[Expired] Delta Amex Cards Now Featuring ‘As High As 100K SkyMiles’ Welcome Offers

American Express is rolling out a new welcome offer structure across 3 of Delta’s personal credit cards, and it’s worth understanding how this new type of bonus offer works before you apply.

Rather than a flat welcome offer that every approved applicant receives, these cards are now displaying variable welcome offers framed as “as high as” a certain number of SkyMiles.

The key phrase here? As high as.

Not everyone will receive the maximum amount — which can be as high as 100,000 miles now — and your specific bonus offer will depend on your individual financial profile. The exact bonus offer terms will be shown in your application. Let’s explore how exactly this process works.

Earn as High as 100K Miles With Delta Amex Cards

Delta and American Express offer 3 consumer cards, all currently featuring these updated welcome offers.

• Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card: Earn as high as 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first 6 months from account opening. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

• Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card: Earn as high as 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first 6 months from account opening. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

• Delta SkyMiles^® Gold American Express Card: Earn as high as 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first 6 months from account opening. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

It’s important to note that these are the maximum welcome bonus offers available, not necessarily a guaranteed amount. The number of miles you’re eligible for will be determined after you start your application and provide some personal details, which we’ll discuss below.

How the Application Process Works

The mechanics behind these “as high as” welcome offers are worth walking through carefully, because the application process is different from a standard credit card application that you may be used to. You won’t know exactly what offer you’re applying for until you start the application.

After clicking the “Apply Now” tab, you’ll provide some basic information to determine your bonus offer. There’s no hard inquiry on your credit report at this point, and the exact number of miles you qualify for is revealed after you submit your application and receive account approval.

Welcome offers vary, and you may not be eligible for one. American Express will make it clear if you’re ineligible to earn a welcome offer entirely via a pop-up notification that appears during the process:

Typically, applying for any new credit card triggers a hard inquiry, which can affect your credit score. However, approved applicants should be able to see their welcome offer without any impact on their credit score. The hard inquiry on your credit report generally occurs only after you accept the new account.

If you don’t move forward, your credit score will remain unaffected. However, if you accept the card and your personalized welcome offer, your credit score may be affected.

It’s also worth noting that this new offer structure is limited to Delta’s personal credit card lineup. It does not apply to Delta’s small-business credit cards, nor does it apply to the introductory Delta SkyMiles^® Blue American Express Card at this time.

Final Thoughts

The “as high as” framing is a notable shift in how Amex is presenting these Delta card welcome offers. If you see the maximum offers advertised for the Delta Reserve card, the Delta Platinum card, or the Delta Gold card, know that those are the ceiling. Your actual bonus offer could be lower, depending on your credit profile and previous welcome offer activity with American Express.

The upside is that you can find out what you qualify for before affecting your credit history, and you may just score the maximum amount.