Reader question: Turned down for Delta card. What’s next?

This page was originally published in early 2022 and reflects the author’s advice to a reader during that time. The rest of the article has since been updated.

One of our readers, Adam, emailed me to ask for some advice. He was declined for the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card and wants to know if he’s a good candidate for the American Express Green Card®*. He’s interested in a travel credit card and, more specifically, earning Delta SkyMiles. 

Let’s dive into the details about these two cards and find out the best way to help Adam find a travel credit card that suits his needs:

Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card vs. American Express Green Card

The SkyMiles Platinum card has an annual fee of $350 and offers:

• 3X miles on Delta purchases, including flights and Delta Vacations® 
• 3X miles on bookings made directly with hotels
• 2X miles at U.S. supermarkets 
• 2X miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S. 
• 1X miles on all other purchases

Additional benefits include free checked bags, priority boarding, a domestic main cabin round-trip companion ticket each year, a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee waiver and more.

The American Express Green Card has a $150 annual fee and offers:

• 3X Membership Rewards points in eligible travel categories including airfare, hotels, travel purchases on third-party travel websites and travel purchases through the American Express Travel portal
• 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• 3X points on transit, such as for trains, taxis, rideshare services, tolls, parking, buses, and subways
• 1X points on all other purchases

Additional benefits include various travel protections, as well as annual statement credits for CLEAR Plus membership and LoungeBuddy. While the card doesn’t earn SkyMiles directly, it does earn Membership Rewards points, which can be transferred to Delta and converted into SkyMiles. 

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum card is advertised for those with good to excellent credit, which roughly translates to FICO credit scores between 670 and 850. When Adam first applied, his credit score was 673, so he was a borderline candidate. The American Express Green Card is also advertised for those with good to excellent credit, so Adam would be a borderline candidate if he applied for that card, too.

But credit card issuers look at other factors, too, of course. These include income (Adam listed his at $17,000) and financial assets ($55,000 in Adam’s case). His denial letter for the SkyMiles Platinum listed insufficient income/assets as the primary reason he was turned down. 

What not to do after being rejected for a credit card

Regrettably, he applied a second time and was rejected again. The second time, his credit score was 666. The hard inquiry associated with the first application was probably why his score was a bit lower. 

I wouldn’t have recommended the second application in quick succession — the issuer isn’t likely to change its mind without seeing clear improvement from your first application. 

Better actions to take after a credit card denial

Instead of applying for the same card right after getting denied from that card, Adam should have considered these options:

• Apply for a different card with better approval odds: By shifting his focus to a new card with less stringent credit score requirements — and maybe even one from a different issuer — he could have a higher chance of being approved.
• Hold off on applying for the same card again while attempting to raise his credit score: Bringing his credit score up so that he’s no longer a borderline candidate can help to raise his approval odds. 
• Call the American Express reconsideration line to talk about his application with a representative: This last tip would work best if he had some new information that’s relevant to his application. One example is income he didn’t include on his initial application. Sometimes, it’s also possible to get approved via the reconsideration line if you agree to reconfigure your existing credit lines, such as repurposing some of an existing credit limit from another Amex card onto the new card you want.

Adam seems to want to apply for a different card. Unfortunately, since he was turned down twice for the SkyMiles Platinum, I don’t think his odds of getting the Amex Green Card are particularly high. That, too, is marketed to those with good to excellent credit. With a fair credit score and income/assets that were too low for American Express’ liking on the Delta card, I wouldn’t expect better results with the Green Card.

He also asked me about the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card. This card isn’t as fancy as the Platinum version — the rewards aren’t as generous, there aren’t as many extra perks and the annual fee is lower — but, still, the same credit score recommendation applies, so I wouldn’t recommend applying to this one just yet, either.

How to use technology to help with credit card approvals

I think Adam should use Bankrate’s CardMatch tool, which provides users with personalized matches and even prequalification offers based on their goals and credit scores. This way, he can better understand what he’s likely to be approved for (and potentially even prequalified for). Using the CardMatch tool is free and does not affect your credit score.

One card that I think he should pay attention to is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. It doesn’t directly transfer to Delta (as the Amex Green Card does), but cardholders earn a solid 2 miles on almost every purchase, as well as 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 

Each mile is worth 1 cent toward travel, so Adam could essentially use this for a 2 percent rebate on every purchase and put those funds toward a Delta flight (or another form of travel).

The Capital One Venture plays in that same good to excellent credit space, however. Without improving his credit score — and other factors like his income level — Adam isn’t a shoo-in to be approved, although Capital One is generally viewed as catering to a wider range of applicants than American Express. I’m curious what CardMatch tells him about his chances to obtain this card.

If it’s a no-go, it’s probably a good time to take a step back and focus on improving his credit score before his next application. In addition to responsibly using the credit cards he already has, he could look into an alternative credit scoring system like Experian Boost (especially if his next credit card application will involve an Experian credit check).

And even if CardMatch gives Adam the green light to apply for the Venture card, I’d suggest waiting at least a few months before applying to provide a little distance from those two recent hard inquiries.

The bottom line

While being turned down for a credit card isn’t fun, Adam has plenty of company. About 1 in 5 credit card applicants (21.4 percent) are rejected, according to the June 2024 SCE Credit Access Survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. But as they say, when one door closes, another opens.

The best responses to a credit denial are to be thoughtful about what you’re likely to qualify for and to improve your finances so you’re a better candidate next time. Many people can significantly improve their credit score within six months (sometimes even less). Just stay focused on what you need to get approved for the new card you want — that denial could soon become a distant memory.

Have a question about credit cards? Email me at ted.rossman@bankrate.com and I’d be happy to help.

*Information about the American Express Green Card®  has been collected independently by Bankrate. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.