Will I Earn Elite Credits When I Pay with Miles on Delta?
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TPG reader Daniel sent me a message on Facebook to ask about earning elite credits on Delta:
"Will I earn elite credits when I use Pay with Miles to buy a Delta ticket?"
Award flights generally don't earn miles or elite credits, which is one reason why you may be better off paying cash for airfare when prices are low. However, the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express and other co-branded Delta Amex cards offer a benefit known as Pay with Miles that changes the rules in favor of cardholders.
When Delta introduced this feature back in 2008, Pay with Miles fares were ineligible to earn either redeemable SkyMiles or Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs). In 2013, Delta amended that policy to offer rewards on first- and business-class tickets, though economy fares were left out. However, Delta had another change of heart in December 2014 when the airline announced that it would extend those rewards to all Pay with Miles fares beginning in 2015.
As it stands now, Pay with Miles fares are eligible to accrue SkyMiles, as well as both MQMs and Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs). You can also earn Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) to help meet your revenue requirements for elite status, but that only applies to the portion of your base fare that is paid for in currency. For example, if you redeem 10,000 SkyMiles to trim $100 from a $200 base fare, you'll earn SkyMiles and MQDs on the remaining $100 balance.
While Pay with Miles doesn't offer great value, the ability to earn rewards makes it somewhat more attractive. The redemption rate works out to a value of 1 cent per mile, but you'll get anywhere from 5%-11% of your redeemed SkyMiles back depending on your Medallion status level. That ups the return to around 1.05-1.1 cents per mile, which isn't too far under my latest valuation.
Note that the rules are different for Delta's Miles + Cash fares. Unlike Pay with Miles, these fares are treated as full award tickets, so they don't earn miles or elite credits of any kind. Miles + Cash awards don't tend to offer good value anyway, so that's just one more reason to avoid them.
For more on how to maximize the Delta SkyMiles program, check out these posts:
- How to Book Award Flights with Delta SkyMiles
- Earning Delta SkyMiles Without Flying
- 5 Redemptions That Show Delta SkyMiles Are Far from Worthless
- How to Earn Delta Medallion Elite Status Without Flying
If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees