Delta American Express Platinum Business Card Review: Earn 100,000 Miles

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The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card is an excellent choice for small-business owners who fly Delta at least a few times each year. Its $250 annual fee can easily be offset by perks like free checked bags and an annual companion certificate.

Review: Is the Delta Platinum Business Card the best credit card for you?

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card is one of the best airline credit cards for a few reasons:

• It’s got an outstanding welcome bonus offer of 100,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new card in your first 3 months of card membership (offer expires 8/3/22). That’s worth around $1,100 in flights, based on Insider’s valuations.
• It comes with an annual companion certificate (potentially worth $1,000+) after each account anniversary. You don’t have to meet any yearly spending requirement to achieve it.
• It offers great perks to make your commute more comfortable, such as Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits and discounted airport lounge access.
• It rewards big spenders with bonus points on transactions over $5,000.

This small-business credit card is strikingly similar to its personal counterpart, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card. But it’s better for two reasons.

First, because this is a small-business card, it won’t appear on your personal credit report. This is helpful for those who intend to apply for other travel credit cards in the future, especially from Chase due to its 5/24 rule. 

Second, its bonus is higher than the personal version of the card by 10,000 miles. Insider estimates that this small business card bonus is worth $110 more than the personal card bonus, based on our valuation of Delta miles.

If you’re not married to Delta, however, it may be a better idea to open a card that earns Amex Membership Rewards points, such as American Express® Business Gold Card
or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
. The points you earn with these cards transfer instantly to Delta at a 1:1 ratio. These cards often earn points at a faster rate, making them more powerful Delta miles-earning cards than even Delta co-branded cards.

There are myriad reasons you may want the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card beyond the bonus. Here’s everything you need to know about this card.

We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

How to earn rewards from the Amex Delta Platinum Business Card

The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card isn’t ideal for everyday spending. It provides three opportunities to achieve bonus miles, and they’re all quite niche:

• 3 miles per dollar for eligible spending with Delta
• 3 miles per dollar for eligible spending directly with hotels
• 1.5 miles per dollar for all transactions totaling $5,000 or more

You’ll earn 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Insider estimates Delta miles value to be 1.1 cents each, on average. That means you’ll get between 1.1% and 3.3% back for your spending.

If you spend a lot with Delta, 3 miles per dollar is fair enough. Regular spending directly with hotels, however, may warrant opening a hotel credit card. Rarely will your best option for hotel spending be the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card. Assess which hotels you tend to use the most — there’s a valuable hotel card for every travel style.

How to use Delta miles

There are a handful of ways to redeem Delta miles, but the one with the most potential value is for travel.

While Insider estimates the average value per mile is 1.1 cents when redeemed for flights, it’s possible to get substantially more than that if you know the best ways to use Delta miles.

Delta miles can be used for much more than just Delta flights. You can use them for flights on its SkyTeam alliance and non-alliance partners, such as:

• Air France
• KLM
• Virgin Atlantic
• Aeromexico

Delta doesn’t price its award seats according to an award chart. Instead, they use “dynamic pricing,” meaning they charge whatever they want, whenever they want. To find the exact award price you’ll pay, you must check your specific route and date.

There are plenty of good deals for those who are flexible. But if you’ve got rigid travel dates and destinations, you may end up paying an exorbitant amount of miles.

However, a benefit you’ll receive as an Amex Delta cardholder is the ability to use miles to offset the cost of a paid ticket. You’ll have access to Delta’s Pay With Miles program, which lets you redeem miles at a rate of 1 cent each to offset the cost of paid airfare. You must redeem in increments of 5,000 miles. For example, if a flight costs $230, you could pay 20,000 Delta miles and $30 to reserve the ticket.

This is useful if you don’t have enough miles for an award or want to stretch your miles by combining them with cash.

Here are other less valuable ways to redeem your rewards:

• Seat selection and upgrades
• Delta Sky Club lounge memberships
• Certain Delta fees (like ticket changes and award ticket redeposit fees)
• Gift cards
• Magazines
• Tour vouchers
• Charity donations
• Delta Vacations packages
• Premium drinks in Delta Sky Club lounges
• Delta SkyMiles Experiences

Delta Platinum Business benefits and features

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card offers benefits that are valuable for more than just small business-centric spending and travel. Here’s why it’s worth paying the annual fee year after year.

Annual Delta companion certificate

After your cardmember anniversary each year, a Delta companion certificate will deposit into your Delta account. This is valid for round-trip flights in economy class anywhere within the contiguous 48 US states.

When you purchase an eligible paid ticket, you can bring a companion for just the cost of taxes and fees. This could save you many hundreds of dollars, depending on the price of the fare.

Free first checked bag

Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card cardholders and up to eight companions on the same reservation will get a free first checked bag on domestic Delta flights. Checked bags cost $30 each way, so you’ll offset more than the annual fee if you and a travel buddy take a few trips each year. If you fly Delta with family, this card is a no-brainer. 

Priority boarding

You and up to eight companions on the same reservation will board the plane in the Delta Main Cabin 1 group — even if you’ve purchased a Basic Economy flight. This perk is especially helpful if you value overhead bin space. You’ll be one of the first on the plane, and you’re almost guaranteed a convenient spot for your carry-on.

Main Cabin 1 boards after passengers flying in premium cabins and most elite members, but before other economy class travelers or those flying in basic economy. 

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Global Entry and TSA PreCheck are trusted traveler programs that can expedite your airport security experience.

By using your Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card to pay your application fee, you’ll be reimbursed up to $100 for Global Entry every 4 years or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck every 4.5 years.

Delta Status Boost

If Delta elite status is important to you, this card can be helpful in achieving it.

After spending $25,000+ on eligible purchases in a calendar year, you’ll get 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs). You can earn this bonus twice per calendar year.

Discounted Delta Sky Club access

Cardmembers can enter Delta Sky Club airport lounges at a reduced rate of $39 per person. Note you must use your card to pay and you must be flying Delta or a Delta partner airline on the day of check-in.

You can also bring either immediate family or two guests for the same price.

20% back on inflight purchases

Use your Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card to pay for inflight purchases like food and drinks, or audio headsets on Delta flights, you’ll receive 20% back in the form of a statement credit.

Trip delay insurance

If you’ve paid for eligible round-trip travel with your Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card and your trip is delayed 12+ hours, you could be reimbursed for up to $300 in reasonable expenses, such as:

• Meals
• Lodging
• Toiletries
• Medication

You’re eligible to be reimbursed up to two times per rolling 12-month period. 

Purchase protection

Paying for an eligible item with your Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Cardgets you automatic coverage for loss or damage up to 90 days from the date of purchase. You’ll receive up to a maximum of $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per year.

Extended warranty

Use your Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card to pay for eligible items and you’ll also receive extended warranty protection, up to one additional year added to eligible US manufacturer’s warranties of five years or less.

Baggage insurance

If you use your card for a covered trip, you can be covered for loss or damage to your bags, up to $500 per person for checked bags, and $1,250 per person for carry-on bags. Be sure to check exclusions of high-risk items. Also, note that some states have different limits.

Global Assist Hotline

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card offers access to Amex’s Global Assist Hotline, which can help you rectify things like a lost passport during travel, medical referrals, and translation services. It’s a free service, though you’ll have to pay for any third-party costs.

Amex Offers

All American Express cards come with targeted statement credits, discounts, or bonus points for specific purchases. These are called Amex Offers**, and they’re one of the best card perks for saving money you’d spend anyway.

Fees and costs

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card comes with a $250 annual fee. You’ll also be subject to fees for late payments, returned payments, and cash advances.

 Fortunately, the card waives foreign transaction fees, so it’s a great companion when traveling abroad.

Comparison: Delta American Express Platinum Business Card vs other Delta business cards

American Express Delta Platinum Business Card vs other small-business airline credit cards

Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Who is eligible for the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card?

This is a small-business credit card. If you don’t have a small business, you aren’t eligible to apply.

However, you don’t have to run an enterprise, either. If you drive for Uber or DoorDash, if you babysit, or if you freelance, you’ve got a small business.

If you’ve ever had the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card, you won’t be eligible to earn the bonus again because of Amex’s one bonus, per card, per lifetime rule across all of its products. 

Each Delta credit card is considered a different product, however. If you already have or had other Delta cards, like the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, or even the personal Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, you could still qualify for this card.

What credit score do you need for the Amex Delta Platinum Business Card?

We generally advise anyone with a

credit score

below 700 to stay away from travel credit cards until they foster their credit score. However, it’s possible to be approved for the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card if you have anywhere from a good to excellent credit score. FICO identifies this range as low as 670.

Read our guides to improving your credit score and how using credit cards can help boost your score.

If you cancel the Delta Platinum Business card, will you lose your miles?

When you earn Delta miles with your credit card, your rewards will automatically deposit into your Delta account. In other words, they won’t stay on your credit card.

If you’ve given this card a try for a year or two and decided its benefits aren’t worth the annual fee for your situation, you won’t lose your miles if you cancel.

Note that canceling a card before you’ve had it for at least one year may result in Amex taking back the welcome bonus offer, so it’s not a good idea to close a card until your first 12 months is up.

Do you need to pay for your ticket with the Delta Platinum Business card to get a free checked bag?

As long as you hold a Delta credit card and your number is attached to the reservation you do not need to pay with your card.

Bear in mind only the primary cardholder (not authorized users) qualifies for these perks. That said, if authorized users are traveling on the same reservation as the primary cardholder, they’ll also receive a free checked bag and priority boarding. These benefits extend to up to eight companions on the same reservation.

Is the Platinum or Gold Delta business card better?

The best Delta card for you depends on how often you fly Delta and if you can use all the perks that come with each card. If you’re a frequent traveler and can use benefits like an annual Delta companion certificate and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, it could be worth paying the higher annual fee on the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Card.

For occasional Delta flyers, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is usually the best deal. Here’s our comparison of the personal Delta Gold and Platinum to help you get an idea of which is right for you.

What is the Delta Companion Certificate worth?

If you will pay for at least one domestic round-trip Delta flight for you and a travel buddy each year, the Companion Certificate is almost certainly able to offset the card’s annual fee each year. It’s especially valuable if you fly expensive routes or tend to book pricey last-minute tickets.

For just the cost of taxes and fees, your companion can fly along with you, even if their ticket would normally cost hundreds (or thousands) of dollars.

Joseph Hostetler, CEPF

Credit cards reporter