Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card Overview

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card soars above other SkyMiles cards as the best Delta Air Lines credit card when it comes to luxury benefits and Medallion Status reward opportunities.

It lands on the expensive side with a $650 annual fee and bonus mile rates that mainly reward heavy Delta spending, so it’s probably best for loyal business travelers. However, other Delta airline cards and American Express travel cards will probably provide better value at a similar or lower annual fee if you’re looking for more diverse bonus categories.

Rewards
- 3X miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases
- 1.5X miles per dollar on eligible transit, U.S. shipping, and U.S. office supply store purchases, plus all eligible purchases (after spending $150,000 in one calendar year)
- 1X miles on all other purchases
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis
Welcome offer
- Earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 in the first six months of Card Membership.
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis
Rates and fees
- APR: 19.99% - 28.99% Variable
- Annual fee: $650
Expert Appraisal: Typical
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Other cardholder perks
Expert Appraisal: Exceptional
See our expert analysis

Delta Reserve Business pros and cons

Pros

It's the best Delta card available for earning Medallion Status.
The strong array of travel perks more than outweigh the annual fee.
The complimentary companion benefits can fly a guest first-class for a low cost.

Cons

The high annual fee could break the bank for some small business owners.
Your reward redemption options are limited compared to other travel cards.
Unless you’re a Delta Medallion Status fanatic, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express and the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card probably offer better value.

First-year value vs. ongoing value

The card offers enough credits to provide significant value even after the welcome bonus is earned, but only if you’re able to take advantage of them. Here’s a basic breakdown based on a yearly spend of $48,000 with $16,000 being on Delta flights, $16,000 being on eligible transit, U.S. shipping, and U.S. office supply store purchases, and $16,000 on miscellaneous purchases:

Benefits and Costs	First-year value	Ongoing value (no welcome offers)
Yearly rewards*	+$1,056	+$1,056
Welcome offers	+$960 value (80,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership, assuming a value of around 1.2 cents per mile)	—
Perks (of monetary value)	+$240 Resy credit per calendar year ($20 in statement credits per month) +$250 Delta Stays statement credit each calendar year +$250 in statement credits per year on American Express Venue Collection Concessions +$70 (First checked bag free for round-trip flights) +$30 (up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years) +$120 rideshare credit each year ($10 statement credits per month)	+$240 Resy credit per calendar year ($20 in statement credits per month) +$250 Delta Stays statement credit each calendar year +$250 in statement credits per year on American Express Venue Collection Concessions +$70 (First checked bag free for round-trip flights) +$30 (up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years) +$120 rideshare credit each year ($10 statement credits per month)
Annual fee	-$650	-$650
Total value	$2,326	$1,366

*Based on our formula used to calculate each card’s average rewards rates and average ongoing rewards value, using Bureau of Labor Statistics spending data and an assumed $48,000 yearly spend over three years ($4,000 per month).

Why you might want the Delta Reserve Business

The true meat of this card’s value comes from the premier travel benefits, elite status modifiers and luxury companion perks that you can’t get with any other Delta card.

Welcome offer: Bonus miles for business spending

New cardholders can earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 in their first six months of card membership. Although the spending requirement is high, it shouldn't be out of reach for the average small business owner (we estimate the average spend for a small business to be around $4,000 per month). If you were already planning to spend that amount or more to keep your business running, then being rewarded for it is icing on the cake.

Delta SkyMiles aren’t the most valuable miles on the market, but the current bonus has a decent value for a business travel card of its caliber, worth around $960 in Delta travel based on Bankrate’s latest point and mile valuations, which give Delta SkyMiles an estimated average value of 1.2 cents apiece. That said, some general travel card bonus offers may beat out the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business since you can transfer those rewards to multiple airline and hotel partners and potentially boost their value.

Benefits and perks: An abundance of statement credits

As the premier Delta credit card, Reserve Business cardholders receive a wealth of travel and purchase benefits that more than make up for the high annual fee. The statement credits available on the Delta Reserve Business total $980 with the inclusion of the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application reimbursement. You’ll only need to renew that once every four years, but the annual statement credits still add up to $860 worth of value without it.

Plus you’ll save even more with perks like 20 percent back on Delta in-flight purchases (issued as a statement credit), an annual companion certificate after renewal, free checked bag on up to nine waivers per reservation and eligibility for the Complimentary Upgrade Program. This card offers a laundry list of luxury benefits and perks for Delta loyalists. The most notable being the annual companion certificate.

You can bring a business partner, client or guest on a First Class, Delta Comfort+ or Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American round-trip flight with your annual complimentary companion certificate. You'll only have to cover government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250, both for itineraries with up to four flight segments (Baggage charges and other restrictions apply).

Rewards: Solid travel rewards for Delta loyalists

The Delta Reserve Business card earns frequent flyer miles mainly on eligible Delta purchases. They aren’t the most flexible rewards in the world, but they definitely suit Delta loyalists.

You’ll earn:

3X miles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases
1.5X miles per dollar on eligible transit, U.S. shipping, and U.S. office supply store purchases, plus all eligible purchases (after you spend $150,000 on your card in a calendar year)
1X miles on all other purchases

If your purchase qualifies for a category that has a higher mileage accelerator, only the higher rate will apply (for instance, you’ll earn 3X miles on eligible Delta purchases instead of 1.5X miles).

This is a pretty big requirement for a few more Delta miles, so utilizing the Reserve Business card’s other methods to earn miles can help maximize your spending until you reach that bar. Booking flights with any of Delta’s airline partners will also earn you 3X miles, plus the Delta SkyMiles Dining program can deliver up to 5X miles on business meals.

Why you might want a different business travel card

The Delta Reserve Business has a ton of marks in the plus column, but it might not be the best choice for annual fee-avoiders, or business owners who value flexibility.

Rates and fees: sky-high annual fee and no intro APR offer

All of the Delta Reserve Business card’s premium benefits notably come at a premium price: a $650 annual fee. This could be quite steep if your business expenses can’t maximize your reward miles. After all, you’d need to spend more than $15,000 per year on Delta flights to earn $650 worth of rewards (based on a 1.2-cent-per-mile value estimate). That’s a hefty spend, but keep in mind the value of other perks such as the companion certificate and free first checked bags. Those can make up more than the card’s annual fee if you take full advantage of them.

Another downside to the card is that it does not offer an intro APR period, so it won’t be of much help if you need to finance large expenses or free up cash flow. Meanwhile, the ongoing APR is 19.99% - 28.99% Variable, the low end of which is close to the current average interest rate.

Miles redemptions: limited options

The SkyMiles program’s biggest flaw is how rigid its redemption options are. The best use of your miles by far is to book travel or upgrade your seats.

Although Delta and its SkyTeam alliance partners have over 1,000 destinations with no blackout dates, you can’t fully transfer miles to partner airlines—only book with them through Delta.

The only other uses for miles are for travel experiences, merchandise, magazine subscriptions and gifting miles to another account or charity. Other travel rewards programs, such as American Express Membership Rewards, have more varied options that include cash back and additional travel booking methods.

Rewards value: Comes up short compared to other cards

This lack of flexibility could be why Delta SkyMiles only have a market value of 1.2 cents, according to Bankrate’s latest valuations. That’s pretty low compared to the 2.0 cents per point you may get with general Amex Membership Rewards.

Keep in mind

Your miles are worth 1 cent toward flights within Delta — on paper. “Pay with Miles” only allows you to redeem in 5,000-point intervals for $50 discounts, but a mile’s value may vary with the cost of each flight since Delta doesn’t use a defined award chart.

Take The Business Platinum Card from American Express, for example. This card — similarly priced at $695 per year — offers an 150,000-point bonus after you spend $20,000 in your first three months. We estimate Membership Rewards points can be worth around 2.0 cents each based on an advantage of the issuer’s top travel transfer partners (giving this bonus a potential value of around $3,000).

Plus, you’ll still have the option to book with Delta since rewards transfer 1:1 from Amex to Delta. While transferring from Amex to Delta might still only get you an average mile value of around 1.2 cents per mile, having the flexibility to book with airlines other than Delta and its partners makes a general Amex travel card much more attractive.

How the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business card compares to other travel cards

The SkyMiles Reserve Business outclasses the benefits and loyalty features of all other Delta business cards. However, you must decide whether a much lower annual fee and hotel, dining and advertising bonus categories are more in line with your business’ spending.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5 4.8

See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Apply now

on American Express's secure site

Annual fee

$650

Intro offer

Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles

Rewards rate

3X

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5 4.8

See Rates & Fees , Terms Apply

Apply now

on American Express's secure site

Annual fee

$695

Intro offer

Earn 150,000 points + $500 statement credit

Rewards rate

1X - 5X

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent

Capital One Venture X Business

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5 4.9

See Rates & Fees

Apply now

on Capital One's secure site

Annual fee

$395

Intro offer

Earn up to 350,000 bonus miles

Rewards rate

2X miles - 10X miles

Recommended Credit Score

Excellent (740 – 850)

Best cards to pair with the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business card

With the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business you earn the most in certain categories. If your business spending runs the gamut, you could miss out on valuable rewards without one of these cards to fill in the gaps.

Is the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business card right for you?

This business card offers a lot of value in terms of statement credits and perks, but it has limited redemption options that may not work well for business owners who want more flexibility. You’ll likely get a lot of value out of this card if you’re a:

Luxury business traveler: You already know your business spends big and you want to earn travel rewards for that. You love seeing those statement credits deducted from your balance for purchases you were going to make anyway and flying in Delta Comfort+, Business Class or First Class is your preferred way to travel.
Delta loyalists: Transferring credit card rewards to an airline partner isn’t really appealing to you since you fly Delta wherever you go. You enjoy the added benefits of Medallion Status and the $2,500 in Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) is the perfect headstart to more luxury perks.

If you aren’t a Delta loyalist, applying the $650 annual fee toward the Amex Business Platinum Card instead would offer even more flexibility and similar luxury perks.

Alternative picks

If you've decided that the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business isn't the right call for you, you might find a better fit with these alternatives:

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Best for maximizing rewards at a more affordable annual fee

Capital One Spark Miles for Business

Best for flat-rate rewards and better flexibility

Frequently asked questions

How we rated this card

50+

cards rated

700+

data points considered

10

spending categories analyzed

40+

perks evaluated

Our proprietary card rating system takes into account a mix of factors when scoring business credit cards, including each card’s rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more.

We analyzed over 50 of the most popular business credit cards and scored each based on how its key features stacked up compared to those of other cards in its category.

Here are some of the key factors that gave this card its score:

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Business Platinum Card from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business, please click here.

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company

(*)Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

**Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

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Delta Reserve® for Business Credit Card from American Express Review | Bankrate