Chase has a rule if you’ve opened too many credit cards recently, Chase won’t approve you for a new one. The unofficial rune is 5 open cards in the last 24 months. Although this rule is not pubished anywhere, but Chase enforces it with few exceptions.
Here’s the clean breakdown:
What 5/24 Actually Means
Chase will deny your application for almost any new Chase credit card (personal or business) if you’ve opened 5 or more personal credit cards (from any bank) in the last 24 months.
It doesn’t matter what your credit score is or how much money you make. If you’re at 5/24 or higher, Chase’s system won’t approve you.
What Counts Toward 5/24
Anything that shows up on your personal credit report as a new revolving account will count. That includes:
- Personal credit cards from any bank.
- Charge cards (Amex Platinum, Gold, Green, etc.).
- Store cards (But only if they can be used anywhere, because they have a Visa, Mastercard, Amex, or Discover logo. Cards that can only be used at one specific store usually do not count).
- Co-branded cards (Delta, United, Hilton, Marriott, etc.).
- Authorized user cards. (This can be overridden most of the times by calling recon line)
What Doesn’t Count
Most business credit cards do NOT show up on your personal credit report. If Chase can’t see them, they don’t count toward 5/24.
Business cards that do NOT count:
- Amex Business
- Citi Business
- US Bank Business
- Bank of America Business
- Chase Ink (once approved)
Business cards that DO count:
- Discover Business
- Most Capital One Spark cards
Avoid those if you’re trying to stay under 5/24, because they report to your personal credit.
Note: Loans (auto, mortgage, student, personal) do not count. Only credit cards.
Chase Business Card – specifically
To get approval for Chase business card:
- You must be under 5/24 to get approved for a Chase business card.
- But once you’re approved, that Chase business card does NOT add to your 5/24 count.
If an authorized user (AU) card is the only thing pushing you over 5/24, you can usually get it removed from your count.
Call the Chase reconsideration line and explain to them about the specific AU card. Rep can manually remove it and approve your application.
How to Check Your 5/24 Status
You don’t need a paid tool. Just:
- Log into Experian or Credit Karma.
- Look at your open accounts.
- Sort by Date Opened.
- Count every personal credit card opened in the last 24 months.
Better option is to just keep a note of your applications/new accounts in some excel.
Timing example
If your 5th card was opened on September 15, 2024, it drops off your 5/24 count exactly 24 calendar months later. Chase resets on the first day of the following month, so you are clear to apply on October 1, 2026.
So, technically 1st of the following month.
Here is the updated article incorporating the latest 5/24 card lists and bypass strategies, formatted to match the style of your site.
What Cards Are Subject to the Chase 5/24 Rule?
This data is based on crowdsourced information and is subject to change without notice from Chase. However, based on the latest findings, virtually all Chase credit cards are subject to the 5/24 rule.
Chase Personal Credit Cards
- AARP® Credit Card from Chase
- Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card
- British Airways Visa Signature® Card
- Chase Air Canada Aeroplan® Credit Card
- Chase Freedom®
- Chase Freedom Flex®
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®
- Chase Freedom® Student credit card
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Chase Slate®
- Disney® Premier Visa® Card
- Disney® Visa® Card
- DoorDash Rewards Mastercard®
- Iberia Visa Signature® Card
- IHG One Rewards Premier Select Credit Card
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- IHG One Rewards Credit Card
- Instacart Mastercard®
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
- Prime Visa / Amazon Visa
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card
- Starbucks® Rewards Visa® Card
- United Club℠ Card
- United Gateway℠ Card
- United Quest℠ Card
- United℠ Explorer Card
- United℠ TravelBank Card
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
Chase Business Credit Cards
- IHG One Rewards Business Credit Card
- Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
- Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
- Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card
- United Club℠ Business Card
- United℠ Business Card
- World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
How to Get Around the 5/24 Rule
If you are over 5/24, getting a new Chase card is difficult, but not impossible. There are a few known exceptions and bypass methods.
“Selected For You” / “Just For You” Offers (Online)
The most common way to bypass 5/24 is through targeted offers within your Chase online account. Navigate to the “Just for you” section under “Explore products” in the left-hand menu.
If you see a card offer here that includes a fixed APR (a single percentage, rather than a variable range), there are numerous data points suggesting this offer will bypass the 5/24 rule. If the APR is variable, it will likely still result in a denial.
“Black Star” Business Offers
Similar to the personal offers above, Chase sometimes targets business owners with “Black Star” offers in their dashboard. These have historically bypassed 5/24 for Ink and co-branded business cards.
In-Branch Pre-Approvals
If you visit a physical Chase bank branch and speak with a banker, they can check for in-branch pre-approvals on your profile. These internal pre-approvals frequently bypass the 5/24 rule, even if nothing shows up on your online account.
Targeted Mailers
Sometimes Chase will send a physical, targeted offer in the mail containing a specific RSVP code. You can complete these offers by visiting a Chase branch or going online, and they occasionally bypass the 5/24 restrictions.
Product Changes
Do product changes on existing credit cards count toward 5/24? No.
Product changes do not take up a slot in your 5/24 score, nor do they trigger the 5/24 denial rule. For example, if you are at 6/24 and want a Chase Sapphire Reserve, you cannot apply for a new one. However, if you hold a Chase Freedom Unlimited that is over one year old, you can call Chase and product change (upgrade) it to a Sapphire Reserve.
When you do a product change, the card number remains the same (only the expiration date and CVV reset). Because no new account is opened, it does not count as a new credit card approval.
Warning: Requesting a product change rather than applying for a new card typically makes you ineligible to earn the welcome offer on the new card. Before completing an upgrade or product change, always verify with the bank that a hard credit pull will not be completed and that you will not receive a new account number.