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American Express Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card vs Hilton Honors Card

Both are American Express cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Oct 29

Everything else

  1. Hilton Honors Card 1.2% 3x base rate
  2. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card 1.2% 1x base rate

Dining

  1. Hilton Honors Card 2.0% 5x
  2. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card 1.2% 1x base rate

Groceries

  1. Hilton Honors Card 2.0% 5x
  2. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card 1.2% 1x base rate

Gas

  1. Hilton Honors Card 2.0% 5x
  2. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card 1.2% 1x base rate

Flights

  1. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card 3.6% 3x
  2. Hilton Honors Card 1.2% 3x base rate

Hotels

  1. Hilton Honors Card 2.8% 7x
  2. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card 1.2% 1x base rate

What the numbers are doing

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card $650 and Hilton Honors Card $0 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

Where they differ: Hilton Honors Card takes dining, groceries, gas and hotels; Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card takes flights.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseHilton Honors Card1.2%
DiningHilton Honors Card2.0%
GroceriesHilton Honors Card2.0%
GasHilton Honors Card2.0%
FlightsDelta SkyMiles Reserve Card3.6%
HotelsHilton Honors Card2.8%

Content preview. Apple Wallet controls the layout; visible categories vary by device. Categories that rank the same as Everything else are left off; every other category is in pass details.

Every category, every card

Everything else

  1. Hilton Honors Card — 1.2%
  2. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card — 1.2%

Dining

  1. Hilton Honors Card — 2.0%
  2. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card — 1.2%

Groceries

  1. Hilton Honors Card — 2.0%
  2. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card — 1.2%

Gas

  1. Hilton Honors Card — 2.0%
  2. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card — 1.2%

Flights

  1. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card — 3.6%
  2. Hilton Honors Card — 1.2%

Hotels

  1. Hilton Honors Card — 2.8%
  2. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card — 1.2%
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