You Can Upgrade Your Delta Amex Card … But You Probably Shouldn’t

When banks like American Express come out with a limited-time, increased welcome offer on popular travel cards, the same question floods our inboxes: Should I upgrade my card? Or apply for a new one?

Upgrade offers on travel credit cards are a dime a dozen. Delta and Amex frequently try to get cardholders to upgrade from the popular *delta skymiles gold card* to the *delta skymiles platinum card* for the increased perks … and a higher annual fee. But with a big SkyMiles welcome bonus up for grabs when applying for a new Delta card, does it really make sense to upgrade?

In most cases, the answer is easy: No. It doesn’t make much sense at all. But to make the right decision for you, you’ll first need to understand the rules and restrictions around upgrades and new credit card applications.

Here’s what you need to know when deciding whether to upgrade your Delta card – or not.

Read more: Which Delta SkyMiles Credit Card is Right for You?

The Basics of American Express Credit Card Application Rules

Let’s go back to the basics.

Every bank sets its own rules and restrictions around credit card applications. Chase has the dreaded 5/24 rule, which bars you from getting approved for a new Chase credit card if you’ve opened five or more cards in a 24-month period from any bank – not just Chase.

American Express, on the other hand, only allows you to earn a bonus on each of their cards once per lifetime. That means if you have had a specific Amex card in the past, you will not be eligible to earn the bonus on that same card. In practice, this “lifetime” restriction doesn’t last all that long: Data suggests Amex will allow you to apply and earn the bonus on a card seven years after you’ve previously closed it.

So while Amex isn’t looking at your credit card history with other banks to the same extent as Chase, they will factor in which Amex cards you have had previously … regardless of whether or not you earned the welcome offer bonus on them.

And then there’s this: Last year, Amex added new restrictions to the SkyMiles portfolio of cards (among others) that make it harder to earn a welcome bonus based upon which other Delta cards you’ve had in the past.

You can work your way up the hierarchy of Delta cards and earn a bonus on each of them … but not the other way around. So if you’ve had the Delta Platinum Card, you won’t be eligible for the bonus on the Gold – but you could get a bonus on the more expensive Reserve Card. Got it?

Here’s the key point: The *delta skymiles gold card* and *delta skymiles platinum card* are not the same cards, nor is the *delta reserve card*. They’re all different cards, which means you’re eligible to open (and earn the bonus) on each of them separately … so long as you do it in the right order.

You’ll need to keep that in mind when it comes time to decide on a possible upgrade.

Related reading: Why Am I Not Eligible For an Amex Welcome Offer?

Why You Shouldn’t Upgrade a Delta Card

When Delta and American Express increase the welcome offer bonuses on the SkyMiles cards, they are clearly looking to get new cardholders in the door. But they’re also shelling existing cardholders with offers to upgrade to a higher-tier card, too.

Should you take them up on an offer? In most situations, no. Taking that upgrade will make you ineligible for earning a big welcome bonus offer on the same card later on.

Let’s say you’ve got the *delta skymiles gold card* and get an offer to upgrade that card to the *delta skymiles platinum card*. More often than not, these upgrade offers pale in comparison to the elevated bonuses we often see on the suite of co-branded Delta credit cards.

Because of the way Amex’s application rules work, even if you have the Delta Gold Card, you would still be eligible to apply for the Delta Platinum card outright and earn the full welcome bonus offer after meeting the minimum spending requirement – so long as you haven’t earned the bonus on that card (or the Reserve) previously.

Upgrade instead, and you’ll make yourself ineligible to earn a big welcome bonus for that card down the road. 

Or maybe you’re tempted by the *delta reserve card* for SkyClub access and an easier path to Delta Medallion status. You could upgrade your existing Delta Gold card … but doing so would make you ineligible to earn not just the Reserve Card’s welcome offer but also the SkyMiles Platinum Card. If you skipped the Platinum and applied for the Reserve outright, you’d at least get one new card welcome offer out of the deal. 

If you ask us, deciding what to do is typically an easy choice. While Amex will often present you with an offer to upgrade to a superior card, that offer will almost never be as good as the offer to apply for a brand-new card.

What About Downgrading Your Card?

While this hasn’t always been the case, downgrading your card is now a safe option thanks to Amex’s new restrictions on welcome offer eligibility.

Have a SkyMiles Reserve Card but are upset about the upcoming SkyClub changes? By downgrading to the Platinum or Gold Card, you would be able to save money on the annual fee without sacrificing a future bonus.

Heck, Amex might even try to entice you back with an upgrade offer later on. With the new bonus restrictions, there’s less risk in missing out on a big welcome offer by downgrading your card as there once was.

Read more: What Happens to Your Points When You Cancel a Credit Card?

Consider Your Credit Score

One thing that you will need to consider when deciding whether to upgrade or apply for a new credit card outright is how it will impact your credit.

Applying for a new card will result in a hard credit pull – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While your credit might take a temporary 5-10 point hit, your score will ultimately go up if you use that new line of credit responsibly.

When you upgrade or downgrade an account, it’s different. Banks call it a product change and you’re essentially just moving an existing line of credit to a different credit card product. In many cases, you’ll even keep your existing card number and account history – thus, they do not need to pull your credit to do a conversion.

Of course, the trade-off here is that you either won’t earn any points or miles, or much fewer than you could by just applying for the card outright as a new account.

Read More: 4 Credit Card Myths You Should Stop Believing

Which Delta Cards Are Best?

American Express offers four different Delta co-branded personal credit cards, each with its own unique set of perks and benefits. The entry-level Delta Blue card is a decent option for anyone looking to downgrade and avoid an annual fee, but its paltry bonus is worth skipping for most travelers.

Getting started with the SkyMiles Gold card is the best choice for anyone looking for extra benefits when flying Delta.

Here’s a look at what each card brings to the table.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card

• bonus_miles_full
• Check your first bag free on every Delta flight – savings of at least $70 on each round-trip flight, per person
• Priority boarding (even with a basic economy ticket)
• Earn 2x SkyMiles per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets 
• Earn 2x SkyMiles per dollar on eligible Delta purchases
• Earn 1x SkyMiles per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
• Get up to a $100 Delta Stays credit when you make a prepaid hotel or vacation rental booking on the Delta Stays platform.
• Earn a $200 Delta flight credit if you spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year
• Get 15% off SkyMiles award tickets with TakeOff 15 when booking on delta.com or through the Fly Delta app
• Get 20% off in-flight purchases such as food & drinks in the form of a statement credit
• No foreign transaction fees
• $0 introductory annual fee – then $150 each year after that (See rates & fees)

Learn more about the *delta skymiles gold card*.

Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

• bonus_miles_full
• Check your first bag free on every Delta flight, savings of at least $60 on each round-trip flight, per person
• Priority boarding (even with a basic economy ticket)
• Get a main cabin round-trip companion certificate to destinations throughout the U.S. (including Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico) as well as many destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America, Each year upon card renewal
• MQD Headstart: Get an automatic 2,500 Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) each year.
• Earn 1 MQD for every $20 you spend on your card
• TakeOff 15: Get a 15% discount on SkyMiles award tickets when booking on delta.com or through the Fly Delta app
• Earn 2x SkyMiles per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets
• Earn 3x SkyMiles per dollar spent on eligible Delta purchases and at hotels
• Earn 1x SkyMiles per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
• Get up to a $150 Delta Stays credit each year when you make a prepaid hotel or vacation rental booking on the Delta Stays platform.
• Get up to a $120 Rideshare credit each year (doled out in $10 monthly installments) a year when you use your card to pay for a ride with Uber, Lyft, Curb, Revel, or Alto.
• Get up to a $120 Resy Credit each year (doled out in $10 chunks each month) when you use your card to pay for eligible purchases on Resy restaurants.
• Get up to a $120 credit to cover the cost for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck 
• Join the complimentary upgrade queue: Even if you don’t have Delta Medallion status, your Platinum Card makes you eligible for complimentary upgrades.
• Hertz Five Star Status: Get complimentary Hertz Five Star elite status upon enrollment.
• Get 20% off in-flight purchases such as food & drinks in the form of a statement credit
• No foreign transaction fees
• $350 annual fee  (See rates & fees)

Learn more about the *delta skymiles platinum card*.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

• bonus_miles_full
• Check your first bag free on every Delta flight – savings of at least $60 on each round-trip flight, per person
• Priority boarding (even with a basic economy ticket)
• Get unlimited complimentary Delta Sky Club access when flying Delta, through Jan. 31, 2025. Beginning Feb. 1, 2025, you’ll be limited to 15 Sky Club visits per year, unless you spend $75,000 or more on your card in a calendar year.
  • You also get four free guest passes and can bring up to two guests in at a time. After that, each guest visit will cost an additional $50.
• Complimentary access to the American Express Centurion Lounges when you are flying Delta
• Get an economy, Delta Comfort Plus, and first class companion certificate to destinations throughout the U.S. (including Hawaii, Alaska, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) as well as many destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America, each year upon card renewal
• MQD Headstart: Get a head start on earning Medallion status with an automatic 2,500 Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQDs) each year (beginning Feb. 1, 2024)
• Earn 1 MQD for every $10 you spend on your card
• Earn 3x SkyMiles per dollar spent on Delta purchases
• Earn 1x SkyMiles per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
• Up to a $200 Delta Stays credit each year when you make a prepaid hotel or vacation rental booking on the Delta Stays platform.
• Get up to a $120 Rideshare credit each year (doled out in $10 monthly installments) a year when you use your card to pay for a ride with Uber, Lyft, Curb, Revel, or Alto.
• Get up to a $240 Resy Credit each year (doled out in $20 chunks each month) when you use your card to pay for eligible purchases on Resy restaurants.
• Get up to a $120 credit to cover the cost for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck 
• Join the complimentary upgrade queue: Even if you don’t have Delta Medallion status, your Platinum Card makes you eligible for complimentary upgrades.
• Get 15% off SkyMiles award tickets with TakeOff 15 when booking on delta.com or through the Fly Delta app
• Hertz President’s Circle Status: Receive complimentary top-tier Hertz President’s Circle elite status upon enrollment.
• Enjoy 20% off in-flight purchases such as food & drinks in the form of a statement credit
• No foreign transaction fees
• $650 annual fee (See rates & fees)

Learn more about the *delta reserve card*.

Bottom Line

It’s a question we get all the time: “Should I upgrade my SkyMiles credit card or apply for a new one?”

The answer is typically an easy one: Nine times out of 10, you’ll be better off applying for a new Delta card rather than upgrading your current one. Doing so means you’ll be eligible to earn a big welcome offer bonus on each of the Delta cards along the way.

But like most things, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. Each traveler should weigh the pros and cons for themselves before deciding what to do.