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Will I Earn Elite Credits When I Pay with Miles on Delta?

April 03, 2016
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3 min read
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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.

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You can use Pay with Miles while earning credit toward Medallion elite status.

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:

If you have any other questions, please tweet me @thepointsguy, message me on Facebook or send me an email at info@thepointsguy.com.

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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

American Express® Gold Card

TPG Editor‘s Rating
4 / 5
Go to review

Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
3XEarn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
2XEarn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
1XEarn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 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.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.