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The Redemption Restriction: Delta's Exclusive Policy
| Payment Method | Expedia Acceptance Status | Redemption Channel | Key Restriction |
| Delta Gift Card | Not Accepted | Delta.com or Delta Reservations | Cannot be processed by third-party OTAs like Expedia. |
| Delta eCredit | Not Accepted | Delta.com or Delta Reservations | Must be applied to Delta-issued tickets only. |
| Delta SkyMiles Credit Card | Accepted | Expedia Checkout | Functions as a standard credit card; earns SkyMiles and Expedia Rewards. |
| General Visa/Mastercard Gift Card | Generally Accepted | Expedia Checkout | Functions as a prepaid debit card (requires address registration). |
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- No, Expedia only offers fields for standard payment methods (credit/debit cards, PayPal, etc.) and its own loyalty currency (OneKeyCash).
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