Bad Changes to the Delta SunTrust Miles Earning Debit Card

Via jk2 on FlyerTalk and Doctor of Credit, there are some bad changes coming to the Delta SunTrust Debit Card, which previously was open to applicants, and had a 1 mile per 1 dollar earning ratio. Now, the card is closed to new applications, and there’s several important changes coming into effect after July 25 for those who still have it. If you don’t already have this card, you can’t apply for it now.

Major Changes

The card will now incur an annual fee:

• If you have over $100,000 in a Signature Advantage checking account, you’ll only incur a $25 annual fee.
• If you have less than $100,000 in a Signature Advantage checking account, you’ll incur a $75 annual fee.
• If you don’t have a Signature Advantage checking account, you’ll incur a $95 annual fee.

The card will now limit the amount of miles you can earn via a miles cap per every 30 days:

• You can earn a maximum of 4,000 miles for Signature Advantage account holders
• You can earn a maximum of 2,000 miles for non-Signature Advantage account
• You can earn a maximum of 2,000 miles for Delta SlyMiles Business Debit Card holders

The card will now have a different earning structure, too:

• If you have a Signature Advantage checking account, you’ll earn 1 mile per dollar.
• If you don’t have a Signature Advantage checking account, you’ll earn 1 mile per 2 dollars.

Doctor of Credit has a nice write-up here summarizing this as well.

My Take

This is definitely a negative for those who still hold this card. With the annual fees and mileage caps, this card just doesn’t pay anymore for what it’s worth.