A card that lets you enjoy comfort and luxury on your Delta flights.
30-second take
- Get this card if you often fly Delta and want to enjoy luxury benefits.
- Pick something else if you want cashback rewards or a card with an intro APR on balance transfers.
- Apply with a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.
| Product Name | Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card® |
|---|---|
| Card Type | American Express |
| Annual Fee | $450 |
| APR (Annual Percentage Rate) for Purchases | 17.74%, 21.74% or 26.74% variable |
| Introductory Purchase APR | 0% for the first 6 months (then 17.74%, 21.74% or 26.74% variable) |
| Cash Advance Rate | 27.24% variable |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | None |
| Cash Advance Fee | $5 or 3% of the cash advance amount, whichever is greater |
| Interest Free Period | Up to 25 days |
| Late Payment Fee | Up to $38 |
| Returned Payment Fee | $38 |
| Additional Cardholder Fee | $0 |
| Rates & Fees | Rates & Fees |
| Minimum Age | 18 years of age |
|---|
| Reward Value per Dollar | 1 miles |
|---|---|
| Rewards Points Expiry | Never |
The basics
The Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card® is made for business owners who spend more than $30,000 on Delta flights per year. It comes with a generous welcome offer of 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of opening your account.
You earn 2 miles on every dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases. You can redeem miles for flights, seat upgrades, gift cards or shopping.
Among the benefits you get with the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card® are complimentary access to Delta Sky Club®, concierge service, Zone 1 priority boarding, free first checked bag for up to nine passengers, a yearly companion certificate and more.
How much are SkyMiles® worth?
The value of SkyMiles® varies depending on the service or product that you want to redeem them for. Here are some examples of how you can use your miles:
- $250 Delta gift card. Buy this for 35,700 miles, which works out to $0.70 per mile.
- Samsonite 20″ carry-on bag. Worth $150, you can buy this for 26,600 miles, which works out to around $0.56 per mile.
- Apple MacBook Pro 13″ Worth $1,299, you can buy this for 258,200 miles, which works out to $0.50 per mile.
- Round-trip domestic fares. Worth $130, these fares start at 10,000 miles, which works out to $1.30 cents per mile. Taxes and fees are not included.
To find the best value for your miles, divide the cash price by the miles required to pay for the service. The higher the number you get, the higher the value for your miles.
At the SkyMiles® Marketplace, flights have the highest value per mile. In order to make the most of your Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card®, you may want to only redeem your miles for flights.
The perks
Welcome bonus.
Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account. This may seem like a high spending requirement to get the bonus, but since the card is made for big spenders it should be relatively easy to acquire it.
Membership reward points.
Earn 2 miles on every dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases. You can redeem these points for flights, seat upgrades, gift cards, shopping and more.
Delta Sky Club® access.
Get complimentary access to Delta Sky Club® and a discounted pass for up to 2 guests for $29 each when flying with Delta. Enjoy food and beverages, Wi-Fi, personalized flight assistance, private restrooms and more at 45 Delta Sky Club locations worldwide. Save $708 in a year if you visit Delta Sky Club® once a month, since a single visit pass costs $59.
Concierge service.
Call this service at 1-800-525-3355 if you need to book a restaurant, arrange a special event or help picking out the right gift.
Miles Boost®.
Spend $30,000 on purchases in a year and earn 15,000 MQMs and 15,000 bonus miles. With these 15,000 MQMs and the 10,000 MQMs from your welcome offer, you’ll reach Silver Medallion Status. Spend $60,000 on purchases in a year and you’ll earn an additional 15,000 MQMs and 15,000 bonus miles, you’ll also upgrade to Gold Medallion Status.
What is Medallion Status?
Medallion Status is a tiered program for Delta’s most loyal customers that gives you benefits not available to other travelers, such as unlimited complimentary upgrades for you and your companion to Delta Comfort+® and first class, waived baggage fees, priority customer service and more.
How do I reach Medallion Status?
Aside from Delta’s SkyMiles®, there are three more points systems that are used to help you achieve Medallion Status: Medallion® Qualification Miles, Medallion® Qualification Segments (MQSs) and Medallion® Qualification Dollars (MQDs).
How do I earn these points?
- Earn Medallion® Qualification Miles on the distance you fly and your ticket fare class — the higher your fare class, the more MQMs you earn.
- Earn Medallion® Qualification Segments on the number of flights you take.
- Earn Medallion® Qualification Dollars on the amount you spend on Delta and its partners’ flights.
How many points do I need to reach Medallion Status?
- Silver Medallion Status. 25,000 MQMs or 30 MQSs, and $3,000 MQDs or MQD waiver.
- Gold Medallion Status. 50,000 MQMs or 60 MQSs, and $6,000 MQDs or MQD waiver.
- Platinum Medallion Status. 75,000 MQMs or 100 MQSs, and $9,000 MQDs or MQD waiver.
- Diamond Medallion Status. 125,000 MQMs or 140 MQSs, and $15,000 MQDs or MQD waiver.
The MQD requirement to earn Platinum, Gold or Silver Medallion Status is waived if you make $25,000 or more in eligible purchases with your Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card® during the year. To reach Diamond Medallion Status, the MQD requirement is waived if you make $250,000 or more in eligible purchases with your card during the year.
You’ll also like
Priority boarding.
Get Zone 1 priority boarding on Delta flights, which is perfect if you hate waiting and want to settle into your seat sooner.
Companion certificate.
Earn a domestic first class, Delta Comfort+® or main cabin round-trip companion certificate each year when you renew your card. Taxes and fees of no more than $75 aren’t covered with the certificate.
First checked bag free.
Save up to $50 on a round trip with Delta by getting your first checked bag free. This applies for up to nine passengers traveling on the same reservation. You can save $600 in a year if you travel once a month.
0% foreign transaction fees.
Use this card when traveling abroad, as it doesn’t have any international transaction fees.
Statement credit for in-flight purchases
Get 20% savings in the form of statement credit for in-flight purchases on food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets on Delta flights.
Travel, baggage and rental car insurance.
Travel worry-free with insurance up to $500,000 in accidental death and dismemberment when you pay your entire fare with your card. Get baggage insurance of up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage. And if you rent a car, you’re covered in case of car theft or damage.
Roadside and global assistance hotlines.
Call the roadside assistance hotline whenever you’re stranded with a flat tire or you’re locked out of your car, and American Express will cover any emergency assistance fees — up to four times per year. Plus, get 24/7 access to medical, legal, financial or other services you may need if you’re traveling more than 100 miles from home with the Global Assist® Hotline.
What to watch out for
Annual fee.
To own the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card®, you’ll have to pay $450 per year. If you frequently fly on Delta and you often visit Delta Sky Clubs®, your benefits will likely outweigh the annual fee.
Penalty APR.
You’ll be charged a penalty APR of 29.99% if you make 2 or more late payments in a 12-month period, don’t pay the minimum payment due by the closing date of the billing period or make a payment that’s returned.
Consider other cards if…
You prefer flying on American Airlines.
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ Mastercard® offers access to more than 50 airport lounges worldwide. Get priority check-in, screening and boarding; earn 2 miles per dollar spent on American Airlines purchases and 1 mile on all other purchases; and get 50,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of your account opening.
You prefer flying on United Airlines.
Consider United MileagePlus® Club card if you often fly with United Airlines. Get access to Star Alliance™-affiliated lounges worldwide; free first and second checked bags for the cardmember and 1 companion; complimentary benefits at The Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection℠; and earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of opening your account.
You want travel rewards.
Big spenders who want comfort and luxury in their travels may find the Business Platinum Card® from American Express to be a better choice. It has a large welcome offer of 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on purchases within 3 months of account opening, and you can earn an additional 50,000 points if you spend another $15,000 on purchases in the same period. Get 5 points per dollar spent through AmexTravel, access to more than 1,100 airport lounges including Delta Sky Club® and upgrade to Gold status with Hilton and Starwood hotels without meeting specific requirements.
You want intro APR on purchases.
Consider the Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card by American Express for a low-interest promotional period. It offers an intro 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 15 months, and the rate reverts to 13.24%, 17.24% or 21.24% variable after that.
Compare business credit cards
What size business is the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card® good for?
Small to medium size businesses whose employees travel with Delta and who usually spend $30,000 or more per year on flights could find this card useful. The more you spend with this card, the more miles you can redeem for flights, seat upgrades, gift cards and more.
If your business spends less than $30,000 per year on Delta flights, consider the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card.
What should I know before I apply?
To apply for the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card®, you’ll have to provide information about yourself and your business. The information includes:
- Business name and address
- Industry type
- Company structure
- Years in business
- Number of employees
- Annual revenue and monthly spending
- Federal Tax ID, also known as Employment Identification Number (EIN)
- Personal information of the credit card owner, including annual income
What credit score do I need?
You can apply with a good business credit score of 670 or higher.
What’s my likelihood of being approved?
Businesses with high credit scores have a better chance of being approved.
What do customers say about the card?
American Express is accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has an A+ rating. More than 170 customer reviews — 90% of which are negative — have given the credit card provider a composite score of 3.78 out of 5 stars. Nearly 3,000 customer complaints have been filed with the BBB, with customers citing poor customer support for the company in general, representatives refusing to return phone calls and missing statement credits and miles.
For the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card® itself, customers are mostly satisfied with the benefits they get. They only complain about the companion certificate and its restrictions, as well as with the Delta Sky Club® fee of $29 for additional guests.
How to apply for the Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card®?
- Go to the American Express website.
- Select Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card® from the list and click Apply.
- Complete the application form with all the required information about your business and any employees who will receive the card.
- Review your application and submit it.
- You can also apply by phone by calling 1-888-781-6736.
How long will it take to be approved?
The approval is instant if the information you provided is accurate and complete and all of the requirements for the card are met.
How long will it take to get my card?
Upon approval, you’ll receive the card in three to four business days via UPS.
I got the card. Now what?
- Use the online management tools. Set up automated payments and account alerts to avoid late payments and to notify you of suspicious activity. Manage your expenses by using the Spend Manager℠ feature and transfer your data directly to your QuickBooks account.
- Pay on time. Try to make your payments on time, otherwise you’ll pay fees up to $38 and a penalty APR of 29.99%.
- Contact customer service. Call American Express’s 24/7 customer service line at 1-800-528-4800 if you need a hand. You can also contact customer support by using the online chat feature on its website.
Bottom line
The Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card® is a premium SkyMiles® credit card, made for business owners who spend big on Delta flights and want to travel in style.
If you frequently fly on Delta and spend more than $30,000 per year on flights, this could be a useful card for your business. You get perks such as Zone 1 priority boarding, complimentary Delta Sky Club® access, concierge service, first checked bag free for you and up to nine passengers on the same reservation and more.
As always, compare other options before deciding on the best card for your business with our comprehensive guide to business credit cards.
Frequently asked questions
Disclaimer
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
Images: americanexpress.com
