How to Get a Targeted Welcome Bonus on Personal Delta Credit Cards

BY 

Jarrod West

- UPDATED: June 8, 2020

1. Credit Cards  / 
2. Strategies & Guides

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If you’re a Delta loyalist or live near a Delta hub, keeping a Delta credit card in your wallet can really earn you great value.

Not only are there multiple Delta credit cards to choose from, but the welcome bonuses offered for each can vary greatly. Fortunately, you could receive a targeted offer of up to 60,000-80,000 miles!

So how can you find if you’re targeted for these increased offers? Here are the steps to take to land that increased welcome bonus offer, along with the benefits of having a personal Delta card.

Note: Delta-branded cards are changing. This article reflects changes effective for card applications received on January 30, 2020, or later.

How to Get Targeted Welcome Bonuses for Personal Delta Credit Cards

The standard welcome bonus offer for the personal Delta credit cards can be anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000 miles, so being targeted for a 60,000-80,000 point bonus offer can double the miles you earn from the welcome bonus.

Here are the highest recorded welcome offers on Delta’s credit cards:

• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card — 60,000 miles
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card — 80,000 miles
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card — 80,000 miles

There are 3 main ways to receive a targeted welcome bonus for one of the personal Delta credit cards:

1. Checking for targeted offers at a Delta/American Express landing page using your SkyMiles number
2. Receiving a targeted mailing
3. Check for pre-qualified offers with Amex

Checking for Targeted Offers at the Delta/American Express Website

That’s right, Delta and American Express have set up a dedicated website for SkyMiles members to check and see if they are targeted for an increased welcome bonus! Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Sign-Up for a Delta SkyMiles Account

In order for you to even be eligible to check and see if you’re targeted for an increased welcome offer, you must have a Delta SkyMiles account. Don’t have a SkyMiles account already? No problem, simply visit the Delta SkyMiles enrollment website.

Step 2: Visit the Delta/Amex Website to See If You’re Targeted for Any Increased Offers

Head to the Delta/American Express page and enter your SkyMiles number and your last name to see if your account is targeted for any offers.

Bottom Line: If you receive 1 or more targeted offers, congrats! You can click right through the landing page to apply for your new card. If you enter your information and see “Please Verify The Information You Entered Is Correct And Try Again” it means your account is not targeted for an increased welcome offer.

Targeted Mailings from American Express

Another way that many people receive targeted Delta card offers is in the mail. All you need to do is opt-in to receive credit card offers from American Express. Just visit the communications preferences in your American Express account and make sure you’ve enabled communication via mail.

Check for Pre-Qualified Offers with American Express

American Express allows you to check for pre-qualified offers online. Navigate to americanexpress.com, click “Cards,” then click “Check for Pre-Qualified Credit Card Offers.” With any luck, you will receive some increased welcome offers that could come from any of their card offerings — including the Delta-branded cards.

Reasons You May Not Get Targeted for an Increased Welcome Offer

You’ve opted out of marketing offers: As mentioned before, you could be missing out on some fantastic credit card offers if you have not opted-in to receive offers from American Express, so make sure you have opted-in to receive both email and mail offers!

Low credit: If you don’t have a high credit score, you’re not just less likely to be targeted for the offer, but you’ll have a difficult time just getting approved for the card. As always, you want to keep your credit score as high as possible. You should be using your current credit responsibly and paying off your bill in full and on time each month.

Benefits of Delta Credit Cards

Deciding on which Delta card is right for you can seem tricky. However, when evaluating, you should find the card with perks that you can take advantage of the most; this ensures you’re getting the most return with the card. You can read more about each individual card in our card reviews.

However, here’s a quick breakdown of the perks of the Delta cards. Keep in mind that all 3 cards earn 2x miles per $1 spent on Delta purchases, then 1x per $1 on all other purchases.

Delta Gold Card

Credit Card	Benefits & Info
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card	Earn 35,000 Bonus Miles after spending $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Earn 2X per dollar spent on Delta purchases, at restaurants worldwide, and at U.S. supermarkets. Earn 1x on all other eligible purchases Annual Fee: $0 for the first year, then $99 Terms Apply For rates and fees of the Delta Gold Card, click here.
➡️ Did you know that you may qualify for a higher offer? See which personalized offers you're eligible for by checking the CardMatch tool. There's no pull on your credit to check your offers.

Perks

• First checked bag free
• Main Cabin 1 priority boarding
• No foreign transaction fees
• 20% inflight savings
• Access to Delta Sky Club at an exclusive rate ($29 per person, 2 person cap)

If you’re a semi-frequent Delta flyer, the Delta Gold Card could be a fantastic option for you. Between free checked bags, priority boarding, and 20% inflight savings, you can easily offset the annual fee with just a few flights each year.

Update: For a limited time, cardholders will earn 4x miles per $1 spent on the card at U.S. Supermarkets through July 31, 2020.

Delta Platinum Card

Credit Card	Benefits & Info
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card	Earn 40,000 Bonus Miles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Earn 3X per dollar spent on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2x per dollar spent at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets; earn 1x on all other eligible purchases. Up to a $100 fee credit for Global Entry or $85 for TSA PreCheck. Annual Fee: $250 Terms Apply For rates and fees of the Delta Platinum Card, click here.
➡️ Did you know that you may qualify for a higher offer? See which personalized offers you're eligible for by checking the CardMatch tool. There's no hard pull on your credit to check your offers.

In addition to all the perks listed above for the Delta Gold Card, you also receive the following:

Perks

• Annual companion certificate
• Annual Miles Boost (10,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs if qualified)

Frequent Delta flyers may find the Delta Platinum Card a better value with the inclusion of the annual companion certificate that allows you to bring a companion on any domestic main-cabin round-trip ticket.

Furthermore, Delta Platinum cardholders can spend their way to an Annual Miles Boost which earns 10,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 on the card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $50,000 in eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year.

Update: For a limited time, cardholders will earn 4x miles per $1 spent on the card at U.S. Supermarkets through July 31, 2020.

Delta Reserve Card

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card	Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and 1X Mile on all other purchases Complimentary access into Delta Sky Clubs and Centurion Lounges. Terms Apply Annual Fee: $550 For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Card, please click here.
➡️ Did you know that you may qualify for a higher offer? See which personalized offers you're eligible for by checking the CardMatch tool. There's no pull on your credit to check your offers.

In addition to all the perks listed above for the Delta Gold card and Delta Platinum card, you also receive the following:

Perks

• Complimentary Delta Sky Club access
• Concierge service
• Car Rental Loss and Damage, and Travel Accident Insurance

Update: For a limited time, cardholders will earn 4x miles per $1 spent on the card at U.S. Supermarkets through July 31, 2020.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the co-branded Delta credit cards from American Express offer a number of perks and benefits that will prove very beneficial for Delta fans.

If you’re a frequent Delta flyer who is in the market for a Delta credit card, it may be worth your while to try and track down, or wait for, a targeted offer on the card you’re interested in. After all, doing so could mean the difference between earning a welcome bonus with twice as many points! Once you’ve secured that large welcome bonus, now you can start redeeming your Delta miles for huge value!

For rates and fees of The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Card, please click here.