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Due to time I wanted to get this quick post up and it is an important one. Why? Right now so many are e-mailing me that they need some number of MQMs before the end of the year and can I help them get them. If you need such an Elite Mileage Run I would suggest you ASAP reach out to my friend ADAM for help from your home town airport. But that means flying.
A better idea to consider is the Amex Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card. Why, when the offer is less than the personal card offer that includes 40,000 SkyMiles? Let me break it down for you.
- Never had the card. Most folks, for some reason, do not get business travel cards. This is a huge mistake but now an opportunity for you. If you have never ever had this card you can get the new card bonus including the 10,000 MQMs that comes as a new card bonus after spend.
- Spend requirement. If you spend ANYTHING – even just ONE DOLLAR – you get the bonus MQMs and bonus SkyMiles. This is HUGE now that Amex is cracking down on creative spending (think MS) for new card bonus points. Spending a buck vs $3,000 spend on the personal Delta Amex Reserve card makes a huge difference.
- All the perks are the same for the business card! Folks, there really is no negative reason to hold the business Delta Amex card when it comes to perks such as more Medallion upgrades, Sky Club access the day you fly, Amex warranty on purchases and so much more. I long term HOLD my business Delta Amex Reserve card.
- Mileage Run from home. I love a good “fun run”. Flying is always an experience. Sometimes you can enjoy a few days where you are going and sometimes just turn and burn and hope for bumpertunites and still get all your points. But Swedes have a saying: “borta är bra men hemma är bäst” that is “away is good but home is best” and that is so very true. A few clicks to get your points is always nice!
- Your business does not have to make money to get this card! Do you ever sell on EBAY? Even if you do not make money from your side business you can put down ZERO for income for your business and then later in the app put down your total income. All will be considered for you to get Amex business cards.
Bottom line is that if you are short MQMs then your time is almost up to get the Amex Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card and get at least one dollar of spending done. I personally would not wait much more than the 15th-ish to apply if you want to get the MQMs to count on THIS YEAR for the 2018 Medallion flying year.
Any questions? Fire away! – René
Advertiser Disclosure: Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc., is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact how and where card products appear on the site. This site does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities. Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. We may receive a commission or referral bonus for purchases or successful applications made during shopping sessions or signups initiated from clicking those links.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Are the mqm’s transferable from my wife to my account since I already have both reserve cards and am about 6000 my short.?
@Jeffrey – Not the new card bonus MQMs no. Only the MQMs from meeting the 30k and 60k spend goals are transferable to anyone you want.
Don’t need the mqms, but thanks for the tip.
I need 460 MQM’s to hit platinum. All sign up bonuses have been utilized and still short. Worth taking a mileage run to hit Platinum? or should I just roll the excess MQM’s for next year?
@Jeremy – See this post to help find your answer: http://renespoints.boardingarea.com/2015/10/09/should-you-go-for-delta-platinum-medallion-status-or-stop-short-for-rollover-mqms/
Thanks Rene. Just got approved. Now I only need a 5,900 mileage run before Dec 31 to keep my platinum which is manageable.
@Bill – Congrats and thanks for supporting the blog. Yep, 6k run should be doable. What is you home city and I will see what I can find to help out!
Does the Business Reserve card also come with a companion certificate like the Personal Reserve card? And, if so, is it at the one year anniversary renewal time and not at initial signup?
@Frankie – Yes. At the end of year 1 you get a 1st class or coach BOGO cert when year 2 fee bills.
I got a note from AMEX that says it will cost $250,000 of spending to get the Diamond card in 2018 (the eligible purchase threshold). What did it used to cost? and really what does this mean?
Should I send you the entire paragraph?
@Lynn – In 2018 for the 2019 Medallion year. The current year ends 31DEC2017 and is for the 2018 Medallion year. Clear? More info is here btw: http://renespoints.boardingarea.com/2017/09/26/thank-readers-won-delta-diamond-mqd-waver-250000-2019-medallion-year-thrilled/
I have had the Reserve personal card before, but not the business. Would I still be eligible? Need 8000 MQM’s due to less travel this year and less spend on my Platinum Delta card.
@Ian – Yes! The business card is NOT, again NOT the same as the personal. You can get the card and the bonus if you have never had the business Reserve card.
Wonderful. For some reason I thought once you had the personal you couldn’t get the sign up bonus for the business. I guess it’s time to get to it!
@Ian – The only warning is the 5 credit card limit with Amex i.e. you can only have a max number of credit cards at one time personal and business. Charge cards do not count in your totals.
You can have more than five Amex cards. I had six until I canceled one.
@JohnHace – Most data points say 5 CREDIT cards. Yes you can have more if you mix in charge cards.
Rene,
Can you clarify the date the MQM would credit, not post? For example, apply Dec 10, get card Dec 20, then Dec 21 you meet minimum spend ($1 or $1,000 depending on card). That charge is pending beginning Dec 21, but on Dec 26, it goes from pending to an actual charge.
Statement closes say Jan 15. Would the post day (the date you actually notice you have more MQM) be Jan 15, but the MQM would credit/act as if they appeared on Dec 26, the day you technically met minimum spend?
Thank you in advance.
@Chris – Answer in tomorrows post!
I spoke with Amex today about Reserve card strategy (personal). I was told regardless of when the purchases are made, the MQM count when deposited by Amex to Delta. The claim 6-8 weeks from when you hit the threshold. So seems like the personal card is not an option even if I spent $3k “today”. I’m I missing something?
@Steve – The verbal info you got is wrong. Read the T&C.
@rene – i read the T&C and spoke with both Delta PM customer service and AMEX (again). They both said they have no control over the posting. When I got my Platinum (card), the bonus MQM posted 20 days after i hit the spend threshold. So it seems risky to go for it. I’m 5k mile short of DM. So i either take a MQM mileage run or bet on the Amex Reserve bonus timing.
I considered this, and hate buying miles. But for $490 I can buy my 14k to Platinum, where as the CC offer for me is 3k in spend for the 10k MQM, plus another flight of 4k miles, and no guarantee the 10k will post in time. So in an odd twist, it is easier, and cheaper to purchase the miles.
@Steve – Biz card is $1 spend. Sorry you donated money to Delta. 🙁
The biz card in your link, and logging in and going to it in my account, required a 3k spend. But, let’s assume I did something wrong, and you are correct. It would be $450 for the card, plus the $1 spend. That would still leave me 4k miles short. Since I would have spent $451, I world have needed a 4k flight $85 (includes the taxes I paid Delta). So what am I missing? This was cheaper, and if I am right and had to do a 3k spend, then it would be much more.
@Steve – Mistake #1 is logging in to Amex. Fix is clear cache and use my link: http://www.RenesPoints.com/BPC
Mistake #2 is math. You get 10k SkyMiles (worth at least 1 cent each) thus is you get biz card you only pay net $350
Mistake #3 with buying MQMs i.e. donating money to Delta means no Reserve card for:
More upgrade
Free Sky Club
Next year free Bogo
Other Amex perks
Bottom line you dumped cash to Delta when yo could have got so much more. Sorry.
@Steve
How are you buying 14K MQM for Plat? I thought the max was 10k MQM and a hella lot more expensive than $490.
Answer is you are buying 14k redeemable/award miles at $490. Not MQM.
If you could buy 14K MQM (you can only buy 10k), then you would be paying around $4400.
Note the reserve card only requires $1 spend that needs to post on your AmEx statement prior to Jan 1, 2018 for the MQM to credit in time (which could be after Jan 1 but is retroactive), but obviously there is the card fee as another cost. See Rene’s most recent post:
http://renespoints.boardingarea.com/2017/12/08/2017-2018-delta-year-end-qa-mqms-rollover-choice-benefits-skybonus/
@Rene @Chris: I hate to make a mistake, but you were right and I was wrong. That’s what I get for doing things in a rush. I went ahead and got the card.
Now I need to find a quick 3k mileage run for this upcoming weekend. Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks! Approved for the business Reserve card.
@Sheraz – Congrats! Thanks for supporting the blog.
I’m 9K MQMs short of Platinum and have met the MQD spend for Platinum. I signed up for the card using the link on this site and was approved. I am concerned about the statement in the T&Cs:
“Please allow 6-8 weeks after your first purchase for the bonus miles to appear in your Delta SkyMiles account.” How long does it take to get the MQMs once you make your first purchase?
Thanks for the great blog!
@Matt – Normally 1-3 days after your statement close date but sometimes as soon as spend is done. Either way counts in year spend done i.e. this year if you post the spend before 32DEC.
@rene. You were/are 100% correct and the Delta rep was wrong. I got the card and just saw the MQM post this AM. I’ll be DM after my flight tomorrow. So cool. Thank you!!
@matt – it took a business day for mine to hit.
@Steve awesome, congrats and thanks for the info! How long did it take for you to receive the card from the time you opened? Customer support told me 7-10 business days.
@rene. I applied Sunday. I received a call on Monday to verify mailing address. I requested expedited handling at that point. I received the card Wednesday via UPS. I charged Thursday AM. The charge posted on Amex Saturday AM. The mqm and award miles posted on Delta this AM. So the entire process from app to miles took a week. Doubt it could go much faster. Btw – I’m the first Steve that commented about the info from the rep. Two steves on this thread. Thanks again!
So 3 Steve’s on the thread 🙂 I applied on Monday, Dec 11th, and my card showed up on Saturday, Dec 16th while I was traveling. I activated it and charged 1 item on the 17th, and they showed up in my Delta account today (December 21) – so 10 days in total.
@Steve – So last day or so to apply for the Delta Amex Reserve card and get MQMs for 2017?