If you’ve hung around the credit card rewards space for a while, you likely know that Chase Ultimate Rewards is a top rewards program. I hadn’t actually heard of the Chase 5/24 rule until recently, and perhaps you haven’t either.
It’s fairly simple: the Chase 5/24 rule states that if you've signed up for 5 new accounts in the past 24 months, your chances of being approved for a Chase credit card within that time period are slim to none.
You might want to know this is not an official rule (you won’t find evidence of it on Chase’s website). However, this guideline has been confirmed by many credit card users over the years and applies to all new card accounts opened in the past 24 months — not just Chase cards.
In this article
- Is Chase's 5/24 rule new?
- What you should know about the Chase 5/24 rule
- Cards subject to the Chase 5/24 rule
- Cards not subject to the Chase 5/24 rule
- Bottom line
- FAQ
Is Chase's 5/24 rule new?
Nope, not new. The Chase 5/24 “rule” is technically not a rule, according to Chase, though it seems to be an unofficial one.
Back in 2015, reports began surfacing that Chase credit card applications were being automatically denied due to applicants having 5 or more new credit card accounts opened over a 24-month period. It seemed to only affect cards that participated in the Ultimate Rewards Program, and while some reported having success despite being over the rumored “magic” number, most applicants over 5/24 were denied.
Again, it was unofficial, but rumors were swirling.
In May 2016, new requirements made it pretty clear that the rule had expanded to include some, but not all, co-branded Chase cards and business credit cards.
Then, in November 2018, new data points began to surface that applicants were being denied for most, if not all, co-branded Chase cards that were previously regarded as exempt from the rule. While a denial doesn’t necessarily mean that you have too many credit cards, it does seem that Chase frowns upon having too many new credit applications within a certain time frame (24 months).
At the time of writing, Chase still hasn’t published anything formal about this policy, but it’s interesting following the evolution of it.
What you should know about the Chase 5/24 rule
I know this rule is pretty simple, but there are a few details to understand. We dug a little deeper to find out:
- How Chase defines a new account
- Which cards are subject to 5/24
- Which cards are NOT subject to 5/24
- How to determine your 5/24 status
- Ways to get around 5/24
- Plus, some frequently asked questions
How Chase Defines "New Account"
Chase counts all new accounts on your report — not just Chase accounts — which is an important distinction. It’s also probably why a lot of the advice you have come across encourages you to prioritize signing up for Chase credit cards first.
As an example, let’s say you have applied and were approved for 2 Bank of America cards, 1 Discover card, and 2 American Express cards within a 24-month window. Based on how Chase defines a new account, you would likely be denied if you applied for a Chase card (affected by this rule) because you would be over 5/24.
New accounts are reported to all three nationwide credit bureaus, so it doesn’t matter where Chase pulls your credit report from — they'll find it.
Cards subject to the Chase 5/24 rule
While Chase has not officially confirmed this list of credit cards impacted by 5/24, the following cards are likely impacted based on crowdsourced data from the travel rewards community.
Personal Credit Cards
- Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card
- Amazon Visa
- British Airways Visa Signature® Card
- Chase Freedom Flex®
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Disney®Premier Visa® Card
- Disney® Visa® Card
- Iberia Visa Signature® Card
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Premier Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
- Starbucks Rewards Visa Card
- United℠ Explorer Card
- The World of Hyatt Credit Card
Business Credit Cards
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Ink Business Premier® Credit Card
- Marriott Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
- United℠ Business Card
- United Club℠ Business Card
Cards not subject to the Chase 5/24 rule
With the most recent data points suggesting most, if not all, Chase rewards cards are subject to 5/24, it's not definitively clear which cards aren't impacted.
Thankfully, you can still earn highly valuable rewards from other card issuers. To see some Chase alternatives, take a look at our best current credit card offers.
Chase 5/24 Rule Exemptions
If you’re over 5/24 and looking for a way around to get around this rule to open up a new Chase credit card, you’re in luck — here are a few known exemptions.
Note: There are no guarantees that any of these exemptions will work, but it could be worth a try.
- Denied credit card applications: (only those that are accepted count towards your total of 5 in 24 months)
- Authorized users: if you’re an authorized user, you might score an exception by calling Chase directly
- Certain business cards: Only Capital One and Discover business cards are reported on your credit report, so others typically don’t count toward your 5/24 limit.
- “Selected For You” Offers: If you receive special offers by mail or email, it’s possible you could bypass the 5/24 rule, though more recent crowdsourced info suggests this no longer works.
- In-Branch Offers: You may be able to get approval if you’re visiting a physical Chase branch or submit a paper credit card application.
- In-Branch BRM Paper offers: If you work with a Business Relationship Manager to submit an application for a business credit card, you may be able to get approved despite the 5/24 rule.
Bottom line
What you want to remember is that if planning to open up a new Chase credit card (that happens for me when I see a promotion for a great sign-up bonus), you need to limit yourself. If you open up new credit cards frequently, you may be forced to wait.
It’s not really a hardship, but you do want to be aware that if you’ve opened five or more new credit accounts in the past 24 months, Chase is pretty strict about denying new applications. Waiting until you’re under the Chase 5/24 rule will increase your chances of being approved for a new card. Planning and organization are key to accessing savvy credit card rewards.
FAQ
How do I know if I’m under 5/24?
The best way to know for sure is to review your credit report.
Otherwise, do some simple math. You might not remember precisely when you last opened a new credit card account (time can be a tricky thing, and I know I don’t always remember).
Ex 1. If today is 8/31/24 and you literally count back 24 months, your 5/24 start date would be 9/1/22. So if you’ve opened five new credit accounts since that earlier date, you’d need to wait before trying to get any new Chase accounts.
Will closing an account help if I’m over Chase 5/24?
Nice attempt to game the system, but no, the rule refers to new credit accounts opened during the past 24 months, not whether they all remain active.
Possible workaround: Some have reported being granted an exemption if the account closed was an authorized user account that pushed them over 5/24. I haven’t tried it and there are no guarantees, but it may be worth calling the reconsideration line to discuss with a Chase representative.
What is the contact information for the Chase reconsideration line?
For personal cards: 1-888-270-2127
For business cards: 1-800-453-9719
For business cards in particular, it's best to wait until after you receive a letter of explanation from Chase before calling the reconsideration line for business cards.
What if Chase shows me a banner offer in the Chase app — can that bypass the rule?
It appears that banner offers don’t mean Chase will ignore your 5/24 rule when you apply for a new card.
Can I apply for two new cards on the same day, one right after the other, can I get approved?
While this strategy may have worked previously, crowdsourced data points now show it's no longer an option for bypassing 5/24. You'll more than likely be instantly denied.
Does Chase count store cards?
It depends. If a store credit card can be used outside that specific store, Chase will count it (since it uses a payment network like Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express). Otherwise, it probably won’t be counted.
Does Chase count auto loans?
It seems unlikely that Chase would count auto loans in your 5/24 rule, since a loan isn’t a credit card.
Does Chase count mortgages?
I can’t give a definitive answer for this either, but it’s pretty safe to assume the same of mortgages. Home loans aren’t credit cards, and the 5/24 rule seems limited to credit card accounts.
Does Chase count student loans?
Maybe. Similar to the loans above, student loans aren’t bank cards (obviously) but some have reported being denied due to their student loans being counted as part of the 5 new accounts.
Does Chase count charge cards?
Yes, if it’s affiliated with a bank, Chase will count it.
If I’m over 5/24 and none of these exemptions are applicable to me, what can I do?
1) Wait until your accounts have been opened for longer than 24 months, or 2) apply for a card that isn’t affected by 5/24 (see list above).
What is the Chase 1/30 rule?
The 1/30 rule is short for "1 card every 30 days," meaning your chances of being approved for a Chase business card are slim to none if you've applied for any card in the last 30 days.
What is the Chase 2/30 rule?
In addition to the 5/24 rule, the 2/30 rule is a guideline for spacing out your applications. Your chances of being approved are slim to none if you've applied for 2 personal cards (or 1 business card) in the last 30 days.
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