For business owners looking to dip their toes into the Delta cobranded card lineup, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is a solid starting point. It comes with an affordable annual fee, $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (see rates and fees), and a few decent perks. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Business owners loyal to Delta Air Lines have no shortage of cobranded cards to choose from, whether you’re a casual traveler or in the air every week.

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card is the starter product in the Delta business card lineup, offering solid perks and a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (see rates and fees). It has a recommended credit score of 670.

This card is built for those who want to earn SkyMiles and take advantage of elitelike perks when flying Delta but who might not travel with the airline enough to justify a higher annual fee.

Let’s look at how the card stacks up against its Delta counterparts and other non-Delta alternatives.

The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex offers new cardmembers a welcome offer of 75,000 miles after you spend $6,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.

TPG’s valuations place the value of this offer at $863. This comes close to the best offer in this card’s history, so now is a good time to apply.

Its $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (see rates and fees) makes it a decent choice for small-business owners who occasionally fly Delta.

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American Express also limits who can apply for the card, and you’re generally ineligible for the welcome bonus if you’ve previously held this card. According to American Express:

You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or previous versions of this Card. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors. If you are not eligible for a welcome offer, we will notify you prior to processing your application so you have the option to withdraw your application.

Related: Best Delta credit cards

While the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex card doesn’t have the same premium perks as its more expensive Delta business card counterparts, it comes with several benefits when flying on Delta:

• Award flight discount: 15% off award redemptions for Delta flights (when paying taxes and fees with this card)
• Delta Stays credit: A $150 annual statement credit with Delta Stays, Delta’s hotel travel portal
• Delta flight credit: A $200 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 on purchases in a calendar year
• First checked bag free: You and up to eight companions on the same reservation (so nine travelers total) get your first checked bag free when flying on Delta-marketed and -operated flights. At $70 a bag round-trip, that can add up quickly if you travel regularly.

• Priority boarding: Receive Zone 5 boarding on Delta flights for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
• Inflight discount: Receive a 20% statement credit on inflight purchases, including pre-purchased meals, food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets when using the card (excludes inflight Wi-Fi purchases.)
• Baggage insurance plan: If your luggage is lost, damaged or stolen when you use the card to pay for travel, you’ll receive up to $1,250 for a carry-on and up to $500 for a checked bag.*
• Car rental loss and damage insurance: You’re covered if your eligible rental car is damaged or stolen when you use the card to reserve and pay for it and decline company insurance. Note that this is secondary coverage and doesn’t include liability.**
• Shopping protections:* The card comes with an extended warranty that adds up to one year onto an original manufacturer’s warranty for five years or less. Purchase protection covers items that are accidentally damaged or stolen if you paid for them with the card for up to 90 days after the date of purchase.

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Related: How to maximize the new statement credits on the Delta Amex cards

• 2 miles per dollar on eligible purchases made directly with Delta
• 2 miles per dollar on U.S. shipping and advertising (limit $50,000 spent per year; 1 mile per dollar thereafter)
• 2 miles per dollar on dining at restaurants
• 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases

These aren’t show-stopping earning rates, but it is nice to see some non-travel earning categories thrown in to help business owners earn on more than just travel with Delta.

Related: Best business credit cards for each category

Award flights on Delta or its SkyTeam alliance partners are your best redemption options. Delta’s dynamic award pricing makes it hard to maximize SkyMiles, but you can still find value with the program if you can put in the time to do your own searches and be flexible when it comes time to redeem your miles.

Delta frequently has flash sales and other deals on its website, and you can find excellent redemption options for international and domestic itineraries. For example, we’ve recently seen deals for domestic awards from 2,000 SkyMiles one-way and New York to Bogota, Colombia, in Delta One from 12,000 SkyMiles one-way.

You can also use your SkyMiles for seat upgrades. Just know that since Delta doesn’t have award charts, you won’t know how many miles those premium seats will cost until you’re ready to book. SkyMiles upgrades are also valid on certain flights operated by Delta partners Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic and Aeromexico when using Mileage Upgrade Awards once your flight is booked.

You can also redeem your SkyMiles for gift cards, magazines, unique SkyMiles Experiences, online shopping and more, though those options almost always yield less-than-optimal returns.

TPG senior editorial director Nick Ewen redeems his SkyMiles for domestic trips, taking advantage of the TakeOff 15% benefit, effectively reducing the number of miles he needs to redeem on Delta flights.

Related: How to redeem Delta SkyMiles for maximum value

For additional options, check out our full list of best travel cards and best American Express cards.

Read more: Who qualifies for a business credit card?

For the Delta Gold Business Amex to be worth its annual fee, you’ll want to maximize perks such as first checked bag free and inflight purchase discounts to surpass $150 in value each year. Even if you only fly the airline a few times a year, that shouldn’t be hard to do, though.

You’ll want to choose the Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Amex if your business needs a credit card with basic Delta perks like a free checked bag and priority boarding to help make travel easier, and you don’t want to spend a huge amount in annual fees. However, if you hope to use your card to help you hit elite status, one of the other Delta business credit cards will be a better fit.

Suppose you’re looking for an everyday business credit card. In that case, there are other alternatives with better options for earning extra points in spending categories that are most important to you or the ability to get more value for those points when redeeming them.

But this card is the most straightforward and inexpensive choice for Delta flyers looking for a simple business credit card to make their flights more comfortable.

Apply here: Delta SkyMiles Gold Business American Express Card

For rates and fees of the Delta Gold Business Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta Reserve Business Amex, click here.