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finder.com’s rating: 4.0 / 5.0
★★★★★
Though this is Delta’s mid-tier cobranded credit card, it is one of your best options for jumping into the SkyMiles program. It carries a $250 annual fee, but the card’s travel perks — including the super-valuable annual companion certificate — are worth far more than that each year. The miles you’ll earn on purchases are also comparable to the luxury Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card.
90,000
Miles as welcome offer
Up to 3x
Miles
$250
Annual fee
17.24% to 26.24%
Purchase APR (variable)
Annual fee | $250 |
---|---|
Rewards | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Purchase APR | 17.24% to 26.24% variable |
Balance transfer APR | N/A |
Minimum Credit Score | 670 |
Issuer | American Express |
Review by
Steven Dashiell is Senior Writer, Personal Finance at Finder specializing in all things credit cards. With more than 300 articles under his belt, he aims to help readers embrace credit cards and maximize their rewards. Steve is studying to become a Certified Educator in Personal Finance, and is a frequent face on Finder’s YouTube channel, offering the latest in credit card hacks and advice. His expertise has been featured on numerous outlets, including U.S. News & World Report, NASDAQ, Time, CBS, Fox Business, Lifehacker, Martha Stewart Living and more.
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is the mid-tier Delta card and sports a $250 annual fee. It earns 3x miles on eligible Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2x miles on restaurants and US supermarkets, takeout and delivery, 1x miles on everything else and a welcome offer of 90,000 miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after you spend $3,000 within your first 3 months.
Despite its placement in the Delta pantheon as the mid-tier option, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is in fact the better choice for most people looking to start benefiting from the SkyMiles program for the first time. The reason comes down to the value of the card’s perks versus the price of the card. Put simply, you get a tremendous number of perks, such as free checked baggage, priority boarding, special pricing for Delta Sky Club access, inflight savings, and a up to $100 statement credit toward your TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry application, the combination of which are worth far more than $250, provided you use them.
But the real home run is the annual companion certificate you get each year you renew your card membership. This certificate covers a main-cabin roundtrip flight, which is alone worth hundreds of dollars and easily makes up for the card’s annual fee. If you’re looking for a card that adds value and comfort to your SkyMiles membership but don’t want to jump into the luxury cost of the Delta Reserve card, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is a great place to start.
To apply for the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, you must be:
You’ll need to provide information, including:
You’ll likely find out whether you’ve been approved quickly thanks to American Express’s automated preapproval system. If further review is needed, it could take up to several weeks to get a decision.
Upon approval, you’ll receive the card within seven to 10 business days.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card‘s standout features.
Here’s a visual breakdown of the Delta Platinum vs. the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card vs. Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card. See how its benefits stack up against the other cards and decide if the Delta Platinum is right for you.
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card |
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card |
Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card |
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★★★★★ |
★★★★★ |
★★★★★ |
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Minimum Credit Score 670 |
Minimum Credit Score 670 |
Minimum Credit Score 670 |
Annual Fee $250 |
Annual Fee $99 ongoing |
Annual Fee $0 |
Purchase APR Up to 26.24% variable |
Purchase APR Up to 26.24% variable |
Purchase APR Up to 26.24% variable |
Balance transfer APR N/A |
Balance transfer APR N/A |
Balance transfer APR N/A |
Rewards 3x miles |
Rewards 2x miles |
Rewards 2x miles |
Welcome offer Limited Time Offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer ends 8/3/2022. |
Welcome offer
Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $500 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. |
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Customers love the companion certificate, the Status Boost and the overall travel perks that come with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. Inflexible company policies and poor customer support are cited in most customer complaints.
The American Express Company has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since 1948 and earns an overall A+ rating as of August 2021. However, 90% of its reviews are negative and it has nearly 3,400 customer complaints. Amex cardholders, in general, complain of rude customer service reps, missing statement credit and issues disputing charges.
The company earns a Trustpilot score of 1.9 out of 5 as of May 2021. Many negative reviews cite unhelpful customer service and inflexible company policies. Positive reviews say the company employs pleasant customer service representatives. Overall, your mileage may vary with American Express customer support.
Date | Before card update | After card update |
---|---|---|
April 14, 2022 | Welcome offer: 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months | Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 3 months. |
March 3, 2022 | Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus miles and 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 3 months. | Welcome offer: 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months |
April 29, 2021 | Welcome offer: 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months | Welcome offer: 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in your first 3 months and up to $200 back as statement credit on your first Delta purchase during that same time period |
July 29, 2021 | Welcome offer: 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in your first 3 months and up to $200 back as statement credit on your first Delta purchase during that same time period | Welcome offer: 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after you spend $2,000 in your first 3 months and up to $100 back as statement credit on eligible US restaurant purchases during that same time period |
September 16, 2021 | Welcome offer: Welcome offer: 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after you spend $2,000 in your first 3 months and up to $100 back as statement credit on eligible US restaurant purchases during that same time period | Welcome offer: 90,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after you spend $3,000 in your first 3 months |
If you spend less than $25,000 on purchases with your Delta card per year, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card may be a better option. Otherwise, you’ll find that the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card is a powerful travel card with a strong welcome offer, useful perks for Delta customers that can offset the annual fee and a robust suite of travel protections.
You may want to compare other credit cards before settling to find one that best suits your needs.
Back to topTo determine the average value of a Delta Skymile, we looked at the equivalent dollar value a redemption option would cost in the Delta Skymiles program. We calculated this average across all redemption options available through Delta to reach the approximate value you can expect when redeeming these points on average. In this case, the average value of a single Skymile came out to 1.4 cents per point.
Remember that your points could be worth more or less depending on what you redeem them on, so this figure should be used as a general guide.
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.
Insurance benefit note: 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.
Images: AmericanExpress.com
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