Delta SkyMiles Gold Business vs. Amex Business Gold: Which Is Better?
A low-fee airline card for businesses that fly Delta, or a flexible-points card built around business spending categories. They solve different problems.
The Delta SkyMiles Gold Business ($0 the first year, then $150) is for businesses that fly Delta and want free checked bags, Delta Stays and rideshare credits at a low cost. The Amex Business Gold ($375) earns 4x Membership Rewards on your two highest of six business categories each month, so it fits companies with heavy advertising, software, restaurant or gas spend. If you do not fly Delta, the Business Gold is the more flexible card.
Delta Gold Business
- 90,000 bonus miles after $6,000 in 6 months (offer listed through Nov 4, 2026)
- 2x on Delta purchases, restaurants, U.S. shipping and select U.S. advertising (caps apply)
- 1x on everything else
- First checked bag free for you and up to 8 companions; free second bag on domestic Delta flights
- Up to $150 a year Delta Stays credit, up to $10 a month rideshare credit (after the first year, enrollment)
- $200 Delta flight credit after $10,000 in calendar-year spend; employee cards free
Amex Business Gold
- Welcome offer varies, marketed up to 200,000 points after $15,000 in 3 months
- 4x on your top two of six categories each month, up to $150,000 combined a year, then 1x
- 3x on flights and prepaid hotels via Amex Travel
- Up to $240 a year in Grubhub, office supply and UPS credits, plus up to $155 for Walmart+
- No preset spending limit; flexible Membership Rewards points
- Employee Gold cards $95 each; Expense Cards free
Side-by-side
| Delta Gold Business | Amex Business Gold | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 first year, then $150 | $375 |
| Currency | Delta SkyMiles | Amex Membership Rewards (transferable) |
| Welcome offer | 90,000 miles / $6,000 / 6 months, ends Nov 4, 2026 | Varies, up to 200,000 pts / $15,000 / 3 months |
| Top earn rate | 2x Delta, restaurants, shipping, advertising | 4x on top 2 of 6 categories (to $150,000 a year) |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
| Bag perks | Free first bag worldwide, second bag domestic | None |
| Main credits | Delta Stays $150, rideshare $10 a month, $200 flight credit after $10,000 | Grubhub, office supply, UPS (up to $240), Walmart+ |
| Employee cards | Free | $95 each Gold, Expense Cards free |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
What counts as a good fit
For the Delta card, the math starts with bags. If you and a companion each check a bag, the free first bag saves you the checked-bag fee on both and can cover the $150 fee in a few trips, and the Delta Stays and rideshare credits add more if you would book them anyway. The $0 first year makes it low risk to try.
For the Business Gold, the math starts with your monthly categories. With $5,000 a month in qualifying categories, 4x earns 20,000 points a month on that spending, which is far more flexible than SkyMiles for most owners. At $375 you need to either use the statement credits or earn enough extra points to cover it.
A note on the welcome offers
The Delta card’s public offer was reported as 90,000 miles after $6,000 in 6 months, ending November 4, 2026, although another Amex page showed a lower public offer, so confirm in the application. The Business Gold’s offer is personalized and can be much higher or lower than the advertised maximum.
Bottom line
- You fly Delta a few times a year and check bags
- You want a low-risk $0 first year
- You do not want transferable points
- You spend in advertising, software, restaurants, gas or similar categories
- You want flexible, transferable points
- You can use the Grubhub, supply and UPS credits