What Credit Do You Need For The Amex Gold Card
While American Express doesn’t publicize a minimum credit score for the Amex Gold Card, generally, applicants with a good credit score of 670 or above are more likely to qualify. FICO® scores range from 300 to 850, with higher scores indicating a greater likelihood of a borrower being able to pay off their balance on time.
How To Apply For The Delta Skymiles Platinum American Express Card
What should I know before I apply?
To apply for the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, you must be:
- At least 18 years old.
- A U.S. resident.
Youll need to provide information, including:
- Your full name and contact information.
- Your Social Security number and date of birth.
- Your annual income and source of income.
How long will it take to get my Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card?
Youll likely find out whether youve been approved quickly thanks to American Expresss automated preapproval system. If further review is needed, it could take up to several weeks to get a decision.
Upon approval, youll receive the card within seven to 10 business days.
What Is The Annual Fee On The Delta Skymiles Platinum American Express Card
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card has an annual fee of $250. Benefits include a Global Entry or TSA Precheck reimbursement, bonus points on eligible purchases and the ability to earn up to 20,000 MQMs and an MQD waiver based on your spending. This fee also includes an annual companion ticket every year that you renew the card. Depending on how its used, the savings from the companion ticket could justify paying the annual fee.
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How Do I Get A Free Checked Bag With A Delta Credit Card
Your Delta Skymiles number is connected to your credit card account. As long as your Skymiles number is attached to your reservation and youre flying with Delta, you should automatically receive your baggage benefit. The cards that offer a free baggage allowance when flying with Delta include the Delta Gold, the Delta Platinum and the Delta Reserve, all in both the personal and business versions.
Once In A Lifetime Welcome Bonus
One final rule to pay attention to is the welcome bonus qualifications. American Express card welcome offers can only be earned once.
If youre a returning Gold Card and earned a Gold Card welcome bonus, you cant earn a second bonus.
You will need to try a different American Express card that you havent earned a welcome bonus for yet.
If this is your situation, see if you have another American Express card that earns Membership Rewards. If so, see if you can upgrade the card to a Gold Card to keep your credit history, avoid a new credit application and start enjoying the new card benefits.
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Which Credit Card Is Best For Delta Flyers
For people who dont need a lot of Delta perks but who can utilize the free checked bag on Delta flights at least twice a year, either the personal Delta Gold Amex or Delta Gold Business Amex will make the most sense. Or, if youre aiming for mid-tier Delta elite status, you might pick up a Delta Platinum Amex or a Delta Platinum Business Amex to take advantage of the MQM waiver and the Status Boost feature.
If you expect to be on the road regularly and want Delta Sky Club access, the American Express Platinum is a more well-rounded credit card than the Delta Reserve Amex. It offers broader lounge access, throws in elite status with a handful of top hotel and car rental companies, and offers a variety of annual credits that help offset the $695 annual fee.
However, the main reasons you might choose a personal Delta Reserve Amex or a Delta Reserve Business Amex over the Amex Platinum are the annual companion certificates or the MQD waivers or Status Boosts all of which are exclusive to Delta credit cards.
And if you dont plan to travel much at all this year, you might want to skip all the Delta credit cards and instead choose a credit card that aligns better with your needs. In that case, check out our guide to the best credit cards for other options.
Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored chose as our best travel credit cards currently available.
Who Is The Delta Skymiles Reserve Card For
The SkyMiles Reserve card is intended for frequent flyers who want access to Delta Sky Clubs, since that is the primary benefit not found on other Delta credit cards. Delta frequent flyers will also appreciate other benefits of the card, including free checked bags, status boosts and priority boarding.
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Delta Gold Business Amex: Best For Business Owners Who Fly Delta
If you own a business, large or small, Delta also has welcome offers on its line of business credit cards. Currently, you can earn 50,000 bonus miles on the Delta Gold Business Amex after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first three months after you open the account. The card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 a year thereafter .
Similar to the personal Delta Gold Amex, the Delta Gold Business Amex offers up to a $100 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year, plus a free checked bag on Delta flights alongside Main Cabin 1 priority boarding, and no foreign transaction fees to sweat .
However, with this business card, youll earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases made directly with Delta as well as at restaurants worldwide, but also on U.S. purchases for advertising in select media and eligible U.S. shipping purchases.
Delta Skymiles Gold Business American Express Card: Best Delta Points Credit Card For Small Business Owners
Best features: If youre looking to earn Delta SkyMiles without committing to a high annual fee, start with the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card. Youll pay a $99 annual fee and earn 2X miles on direct Delta purchases 2X miles on U.S. purchases for advertising in select media, U.S. shipping purchases and at restaurants then 1X miles on everything else making it one of the best credit cards for online advertising with search engines and social media.
Youll also earn a welcome bonus worth 50,000 miles when you spend $2,000 in the first three months, and you can take advantage of travel perks like free checked bags and priority boarding. Plus, youll earn a $100 Delta flight credit if you put $10,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year.
Biggest drawbacks: Choosing a business travel card can be difficult, which is why its important to know what you want to get out of one before you apply. While the Delta Gold Business card is a good starter card, some small business owners might be better off with a card that offers bigger rewards in exchange for bigger purchases.
Alternatives: If you plan on putting large business purchases on your Delta credit card, you might want to consider the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card , instead. It charges a higher annual fee but offers significantly more bang for your buck.
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Delta Skymiles Platinum Amex: Best For Regular Delta Flyers
If youve been thinking about getting a Delta Platinum Amex credit card, the card currently features a welcome offer of 50,000 bonus miles plus 5,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first six months after opening the account.
To put it in context, those 50,000 miles are worth $705 based on The Points Guys valuations, and potentially even more with some simple planning and strategy. Even with the cards $250 annual fee , youll easily come out ahead in the first year with just the bonus.
You wont get complimentary lounge access with the Delta Platinum Amex, but youll still earn 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible Delta purchases, 2 miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets, and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Delta Platinum Amex card members also get Main Cabin 1 priority boarding, a domestic main cabin round-trip companion certificate each time you renew the card starting at the beginning of your second year, your first checked bag free on Delta flights, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit worth up to $100, and the ability to purchase Delta Sky Club access at a daily rate of $39 per person for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
Consider Your Credit Score
One thing that you will need to consider when going this route is that applying for a new credit card outright will result in a hard credit pull.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While your credit might take a temporary 5-10 point hit, your score will ultimately go up if you use that new line of credit responsibly.
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When you upgrade or downgrade an account, it’s different. Banks call it a product conversion. Essentially, you are just moving an existing line of credit to a different credit card product from that bank. From the bank’s perspective, it isn’t a new line of credit at all and thus they do not need to pull your credit score again.
Of course, the trade-off here is that you either won’t earn any points or miles, or much fewer than you could by just applying for the card outright as a new account.
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Delta Skymiles Platinum American Express Card Drawbacks
- Annual fee. The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card comes with a $250 annual fee.
- Not as widely accepted overseas. Because this is an American Express card, you may have limited opportunities to use it overseas.
- Steep penalty for late payments. Making late or returned payments could cost you a penalty APR as high as 29.99% variable. You may also incur late and returned-payment fees as high as $40.
- Taxes and fees on companion certificate. Youll receive an annual round-trip companion certificate for a domestic flight, but you need to pay taxes and fees up to $80 out of pocket.
What Credit Score Do You Need To Get A Rewards Card
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In general, you need a good to excellent credit score to get a rewards credit card.
According to the 850-point FICO scoring model, the one credit card issuers most commonly use, a good score is 670 to 739. A score of 740 or above is considered very good to exceptional.
The higher your credit score, the more likely it is you’ll qualify for premium rewards cardsand the better the perks, like intro bonuses and airport lounge access, you’ll get access to.
Here’s what you should know about credit score requirements for rewards cards, and how to reach them if your scores aren’t quite there yet.
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Things To Remember When Applying For Amex Credit Cards
Im all for doing due diligence before applying for a new Amex card. But keep in mind that Amex has the final say, and sometimes credit card denials can come as an unfortunate shock. In these cases, you can always call up Amex personal credit reconsideration at 877-399-3083. Sometimes theyre just looking for a little more information that could help boost your chances of approval.
You also need to make sure youre adhering to Amexs application rules, including how frequently you can apply for new credit cards. Remember, Amex only allows you to earn the bonus on a specific card once, per person, per lifetime.
And sometimes you might not be eligible for a given cards welcome bonus depending on what credit cards youve applied for and held in the past. Because of this, I recommend you read our full review of each of the below cards before deciding whether or not to apply.
If you do choose to sign up for any of the above cards, best of luck in your application process and may the approval odds be ever in your favor. Weve also covered the minimum credit scores you would need to be approved for Chase credit cards.
Use Rewards Cards The Right Way
Qualifying for a rewards card is just the start. Choosing one that you’ll use regularlyand has perks that work for your spendingis the next step.
But take care not to charge more than you can pay off each month. While that’s an important financial strategy no matter what, it’s especially crucial when your goal is to earn rewards they’ll lose value if you carry a balance and accrue interest on your purchases. Spend enough to get the cash back or points you’ll use, then pay off your balance monthly so you can get the most out of your new card.
Another thing: Never spend more than you would otherwise with the sole intention of reaping rewards for the money you spend. Make sure your rewards work for you, not the other way around.
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Delta Skymiles Blue American Express Card: Best Delta Credit Card With No Annual Fee
Best features: If you want a Delta credit card that lets you earn SkyMiles without paying an annual fee, you need to consider the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card. This no-annual-fee credit card offers 2X miles on restaurants worldwide and on eligible Delta purchases, 1X miles on all other purchases and the opportunity to earn 10,000 bonus miles when you make $1,000 in purchases in the first six months.
Biggest drawbacks: The Delta SkyMiles Blue card gives you a 20% discount on Delta in-flight purchases, but otherwise doesnt offer much in the way of travel perks.
Alternatives: If youre looking to try out a travel card without paying an annual fee, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year of card ownership . This could be a good option for people who want to try a Delta SkyMiles card and see if they like it.
Bottom line: If youre only in the game to earn Delta SkyMiles and dont need extra benefits, the Delta SkyMiles Blue American Express card is a great no-annual-fee choice.
Delta Skymiles Reserve Amex: Best Delta Companion Certificate
If youre a Delta fanatic and want to maximize your Delta experience, youll ideally want a credit card that adds a layer of luxury to your trip by granting Delta Sky Club lounge access, as well as enhancing the journey in other ways. With a $550 annual fee , the Delta Reserve Amex packs an impressive set of Delta-focused perks.
Similar to the other Delta credit card offers, the Delta Reserve Amex comes with 50,000 bonus miles plus 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on the card in the first six months after you open the account. Those bonus miles are worth $705 in travel according to The Points Guy.
Plus, after you renew at the start of your second year with the card , youll gain access to a lucrative annual companion certificate. This is essentially a buy-one-get-one for any domestic first class, Comfort+ or Main Cabin ticket to anywhere in the lower 48 US states. Youll just have to pay the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 . If you use this benefit on what would otherwise be an expensive round-trip ticket, you can get enough value from this perk alone to make the annual cost of the card worth it.
Outright membership to the Delta Sky Club normally costs $545 annually, so those planning to pay up for access anyway should give strong consideration to getting this card instead, as the outlay is essentially equal in both scenarios.
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Why It’s Important For Delta Flyers To Have One Of These Cards
Traveling can be hard, even when everything goes right. But these credit cards will save you both time and money while making the experience more comfortable. The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card both offer versions of a Companion Certificate each year that can be used on flight redemptions otherwise purchasable for hundreds of dollars.
These two Delta cards also offer priority boarding, a free first checked bag when flying with Delta, access to Sky Club lounges and discounts on in-flight purchases. And most importantly, these cards let you earn the Medallion Qualifying Miles you need to reach the next level of status. Getting to the next status level will mean additional rewards, fee waivers and upgrades to seats in Economy Plus or even First Class.
The Platinum Card® from American Express is also an excellent choice for Delta flyers. Instead of Delta-specific perks like a free first checked bag or priority boarding, youll get an airline fee statement credit of up to $200 annually you can use with Delta or another participating carrier of your choice. Youll also receive up to $200 per year in Uber Cash, semi-annual credits for Saks Fifth Avenue or Equinox and even statement credits to cover your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee. The Platinum card offers access into over 1,400 additional airport lounges around the world, including Delta Sky Clubs for the cardholder when flying Delta.