In points-and-miles circles, Chase’s “5/24” is the unofficial rule that Chase will generally decline approval for most of its personal credit cards if you have opened five or more new credit card accounts from any issuer in the past 24 months. Because Chase hasn’t published an official policy, guidance is based on crowdsourced data and reader reports, so some exceptions and outliers exist.
What the rule covers
– The rule affects approvals for most Chase-issued personal rewards cards, including many co-branded airline and hotel cards and cards in the Chase Ultimate Rewards family (e.g., Chase Sapphire, Chase Freedom, Ink business cards that are treated as personal for approvals).
– Your 5/24 count includes new personal credit cards from any bank that appear on your credit report, even if those accounts are now closed. Applications that were denied do not count.
– Some small-business cards generally do NOT count toward 5/24, but there are exceptions: business cards from Discover and TD Bank, and many Capital One small-business cards (with specific exceptions such as Capital One Venture X Business and Spark Cash Plus) have been reported to count. Treat business-card reporting as issuer-dependent.
How to check your 5/24 status
– The simplest method is to view your accounts on a credit-report service (many people use Experian’s free service) and sort by open date. Count any personal credit card accounts opened in the past 24 months that show on your report.
– Note timing: you are considered below 5/24 on the first day of the 25th month after the fifth account’s open date. For example, if the fifth account was opened in October 2024, you should wait until Nov. 1, 2026 to be safely below 5/24.
What counts toward 5/24
– All personal credit cards opened in the prior 24 months that appear on your credit report (open or closed).
– Authorized user accounts that are reported on your credit report (these are often counted unless you successfully have them excluded during reconsideration).
– Certain store cards and cards issued via national payment networks that show up on your credit report.
What does not count
– Applications that were denied (the inquiry does not count for 5/24).
– Most small-business cards from many issuers (subject to the exceptions noted above).
– Installment loans such as mortgages, auto loans and student loans.
Product changes, upgrades and conversions
– A product change or upgrade sometimes is not reported as a new account, and thus may not count toward 5/24. Before requesting a product change, ask the issuer whether there will be a hard pull or a new account number. If either occurs, the switch may be treated as a new account and add to your 5/24 count.
Ways to (sometimes) bypass or mitigate 5/24
– Targeted “Just for You” offers from Chase have occasionally approved applicants who would otherwise be over 5/24. Check your Chase account for targeted offers under product exploration.
– Product changes within the Chase Ultimate Rewards family (after holding a card for the issuer’s required period, typically a year) can move you into a different card without generating a new-account report, but product changes do not earn welcome bonuses.
– Calling Chase’s reconsideration line can help in cases involving authorized-user accounts or reporting quirks, but outcomes are manual and not guaranteed.
Application timing and account scrutiny
– Reader reports suggest Chase may refuse more than two new accounts within a 30-day window and will scrutinize frequent applicants. To avoid red flags, don’t apply for new cards more often than every three to four months and avoid multiple simultaneous Chase applications.
– If you apply for two Chase cards on the same day while at 4/24, one application may be automatically declined; reconsideration may be complicated if one account posts quickly.
Common FAQs
– If I applied on the exact day I fell below 5/24 and was denied: wait until the first day of the next month and call reconsideration or reapply after that date.
– Can other banks approve me if I’m over 5/24? Yes—5/24 applies only to Chase approvals; other issuers use their own criteria.
– Do Chase business cards count toward my 5/24? Approved Chase business cards generally should not add to your personal 5/24 count, but Chase typically requires you to be below 5/24 to get approved for most of its business cards.
– What about authorized-user accounts that push me over 5/24? You can call reconsideration to explain the accounts are authorized-user roles or remove yourself as an authorized user before applying (doing so at least a month ahead is safer).
Bottom line
Chase’s 5/24 rule is well established and affects approval odds for most Chase rewards cards. Because the rule is based on how accounts are reported to the credit bureaus, plan strategically: prioritize Chase cards early in your rewards journey, monitor your credit report to track open dates, avoid applying too frequently, and be prepared to call reconsideration or pursue product changes or targeted offers when appropriate.