The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card are two popular travel rewards credit cards.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee.
The Delta Amex Platinum comes packed with Delta-specific perks like priority boarding, a free checked bag, and discounts on award flights. The card's annual companion certificate and ability to earn Medallion Qualification Dollars through spending make it worthwhile for those chasing Delta elite status.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.Full Reviews: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card.
Overview: Sapphire Preferred vs. Delta Platinum
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
- You may be eligible for as high as 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- 3X SkyMiles on Delta Purchases and Hotel Stays
- 2X SkyMiles at U.S. Supermarkets and at Restaurants worldwide (including takeout & delivery in the U.S.)
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Credit
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- $350 Annual Fee (Rates & Fees)
Welcome Bonus
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.Delta Platinum Amex:
The Delta Platinum Amex currently offers the following welcome bonus:
You may be eligible for as high as 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.Earning Points
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points and offers bonus points on spending in several categories:
- 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase travel portal;
- 5 points per dollar on Lyft purchases (through March 2025);
- 5 points per dollar on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $250 or more (through March 2025, with a limit of 25,000 bonus points);
- 3 points per dollar on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out;
- 3 points per dollar on online grocery store purchases (excludes Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs);
- 3 points per dollar on select streaming services;
- 2 points per dollar on all travel not booked through the Chase travel portal; and
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible spending.
Delta Platinum Amex:
The Delta Platinum Amex earns:
- 3 SkyMiles per dollar on purchases made directly with Delta and at hotels;
- 2 SkyMiles per dollar on purchases made at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.;
- 2 SkyMiles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets; and
- 1 SkyMile per dollar on other eligible purchases.
Spending on the Delta Platinum American Express will also help you earn Delta Medallion Elite status because you will earn $1 Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQDs) for every $20 on your card. For example, if you spent $20,000 per year on this card, you would earn 1,000 MQDs.
Plus, the Delta Platinum American Express offers an annual $2,500 Medallion Qualification Dollar headstart for just holding the card.
Winner:
Chase Sapphire Preferred offers more ways to earn rewards for different types of spending, with a better rewards rate. You can’t earn SkyMiles, but you can earn 2x points for travel purchases made outside of the Chase portal.
Card Benefits
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers nice benefits, including:
Travel Benefits
Primary Rental Car Insurance: When you rent a car and pay with this card, you’ll receive comprehensive coverage including damage and theft protection. Simply decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver and charge the entire rental to your card to activate coverage. This insurance covers damage, theft, and valid loss-of-use charges worldwide.
Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: This protection reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel before departure or cut your trip short due to covered situations like severe illness or weather events. Coverage activates when you pay for your trip with the card, but it’s important to note that reimbursement only applies for specific covered reasons rather than any cancellation.
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card.
Baggage Delay Insurance: Missing luggage doesn’t have to derail your trip – this coverage steps in to reimburse you for essential purchases when your checked bags are delayed by airlines, trains, or other carriers. You can grab the necessities you need, from a fresh outfit to personal care items, while waiting for your bags to arrive.
Purchase Benefits
120-Day Purchase Protection: Get 120 days of protection against damage, theft, and even loss of your purchases – one of the longest windows available. This premium coverage automatically applies when you pay with your card.
Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans.
Delta Platinum Amex:
The Delta Platinum Amex offers the following benefits for its cardholders:
Benefits with Delta Air Lines
First Free Checked Bag: The Delta Platinum Amex offers a free first checked bag free for you and up to eight companions traveling with you on your reservation on a Delta or Delta Connection flight.
Priority Boarding: You and up to eight travel companions on your reservation enjoy Priority Boarding in Group 5 when flying Delta.
Companion Certificate: Enjoy a Companion Certificate on Main Cabin domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights each year after renewal of your Card. You must pay taxes and fees of up to $80 for roundtrip domestic flights and up to $250 for roundtrip international flights.
20% Back on In-Flight Purchases: You can get 20% back as a statement credit for eligible prepurchased meals and inflight purchases of food, alcoholic beverages and audio headsets on Delta-operated flights.
15% Award Discount: Card members save 15% anytime when using SkyMiles to book Award Travel on Delta flights.
Special Credits
$150 Annual Delta Stays Credit: Get up to $150 back per year as a statement credit after using your Delta Platinum Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com/stays.
$120 Resy Credit: Earn up to $10 per month in statement credits on eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment is required.
$120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with Uber, Lyft, Curb, Revel, and Alto. Enrollment Required.
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck® Credit: This card offers a credit for TSA PreCheck (expedited airport security) or Global Entry (expedited airport security and customs).
Travel and Purchase Benefits
Hertz 5-Star Status: Receive Hertz 5-Star elite status upon enrollment, which offers benefits such as a 25% points bonus, free additional driver for spouse, and upgrades or the ability to choose a car from the Five Star Aisle at Ultimate Choice Locations.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.*
Baggage Insurance Plan covers your baggage if it is lost, damaged, or stolen and you purchase your ticket with this card.*
90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them.*
Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you’ll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans*
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Winner:
It depends on how often you fly Delta Air Lines. If you fly with Delta often, then the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card is a good choice since it offers a first free checked bag, priority boarding, and you can likely take advantage of the companion certificate.
But if you only fly Delta once or twice per year, the Chase Sapphire Preferred’s superior travel protections, hotel credit, and points bonus make it a better option for you.
Value of the Annual Fee
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred comes with an annual fee of $95.
While some users might be initially deterred by this cost, it’s important to consider the value and benefits that come with the card.
The rewards points, travel benefits, and purchase protections can help offset the cost of the annual fee for frequent travelers.
Delta Platinum Amex:
The Delta Platinum Amex has an annual fee of $350 (rates & fees).
This fee can be offset by taking advantage of the free checked bag, priority boarding, annual companion certificate, and other travel protections.
Winner:
It depends. This again comes down to how much you fly Delta and whether you can take advantage of the companion certificate and the free checked bags.
If you aren’t going to use the free checked bags or companion ticket, then the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a better option.
Redeeming Points
Chase Sapphire Preferred:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred earns Ultimate Rewards points, one of the most flexible points currencies.
You can use your points to book flights, hotel stays, and even rent a car through Chase Travel — all at a fixed rate of 1.25 cents per point. For example, 100,000 points are equivalent to $1,250 towards travel.
You can unlock even more value than 1.25 cents per point by transferring rewards to Chase airline and hotel partners.
Delta Platinum Amex:
Delta no longer publishes an award chart for its SkyMiles program. Award flights are instead priced dynamically based on many factors, including routes, travel dates, airline partners, and how far in advance you book the flight.
It is generally very difficult for people to get outsized value when using SkyMiles for business class, like many other points programs, but here’s a few of my recommended ways to redeem SkyMiles:
- Domestic economy flights starting as low as 4,500 SkyMiles.
- Booking one of Delta’s occasional flash sales.
- Flights to Canada on WestJet starting as low as 4,500 SkyMiles.
- Virgin Atlantic to London in Upper Class for 120,000 SkyMiles each way.
- Air France Business Class to Paris for 120,000 SkyMiles each way.
- LATAM Economy Class from the U.S. to South America starting at 25,000 SkyMiles each way.
Winner:
Chase Sapphire Preferred since Chase Ultimate Rewards are more valuable and more flexible than Delta SkyMiles. You can use them for flights anywhere in the world or for hotels.
The Verdict
Both the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Delta Platinum Amex offer excellent travel benefits and rewards programs.
Choosing the right card for you ultimately depends on your individual spending habits and travel needs.
If you’re looking for a versatile travel card that’s great for general travel purchases and household expenses, the Sapphire Preferred is a great choice. With its strong rewards program for dining, travel, streaming, and groceries, it’s a solid option for individuals who want an everyday card that they can use for different purchases.
On the other hand, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card is ideal for frequent Delta flyers who take several trips a year. With its exclusive perks and benefits tailored specifically for Delta loyalists, this card is perfect for road warriors who want an upgraded travel experience.
Whichever card you choose, both the Sapphire Preferred and Delta SkyMiles Platinum offer some incredible rewards and protection benefits that can make your travel experience even better. So, take some time to assess your needs and choose the card that best fits your lifestyle.
Which card are you going to choose?
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
- You may be eligible for as high as 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- 3X SkyMiles on Delta Purchases and Hotel Stays
- 2X SkyMiles at U.S. Supermarkets and at Restaurants worldwide (including takeout & delivery in the U.S.)
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Credit
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- $350 Annual Fee (Rates & Fees)
