The Points Pro logo The Points Pro

All cards

Delta Gold vs United Explorer

Up to three cards side by side, most decisive first. Open any section for the detail.

Rewards only pay if you pay in full. We compare what a card earns and gives, not its interest rates: carrying a balance costs more than any card earns. Rates and fees like APR, balance transfer and cash advance vary by applicant, so check the issuer's rates and fees before you apply. Why we never carry a balance

Delta SkyMiles Gold Card card art
Delta Gold 1 of 2
United Explorer Card card art
United Explorer 2 of 2
Comparing 2 cards
Delta SkyMiles Gold Card card art
American Express
Delta Gold
Apply Details
United Explorer Card card art
Chase
United Explorer
Apply Details
Cost and value $150 fee$150 fee
Annual fee
$150
$150
Credits you can use a year, if you use every one
$220 Best: United Explorer
$460 Best
Fee after credits
$70 back credits beat the fee Best: United Explorer
$310 back Best credits beat the fee
Point value per point or mile
1.20¢ Estimate
1.20¢ Estimate
Rewards currency
Delta SkyMiles
United MileagePlus miles
Foreign transaction fee
None
None
Rates and fees
On the issuer's site APR, balance transfer and cash advance vary by applicant
On the issuer's site APR, balance transfer and cash advance vary by applicant
Sign-up bonus 80,000 miles, about $1,21070,000 miles, about $840
Bonus
80,000 miles + $250 statement credit
70,000 miles + 10,000 bonus miles for adding an authorized user
Estimated value
$1,210 Best
$840 for the miles Best: Delta Gold
Spend to earn it less a month is easier
$3,000 in 180 days Best about $500 a month
$3,000 in 90 days about $1,000 a month Best: Delta Gold
Offer ends
Nov 4, 2026
No end date listed
Varies by applicant
Yes the issuer may show you a different offer
Yes the issuer may show you a different offer
Earning rates Top rate 2xTop rate 3x
Return is points per dollar times that card’s point value, so 3x and 4x on different currencies compare fairly.
Dining
2x about 2.4% back
2x about 2.4% back
Groceries
2x Best about 2.4% back
1x about 1.2% back, the everything-else rate Best: Delta Gold
Everything else
1x about 1.2% back
1x about 1.2% back
Only on this card
  • 2x Brand purchases
  • 2x Hotels
  • 3x Brand purchases
  • 3x Flights
Statement credits $220 a year$460 a year
Trusted traveler
None
  • $120 every 4 years
    What counts

    Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee when charged to the card.

Rideshare
  • $120 a year $10 every month
    What counts

    After your first Card renewal, earn up to $10 in statement credits each month when using your Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. That's up to $120 back each year. Enrollment required.

  • $60 a year $5 every month
    What counts

    Up to $5 back as a statement credit each month on rideshare purchases, up to $60 each calendar year. Yearly opt-in required.

Travel booking
  • $100 a year resets every year
    What counts

    Get up to $100 back per year as a statement credit after using your Card to book prepaid hotels or vacation rentals through Delta Stays on delta.com.

  • $100 a year resets every card anniversary
    What counts

    Up to $100 back as a statement credit each anniversary year when booking flights directly with JSX using the card.

  • $100 a year resets every card anniversary
    What counts

    $50 back as a statement credit on both the 1st and 2nd prepaid hotel stays purchased directly through United Hotels, up to $100 each anniversary year.

  • $50 a year resets every card anniversary
    What counts

    $25 in United TravelBank cash for each of the 1st and 2nd Avis or Budget rentals booked directly through cars.united.com, up to $50 each anniversary year.

Other credits
None
  • $120 a year $10 every month
    What counts

    Receive a $10 Instacart credit monthly, up to $120 total each calendar year, for purchases made directly through Instacart with the card. Benefits end 12/31/27.

Monthly credits to track fewer is less work
1 Best
2 Best: Delta Gold
Certificates and passes None2 lounge passes, about $100 a year
Values are our estimate of what each certificate typically saves. Certificates expire, so their value depends on using them in time.
Lounge passes
None
  • 2 x United Club one-time passes each card year, about $100 a year
Yearly value certificates that arrive each card year
None Best: United Explorer
about $100 Best
Transfer partners No transfersNo transfers
Partners
None
None
Alliance reach
None
None
Status, lounges and travel No status or loungesNo status or lounges
Other status perks
  • Receive Zone 5 Priority Boarding on Delta flights; board early, stow your carry-on bag and settle in sooner.
  • Primary Cardmember with MileagePlus Premier status traveling on an award ticket, plus one companion on the same reservation, is eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select United- and United Express-operated flights, subject to availability.
  • Earn 1 Premier Qualifying Point (PQP) for every $20 in net purchases, up to a maximum of 1,000 PQP within the calendar year, applying toward MileagePlus Premier status qualification.
Travel benefits
  • 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services when traveling more than 100 miles from home, including medical and legal referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance.
  • Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit after you use your Card on eligible Delta in-flight purchases of food and beverages.
  • Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
  • Take 15% off anytime you book Award Travel with miles on Delta flights when using delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights worldwide – and on domestic Delta flights, your second bag flies free too.
  • Group 2 Priority boarding - the primary Cardmember and companions on the same reservation board United-operated flights prior to general boarding, a value of $48 per person per roundtrip. $48
  • Complimentary Visa Signature Concierge Service available 24 hours a day for event tickets, dinner reservations, and gift assistance.
  • MileagePlus members can use miles to book any United-operated flight, any time, with no restrictions or blackout dates.
  • Save 10% or more when booking United or United Express award flights with miles; Premier members save even more (15%+).
  • Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount after spending $20,000 each calendar year to use toward an eligible award flight on United or United Express.
  • The primary Cardmember and one companion traveling on the same reservation can each check a first standard bag for free on United-operated flights, saving up to $200 per roundtrip.
Protection and insurance 4 coverages6 coverages
Rows line up by coverage type. "Not listed" means the terms we track do not mention it, not that the card lacks it.
Trip delay
Not listed
  • Covers unreimbursed expenses such as meals and lodging up to $500 per covered traveler when common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay.
  • Reimburses up to $100 a day for up to 3 days for essential purchases when baggage is delayed over 6 hours.
Baggage
  • Coverage for lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage when you purchase the Entire Fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket on an Eligible Card. Coverage up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. For New York State residents, a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit applies.
  • Provides reimbursement up to $3,000 per covered traveler for lost, damaged, or stolen checked or carry-on baggage during a covered trip.
Rental car
  • Coverage for Damage to or Theft of a Rental Vehicle when you use your Eligible Card to reserve and pay for the Entire Rental and decline the CDW at the counter, in a Covered Territory. Secondary coverage, no liability coverage. Not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand.
  • Primary auto rental collision damage waiver providing reimbursement up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage for most rental vehicles with an MSRP of $125,000 or less, when declining the rental company's collision insurance.
Extended warranty
  • Get up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer's Warranty on Covered Purchases with warranties of 5 years or less, in the United States or its territories.
  • Extends the manufacturer's U.S. warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less, up to four years from the date of purchase.
Purchase protection
  • Covered Purchases made with your Eligible Card can be protected against theft or accidental damage for up to 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per Covered Purchase, up to $50,000 per calendar year.
  • Covers eligible new purchases for 120 days from the date of purchase against damage or theft, up to $10,000 per item.
Other coverage
Not listed
  • Reimbursement up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares if a trip is canceled or cut short by a covered situation.
Lifestyle and other perks 2 perks3 perks
Lifestyle and entertainment
  • Eligible Card Members who enroll can get 10% back on qualifying concessions purchases at venues/arenas/stadiums in the American Express Venue Collection, up to $250 per calendar year. Limit one enrolled Card per Card Member.
  • Access to purchase Amex Presale Tickets and Amex Reserved Tickets to select events across sports, music, and more, plus additional perks when attending select events.
None
Other perks
None
  • 2 United Club one-time passes deposited into the primary Cardmember's MileagePlus account after account opening and each anniversary thereafter, each worth over $100, usable by the primary Cardmember, an authorized user, or accompanied guests. $100,
  • Get complimentary Instacart+ membership for three months, including unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees on eligible orders over $35; afterward automatically enrolled at 25% off the annual rate. Benefits end 12/31/27.
  • Earn 10,000 bonus miles for each friend approved for any United MileagePlus Card, up to 100,000 bonus miles per year.
Authorized users Not listedFree
Cost
Not listed
Authorized users are free.
Each one gets
  • Baggage insurance plan
  • Car rental loss and damage insurance
  • Extended warranty
  • Purchase protection
  • Auto rental coverage
  • Baggage delay insurance
  • Extended warranty protection
  • Lost luggage reimbursement
  • Purchase protection
  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
  • Trip delay reimbursement
Application rules 2/905/24
Issuer approval rules
  • 2/90 Community-reported
    What counts

    American Express generally approves at most 2 of its credit cards per 90 days.

  • 5 credit card limit Community-reported
    What counts

    American Express generally limits you to 5 of its credit cards at once.

  • 10 charge card limit Community-reported
    What counts

    American Express generally limits you to 10 of its charge cards at once.

  • 5/24 Community-reported
    What counts

    Chase generally declines applicants who have opened 5 or more credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months.

Bonus eligibility
  • Once per lifetime Issuer-stated
    What counts

    American Express welcome offers are generally once per lifetime for each card, unless your specific offer omits the lifetime language.

Not listed
Card type
Personal
Personal