What credit score do you need to get a Delta SkyMiles American Express card?

Having a Delta SkyMiles American Express card will unlock a variety of benefits for frequent and occasional flyers.

American Express issues four personal cards and three small business cobranded Delta cards. The exact perks and bonuses are different for each card, but can include benefits such as $0 checked bags on Delta flights, airport lounge access and annual companion certificates. Plus, the Delta SkyMiles you earn can be redeemed in a number of ways, including for gift cards, Delta Vacations packages and award flights with Delta or its partner airlines. This makes it easy to get value out of the rewards you earn.

Before you take advantage of all the benefits of using a Delta card, you'll first need to get approved. Here's what credit score you'll need to qualify for the various Delta SkyMiles American Express cards.

Each of the Delta SkyMiles credit cards comes with a different welcome offer and annual fee. The cards also have their own set of bonus rewards categories and ongoing benefits. No matter what your budget or travel preferences are, there's likely to be a card that's a good fit for you.

• The Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card has no annual fee (see rates and fees) and offers benefits such as a $0 foreign transaction fee and 20% back on in-flight purchases.
• The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99 (see rates and fees) and benefits such as your first checked bag for $0 and a $100 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 in a calendar year.
• The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card has a $250 annual fee (see rates and fees) and offers perks like a first checked bag for $0 on Delta flights, an annual companion certificate and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
• The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card has a $550 annual fee (see rates and fees) and offers the most premium perks, including access to the Delta Sky Club and American Express Centurion airport lounges, complimentary seat upgrades, a Status Boost to help you obtain Delta elite status quicker, an annual companion certificate and more.

Small business owners have three Delta SkyMiles cards to choose from: Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card.

These small business cards have similar travel benefits as the personal cards, but come with slightly larger welcome offers and have bonus spending categories designed to reward common business expenses, such as shipping and advertising purchases.

American Express doesn't publish specific score requirements for its cards. However, reports suggest that you generally need at least a good credit score to qualify for any of the Delta SkyMiles credit cards.

According to FICO®, a good credit score is a score of 670 or above. That said, your score is only one factor in determining whether or not you'll be approved for a credit card. American Express will also consider your income and history as an Amex customer, among other factors. Amex also offers a pre-qualification service, so you can get a better idea of your approval chances without harming your credit score.

Also note that with Amex cards, you are only eligible to earn a welcome offer with a specific card once per lifetime. For example, if you've had a Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card before, then you can still be approved for the card again, but you won't be eligible for the introductory bonus miles offer. Luckily, the business and personal Delta cards are considered separate products so if you had the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, for example, you'd still be able to earn the welcome bonus with the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card.

If you're unsure whether you're eligible for a welcome offer, Amex has a handy pop-up during the application process that notifies you if you don't qualify for the bonus before you submit the application.

If you apply for a card and get rejected, issuers are legally required to inform applicants of why they've been rejected within 60 days of their decision. You may also try to give the Amex's reconsideration line a call to see if they'll approve your application.

FICO Score ranges

FICO breaks down credit scores into the following categories:

• Very poor: 300 to 579
• Fair: 580 to 669
• Good: 670 to 739
• Very good: 740 to 799
• Excellent: 800 to 850

FICO score factors

There are five main factors that comprise your FICO credit score and some are weighted more heavily:

• Payment history (35%) — If you've made your previous payments on time
• Amounts owed (30%) — Your credit utilization ratio, or the ratio of the amount of credit you're using to the amount that's been extended and owed on your accounts
• Length of credit history (15%) — The amount of time you've had credit
• New credit (10%) — How often you open new accounts
• Credit mix (10%) — Whether you have different types of credit, such as installment loans or revolving lines of credit

You could also benefit from signing up for a service such as *Experian Boost™, which uses your on-time payments for select subscription services and utilities to calculate your credit score.

To qualify for an Delta SkyMiles American Express card, you'll probably need a FICO® score of 670 or higher. With American Express being the sole issuer of cobranded Delta card's, you'll also be subject to its usual application rules. That means you're only eligible for the welcome bonus for a specific card once per lifetime. Luckily, there are seven different Delta cards and each one is considered a different product.

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*Results may vary. Some may not see improved scores or approval odds. Not all lenders use Experian credit files, and not all lenders use scores impacted by Experian Boost.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card card, click here.  

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, click here.