How I Lost 90K Delta SkyMiles by Not Reading the Fine Print

“Congratulations, you’re approved!”

Those words are exciting … blinding, even, when you’ve just been approved for that new credit card you’ve been eyeing. Immediately, visions of your next beach vacation or weekend city break start forming as you begin to plan what you’ll do with those points or miles you’ll soon receive.

I certainly had big plans for the 90,000 Delta SkyMiles I anticipated receiving after scoring a new American Express card. But my own errors in the application process meant I walked away with significantly less.

Learn from my mistakes so that you can ensure you get the points or miles you’re after with every successful application.

Landing in Amex Pop-Up Jail

After opening several credit cards over the past 2 years, my options for new approvals have narrowed, making the Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card attractive to me.

Business cards are generally an exception to Chase’s unwritten 5/24 rule, which limits your ability to secure new cards with Chase if you’ve opened 5 new cards within the last 24 months.

The last 2 American Express cards I had in my wallet, the Hilton Honors American Express Card and Marriott Bonvoy Business^® American Express^® Card, were acquired in mid-2024.

I closed one after its annual fee came due, which I suspect put me on Amex’s radar for not effectively utilizing my card’s credit line or keeping the account open. By the time I applied for my next Amex card, I started receiving a common yet dreaded pop-up message indicating that I was not eligible for the welcome offer.

A positive of this pop-up is that I could apply for cards as intended and be rejected without affecting my credit with a hard inquiry. A negative was that this message meant I was squarely in pop-up jail, and the issuer was unlikely to approve me for future cards unless I spent more on my existing Amex cards or allowed more time to pass.

American Express Card Application Mistake

When I applied for the Delta Gold Business card in October 2025, I immediately received a pop-up stating that I was ineligible for the welcome bonus offer, which at the time was 90,000 Delta SkyMiles after spending $6,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. (The offer currently is: Earn 60,000 miles after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 6 months.)

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Receive 2x SkyMiles on Delta purchases, priority boarding, a free checked bag, and discounted award flights.

Apply Now(at Amex's secure site)

Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card

Receive 2x SkyMiles on Delta purchases, priority boarding, a free checked bag, and discounted award flights.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

60,000 miles

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $720

Annual Fee

$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150

APR

19.49% - 28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

If Delta Air Lines is your first choice for business travel, and you’re always looking for more ways to earn Delta SkyMiles, this could be a great card option.

Being able to board the plane early and check your bag for free makes all the difference for a smooth flight. Plus, getting discounts on inflight purchases keeps money in your pocket and your small business.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Save 15% On Award Travel With TakeOff 15. Not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• 2x SkyMiles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta and at restaurants
• 2x SkyMiles per $1 on U.S. purchases for advertising in select media and on U.S. shipping purchases on up to $50,000 in eligible purchases per category, per year.

Cons

• Doesn’t earn transferable rewards
• Doesn’t offer as many perks for rewards as other Delta cards

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after spending $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
• Card Members save 15% when booking Award Travel with miles on Delta flights when using delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
• Additionally, you can receive a $200 Delta Flight Credit to use toward future travel after you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on purchases at U.S. Shipping providers and at U.S. providers for Advertising in select media on up to $50,000 of purchases per category, per year.
• Earn 2 Miles on every dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta and on every eligible dollar spent at restaurants.
• Earn 1 Mile on every eligible dollar spent on other purchases.
• Check and stow your bag with ease: First Checked Bag Free on Delta Flights + Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights.
• Elevate your travel experience with an annual statement credit of up to $150 after using your Delta SkyMiles^® Gold Business American Express Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.
• Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card.
• Pay no foreign transaction fees when you travel overseas.
• Terms and limitations apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.49% - 28.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Delta SkyMiles Frequent Flyer Program

Rather than accept defeat — it had been months since I closed my last Amex account and over a year since my last Amex card acquisition, after all — I scoured the web for tips to beat pop-up jail. I decided to try to apply again fresh the next day.

Unfortunately, this is when my comedy of errors began.

I was careless when clicking through the application. After filling in my information, I received the pop-up again and clicked the button that said “Continue & Submit,” not processing that I had just agreed to be ineligible for the bonus SkyMiles. I was excited and blinded by the subsequent “Congratulations!” message, and quickly moved on to planning my minimum spending requirements.

I spent the required amount, which my Amex account indicated via a bonus tracker, and then weeks later, I realized the SkyMiles were never credited to my account. Instead of the 90,000 SkyMiles I was expecting, I only received 6,000 SkyMiles for my 1x purchases of $6,000.

I began a chat with Amex customer service, which confirmed that I was ineligible for the bonus offer. The agent later stated this was regardless of whether the account had shown an offer tracker online or not.

If an applicant only wanted the credit line extended or to utilize the card’s benefits, regardless of the welcome bonus offer, securing the card (with or without the offer) would have been a great outcome. But I was after both the benefits and the offer, which made the loss of the offer sting … a lot.

Tips for a Successful Credit Card Application

I learned some important lessons from this experience. For one, I’ll be sure to slow down anytime I apply for a new account. It’s easy to have several browsers open at once or multitask. When making a significant financial decision, take your time, focus solely on that task, and read the fine print carefully.

In addition, it can help to record the application process. Use a screen-capture tool, either with video or image screenshots, to record the offer you intended to apply for, any pop-up messages you receive along the way, and what the outcome screen looks like. This could help confirm to the issuer that you were promised something you didn’t receive, or it could just help you realize that you missed an important detail (like agreeing to apply without a bonus offer).

Finally, it’s worth confirming the bonus offer with customer service before spending. I should have immediately contacted Amex customer service via chat to confirm that the bonus offer was attached to my application. (Chase also allows you to correspond in writing via secure messages.)

If you’re able to catch the error quickly enough, it’s possible the issuer may allow you to cancel the application.

Final Thoughts

I was ineligible for the welcome bonus offer on the Delta Business Gold card, but I applied anyway without giving it thorough consideration. It was my own fault, and I should have taken a few preventive measures to ensure that I secured the bonus offer I was after.

Fortunately, I’m not incurring a high annual fee for this mistake (the card has an annual fee of $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (rates & fees)) and will have a year of card membership to determine if its benefits merit keeping it. I’m most excited about the 15% award discount, free baggage, priority boarding, and Delta Stays credit (which essentially covers the card’s annual fee.

I’ve definitely learned the importance of taking the time to review credit card application steps carefully. The points and miles game is fun, but being complacent can lead to error, and this isn’t a mistake I want to make twice.