What is the Chase 5/24 rule?

5/24 is Chase's unofficial application rule: if you've opened 5 or more personal credit cards from any bank in the past 24 months, Chase will almost always deny you for a new card - no matter how good your credit is.

ChurnLogic tracks your exact 5/24 count from the cards you hold and tells you the day a slot frees up. Get your 5/24 status free →

What counts toward 5/24

The count is the number of new personal-credit-card accounts on your credit report opened in the last 24 months, from any issuer - not just Chase. Specifically:

• Personal credit cards from any bank (Amex, Capital One, Citi, Chase, etc.)
• Store credit cards that report as revolving accounts
• Cards you've since closed - closing a card does not remove it from the count
• Authorized-user cards can count (though Chase often lets you exclude them in-app)

What doesn't count

• Most business credit cards (they don't report to your personal credit) - this is the key churning lever
• Exceptions: a few business cards do report to personal credit (some Capital One, Discover, and TD business cards)
• Loans, mortgages, and auto financing
• Charge cards that don't show as revolving accounts (varies)

How to check your 5/24 status

Count every personal card you've opened in the trailing 24 months. Each account drops off the count on the first of the month, two years after it was opened - so a card opened in May 2024 stops counting on June 1, 2026. Miscounting by one is the most common reason people get denied, which is why ChurnLogic computes it for you from your actual open dates (and can import them straight from your credit report).

Which cards actually enforce 5/24

5/24 applies to essentially all Chase personal cards (Sapphire Preferred/Reserve, Freedom, the co-brand cards like United, Southwest, IHG, and Marriott Boundless). It does not apply to most other issuers: Amex, Capital One, and Citi have their own separate rules. That's why the standard strategy is to get the Chase cards you want first, while you're still under 5/24, then move to issuers that don't care about it.

FAQ

Does closing a card lower my 5/24 count?

No. The count is based on when accounts were opened, not whether they're still open. A closed card keeps counting until 24 months after you opened it.

Do business cards count toward 5/24?

Most don't, because they don't appear on your personal credit report - which is what makes business cards so useful for staying under 5/24. A handful of issuers are exceptions.

I'm over 5/24. What can I do?

Wait for your oldest cards to age past 24 months (ChurnLogic shows you the exact dates), or pursue business cards and issuers that don't enforce 5/24 in the meantime.

Does 5/24 count my spouse's cards?

No - 5/24 is per person, based on your own credit report. Authorized-user cards are the one place a partner's account can show up on yours.

Stop counting cards by hand.

ChurnLogic tracks your 5/24 status, warns you before you lose a slot, and only recommends cards you're actually eligible for.

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Educational information, not financial advice. 5/24 is an unofficial Chase policy that can change and isn't published by Chase. See our advertiser disclosure. Related: best travel cards.