The Chase 5/24 rule, explained
Chase declines new card applications if you opened five or more personal cards in the last 24 months. How the 5/24 rule works and how to plan around it.
The Chase 5/24 rule is the most important application-timing rule in US credit card strategy. Chase will not approve most consumer credit card applications if you have opened five or more personal credit cards from any issuer in the last 24 months. The rule applies to almost every Chase consumer product and several Chase business products.
What counts toward 5/24
Every personal credit card you have opened in the last 24 months, from any issuer, counts. That includes cards you opened and then closed. It includes cards opened in your name even if you have not actively used them.
What does not count: personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, home equity products, and most business cards from major issuers. Specifically, business cards from Chase, Amex, Bank of America, Citi, US Bank, Wells Fargo, and a few others do not report to your personal credit file and therefore do not count toward 5/24. Business cards from Capital One and TD Bank do report to your personal file and do count.
Authorized user cards are inconsistent. Some Chase representatives count them. Others do not. The safe assumption is that they count.
Which Chase cards enforce 5/24
The major Chase consumer cards all enforce 5/24:
- Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve
- Freedom Flex, Freedom Unlimited
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, Bonvoy Bountiful (legacy), Bonvoy Bold
- IHG One Rewards Premier, Traveler
- British Airways Visa, Iberia Visa, Aer Lingus Visa
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus, Premier, Priority
- United Explorer, Quest, Club Infinite
- Disney Visa, Disney Premier Visa
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
Most Chase Ink business products do not enforce 5/24 for approval, but they do count their own approval against your 5/24 if you are also applying for Chase consumer cards. This makes Ink card applications strategic for travelers who want to grow their Chase footprint without burning 5/24 slots.
How to plan around it
Open Chase cards first. This is the cornerstone of credit card strategy for anyone who wants to maximize US rewards. Capital One, Discover, Amex, Citi, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America cards do not have anywhere near as strict an application rule. Open the Chase cards you want before you fill your 5/24 slots with cards from less-restrictive issuers.
Stay under five new cards in any 24-month window if you want continued Chase access. Time applications carefully if you are close to the limit.
Wait for old accounts to age out. If you opened a card 22 months ago, that card stops counting in two months. Time your Chase application accordingly.
Use Chase business cards strategically. Ink Business Preferred, Ink Business Cash, and Ink Business Unlimited do not count against your personal 5/24, since they do not report. They can be applied for in sequence and the welcome bonuses stack.
What 5/24 reconsideration looks like
If Chase denies your application based on 5/24, a reconsideration call rarely succeeds on this specific reason. Other denial reasons (credit utilization, income, recent inquiries) can sometimes be argued. 5/24 is largely a hard rule.
The exception is cobranded products at certain times. Chase has historically run targeted offers that explicitly waive 5/24 for some Marriott or United cards. If you receive such an offer in mail or email, the application can succeed even at 5/24+. These offers are rare and not guaranteed.
Bottom-line recommendation
If Chase Ultimate Rewards is part of your strategy, your first move in points and miles should be to open the Chase cards you want. Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve, plus one or both Ink Business Preferred and Ink Business Unlimited, before you fill your 5/24 slots with anything else. Everything else can come later. Chase is the most restrictive issuer and the most rewarding for anyone who plans ahead.
