What is the Chase 5/24 rule?
The Chase 5/24 rule is an unwritten policy that prevents you from being approved for a new Chase credit card if you have opened five or more accounts with any bank in the last 24 months.
Even with excellent credit, you’ll likely be denied for certain Chase credit cards if you’ve opened too many credit cards recently. In order to maximize your rewards with Chase, it’s important to understand how the 5/24 rule works and to plan your card applications carefully to avoid going over it.
Which Chase cards are subject to 5/24?
According to user reports, most Chase travel cards, including airline and hotel cards, fall under the 5/24 rule. This includes personal and business credit cards.
Chase personal cards
- Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Credit Card
- Aeroplan® Card
- Amazon Prime Store Card
- Amazon Visa
- British Airways Visa Signature® Card
- Chase Freedom Flex℠
- Chase Freedom Rise℠ Credit Card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Slate Edge℠
- Disney® Premier Visa® Credit Card
- Disney® Visa® Credit Card
- DoorDash Rewards Mastercard®
- Iberia Visa Signature® Card
- Instacart Mastercard®
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful credit card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
Chase business cards
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
- IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Ink Business Premier® Credit Card
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
- United℠ Business Card
- United Club℠ Business Card
- World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
How do I check my 5/24 status?
The best way to check your 5/24 status is to log in to a free service like LendingTree Spring or AnnualCreditReport.com and count the number of card accounts you’ve opened within the last 24 months.
You should count all accounts you have opened within the last two years. This includes both accounts for which you are the primary account holder and authorized user accounts.
You do not have to count the accounts for which you were declined. These may appear under recent inquiries but do not count toward your 5/24 status since they were never opened.
Tip
What account counts toward 5/24?
As you’re counting up your credit card accounts, it’s important to know that certain accounts may not count against your 5/24 limit. There won’t be any designation on your credit report since this is a rule specific to one credit card issuer and not an industry standard.
As you look through your credit report, you should count:
- All personal accounts
- Accounts on which you’re an authorized user
- Business cards with Discover, TD Bank and Capital One. Any business card that is disclosed to your personal credit report counts toward the 5/24 rule.
- Store cards that can be used at other businesses. Cards like the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi can be used outside of their brand. Closed loop cards, like the Exxon Mobil Smart Card+™, that are only valid at the store they’re for, might be excluded. However, if it’s listed on your credit report, assume that Chase will count it.
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Chase 5/24 rule exceptions
The Chase 5/24 rule is only for credit cards that report to your credit report. Credit accounts that are excluded from the Chase 5/24 rule include:
- Credit cards you were denied for
- Small business credit cards (except the ones noted above)
- Auto loans
- Mortgages
- Student loans
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Tips for opening your next Chase card if you’re at 5/24
If you’re coming close to hitting the five-account limit to apply for a Chase card or not even close, use these tips to help you as you plan to apply for your next card.
- Keep a running list of your cards’ opening dates. This could be in a Google document or a physical notebook. For easier reference, also include the date at which the account will fall off of your personal 5/24 tally.
- Apply for Chase cards when you are well below 5/24. Since Chase has this rule, it stands to reason that they would prefer to be your second or third account rather than the fifth.
- Remove yourself as an authorized user on accounts. Unless you’re an authorized user to build credit, consider taking yourself off of your partner’s or friend’s account. Once the account falls off your credit report, it should not count against your 5/24 status.
- Wait until the 25th month before applying. To avoid a denial, make sure a full 24 months have passed before you apply for your next Chase card. If your earliest card was opened in July 2022, then wait until July 2024 to apply. Don’t apply in June (the 24th month), thinking it’s “close enough.” Without official guidance from Chase on how closely they adhere to this policy, it’s best to err on the side of caution and wait a few more weeks.
All accounts opened within the last 24 months count, including being added as an authorized user. However, you can have yourself removed from the account and then keep an eye on your credit report. Once the card drops off your credit report, it should no longer count toward your 5/24 status.
The Chase 5/24 rule only applies to applications for Chase cards. If you meet the application requirements for a card from Discover or Wells Fargo, it’s possible to apply and be approved.
According to user reports, downgrading from one card to another, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, won’t be counted against you. If, before the downgrade, you were at 4/24 then you’d remain at 4/24.
As far as we know, Chase still follows the 5/24 rule. It’s an unwritten policy, and it’s implemented at Chase’s discretion. Also, it may not affect every Chase credit card. For instance, some cardholders reported in 2023 that they were at 5/24 and still approved for Chase-issued co-branded cards like the Amazon Prime Visa.
Some people report that you may be approved if you get preapproved for a Chase card by visiting a branch and talking to a banker. Another option that may work is to look for targeted “just for you” offers that come via mail or appear in your online portal.
Other than this, there are few ways to bypass the Chase 5/24 rule. Chase cardholders report that there used to be workarounds like applying for two cards, one right after the other, to trick the technology. However, once Chase discovered this, the Chase accounts were typically closed.