Updated for 2026
Best American Express Cards: Platinum vs Gold vs Delta
Compare the most-used Amex cards in one quick page — fees, credits, and which card actually fits your spending. Applying through our referral link costs you nothing extra and helps keep this guide free.
Top welcome offers right now — Platinum as high as 175,000 MR ($12,000 spend) · Gold as high as 100,000 MR ($8,000 spend) · Delta Gold as high as 80,000 SkyMiles + $250 credit ($3,000 spend), all within 6 months. “As high as” is the operative phrase: most applicants are targeted for less, and your real offer appears on the application page before you submit anything.
One link, every card: it opens the Platinum page, which has a “View cards with referral offers” tab — browse Gold, Delta and the rest there and apply for whichever you want. How it works ↓
Premium
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Annual Fee$895
Welcome offer — as high as
175,000 Membership Rewards® points
after $12,000 of eligible spend in your first 6 months
5× MR on flights
5× MR on prepaid hotels (Amex Travel)
Global lounge access
- Hotel credit: up to $600/yr — $300 semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts / The Hotel Collection via Amex Travel (THC 2-night min.).
- Resy dining: up to $400/yr — $100 per quarter at U.S. Resy restaurants.
- lululemon: up to $300/yr — $75 per quarter.
- Digital entertainment: up to $300/yr — $25/month across Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Peacock, Paramount+, NYT, WSJ, YouTube TV/Premium.
- Uber: up to $200/yr Uber Cash ($15/month, $35 in December) plus a separate $120/yr Uber One membership credit.
- Equinox: up to $300/yr on club membership or Equinox+.
- CLEAR® Plus: up to $209/yr.
- Oura Ring: up to $200/yr (hardware only).
- Walmart+: up to $155/yr ($12.95/month membership).
- Airline fee credit: up to $200/yr in incidental fees on one selected airline.
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck®: up to $120 application fee credit (every 4–4.5 years).
- Lounges: Centurion, Priority Pass (enrollment required), partner lounges, plus 10 Delta Sky Club visits per year when flying Delta.
Read this before you do the math: credits are use-it-or-lose-it and many reset monthly or quarterly, so the headline “$3,500+ in value” only lands if your existing spending already matches these categories. The Saks credit is scheduled to end July 1, 2026. Enrollment required for most credits.
American Express® Gold Card
Annual Fee$325
Welcome offer — as high as
100,000 Membership Rewards® points
after $8,000 of eligible spend in your first 6 months
4× dining worldwide
4× U.S. supermarkets
3× flights
- Dining credit: up to $120/yr — $10/month at select partners (enrollment required).
- Uber Cash: up to $120/yr — $10/month on U.S. rides and Uber Eats.
- Resy credit: up to $100/yr at participating U.S. Resy restaurants.
- Dunkin’ credit: up to $84/yr — $7/month.
- Everyday earn: 4× at restaurants worldwide; 4× at U.S. supermarkets (cap applies); 3× on flights.
About $424/yr in recurring credits against a $325 fee — but only if you use all of them, and each requires enrollment. A limited-time Uber One benefit is also running through October 30, 2026.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Annual Fee$0 intro year, then $150
Welcome offer — as high as
80,000 SkyMiles® + $250 statement credit
after $3,000 of eligible spend in your first 6 months · offer ends Nov 4, 2026
Free checked bags
Priority boarding
TakeOff 15
- First and second checked bag free for you and companions on the same reservation (Delta-operated; the second-bag benefit is new).
- Priority boarding (Zone 5).
- TakeOff 15: 15% off when booking Delta award flights with miles (excludes partners, taxes and fees).
- $200 Delta flight credit after $10,000 in card purchases in a calendar year.
- Delta Stays credit: up to $100/yr on prepaid Delta Stays bookings.
- Rideshare credit: up to $120/yr — $10/month, starting after your first card renewal.
- 20% back as a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases.
- Earn: 2× SkyMiles on Delta, dining and U.S. supermarkets; 1× elsewhere.
The free checked bags alone can cover the $150 fee in roughly two round trips.
How to Apply for Any Card With One Link
- Click any referral button on this page — it opens The Platinum Card application page.
- If you want a different card, select the “View cards with referral offers” tab on that page.
- Browse the available cards — Gold, Delta SkyMiles, Blue Cash and others — and pick the one you want.
- Check the welcome offer shown for that card, then apply. The referral credit still applies.
Offers shown are personalized by American Express and can differ from anything quoted on this page. Always confirm the fee, the welcome offer and the spend requirement on the application page before submitting.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Platinum | Gold | Delta Gold |
|---|
| Annual Fee |
$895 |
$325 |
$0 intro year, then $150 |
| Welcome Offer (as high as) |
175,000 MR
$12,000 / 6 mo |
100,000 MR
$8,000 / 6 mo |
80,000 SkyMiles + $250 credit
$3,000 / 6 mo |
| Best For |
Frequent travelers who will actually use lounges and credits |
Dining & groceries power users |
Delta flyers who check bags (2–3+ trips/yr) |
| Key Earn |
5× flights; 5× prepaid hotels (Amex Travel) |
4× dining worldwide; 4× U.S. supermarkets; 3× flights |
2× Delta, dining, U.S. supermarkets |
| Marquee Credits |
$600 hotel; $400 Resy; $300 entertainment; $300 lululemon; $300 Equinox; $200 Uber Cash + $120 Uber One; $209 CLEAR+; $200 airline fee; $200 Oura; $155 Walmart+ |
$120 dining; $120 Uber Cash; $100 Resy; $84 Dunkin’ |
2 free checked bags; $200 flight credit ($10k spend); $100 Delta Stays; $120 rideshare; TakeOff 15 |
| Who Should Skip |
Anyone who won’t use the monthly and quarterly credits — they expire unused |
Those who seldom dine out or buy groceries |
Non-Delta flyers and carry-on-only travelers |
Fees, benefits and welcome offers verified September 22, 2026 and subject to change. Terms and enrollment apply. Always verify on the application page you see after clicking through.
Referral Transparency
If you apply and are approved using our referral link, we may receive Membership Rewards points as a referral bonus, at no extra cost to you. This helps keep this guide free. We are not a bank, an issuer, or a financial advisor, and this page is not financial advice. Your welcome offer is determined solely by American Express and may differ from any figure quoted here — you will see your exact offer on the application page before you submit.
FAQs
What are the maximum welcome offers in 2026?
- Platinum: as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® points after $12,000 of eligible spend in 6 months.
- Gold: as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after $8,000 of eligible spend in 6 months.
- Delta SkyMiles Gold: as high as 80,000 SkyMiles® plus a $250 statement credit after $3,000 of eligible spend in 6 months (offer ends November 4, 2026).
“As high as” is doing real work in those sentences — these are ceilings, not the typical result, and Amex targets offers individually. Note that Platinum and Gold pay Membership Rewards points while Delta pays SkyMiles; they are separate currencies and are not interchangeable. You will see the offer tailored to you on the application page before you submit.
Can I use this one link to get a different Amex card?
Yes. The link opens the Platinum application page, which has a “View cards with referral offers” tab. Open that tab to browse Gold, Delta SkyMiles and other cards, and apply for whichever one suits you.
Is Amex Platinum worth the $895 fee?
Only if your normal spending already lines up with the credits. They’re use-it-or-lose-it and most reset monthly or quarterly, so a $300 entertainment credit is really $25 a month you either spend or forfeit. Add up only the credits you’d genuinely use, then compare that to $895. If the honest number falls short, Gold at $325 or Delta Gold is the better card.
Do these benefits change?
Frequently. Amex raised the Platinum fee from $695 to $895 in 2025, and the Saks credit is set to end July 1, 2026. Partners and amounts shift every year — always review the current terms on the application page.