Delta has four main cards, and the right one depends on how much you fly and what you spend
Delta offers four co-branded American Express cards: the Blue Business, Blue Business Plus, Gold, and Reserve. Each one carries a different annual fee, earns different rewards on purchases, and comes with different perks like checked baggage allowances and priority boarding. The card that makes sense for you depends on whether you fly Delta regularly, how much you spend each month, and whether you value lounge access and other travel benefits enough to justify the annual fee.
The Blue Business and Blue Business Plus are for business owners and self-employed people with an EIN. The Gold and Reserve are personal cards open to anyone. If you don't fly Delta often or you're just starting to build a relationship with the airline, the no-annual-fee Blue Business might be your entry point. If you fly Delta multiple times a year and spend heavily on the card, the Reserve's premium perks and higher earning rates can offset its $550 annual fee.
Key Takeaways
- The Blue Business has no annual fee and earns 1 point per dollar on all purchases, making it the lowest-cost way to start earning Delta miles.
- The Blue Business Plus costs $95 per year but earns 1.5 points per dollar on purchases over $5,000 in a billing period, which pays off if you spend $6,300 or more monthly.
- The Gold card costs $99 per year, includes a $100 annual airline fee credit, and earns bonus points on Delta purchases and restaurants, making it useful for frequent flyers who also dine out.
- The Reserve costs $550 per year but includes $100 in annual statement credits for Delta purchases and $100 for other travel, plus access to Delta Sky Club lounges and priority boarding on every flight.
- The right card depends on your annual Delta spending and how often you use airline lounges and priority boarding.
Blue Business: No annual fee, basic earning
The Delta Blue Business has no annual fee and earns 1 point per dollar on every purchase. You get 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $500 in the first three months. There is no category bonus, no lounge access, and no priority boarding — it is a straightforward earning card.
This card makes sense if you are new to Delta, fly the airline only occasionally, or want to test whether a Delta card fits your spending before committing to an annual fee. The lack of an annual fee means you can keep the account open indefinitely without it costing you money, even if you use it only a few times a year.
One limitation: the Blue Business requires an EIN (Employer Identification Number). If you are a sole proprietor without an EIN, you can use your Social Security number, but American Express will report the account to business credit bureaus, not personal ones. Check your business credit profile before you apply.
Blue Business Plus: Higher earning if you spend over $6,300 monthly
The Delta Blue Business Plus costs $95 per year and earns 1.5 points per dollar on purchases over $5,000 in a single billing period, plus 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. You get 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in the first three months.
The math on this card is straightforward: the $95 annual fee breaks even if you earn an extra 9,500 miles per year from the 1.5x rate versus the 1x rate on the Blue Business. That happens when you spend roughly $6,300 per month, because the bonus 0.5 points per dollar applies only to the amount over $5,000 each month. If you spend $6,300, you earn an extra 650 miles that month (0.5 points × $1,300), which is about 7,800 miles per year — not quite enough to cover the fee. At $7,000 per month, you break even. At $8,000 or more, the Plus pulls ahead.
This card also requires an EIN and has no lounge access or priority boarding. It is purely a rewards card for business owners who spend heavily and want to maximize miles earned.
Gold: $99 annual fee with $100 airline credit and dining bonus
The Delta Gold is a personal card that costs $99 per year. It includes a $100 annual airline fee credit that covers Delta purchases like tickets, seat upgrades, and baggage fees. You earn 2 points per dollar on Delta purchases and restaurants, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. The welcome bonus is 30,000 miles after you spend $1,000 in the first three months.
The $100 airline credit effectively reduces the annual fee to $0 if you use Delta at least once a year, since the credit covers any Delta purchase. If you eat out regularly, the 2x earning on restaurants adds up quickly — $3,000 in annual restaurant spending earns 6,000 miles, which is worth roughly $60 to $90 depending on how you redeem.
The Gold does not include lounge access or priority boarding on every flight. It is designed for people who fly Delta a few times a year and want to maximize rewards on everyday spending, especially dining.
Reserve: $550 annual fee with lounge access and premium perks
The Delta Reserve costs $550 per year and is built for frequent Delta flyers. It includes $100 in annual statement credits for Delta purchases and $100 in credits for other travel (hotels, rental cars, rideshare, etc.), which reduces the net annual fee to $350. You earn 3 points per dollar on Delta purchases and restaurants, 2 points per dollar on travel, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
The Reserve includes unlimited access to Delta Sky Club lounges when you fly Delta, priority boarding on every Delta flight, a free checked bag on Delta flights, and a $0 foreign transaction fee. The welcome bonus is 70,000 miles after you spend $5,000 in the first three months.
This card makes financial sense if you fly Delta at least four to six times per year and use the Sky Club lounge on most trips. A single lounge visit can be worth $40 to $50 in food and drinks, so two lounge visits per year cover part of the annual fee. The priority boarding and free checked bag add value on every flight. If you fly Delta fewer than four times per year, the Reserve's cost is hard to justify.
Comparing the four cards side by side
| Card | Annual Fee | Welcome Bonus | Earning Rate (Delta) | Lounge Access | Priority Boarding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Business | $0 | 10,000 miles | 1 point per $1 | No | No |
| Blue Business Plus | $95 | 20,000 miles | 1.5 points per $1 (over $5k/month) | No | No |
| Gold | $99 (offset by $100 credit) | 30,000 miles | 2 points per $1 | No | No |
| Reserve | $550 (offset by $200 in credits) | 70,000 miles | 3 points per $1 | Yes, unlimited | Yes |
How to decide which card to open
Start by asking yourself three questions: How often do you fly Delta per year? How much do you spend on the card monthly? Do you value lounge access and priority boarding?
If you fly Delta fewer than twice a year and want to keep costs low, the Blue Business is your card. You pay nothing, earn miles on every purchase, and can close it anytime without penalty.
If you fly Delta two to four times a year, spend $3,000 or more monthly, and eat out regularly, the Gold is the better choice. The $100 airline credit covers the annual fee, and the 2x earning on restaurants and Delta purchases builds miles faster than the Blue Business.
If you spend over $6,300 monthly and want to maximize miles from business spending, the Blue Business Plus makes sense. The higher earning rate on large monthly spends pays for the annual fee and generates extra miles.
If you fly Delta four or more times per year, value lounge access, and want the highest earning rate, the Reserve is worth the $550 annual fee. The $200 in annual credits, lounge access, and priority boarding on every flight add real value for frequent flyers.
What happens to your miles when you close a card
Your Delta miles do not disappear when you close the credit card. The miles live in your Delta SkyMiles account, separate from the card itself. You can close the card and keep the miles indefinitely, as long as you have account activity — a flight, a purchase with a Delta partner, or a credit card earning miles — at least once every 24 months. If your account goes inactive for 24 months with no activity, Delta will close the account and forfeit the miles.
If you open a Delta card, earn miles, and then close the card after the welcome bonus posts, your miles stay in your SkyMiles account. You can redeem them for flights, seat upgrades, or other rewards through the Delta website. You do not need to keep the card open to use the miles you earned.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have more than one Delta credit card at the same time?
Yes. American Express allows you to hold multiple Delta cards simultaneously. Some people hold both the Gold and the Reserve, or the Blue Business and the Gold, to earn different bonus categories. However, you can only earn one welcome bonus per card product in a 24-month period, so you cannot open the same card twice within two years.
Do I have to use Delta miles within a certain time frame?
No. Miles do not expire as long as your SkyMiles account has activity at least once every 24 months. Activity includes taking a flight, earning miles from a credit card purchase, or earning miles from a Delta partner. If your account goes inactive for 24 months, Delta will close it and forfeit the miles.
What is the difference between a statement credit and a fee waiver?
A statement credit is a dollar amount that American Express applies to your bill each year. The $100 airline credit on the Gold and the $100 and $100 credits on the Reserve are statement credits — they reduce your balance owed. A fee waiver would mean you do not pay the annual fee at all. The credits do not waive the fee; they just offset it.
Can I downgrade from the Reserve to the Gold to avoid the annual fee?
Yes. American Express allows you to downgrade from the Reserve to the Gold, Blue Business Plus, or Blue Business without closing the account. When you downgrade, your existing miles stay in your SkyMiles account. You will lose access to the Reserve's lounge and priority boarding benefits immediately, but you will not lose the miles you earned. Downgrading does not trigger a new welcome bonus on the lower-tier card.
How long does it take for the welcome bonus miles to post?
American Express typically posts the welcome bonus within 6 to 8 weeks after you meet the spending requirement. The spending requirement clock starts on the day your account opens, not the day you receive the card. Check your online account to see the exact deadline for your card.