Credit Cards By Issuer
Best Cards By Type
Credit Card Reviews
Popular Guides
Business Credit Cards By Type
Business Credit Card Reviews
Popular Business Credit Card Guides
Airlines
Airport Lounges
Hotels
Popular Travel Guides
Get Started
Credit Card Points
Airline Miles
Hotel Points
Advertiser Disclosure
Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). However, the credit card information that we publish has been written and evaluated by experts who know these products inside out. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers that are on the market. See our advertising policy here where we list advertisers that we work with, and how we make money. You can also review our credit card rating methodology.
Christine Krzyszton
Senior Finance Contributor
350 Published Articles
Countries Visited: 100U.S. States Visited: 45
Nick Ellis
Senior Editor & Content Contributor
236 Published Articles 1011 Edited Articles
Countries Visited: 35U.S. States Visited: 25
Kellie Jez
Director of Operations & Compliance
6 Published Articles 1287 Edited Articles
Countries Visited: 10U.S. States Visited: 20
We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.
Our seasoned and experienced team brings years of expertise in the credit card and travel sectors. Committed to integrity, we offer data-driven guides to help you find the card(s) that best fit your requirements. See details on our intensive editorial policies and card rating methodologies.
With similar-sounding names, it’s easy to confuse The Platinum Card^® from American Express, a popular premier travel rewards card, with the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card, the airline-branded rewards card offering benefits for frequent Delta Air Lines flyers.
The 2 cards are distinctively different, yet both offer unique value for the ideal cardholder. However, it may come as a surprise that there are some similarities between the 2 cards, especially for Delta frequent flyers.
Whether you’re an avid traveler who appreciates premium travel benefits or a frequent Delta flyer looking for some of the same, you’ll find our take on the Amex Platinum card versus the Delta Platinum card of interest as we look at these cards from this slightly different perspective.
Let’s move forward with all the information you need to determine the value of each card.
Before we dive into the details of each card, we’ve put together an overview of each product so you can easily review the attributes of both featured cards side-by-side.
Benefit
Amex Platinum Card
Delta Platinum Card
Earning
Top Redemption Options
Delta Air Lines Benefits
Top Travel Benefits and Protections
Shopping Benefits and Protections
Annual Fees
Note that terms and conditions apply to all benefits and protections. Some benefits require registration, have minimum purchase requirements, or require you to add your eligible card to an associated merchant account for payment (such as Uber, etc.).
Additionally, this is not an all-encompassing list of every benefit available on these 2 cards, only a summary of core benefits. You’ll want to access each card’s Guide to Benefits for a full description and the terms and conditions for each benefit or protection.
A welcome offer allows you to earn a lot of rewards in the first 3 months after card approval by meeting minimum spending requirements.
The Amex Platinum card and the Delta Platinum card each have a generous welcome offer. The Amex Platinum card, however, earns Membership Rewards points whereas the Delta Platinum card earns Delta SkyMiles. We estimate the value of Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents apiece, almost double the value we assign Delta SkyMiles at around 1.2 cents each.
Depending on how you redeem those rewards, the total value of each card’s welcome bonus will differ.
Here are the current welcome offerings for our 2 featured cards:
The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.
Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.
American Express Membership Rewards
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 175k points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
Frequent Delta travelers will enjoy this card's bonus categories, benefits, and ability to reach higher levels of elite status.
If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
The Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card can be a great option for those seeking additional ways to obtain a higher level of status — or to maintain their current status — with the airline.
A key feature of this card is the ability to earn bonus Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) that are essential for earning Delta status. This could help you get closer to earning a handful of valuable benefits with the airline.
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
Bottom Line: Welcome offers allow you to accumulate a large number of rewards after you’re approved for a card and have met the minimum required spending requirements. The value of any welcome offer will vary based on how you ultimately redeem your rewards. Both of our featured cards offer generous welcome bonuses.
When we look at earning and redemption options for the Amex Platinum card and the Delta Platinum card, we find that while the cards earn different types of rewards, you may still accomplish similar travel objectives with either currency, especially if you’re a Delta frequent flyer.
Let’s compare the earning and redemption options for our 2 cards:
As we mentioned previously, the Amex Platinum card and Delta Platinum card earn entirely different types of reward currencies.
We’ll discuss how each type of reward can be redeemed next, but here’s how you can expect to earn rewards with each of our featured cards:
Earning Category
Amex Platinum Card
Delta Platinum Card
Travel
5x points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline and on AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 in purchases each calendar year) and prepaid hotels booked via AmexTravel.com
Restaurants/U.S. Supermarkets
1x point per dollar spent
2x miles per dollar spent
All Other Purchases
1x point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
1x mile per dollar spent
Earning points and miles is exciting, but the real fun happens at redemption time. Regardless of which card you select, you’ll have several opportunities to redeem your rewards for travel and more.
Let’s look at the redemption possibilities with these 2 cards:
Redemption Options
Amex Platinum Card
Delta Platinum Card
Flights and Flight Upgrades
Transfer Points to Airline/Hotel Partners
Additional Redemption Options
Hot Tip: You can redeem Membership Rewards points earned on the Amex Platinum card to book Delta flights via AmexTravel.com and earn SkyMiles when you fly. You can also transfer Membership Rewards points to Delta and book award flights directly.
The Amex Platinum card kills it when it comes to dishing out statement credits for specific purchases. However, the number of benefits you can actually utilize will determine whether the card delivers enough value for you.
You’ll find fewer benefits on the Delta Platinum card, but keep in mind that the card’s annual fee is much lower. We’ll touch on that shortly, but here’s an additional benefit offered on the Delta Platinum card:
It’s natural to assume the Delta Platinum card would come with Delta-related benefits, but you’ll also find that the Amex Platinum card delivers its share of Delta-centric benefits.
Here are the Delta-related benefits that come with each of our featured cards:
Amex Platinum Card
Delta Platinum Card
Bottom Line: If you’re a Delta Medallion elite member and already have access to some of the perks and benefits that would be offered on the Delta Platinum card, you may want to consider the additional premium travel benefits and Delta-centric benefits offered by having the Amex Platinum card.
Amex Platinum card has these additional travel advantages:
Both the Amex Platinum card and Delta Platinum card offer these travel benefits and protections.
Pay for your entire rental with your eligible card, decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW coverage, and receive secondary coverage for damage and theft. Secondary coverage means that you must file a claim with any other applicable insurance first before card coverage kicks in. Cardmembers also have the option to purchase Premium Protection for a flat fee that covers the entire rental period.
If your trip is delayed 6 hours or more for a covered reason, you could receive up to $500 per trip with the Amex Platinum card or up to $300 per trip for covered delays of 12 hours or more with the Delta Platinum card. Each card has a limit of 2 claims per eligible card per 12-month period.
Receive up to $2,000 for checked baggage and $3,000 for carry-on baggage per person, per covered trip, with the Amex Platinum card. The Delta Platinum card has coverage limits of up to $500 for checked baggage and $1,250 for carry-on luggage, per person, per covered trip.
In addition to the above benefits offered on both of our featured cards, the Amex Platinum card has these additional travel benefits.
To learn more about the travel insurance benefits that come with the Amex Platinum card, check out our article on this specific topic.
Both of our featured cards offer several shopping benefits and protections that can save you money, provide increased earnings, or deliver a statement credit for specific purchases.
Here are some of the shopping benefits and protections you can expect on both cards:
The Amex Platinum card currently charges an annual fee of $695 (rates & fees) and the Delta Platinum card charges $350 (rates & fees).
The Amex Platinum card charges $195 per card (rates & fees). The Delta Platinum card does not charge for additional users (rates & fees).
To learn more about the value of adding authorized users to your Amex Platinum card, we’ve provided a list of several benefits in our related article.
Bottom Line: While the Amex Platinum card has a higher annual fee and charges for adding authorized users, the card offers a broader collection of benefits than the Delta Platinum card.
Let’s take a look at some of the ancillary benefits that come with each of our cards.
If you’re a frequent Delta flyer (especially if you have elite status) who appreciates premium travel benefits, the Amex Platinum card deserves your consideration. Whether or not it makes sense for you will depend on how many of its benefits you can actually use.
The Delta Platinum card with the annual fee could easily provide enough value for the Delta frequent flyer with just its free checked bags and the annual companion ticket certificate.
Finding value with the Amex Platinum card involves a closer look. You’ll need to look at each benefit and determine which ones add enough value for you. For example, if you find value in Priority Pass Select membership, enjoy access to premium Centurion Lounges when traveling, and expect to use the airline incidental credit and CLEAR Plus credit, you’ve covered the annual fee. Any additional statement credits received for specific purchases would just add more value.
Want more options? Check out the Delta Platinum card vs. the American Express^® Gold Card and the Amex Platinum Card vs. the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card.
For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance and trip delay insurance benefits of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
For the baggage insurance plan benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefits of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the return protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. For the Premium Global Assist Hotline benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, card members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
For the Cell Phone Protection benefit of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
For the car rental collision damage coverage benefit of the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car rental loss or damage coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. For the trip delay insurance benefits of the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
For the baggage insurance plan benefit of the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the extended warranty and purchase protection benefit of the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
For the Cell Phone Protection benefit of Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
For the Premium Global Assist Hotline benefit of The Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. If approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline, emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost. In any other circumstance, card members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
No. While both cards are issued by American Express, the Amex Platinum card is a premium travel rewards card that earns Membership Rewards points, while the Delta Platinum card is a co-branded airline credit card that earns Delta SkyMiles.
The Amex Platinum card comes with a long list of premium travel and shopping benefits/protections. The Delta Platinum card comes with benefits that are more Delta Air Lines-centric, such as a free checked bag, priority boarding on Delta flights, and a faster path to Delta Medallion elite status by spending on the card.
Delta Platinum cardholders can no longer pay for a day pass for Delta Sky Club access, effective as of January 1, 2024.
While you cannot transfer Delta SkyMiles to other airlines, you are able to redeem miles for flights with partner airlines that are members of the SkyTeam alliance.
Yes, the card is worth it if you’re a frequent traveler and value premium benefits such as worldwide lounge access, complimentary hotel elite status, hundreds of dollars in statement credits for specific purchases, and the ability to redeem points by transferring to hotel and airline partners.
The card comes with a very long list of benefits that can provide value far beyond the cost of the annual fee if you can utilize those benefits.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card, click here.
Was this page helpful?
Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services offices. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
INSIDERS ONLY: UP PULSE^™
Get the latest travel tips, crucial news, flight & hotel deal alerts…
Plus — expert strategies to maximize your points & miles by joining our (free) newsletter.
We respect your privacy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's privacy policy  and terms of service  apply.
Top Partner Offers
Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card
The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express
The Platinum Card^® from American Express
Related Posts
Upgrade your travel experience
Privacy Policy | All Guides | Terms & Conditions | Web Accessibility Policy | Cookie Policy
© 2025 Upgraded Points™, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer: Upgraded Points, LLC and its website, UpgradedPoints.com, provides information on credit cards, reward programs, travel information and ancillary information concerning travel and credit cards. The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, tax or legal advice.
Upgraded Points, LLC uses reasonable efforts to maintain accurate information on the site — and prior to applying for any credit card offers found on UpgradedPoints.com, all visitors should review other features of such credit cards including but not limited to interest rates, annual fees and transaction fees, and should determine the suitability of such credit cards considering their own individual financial position.
Advertiser Disclosure: Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. For more information on our advertisers and how we make money, see our advertising policy here. In addition, as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Editorial Disclosure: The content featured on UpgradedPoints.com has not been influenced, provided, or reviewed by the credit card companies mentioned. Any and all options, reviews, comments and analyses are the responsibility of the author(s) and not any Advertiser or credit card issuer.

source