Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Annual fees: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card $150/yr, Hilton Honors American Express Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card on dining, Hilton Honors American Express Card on hotels.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
American Express
American Express
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card | Hilton Honors American Express Card |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 1X | 7X |
The Hilton Honors American Express Card wins in 5 of 5 categories. The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card leads in 0.
Dining
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X vs 2X
Grocery Stores
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X vs 2X
Hotels
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 7X vs 1X
Gas Stations
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X vs 1X
Everyday purchases
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 3X on all other spending vs 1X
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.
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
| Scenario | Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card | Hilton Honors American Express Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
Published annual fees: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card $150/yr, Hilton Honors American Express Card $0/yr — a $150 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| Dining |
| 2X |
| 5X |
| Gas Stations | 1X | 5X |
| Grocery Stores | 2X | 5X |
| Everything Else | 1X | 3X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
| Light spender: $1,000/month |
Rewards: $187 Credits (our usable estimate): $182 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $219 Year one: $369 |
Rewards: $182 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $182 Year one: $502 |
| Close — depends on how much of the credits you use |
| Hilton Honors American Express Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $749 Credits (our usable estimate): $182 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $781 Year one: $931 | Rewards: $730 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $730 Year one: $1,050 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Hilton Honors American Express Card |
The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card costs $150/yr — that's $150 more than the Hilton Honors American Express Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $150 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card includes travel credits, free checked bags. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $150 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $150 fee gap means the Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card needs roughly $150 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on dining and grocery stores and everyday spend.
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing Hilton Honors American Express Card means losing:
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Card if you:
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
