The 5/24 rule, explained

Chase's 5/24 rule is one of those credit-card industry rules that's never been formally announced but is so consistently applied that the entire community plans application strategy around it. If you ignore it, you'll get auto-declined for some of the best cards on the market. This guide explains exactly what it is, which cards it affects, what counts toward your number, and how to plan around it.

The rule, in one sentence

Chase will deny most personal-card applications if you've opened 5 or more personal credit cards from any bank in the past 24 months.

That's it. Read it again, the surprising parts are that it's based on what you opened with any bank (not just Chase), and that it counts personal credit cards specifically (not all credit accounts).

Why Chase has it

Chase has the best transferable-points program in the U.S. (Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to United, Hyatt, Southwest, and 11+ other partners), and they offer some of the largest welcome bonuses in the industry. They were getting hammered by "app-o- rama" users opening cards in rapid succession, collecting bonuses, and paying down. The 5/24 rule was instituted around 2015 as a quiet but extremely effective filter.

It works. Chase is now relatively bonus-friendly to anyone willing to play by the rule, and unforgiving to anyone who isn't.

What counts toward your "number"

The rule counts any personal credit card account opened in your name in the past 24 months, by any issuer, that shows up on your credit report. Specifically:

Counts toward 5/24:

• Personal credit cards from any issuer (Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi, Discover, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, etc.).
• Most co-branded personal cards (United, Delta, Southwest, Marriott, Hilton, these all count).
• Authorized user accounts on someone else's card, if your spouse or parent added you as an AU, that account shows on your credit report and counts. (Important: you can usually call Chase's reconsideration line and ask them to ignore AU accounts; it works case-by-case.)

Doesn't count toward 5/24:

• Most business credit cardsfrom Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi, U.S. Bank, Bank of America. These don't report to your personal credit report (with a few exceptions listed below).
• Loans of any kind (mortgages, auto loans, personal loans, student loans).
• Most charge cards that don't have a preset spending limit (a small carve-out).

Cards you've since closed

Closing a card doesn't remove it from the count. The rule is based on opening dates within the past 24 months, not whether the account is still open. A card you opened and closed in the past 24 months still adds 1 to your number.

Which Chase cards 5/24 applies to

Almost every Chase consumer card. The reliable list:

• All Chase Sapphire products (Preferred, Reserve)
• All Chase Freedom products (Unlimited, Flex, Freedom Rise)
• All Chase co-branded personal cards: United Explorer, United Quest, United Club; Southwest Plus, Southwest Premier, Southwest Priority; Marriott Bonvoy Boundless; IHG One Rewards Premier; World of Hyatt; Aeroplan; Disney Visa
• Slate Edge, Amazon Visa, Prime Visa

On the business-card side, Chase business products (Ink Business Preferred, Ink Business Cash, etc.) are also subject to 5/24for approval, even though opening one doesn't add to your count. So a business card from Chase doesn't increase your number, but you still need to be under 5/24 to be approved for it.

Counting your number

The simplest way: pull your free credit report at annualcreditreport.com (the only authorized federal source) and look at every credit card account with an "opened" date in the past 24 months. Count them, including AUs.

Alternatively, services like Credit Karma and your bank's credit-report tools list this for free. Subtract any business cards from non-Capital-One/Discover issuers.

Strategy: how to plan around 5/24

Open Chase cards first when you're under 5/24

Because Chase is the gatekeeper, the durable strategy is to open Chase cards while you're comfortably under 5/24, then move to Amex, Capital One, Citi, etc. once you're close to or over the limit. Once you're over 5/24, you can still open Amex, Cap One, Citi cards, they don't care, but Chase is locked out until your number drops back below.

Time bonuses to elevated offers

Chase's biggest welcome bonuses on the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve come around 2-3 times a year. Don't burn a Chase application slot on an average offer when an elevated offer is coming. Track the Bonus Tracker for current vs historical comparisons.

Use business cards to keep flexibility

Most major issuers offer business cards that don't count toward 5/24 (Chase Ink, Amex Business, Citi Business, U.S. Bank Business). If you have any side income, Etsy shop, freelance gigs, Uber driving, even just selling on eBay, you likely qualify for a business card. This lets you collect business-card bonuses without burning your 5/24 quota.

The big ones: Chase Ink Business Preferred, Ink Business Unlimited, Ink Business Cash, Amex Business Platinum, Amex Business Gold.

Two-player mode for couples

If you have a partner, alternate Chase applications between you so each person stays under 5/24 longer. The Chase Sapphire Preferred / Reserve's 75K-100K bonuses, applied for sequentially across two people, are the largest concentrated point haul most couples can engineer in any 24-month period.

Be careful with authorized users

Adding your spouse, kid, or parent as an AU on your card adds the account to theircredit report, meaning it counts toward their 5/24 if they're going to apply for Chase cards. Coordinate with anyone you're considering AU'ing.

If you get denied: the reconsideration call

If you apply and get denied for being over 5/24, you can call Chase's reconsideration line (1-888-270-2127 for personal). The rep will pull up your application and explain the denial reason.

For 5/24 denials specifically, there are two angles that occasionally work:

• Authorized user accounts, politely ask them to remove AU accounts from the count. Datapoints suggest this works maybe 30-50% of the time, depending on the rep.
• Business cards from other issuers that accidentally got categorized as personal, sometimes co-branded business cards get miscoded.

If you're cleanly over the limit on personal cards you opened yourself, reconsideration won't save you. Wait for cards to fall off and try again later.

5/24 isn't the only rule, quick reference

Recap

• 5/24: Chase will deny if you've opened 5+ personal cards from any bank in the past 24 months.
• Counts: personal cards from any issuer, AU accounts. Doesn't count: most business cards, loans.
• Closed cards still count.
• Strategy: do Chase early, switch to Amex/Cap One/Citi later. Use business cards to extend your runway.
• The Sapphire Preferred and Reserve have the highest dollar-per- slot value, don't waste 5/24 quota on average offers.

See our coverage of bonuses and timing at How welcome bonuses actually work, and the live elevated-offer view at Bonus Tracker.