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Earlier this year, American Express quietly increased the annual fees on all but one of their co-branded Delta Air Lines credit cards. At the same time, those Delta cards (except the no-annual-fee *delta blue*) now come with new money-saving statement credits that can help offset these higher, annual fees – as long as you remember to use them.
From money off rideshares to credits for hotels booked through Delta Stays, these new perks are on top of the other benefits you’ll get for holding a Delta card like free checked bags, priority boarding, and a 15% discount on award tickets.
But these new Delta Amex statement credits are use-it-or-lose-it perks: They won’t roll over. Forgetting to spend a monthly credit or, even worse, an annual one could keep you from treating yourself to a free ride or hotel stay.
Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of your new Delta SkyMiles credit card perks this year.
Delta Stays Credit
Depending on which SkyMiles credit card you carry, you’ve now got up to $250 in credits to use with Delta Stays each year – the airline’s hotel booking platform powered by Expedia. That means a potentially free or heavily discounted hotel night just for being a Delta cardholder.
Just book a hotel between $100 and $250 depending on your card to get a free hotel stay. Or use the statement credit like a discount for a more expensive property.
Just how big of a credit you get depends on the type of Delta SkyMiles credit card you have. Nearly all of Delta’s seven personal and business credit cards now include some form of Delta Stays credit, except the no-annual-fee *delta blue*.
Here’s how much you’ll get depending on which card you have:
And if you’ve got the business version of any of these cards (yes, you can have both) it gets even better.
To take advantage of your credit, head to the dedicated Delta Stays website to begin your search.
Once you find a property you like, use your Delta card to prepay the hotel or vacation rental as the “pay at property” option will not be eligible for the credit.
Once you make a reservation and prepaid with the *delta skymiles gold*, the new $100 credit should be applied to your Delta card statement almost instantly.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that you get a fresh credit each calendar year, not when your card renews. That means if you’re just picking up one of these cards for the first time, you’d be able to use the credit both this year and next, all while paying a single year’s annual fee. This makes the suite of Delta SkyMiles co-branded cards even more valuable in year one – especially if you’re picking up the SkyMiles Gold Card as it comes with a $0 introductory annual fee, then $150 a year (see rates & fees).
I used this credit on a recent stay in Seoul (ICN), booking it through Delta Stays with my Delta Gold card.
The Golden Tulip Incheon Airport Hotel & Suites cost me $325.28 for two nights but after the $100 credit kicked in, I ended up paying only $225.28 for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite. It was a steal for what otherwise would have been a pricey, but unavoidable stay at an airport hotel during our trip.
Canceling out a major chunk of your Delta card’s annual fee through a Delta Stays reservation for your vacation is indisputably a sweet perk that you need to be sure to use each and every year.
Read More: Delta Stays Credit: How to Use Your New SkyMiles Card Benefit
Rideshare Credit
Like the monthly Uber Cash you get with *amex platinum* and *amex gold*, the *delta skymiles platinum card* and the *delta reserve card* now come with an annual rideshare credit. Transportation costs could be expensive when traveling, but having this credit at your disposal makes things a little cheaper.
With each of Delta’s top two cards, you get up to $120 in statement credits (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.
But one critical point about these credits: Unused rideshare credits don’t roll over to the next month. This is a use-it-or-lose-it benefit so it’s important to ensure you use up these credits in full each month. Just be sure to enroll first before making a purchase.
Simply use your Delta card when making an eligible transaction with Uber, Lyft, Curb, Revel, or Alto. After making an eligible transaction, you should receive an email confirmation that you earned the credit, although you may have to wait up to eight weeks for the statement credit to hit your account.
However, we’ve seen the rideshare credit appear on a statement within two weeks of making a qualifying purchase.
Only rides booked with Uber, Lyft, Curb, Revel, or Alto will earn a statement credit back.
Purchasing Lyft Cash will also trigger the rideshare credit, although you can only purchase Lyft Cash in amounts of either $25, $50, or $100. An Uber Cash transaction, however, will not. That’s because Lyft Cash purchases are charged to your card as a general Lyft rideshare purchase while Uber Cash does not.
Food and delivery orders through apps like Uber do not qualify for the Delta rideshare credit, nor will gift card purchases or person-to-person transfers.
Save on getting to and from the airport using this rideshare credit to make the most out of paying your Delta card’s annual fee.
Read More: How to Use the Rideshare Credit on Delta Platinum & Reserve Cards
Resy Credit
Another brand-new monthly credit covers dining charges via Resy on both the *delta skymiles platinum card* and the *delta reserve card*. Spending on dining out surely adds up. Having this credit makes getting dinner more affordable while making your card’s annual fee more manageable.
With the Delta Platinum card, you now have up to $120 in statement credits, doled out in $10 monthly increments, for purchases at U.S. restaurants available through Resy, Amex’s restaurant reservation platform. If you hold the Delta Reserve card, you’ll get up to $240 in statement credits, doled out in $20 monthly increments, at Resy restaurants.
Like the rideshare credit, this Resy credit is also a use-it-or-lose-it benefit. It’s up to you to use up the $10 credit every month because it won’t roll over.
Just spend money at your Resy partner restaurant and American Express should recognize the charge and issue a statement credit each month when you make a purchase at a participating restaurant.
How much you get depends on which card you have:
- *delta reserve card*: You can get up to $20 per month in statement credits on eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants.
- *delta skymiles platinum card*: You can get up to $10 per month in statement credits on eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants.
- *delta reserve business*: You can get up to $20 per month in statement credits on eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants.
- *Delta SkyMiles Platinum Biz*: You can get up to $10 per month in statement credits on eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants.
The credit should kick in automatically so long as you’ve enrolled in the benefit and paid for your meal at a Resy partner restaurant with your Delta card. But remember, online or physical gift card purchases may not work for this Resy restaurant credit.
You’ll have more limited options outside of major U.S. metropolitan cities but it’s still a useful credit if you frequent places with plenty of Resy restaurants around.
Saving on food is a useful perk whether you’re on a lunch break, meeting friends for dinner, or need a bite while on a trip. Despite how hard it could be to use, the credit off-sets a major chunk of your Delta card’s annual fee.
Read More: How to Use New Resy Credits on Delta’s Platinum & Reserve Cards
Bottom Line
Delta’s suite of co-branded American Express credit cards now come with higher annual fees, but you can easily offset some (or all) of those fees if you take advantage of all the card’s new credits. But remembering to do so can be a challenge, and that’s what banks are counting on.
Use this guide to understand what new perks you get with your Delta card, and how to make the most of them.
