive it the first year, it starts the second year you have the card and every year thereafter after renewing the card and paying the annual fee). This will give you a domestic economy class ticket that can be used within the 48 contiguous states. While you will have to pay applicable taxes/fees they are minimal and will not cost more then $75. Essentially, the companion ticket can be used for anyone and is not limited to just the Delta cardmember. You are allowed to gift the companion pass to two friends to fly together if you desire. However, the tickets must be purchased with your Delta credit card. You can learn more about the companion certificate here.
Reserve Card Benefits
Extra Redeemable Miles and MQMs
Similar to the Platinum card, with the Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express you’ll also earn extra miles and MQMs both with the limited time offer and on an annual basis. With the welcome offer, you’ll receive the same 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you meet the minimum spend requirement. So no real added benefit there. Where the benefit comes in handy is if you are able to spend more on your card annually. With this card you are able to earn 15,000 MQMs and 15,000 redeemable miles when you spend $30,000 on the card within the calendar year. You’ll then be able to earn another 15,000 MQMs and 15,000 redeemable miles when you spend $60,000 total on the card in the calendar year — this will give you a total of 30k redeemable miles and 30k MQMs on an annual basis. The MQMs can be invaluable for those who rely on credit card spend to earn Delta status and the redeemable miles can be valued between $300 to $450.
Companion Certificate
Also similar to the Platinum card, the Reserve card comes with an annual companion ticket on your account renewal, but it is valid for any cabin class — including first class. If you are one who prefers to fly in the front of the plane, this can definitely save you money and make the annual fee invaluable, but you just need to make sure you’ll actually use it.
So which card should you get?
Now remember, American Express has a once in a lifetime welcome bonus rule, but all three cards serve as their own product. This means, you are eligible to receive the bonus for every single card. If you have already received the welcome bonus for the Gold card, for example, you can now move onto the Platinum or Reserve card. Or vice versa! Same holds for the personal vs. business versions of the cards.
If you are just interested in the limited time offer bonus, then go for the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express. If you are trying to earn status and need some extra MQMs, go for the Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express or Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express. If you believe you’ll use the companion certificate and get more then the annual fee cost, then go for the Platinum. If you are looking to earn as many miles as possible, then apply for both!
Which card will you be getting?
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