Which AMEX Credit Card Is Better, The Delta SkyMiles Platinum or Amex Gold Card?

by Daniel | Last Updated March 31st, 2022

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Are you looking for a credit card that has some really good benefits, a decent sign-up bonus, and the ability to earn quite a lot of points or miles just by using the card?
Then either of the following credit cards in this review are definitely worth considering. 

In this article, I’m going to review and compare both the American Express Delta SkyMiles Platinum card and the Amex Gold card.
I’ll go over what they cost on an annual basis, what you can expect to receive each year in terms of benefits and user perks, and then I’ll give you my opinion on which card is more valuable. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGYkyiu6Qe8

So Who Are These Cards Good For?

As you will see throughout this review, both the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card and the Amex Gold card have slightly different benefits that are targeted to a particular audience.
With the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card, you will find that this card is most valuable if you travel a lot, specifically with Delta Airlines, as that is where the bulk of its benefits are found.
Then with the Amex Gold card, there is less of a focus on travel-related rewards, and more focus on food-related benefits which comes in the way of both statement credits and points earning potential.

APR

So for the first part of this review, I’ll go over what the APR is for each card and what fees and charges are applicable when you make a balance transfer or get a cash advance.
And as with most credit cards, the rates offered by Amex will vary depending on what your creditworthiness is and what the Prime Rate is at the given time.

If you miss a payment or have a payment returned by your bank there will be a penalty fee of up to $40. You will then most likely be put on to a penalty APR of 29.99% for the foreseeable future, Amex will then review this after a minimum period of 6 months, and then if you have made timely payments with no returned payments over at least 6 months you may be put back to a lower APR.

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So for this section, both cards are pretty much the same and most fees are what you would expect with most credit cards.

Annual Fee

Now when it comes to the annual fee for each of these cards they are actually the same and charge $250 each year to use the card.

And even though this is a reasonable amount of money to pay for a credit card each year, both cards provide more value than the cost of the annual fee, and if you compare it to more expensive credit cards like the Amex Platinum Card which costs $695 a year, both of these cards are reasonably well priced.

Sign-up Bonus

So for the next section of this review, I’m going to go over what each card offers for its current sign-up bonus and what the difference is

Now Delta Skymiles are worth about 1.1 cents per mile which would value this sign-up bonus at around $990 which is really good value in my opinion.

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And assuming you are able to secure the 75,000 bonus points, it will be worth up to $750, as Amex points can be redeemed for up to 1 cent per point if you redeem them on the right benefits.

So, for this section, at least until the 13th of April, the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card offers up to $240 more in value just from the sign-up bonus.
And just a side note, usually, the sign-up bonus for the Delta Skymiles Platinum Card is around 50,000 miles, which would value you the sign-up bonus at about $550. 

Earning Miles / Points

Now for the next section, let’s see how each card performs and compares when it comes to points or miles earning potential.

Then there is the ability to earn 2x miles for purchases at US restaurants and at US supermarkets.
And all other purchases will receive 1 mile per dollar spent.

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Then there is the ability to earn 4x points at US supermarkets with a maximum spend of $25,000 per year, which is the equivalent of 100,000 points, and is worth up to $1,000.

Any flights booked through amextravel.com or directly with the airline will receive 3x points.
And after this, all other purchases will receive 1 point per dollar spent.

So for this section, the Amex Gold card does actually offer more value than the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card when it comes to the ability to earn more points.

Benefits and User Perks 

So now for one of the more interesting parts of this review, I will go over all of the benefits and perks that come with each card, and for this section, you will see that both cards have some pretty good benefits to choose from.

There are just 2 things to know about this offer, the first is that it is only available after you renew the card for a second year which means you will need to wait at least 12 months before it is available to you, and the second thing is that you will have to pay any associated fees and taxes that come with the flight, which is capped at a maximum of $75.

Now there are also quite a few airlines specific benefits that you will get with this card, the first being your First Checked Bag Free on Delta flights, and this can save you up to $60 on a return flight.
Also, there is Priority Boarding on Delta flights, and these two benefits can cover up to nine waivers per reservation.
You will also receive a statement credit of 20% for inflight purchases of food, beverages, and audio headsets made on Delta flights.

Another Delta-related benefit is the ability to visit the Delta Sky Club at a discounted rate of $39 per person, with a maximum of two guests, and this is only available when flying on the same day of a Delta-marked flight.

There is a credit of up to $100 for use on either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
And then finally, if you spend $25,000 or more on the card within a calendar year you will earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles.

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So now let’s take a look at what the American Express Gold Card has to offer.

Along with this, there is also another $120 Credit that is provided in the way of Uber Cash. Basically, when you use Uber Rides or Uber Eats you will receive up to $10 credit each month. And just note that Uber Eats purchases will receive 4x points as well.

One more benefit that comes with this card is a $100 Experience Credit for use at a hotel that is part of ‘The Hotel Collection’ and booked through American Express Travel.
And this must be a booking of at least 2 nights to be eligible to receive the $100 credit.

So for this section of the review, The Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card provides more value than the Amex Gold card as long as you fly with Delta.

Insurance Related Benefits 

Now for the last section of this review, I’ll go over all of the insurance-related coverage that comes with these cards, and everything is the same besides one little thing that I will cover at the end of this section. 

Both cards receive Trip Delay Insurance which provides up to $300 if your flight has a delay of more than 12 hours, and this is available 2 times in a 12 month period.

There is a Baggage Insurance Plan that covers damaged, lost, or stolen baggage up to a total of $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage, and you must use the card to pay for the entire fare to be eligible for this coverage.

When you hire a car you will receive Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance of up to $50,000.
And you will receive this coverage as long as you pay for the car rental with the card, and coverage will be for theft or damage to the rental vehicle

With Extended Warranty protection, there is up to 1 extra year of coverage on any warranties that are 5 years or less and that are purchased within the US.
And this covers up to $10,000 per item and $50,000 per year.

Differences

Now the only real difference between the two cards in terms of insurance coverage is the Purchases Protection.

Basically, when paying for an item with the card you will get 90 days of coverage from the date of purchase that coves you for any accidental damage or theft of the item.
And with the Amex Delta SkyMiles Platinum card, this covers up to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per calendar year.
But with the Amex Gold Card, the coverage is up to $10,000 per occurrence and the same $50,000 per calendar year.

Final Thoughts

So what’s my overall opinion of the American Express Delta Skymiles Platinum and Amex Gold card? 

Although these cards have the same annual fee of $250, they come with different benefits, and depending on how you use the card will ultimately be the deciding factor in which card is most valuable and suitable for you.

I actually like both cards and think that they both provide a lot of value.
But remember, if you sign up for the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card before April 13th of 2022, you will get quite a lot more value from the larger than normal sign-up bonus, which is worth about $240 more than what the Gold card is currently offering.

In terms of benefits and user perks, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card does offer more overall value, specifically because of the Companion Certificate which can be worth quite a lot depending on where you decide to fly.
There is also the $100 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry which is a nice benefit to have, especially if you are a frequent traveler.
And then having access to the Delta SkyClub is a nice extra to have, even if it still costs $39 per person.

So if you don’t travel much, specifically with Delta, obviously the Delta Skymiles Platinum card is not going to make much sense for you.
And this is when the Amex Gold card would be the better choice.

Now if you like these cards but are looking for the next level up in terms of benefits, perks, and sign-up bonus, why not check out my review of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve card and the Classic American Express Platinum card here.