The Chase 5/24 Rule: Read This BEFORE Applying for Travel Credit Cards

The Chase 5/24 Rule: Read This BEFORE Applying for Travel Credit Cards

If you’re just getting started with travel credit cards, there is one rule you need to know before you start applying:

The Chase 5/24 Rule.

Understanding this rule could make a big difference in your travel rewards strategy.

Why?

Because opening the wrong cards first could prevent you from getting a Chase travel card you want later.

Here’s how it works.

What Is the Chase 5/24 Rule?

The basic idea is surprisingly simple:

If you’ve opened 5 or more credit cards in the past 24 months, Chase will generally not approve you for most new Chase credit cards.

That’s where the name comes from:

5 cards / 24 months = 5/24

There’s one important thing to understand:

Those five cards don’t have to be Chase cards.

Chase generally looks at new credit card accounts across all issuers.

For example, imagine that during the last 24 months you opened:

1. Capital One Venture

2. American Express Gold

3. Discover

4. Citi Strata

5. A store credit card

You haven’t opened a single Chase card.

But you could still be considered 5/24 because you’ve opened five credit card accounts within the previous 24 months.

That could make it difficult to get approved for many Chase-issued travel cards.

Important: Chase Doesn’t Officially Publish the 5/24 Rule

Here’s where things get a little unusual.

Chase doesn’t currently publish an official rule on its website saying, “You can only open five cards every 24 months.”

Instead, the 5/24 policy has been documented through years of credit card application data and reports from applicants.

So it’s better to think of 5/24 as an unpublished Chase application policy rather than a guaranteed rule written into every card’s terms and conditions.

That also means Chase can change how it applies the policy at any time.

Here’s an Easy Example

Suppose you’re planning a wedding and decide you want to start earning travel rewards for your honeymoon.

Over the next several months you open:

January: Capital One card

March: American Express card

June: Store credit card

September: Citi card

You are now 4/24.

You’ve opened four credit cards during the previous 24 months.

Now you have a decision to make.

If you’re interested in a Chase travel card, applying for another non-Chase personal credit card first could potentially take you to:

5/24

At that point, getting approved for many Chase cards may become much more difficult.

That’s why knowing your 5/24 number before you start applying for travel cards can be so important.

Why You May Want to Consider Chase Early

At IDoLetsGo.com, our goal is to help you turn spending you already have planned into travel rewards.

If you’re planning a wedding, honeymoon, move, renovation, large purchase or another major expense, you may have opportunities to earn substantial credit card welcome bonuses.

But don’t randomly start applying for every attractive offer you see.

Have a plan first.

If Chase cards are part of that plan, the 5/24 rule is one reason you may want to consider them while you’re still under 5/24.

Once you reach five new accounts, you may have to wait for an older account to age past the 24-month window before you’re under 5/24 again.

What Actually Counts Toward 5/24?

As a general rule, assume that personal credit cards appearing as new accounts on your personal credit report can count.

That includes cards from issuers other than Chase.

And closing the card doesn’t necessarily solve the problem.

For example:

You open a credit card.

Six months later, you close it.

The account was still opened within the previous 24 months.

Closing it doesn’t erase the fact that you opened it.

It can therefore continue affecting your 5/24 count until enough time has passed.

What Doesn’t Normally Count?

The 5/24 rule is about credit card accounts — not every type of credit.

For example, these generally don’t add to your 5/24 count:

• Mortgages

• Auto loans

• Student loans

• Credit card applications that were denied

• Many business credit cards that don’t appear on your personal credit report

That last one is particularly interesting for people who legitimately qualify for business credit cards.

What About Business Credit Cards?

Here’s where things get a little more advanced.

Many business credit cards do not appear as new accounts on your personal credit report, so they generally don’t increase your 5/24 count.

For example, if you’re currently 3/24 and open a qualifying business credit card that isn’t reported as a personal credit account, you could potentially remain 3/24 rather than moving to 4/24.

But there is an important distinction:

You generally still need to be under 5/24 to be approved for many Chase business cards.

In other words, a Chase business card may not increase your 5/24 number after approval, but Chase can still consider your existing 5/24 status when deciding whether to approve you.

Business-card reporting practices vary by issuer, so always check the specific card before assuming it won’t affect your count.

What About Authorized Users?

This one can get confusing.

If someone adds you as an authorized user on their credit card, that account may appear on your credit report and can potentially affect how Chase initially views your 5/24 status.

There have been reports of applicants successfully asking Chase to reconsider authorized-user accounts because they aren’t financially responsible for the primary cardholder’s account.

But don’t assume Chase will automatically ignore them.

Check your credit report before applying.

How Do I Know My 5/24 Number?

It’s pretty easy.

Pull your credit report and look at the dates your credit card accounts were opened.

Then count the personal credit card accounts opened during the previous 24 months.

0 cards = 0/24

1 card = 1/24

2 cards = 2/24

3 cards = 3/24

4 cards = 4/24

5 cards = 5/24

Your number isn’t permanent.

As older accounts pass the 24-month mark, they eventually stop counting toward your 5/24 total.

Don’t Confuse 5/24 With Five Chase Cards

This is probably the biggest misconception.

The rule does NOT mean:

“Chase lets me get five Chase cards every two years.”

Instead, Chase generally looks at the total number of qualifying credit card accounts you’ve opened across issuers during the previous 24 months.

You could have zero Chase cards and still be 5/24.

Why This Matters for Your Free-Travel Strategy

Imagine discovering an excellent Chase welcome offer.

You’ve been planning a vacation and already have enough upcoming expenses to meet the spending requirement without buying anything extra.

Perfect!

Except you discover that you’re already 5/24 because you opened several other cards over the previous year.

Now you may have to wait.

That’s why your travel rewards strategy should start before you apply for the first card.

The question shouldn’t just be:

“Which credit card has the biggest bonus today?”

Instead ask:

“Which cards fit my travel plans, and in what order should I consider them?”

That’s an entirely different way of thinking about credit card rewards.

The IDoLetsGo Strategy

If you’re new to travel rewards, here’s the principle we want you to remember:

Plan first. Apply second. Spend responsibly. Travel more.

Before applying for any card:

• Check your credit.

• Calculate your 5/24 status.

• Decide where you want to travel.

• Look at your upcoming planned expenses.

• Compare the cards that could help you reach that goal.

And most importantly:

Never spend money you weren’t already planning to spend just to earn credit card rewards.

A big welcome bonus isn’t a bargain if earning it causes you to carry thousands of dollars in high-interest credit card debt.

The goal isn’t to collect credit cards.

The goal is to use credit responsibly to turn expenses you already have into travel you would otherwise have to pay for.

That’s what I Do! Let’s Go! is all about.

The Bottom Line

If you remember only one thing from this article, make it this:

Before applying for a bunch of travel credit cards, check your Chase 5/24 status.

Even if you’ve never had a Chase card before, cards you’ve opened with other banks can potentially affect your ability to get approved for Chase cards.

A few minutes of planning today could keep you from accidentally closing the door on a travel card you really wanted tomorrow.

Plan your cards. Earn your rewards. Take the trip.

I Do! Let’s Go!

Credit card issuer policies, welcome offers and approval requirements can change at any time. Chase does not currently publish the 5/24 policy as an official application rule. This information reflects widely reported application data as of September 2026 and is for educational purposes only. Credit approval is never guaranteed.