SkyMiles co-branded American Express cards no doubt provide a lot of value and perks for frequent Delta flyers. However, with the recent hike in annual fees, you may be tempted to cancel your SkyMiles Card. But wait: Before you cancel, you should weigh all your options, including downgrading to a lower (or no) annual fee card instead.
Still convinced that canceling is the best move for you? There's one more thing you should do: Ask for a retention offer.
Retention offers are a great way to earn bonus SkyMiles just for keeping your card open. Any time a bank makes customer-unfriendly moves like raising a card's annual fee or removing benefits it's a good time to ask for a little something extra. Just what the bank will offer you (if anything at all) will vary. So far we've seen reports of up to a whopping 90,000 SkyMiles for keeping your Delta card open and spending a few thousand dollars on it. That's like getting a new card welcome offer all over again!
Critically, you have to ask for a retention offer: Don't expect the bank to come to you offering a bonus. Remember … the worst they can say is no.
These are the retention offers we're seeing on Delta credit cards, and how to determine whether a detention offer is worth holding your Delta card for another year.
Read more: Retention Offers & How to Get More Out of Renewing Your Credit Cards
Delta Card Retention Offers We're Seeing
Welcome to the lucrative world of retention offers: Bonus miles, statement credits, or discounted annual fees credit card companies will offer you if re-up your credit card again when you're ready to cancel. You can ask for a retention offer anytime, but when any bank raises annual fees or cuts benefits is typically when we see bigger and better retention offers.
With new welcome offer restrictions added to the SkyMiles family of cards making it harder for cardholders to earn a big pool of points, these retention offer bonuses are more vital than ever.
In the past, we've rarely seen any worthwhile retention offers – or anything at all – on Delta's co-branded credit cards. But that's not the case right now. After Amex announced new benefits and higher annual fees on the suite of SkyMiles credit cards earlier this month, it's clear they put a plan in place to keep existing cardholders on the hook for another year … or more.
Keep in mind that not every cardholder will be targeted for a retention offer. If you are, the offer that you get may not reflect what's listed here or what other cardholders are getting. Knowing what offers are out there can help you determine whether what Amex will give you is worth keeping your card…or whether you're better off moving forward with a product change or canceling altogether.
Delta SkyMiles Gold Card
For the *delta skymiles gold card*, it's been reported that Amex is offering cardholders a retention bonus of 10,000 SkyMiles after spending $1,000 within three months. For a card with an annual fee of now $150 (see rates & fees), that's about as good as one can expect.
Still, some longtime cardholders who spend heavily might be offered something better – or nothing at all. Such is the way these retention offers go.
Learn more about the *delta skymiles gold card*.
Delta SkyMiles Platinum Card
With a new $350 annual fee (see rates & fees), the mid-tier *delta skymiles platinum card* has crept into a price range once reserved for ultra-premium cards. Along with the higher annual fee, Amex added several statement credits for things like Delta Stays hotel reservations, rideshares, and Resy dining. Still, that new fee is a tough pill to swallow and likely has many rethinking the card.
Last week, our co-founder Nick got a decent retention offer on his SkyMiles Platinum Card: 25,000 bonus SkyMiles for keeping the card open and spending $2,000 within three months.
He's not alone: Thrifty Traveler Premium members have also reported receiving the same offer while others are getting offers as high as 30,000 SkyMiles for the same spending requirements … or 18,000 SkyMiles for spending $1,000 within three months.
This is far more lucrative than the historical 7,500 SkyMiles retention offer Premium members were seeing on this card before the changes.
We haven't had any readers report receiving the 40,000 SkyMiles retention offer, but it certainly exists – and sometimes you'll get an option for a $225 statement credit. Several people have even a 70,000 SkyMiles offer! Not too shabby.
Learn more about the *delta skymiles platinum card*
Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card
Retention offers have been even better for travelers with the top-tier *delta reserve card*. One of our readers reported receiving an offer of 90,000 SkyMiles after spending $4,000 in three months. That's better than most welcome offers for opening a brand-new credit card! Another person posted the same offer on Reddit but only had to spend $3,000 over three months to get those bonus miles.
We've also seen reports of someone getting a slightly lower retention offer of 60,000 SkyMiles for spending at least $3,000 within three months.
Amex is also allegedly offering some cardholders a $1,200 statement credit for keeping their card open for another year. If you're one of these people, do let us know!
It's safe to say the offers are all over the board but the more expensive your Delta Card, the more likely Amex wants to keep you as a customer.
Learn more about the *delta reserve card*.
How to Ask for a Retention Offer
How do you go about asking for one? It goes like this:
- Log into your Amex account and start a chat, saying you're considering canceling your Delta card – or call Amex's designated retention department at 1-800-528-4800
- Explain to the agent you're unhappy with the annual fee increase and no longer feel it's worth paying for unless there's a retention offer that will incentivize you to keep it for another year
- Prepare for a long-winded explanation of all your card's new benefits, then tell them you don't value those benefits and would like to cancel unless there's a retention offer that will incentivize you to keep it for another year
- Cross your fingers and wait for something good.
While it's not necessary, many people will wait until their annual fee hits (or is about to) for additional leverage when asking for a retention offer. That makes good sense in theory, but these offers are typically set in stone: You're either targeted for a retention offer…or you're not. It varies by what card you have and how long you've had it, how much you spend on it per year, and other factors. If you've accepted a retention offer on a card in recent years, you may not get another one for a while.
But why not try to see what you might get from Amex before making a final decision?
Bottom Line
Whether you're on the fence about closing your card (or even if you're not), it's worth trying for a retention offer before paying another year's annual fee. Don't leave valuable SkyMiles on the table by racing out to close the card or downgrade to a no-fee version.
30,000 miles for $2,000 spend in 3 months
Thanks for the info! Just got offered 70k miles for $3k spend over 3 months on my 10 year old card.
Last month I called after reading about this topic on the delta reddit site and as a platinum card holder I was able to get 70k miles with either $2 or $3k spend in 3 months
I just tried for an offer on my Delta AMEX Reserve can and got nothing. Al they wanted talk about were all of the great perks I now get with my card. I will never use any of these new perks. The companion us a little bit better I will admit. We usually fly to Europe and they are of no use for those flighrs, of course. I will try again next week.
JP,
Try using the chat on the American Express web page. I explained that I was unhappy with the rate hike and was considering downgrading or leaving AMEX all together. I was transferred to several agents but ended up being offered 90,000 miles for spending $4000 in three months. I had to to come out and ask if they were offering any retention offers- I was offered the miles OR a onetime $500 statement credit. Good Luck!
I just called and was offered 25,000 after spending $5,000 in the next 3 months.
My P2 was offered a retention offer via chat of 7,500 SkyMiles for spending 2k on her Delta Reserve card. PItiful. Card was cancelled.
90,000 miles for $4,000 spending in three months – I’ll take it! Of course, before they would offer it I had to put up with an explanation in the chat of all the great card benefits. But definitely worth a few minutes of my time!
thank you, 90k skymiles on reserve card and with no effort and 3 min chat! Awesome tip and article!
How did you ask in the chat? I wonder if I didn’t ask the right questions because they didn’t offer me anything…
60k miles for $3k in 3 mos.
60,000 miles for $3,000 spend in 3 months.
10000 with a $4k spend. Told them I’d think about it. Going to call this time
Read the article, promptly launched a chat, and got 18,000 miles for $1k spend/3 months on my Delta Platinum. Crazy thing is that my AF posted in January, and was autopaid earlier this week; Amex already had my money. Granted, I sought out a retention offer last month before the “enhancements” were announced, and came up empty. I only put occasional Delta airfare on the card, and zero spend otherwise. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, and persistence counts.
Thanks for this tip. I just used the chat agent. I’ve been AmEx customer for more than 40 years. Delta SkyMiles Platinum. I was offered either 70,000 miles or $325 credit. I took the miles.
Just got the 90k points after spending 4k in 3 months on the reserve card offer! Took about 5 minutes. Thanks for the great article!
30k with 2k spending in 3 months on a card renewed twice.
Great tip. Copied and pasted your language and got 60k for $3k spend in 3mo on my reserve card.
70,000 miles after $3K spend in 3months for a Platinum card. Thank you for the info!
Thanks for the information. Just took care of this via the Delta Resrve chat feature. Compared their product to what United (85,000), American (50,000) and Hawaiian (90,000) are offering. Explained how those airlines are much better for me living in San Diego. Within seconds they have set up with 90,000 miles for $4,000 in purchases in 3 months. All autopsy bills go to the card, so that will happen even if I purchase nothing. GREAT TIP! 👍 👌
Offered 30,000 for 2k spend. It seems like there’s a formula at play. Twenty year card member, maybe 3 years with reserve. Platinum Delta before that for probably a decade. 845 credit score, $100,000 annual spend. Not sure why I got low balled. They did hit me with the first perks and asked if I wanted to hear more. I explained resy and Uber so they didn’t get to those. Maybe cutting them off prevented the higher tier offers. No statement credit offered. I’ll try again closer to my November renewal.
I was offered 70k miles to spend 3k on SkyMiles Reserve in 3 months.
5 minutes of chat, was offered the 90kmiles for $4k in 3 months on the Reserve card….Thanks!
Thank you for this information. I just got offered 70,000 miles for a $3,000 spend in 3 months on my 18 year Platinum card.
I was offered 25k miles for $2k spend within 3 months. I’ve been a Delta Platinum cardholder for 6 years and an Amex cardholder for close to 20 years. This isn’t the best offer, clearly and I asked if they could do a bit better but they said that was the best they could do. It’s better than nothing, I suppose and I’m glad I asked since I will definitely be able to put $2k+ on my card within 3 months. Thanks for the tip, TT!
25k miles for $2k card spend in 3 months on a 3 year old Gold card. Thanks!
If you cancel your Amex platinum and still have a buddy voucher on your delta account to use, do you lose the voucher?
60,000 for $3k spending on the Delta Platinum for a 5 minute chat- thanks so much!
Got offered either $250 credit after $3k or 60k miles after $3k…
Got the 70k offer today on my Platinum card been a member since 2013.
Thanks for the tip! Took some talking to, but I got offered 60,000 miles for 3 months on my Delta Platinum Card. Thanks guys!
Member since 2003; Delta Reserve. Gave me offer of 30K miles after 2K spend. Would not improve upon that. Said I would think about it.
Thanks for this information, I just received 70k miles after $3k in spending on platinum card I’ve had 2 years.
Great article. Thanks. Got 90,000 for $4k spend in 3 months. You do have to keep the card open for 12 months, or they will claw it back.
No retention offer on Amex delta platinum, called twice and both said no. Explained to them the annual fee increase was not working for me and I could not get value out of the Uber/resy credit.
Wow… as soon as I read your article I connected to the Amex website and started a chat. In 5 minutes I obtained the 90K retention bonus for a 4K spent in 3 months. I have a Reserve card that I absolutely didn’t plan to cancel in reality, lol… THANK YOU! 😉
2/4/24 I phoned AMEX and voiced concern about DL AMEX. In October 2023 the card renewed at lower annual fee. By phone AMEX rep offered 70K points for $2k spend in 3 months with the understanding that i renew the card again in Oct. 2024 or I could choose to earn $325 statement credit with $3K spend.
The points was better deal for me so I accepted.
For last 5 years, I spent $50K annually on DL AMEX platinum to earn status. Held this card 10+ years.
30k points for 2k in 3 months. Thanks!
Can you do this for the Delta Amex then jump to the Platinum Amex and see if they will do it there also, or do they track your requests for retention offers across products and/or card members? Like this card is under my name, but our platinum is under my husbands?
Hi Cecillia. You can always ask. I have received multiple retention offers from Amex in the same year on different card products.
The retention offers depend on what they’re offering at certain times. Called about the Gold Delta and there are no offers at this time. Good luck all!
I have the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card, I think about 5 years (upgraded from a hold card) and was just offered 25,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the next 3 months. I really wasn’t that interested in cancelling, so I took it. Thanks for the advice!
Just endured 10-15 minutes of a chat explaining all the “great” benefits before taking 60,000 miles with $3k spend. Asked for 90k and they came back with $250 credit if I didn’t want miles, so I took the miles.
Amex since 2007, Delta Skymiles Platinum card for just the last couple years.
I had to wait 20+ minutes in line for the chat and this is what they offered:
Your 30 years of membership with AMEX means a lot to us and considering that would like to to offer:
earn 30,000 miles after you spend $2,000 or more on purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Card account within 3 months of accepting this offer. The 30,000 miles will be credited to your account 8 to 12 weeks after the purchase requirement has been met. This is our way of saying thank you for keeping your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Card account open today.
Would you like to keep card with this offer?
I said no and asked for the 90k for $4K spend. The response was a hard no. The agent did not even increase the original offer. I am a bit insulted. I spend over $75k each year on the card and sometimes over $100k.
I asked for the 90k for $4K spend and they just gave me 60k for $3k spend. This is on a Delta Reserve card. They also offered a $250 statement credit instead of miles, but I took the miles.