American Express Gold Card vs Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
Annual fees: American Express Gold Card $325/yr, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card $150/yr. Strongest bonus categories: American Express Gold Card on hotels, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card on dining.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
American Express Gold CardAmerican Express · $325/yr
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardAmerican Express · $150/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- American Express Gold Card$325Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card$150LowestWaived first year
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- American Express Gold CardAs high as 100,000 points — offers varyDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardAs high as 80,000 miles — offers vary
- Rewards
- American Express Gold CardAmerican Express Membership RewardsDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardDelta SkyMiles
- Foreign transaction fee
- American Express Gold CardNoneDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardNone
- Network
- American Express Gold CardAmerican ExpressDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- American Express Gold Card4xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card2x
- Grocery Stores
- American Express Gold Card4xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card2x
- Flights
- American Express Gold Card3xHighestDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card1x
- Everything else
- American Express Gold Card1xDelta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- American Express Gold Card—Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
- $200 Delta flight credit
- $100 Delta Stays
- 20% inflight purchases · $20 per transaction
- Rideshare & transit
- American Express Gold Card
- $120 Uber Cash · $10 monthly
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- $10/mo rideshare · $10 monthly
- Dining & delivery
- American Express Gold Card
- $100 Resy credit · $50 every 6 months
- $120 dining credit · $10 monthly
- $84 Dunkin' credit · $7 monthly
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- American Express Gold Card
- $100 property credit at 1,300+ upscale hotels worldwide
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card— - Airline perks
- American Express Gold Card—Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
- First checked bag free for cardholder plus 8 companions
- Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights
- Other perks
- American Express Gold Card
- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
- American Express Preferred Access
- Events with Amex & Presale Tickets
- No foreign transaction fees on international purchases
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
- TakeOff 15
- No foreign transaction fees
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- American Express Gold Card
- Trip Delay Insurance up to $300
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card— - Baggage
- American Express Gold Card
- Baggage Insurance Plan up to $1,750
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Baggage insurance up to $1,250 for carry-on items
- Rental car
- American Express Gold Card
- Secondary rental car insurance for damage and theft
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Secondary car rental insurance coverage
- Purchase & returns
- American Express Gold Card
- Purchase Protection up to $10,000 per item for 90 days
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Purchase protection for new items
- Extended warranty
- American Express Gold Card
- Extended Warranty up to one additional year · up to $10,000
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
- Other protections
- American Express Gold Card
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
- Dispute Resolution and Fraud Protection
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Pros & cons
- Pros
- American Express Gold Card
- 4X points on dining worldwide - industry leading
- 4X at U.S. supermarkets up to $25k/year
- $424 in annual credits (face value) cover the $325 fee if you use at least $325 of them
- No foreign transaction fees
- Transfer to 19 airline and hotel partners
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- First checked bag free for you + 8 companions; second checked bag free on domestic Delta flights
- Priority boarding in Main Cabin 1
- $120 rideshare credit ($10/month after first renewal; enrollment required)
- 2X miles on Delta, restaurants, and supermarkets
- No foreign transaction fees
- Cons
- American Express Gold Card
- $325 annual fee with no waived first year
- 4X grocery excludes Costco, Walmart, Target
- No lounge access included
- Limited non-food spending categories
- Amex acceptance less universal than Visa/MC
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card- $150 annual fee after first year ($0 intro year)
- No companion certificate included
- No Delta Sky Club access
- Only 1X on most purchases
- SkyMiles have variable redemption value
Category-by-Category Winner
The American Express Gold Card wins in 1 of 1 categories. The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card leads in 0. 3 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Hotels
Depends: via issuer travel portal
American Express Gold Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card earns 1X (1X without restrictions)
Flights
American Express Gold Card earns 3X vs 1X
Dining
Depends: up to $50,000/yr
American Express Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Grocery Stores
Depends: up to $25,000/yr
American Express Gold Card earns 4X when conditions are met; Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | American Express Gold Card | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $212 − Annual fee ($325) Ongoing: $67 Year one: $67 | Rewards: $187 Credits (our usable estimate): $182 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $219 Year one: $369 | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $212 − Annual fee ($325) Ongoing: $607 Year one: $607 | Rewards: $749 Credits (our usable estimate): $182 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $781 Year one: $931 | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The American Express Gold Card costs $325/yr — that's $175 more than the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card ($150/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $175 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The American Express Gold Card includes dining credits. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $175 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $175 fee gap means the American Express Gold Card needs roughly $175 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on hotels and dining and everyday spend.
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing American Express Gold Card means losing:
- -Free checked bags
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Published annual fees: American Express Gold Card $325/yr, Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card $150/yr — a $175 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the American Express Gold Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The American Express Gold Card costs $325/yr vs $150/yr for the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $175 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the American Express Gold Card also lists dining credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the American Express Gold Card or Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the American Express Gold Card have that the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card doesn't?
- The American Express Gold Card offers dining credits. The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card offers travel credits.
- Should I get the American Express Gold Card or the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card has a lower $150/yr fee; the American Express Gold Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $325/yr.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.