Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card

The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card is the entry point to Delta's co-branded lineup: a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. It is built for people who fly Delta a few times a year, check bags, and want useful perks without paying for lounge access or a companion certificate. The welcome offer shown on delta.com in August 2026 is as high as 80,000 bonus miles after $2,000 in purchases in your first 6 months. American Express personalizes offers, so treat 80,000 as the ceiling and check the figure on your actual application. Earning is 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide including US takeout and delivery, and at US supermarkets, with 1 mile per dollar everywhere else. The variable purchase APR runs 19.49% to 28.49%, and there are no foreign transaction fees. The bag benefit is the anchor. Your first checked bag flies free on Delta flights worldwide, and a June 4, 2026 update added a free second checked bag on domestic Delta flights with no fee increase. The same update introduced a $120 annual rideshare credit, paid as up to $10 in monthly statement credits, but it only unlocks after your first card renewal, so first-year cardholders do not get it. You also get up to $100 back per year on prepaid Delta Stays hotel and vacation rental bookings and 15% off when booking Delta award travel with miles. Read the fine print on the $200 Delta flight credit: it requires $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year, an effective 2% return paid only as Delta flight credit. If you would push $10,000 through this card to chase it, a flat 2% cash back card returns the same value in actual cash with no annual fee. The monthly credits also demand attention: $10 rideshare increments require enrollment and expire month by month. Get this card if you fly Delta at least two or three round trips a year and check bags; the waived first-year fee makes it a low-risk trial. Skip it if you fly whichever airline is cheapest, never check a bag, or want lounge access, which requires the $650 Reserve. And if you carry a balance, skip the whole category: a 19.49% to 28.49% APR outruns any rewards math.