Is the Amex Platinum card the same as the Delta Platinum card?

No. Both cards are issued by American Express, but the Amex Platinum card is a premium travel rewards card that earns Membership Rewards points, and the Delta Platinum card is a co-branded airline credit card that earns Delta SkyMiles. The Amex Platinum card has numerous premium travel and shopping benefits and protections. The Delta Platinum card offers benefits that are more Delta Air Lines-focused, such as free checked bags, priority boarding on Delta flights, and a faster path to Delta Medallion elite status through card spending.

Does the Delta Platinum card have lounge access?

No, the Delta Platinum card does not offer airport lounge access.

Can I transfer SkyMiles to other airlines?

You cannot transfer Delta SkyMiles to other airlines, but you can redeem miles for flights with partner airlines that are members of the SkyTeam alliance.

Does the Amex Platinum card give Delta SkyClub access?

Yes, the Amex Platinum card allows you to access Delta SkyClubs when flying Delta up to 10 times per calendar year, unless you’re flying on a Basic Economy ticket.

Which card helps you earn Delta Medallion status?

Between the Amex Platinum card and the Delta Platinum card, only the Delta Platinum card will help you earn Delta SkyMiles Medallion status. With it, you receive an automatic $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollars each Medallion Qualification Year for holding the card, and $1 Medallion Qualification Dollar for every $20 of purchases spent on your Delta Platinum card each year.

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Amex Platinum Card vs. Delta Platinum Card [Detailed Comparison]

Updated: July 22, 2026, 7:07am CDT

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Table of Contents

Quick Overview: Amex Platinum vs. Delta Platinum
Amex Platinum vs. Delta Platinum at a Glance
Comparing Welcome Offers
Reward Points vs. Delta SkyMiles
Statement Credits Comparison
Delta Air Lines Perks
Travel Protection and Insurance Benefits
Annual Fees and Authorized Users
Which Card Should You Choose?
Final Thoughts

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express and the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card share similar names, but they serve different purposes.

The Amex Platinum card is a premium travel rewards card, and the Delta Platinum card is a co-branded airline card for Delta travelers. This comparison is for anyone deciding between the Amex Platinum card and the Delta Platinum card and covers their fees, welcome offers, rewards, lounge access, Delta-specific benefits, and which card is the better fit for different types of travelers.

Quick Overview: Amex Platinum vs. Delta Platinum

The Amex Platinum card has a $895 annual fee (rates & fees) and is designed as a premium travel rewards card with broad travel benefits. The Delta Platinum card has a $350 annual fee (rates & fees) and focuses on benefits for frequent Delta flyers, including airline-specific perks.

With the Amex Platinum card, you’ll earn transferable Amex Membership Rewards points, and the Delta Platinum card earns Delta SkyMiles. Amex Membership Rewards points can be transferred to multiple airline and hotel partners, including Delta. SkyMiles are primarily redeemed for Delta flights and other SkyTeam partner awards.

Travelers who want flexibility across airlines and premium travel benefits may find the Amex Platinum card a better fit. If you fly Delta regularly and value airline-specific benefits, you may be better served by the Delta Platinum card.

Amex Platinum vs. Delta Platinum at a Glance

Before we dive into the details of each card, review each product so you can easily review the attributes of both featured cards side by side.

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Benefit	Amex Platinum Card	Delta Platinum Card
Welcome Offer	Apply and find out if you're eligible for as high as 175,000 points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. $3,850	You may be eligible for as high as 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted. Up to $1,080
Earning	5x points on flights booked directly with the airline or on AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year, then 1x) 5x points on and prepaid hotels purchased directly with the airlines or on AmexTravel.com 1x point on all other purchases	3x miles on Delta purchases and on hotels 2x miles at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets 1x mile on all other purchases
Top Redemptions	Membership Rewards points transfer 1:1 to over 20 airline and hotel programs, including Delta Air Lines. Redeem Membership Rewards points for flights via AmexTravel.com Redeem for travel on AmexTravel.com, statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, Amazon, Ticketmaster, and more (Source: American Express).	Redeem miles for flights with Delta and SkyTeam member airlines. Redeem for Delta Vacations, Sky Club membership, Sky Club drinks, merchandise, gift cards, magazines.
Delta Air Lines Benefits	10 visits to Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta) with the ability to unlock unlimited visits through spend (Source: Delta)	Free checked bags and priority boarding on Delta flights Annual round-trip domestic companion flight certificate 20% statement credit for eligible inflight purchases Receive $2,500 MQDs each Medallion qualification year and earn $1 MQD for each $20 of purchases with your card.
Lounge Access and Travel Benefits	Worldwide access to over 1,550 airport lounges Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy, Gold status with Hilton Honors, and Sterling status with Leaders Club (upon enrollment) Statement credits for airline incidentals, prepaid hotels, CLEAR+ membership, Uber, and more (upon enrollment) Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)	Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee reimbursement Annual statement credits (enrollment required): Up to $120 Resy, up to $120 eligible U.S. ride-shares, up to $150 for Delta Stays Complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards status (enrollment required) No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)
Annual Fees	$895 (rates & fees)	$350 (rates & fees)
Best For	Those who want flexibility and premium travel perks	Frequent Delta flyers

Comparing Welcome Offers

The current welcome offer for the Amex Platinum card is: Apply and find out if you're eligible for as high as 175,000 points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

The welcome offer for the Delta Platinum card is: You may be eligible for as high as 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.

We value Amex Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents each, and Delta SkyMiles at around 1.2 cents each. This makes the value of the welcome offer on the Delta Platinum card up to $1,080. The value of the Amex Platinum card welcome offer is much higher, at up to $3,850.

Ultimately, the Amex Platinum card offers a much better welcome offer and is one of the best credit card welcome offers.

Reward Points vs. Delta SkyMiles

Although the Amex Platinum card and the Delta Platinum card earn different types of rewards, you may accomplish similar rewards redemptions with either Membership Rewards or SkyMiles, especially if you’re a Delta frequent flyer.

Delta One Suites A330 900neo cabin — Amex Membership Rewards points and Delta SkyMiles can be redeemed for premium Delta flights. Image Credit: Ryan Smith

Let’s compare the earning and redemptions:

Earning Potential

The Amex Platinum card and the Delta Platinum card earn different types of reward currencies. Here’s how you can expect to earn rewards with each card:

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Earning Category	Platinum Card^® from American Express	Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card
Travel	5x points on flights booked directly with the airline and on AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 in purchases each calendar year, then 1x) 5x points prepaid hotels booked via AmexTravel.com	3x miles on Delta purchases 3x miles on purchases directly with hotels
Restaurants and U.S. Supermarkets	1x point	2x miles
All Other Purchases	1x point	1x mile

The Amex Platinum card earns more points on flight purchases. The Delta Platinum card is better for all Delta purchases (beyond just flights), and everyday purchases like restaurants and U.S. supermarkets.

Redemptions

The real value of rewards is revealed when you redeem them. Either card offers good opportunities to redeem your rewards for travel and more.

Compare the redemption possibilities of these 2 cards:

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Redemptions	Platinum Card^® from American Express	Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card
Flights and Flight Upgrades	Redeem Membership Rewards points for flights via AmexTravel.com. Use your Membership Rewards points to request an upgrade for flights on your preselected airline.	Redeem miles for flights with Delta and SkyTeam member airlines. Upgrade tickets with miles. Use the Pay with Miles benefit to redeem miles to pay for all or a portion of eligible flights.
Transfer Points to Airline or Hotel Partners	Amex transfer partners	SkyMiles cannot be transferred to hotel programs or to other airlines. Redeem SkyMiles for Delta Vacations, which can include hotels, and purchase award tickets with SkyTeam airline partners.
Additional Redemption Options	Redeem for travel on AmexTravel.com, statement credits, gift cards, merchandise, Amazon, Ticketmaster, donate points.	Sky Club membership, premium Sky Club drinks, merchandise, gift cards, magazines, charitable contribution

Amex Membership Rewards transfers to multiple airline and hotel partners (including Delta at 1:1). SkyMiles redeems only with Delta and its SkyTeam partners, making your Amex points significantly more valuable and offering far more redemption options.

The Amex Platinum card is better if you value flexibility, and the Delta Platinum card is best for Delta frequent flyers.

Statement Credits Comparison

Both cards offer statement credits that can help offset their annual fees, but they take very different approaches. The Amex Platinum card offers a broader range of credits across travel, dining, shopping, fitness, and entertainment. The Delta Platinum card offers a smaller set of airline- and travel-focused credits.

For a complete breakdown of each card’s available statement credits and enrollment requirements, see our full Amex Platinum card benefits guide and Delta Platinum card benefits guide.

Delta Air Lines Perks

The Delta Platinum card offers several benefits designed specifically for frequent Delta flyers. Cardholders receive a free checked bag on Delta-operated flights, Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding, an annual companion certificate after renewing the card, and an annual Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) Headstart that helps accelerate progress toward Delta Medallion Status. These benefits can provide meaningful value for travelers who regularly fly with the airline (Source: Delta).

The Amex Platinum card offers far fewer Delta-specific perks. When flying on Delta, eligible cardholders receive up to 10 visits to Delta Sky Club lounges per year unless they’re on a Basic Economy ticket. Plus, Amex Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Delta SkyMiles at a 1:1 ratio, providing another way to earn Delta rewards without holding a co-branded card.

The Delta Platinum card offers significantly greater value for travelers seeking Delta-specific benefits and opportunities for elite status.

Delta Airbus A220 First Class Cabin — Both of our featured cards offer Delta benefits. Image Credit: Greg Stone

Bottom Line:

If you’re a Delta Medallion elite member and already have access to some of the perks and benefits that would be offered on the Delta Platinum card, you may want to consider the additional premium travel benefits and Delta-centric benefits offered by the Amex Platinum card.

Travel Protection and Insurance Benefits

Both cards include travel protections such as car rental loss and damage insurance, trip delay insurance, and baggage insurance. However, the Amex Platinum card generally offers higher coverage limits and additional protections, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance and emergency medical evacuation coverage.

For a complete breakdown of the Amex Platinum card’s travel protections and coverage limits, see our Amex Platinum travel insurance guide.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

The Amex Platinum card has a $895 annual fee. The Delta Platinum card has a $350 annual fee.

The Amex Platinum card charges $195 for each additional Platinum Card added to the account, but the Delta Platinum card has no fee for additional cardholders. Although the Amex Platinum card costs substantially more, cardholders who regularly use its statement credits and premium travel benefits may be able to offset much of the higher annual fee.

Which Card Should You Choose?

The right card depends on whether you want flexible travel rewards or Delta-specific benefits.

Choose the Amex Platinum card if you regularly fly multiple airlines, value airport lounge access, want the flexibility of transferable Amex Membership Rewards points, and expect to use enough of the card’s statement credits and travel benefits to offset its higher annual fee. It’s the better choice for travelers who prioritize premium travel perks and flexibility in redeeming points over airline-specific benefits.

Choose the Delta Platinum card if you primarily fly Delta and want benefits that directly improve your travel experience with the airline. This includes free checked bags, Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding, an annual companion certificate after renewal, and an MQD Headstart that can provide meaningful value for frequent Delta flyers while offering a lower annual fee than the Amex Platinum card.

Some travelers carry both cards, using the Amex Platinum card for its premium travel benefits and transferable rewards, and the Delta Platinum card for its airline-specific perks when flying Delta.

Final Thoughts

The Delta Platinum card is the better choice for travelers who primarily fly Delta and want airline-specific benefits such as a free checked bag, priority boarding, and an annual companion certificate. The Amex Platinum card is a better fit for travelers who fly multiple airlines, value premium lounge access, and want the flexibility of transferable Amex Membership Rewards points.

The Amex Platinum card offers a broader range of travel benefits, but its higher annual fee is worthwhile only if you expect to use enough of its statement credits and premium perks to offset the cost. Before applying, be sure to verify the latest welcome offers, benefits, and terms on the American Express website, as they may change over time.

Want more options? Check out our articles “Delta Platinum card vs. the American Express^® Gold Card” and the “Amex Platinum Card vs. the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card.”