The 5/24 Rule, in Real Words
Chase will automatically deny your credit card application if you've opened five or more new credit card accounts — with any bank, not just Chase — in the past 24 months. They won't tell you this during the application. They won't mention it in the denial letter by name. But it's the single most common reason otherwise-qualified applicants get rejected for cards like the Sapphire Preferred, Freedom Flex, and Freedom Unlimited.
This is the 5/24 rule. It's been in effect since roughly 2015, it's never been officially published by Chase, and it has probably cost you a welcome bonus you didn't know you were ineligible for.
What counts toward 5/24
Every new personal credit card account opened in the last 24 months, from any issuer. Chase cards, Amex cards, Citi cards, Capital One cards, Discover cards, store cards (Target, Best Buy, Macy's), airline co-branded cards, hotel co-branded cards. If it shows up on your personal credit report as a new account, it counts.
Authorized user accounts. If someone added you as an authorized user on their card, that account appears on your credit report and counts toward 5/24. This is the one that catches people off guard — your partner adding you to their Costco card six months ago just used one of your five slots.
Store cards are the silent killers of 5/24 eligibility. That Kohl's card you opened for 30% off a $60 purchase? That's one of your five slots, occupied for two full years.
What doesn't count
Business credit cards from most issuers. Business cards from American Express, Capital One, and most smaller banks do not appear on your personal credit report and therefore don't count toward 5/24. Chase's own business cards, however, are an exception in a different way: they don't add to your 5/24 count, but they are themselves subject to the 5/24 screen. So you can't get a Chase Ink card if you're over 5/24, even though having one doesn't push you over.
Existing account upgrades and product changes. If you upgrade a Chase Freedom to a Sapphire Preferred (a product change), that doesn't open a new account — it modifies the existing one. No new 5/24 slot used.
Credit limit increases, balance transfers, and hard inquiries from non-card applications. A mortgage inquiry, auto loan, or personal loan application doesn't count. 5/24 tracks new credit card accounts, not inquiries.
How to check your 5/24 status
Pull your free credit report from annualcreditreport.com. Look at the "accounts" section. Count every credit card account with an open date within the last 24 months. Include accounts you've since closed — the open date is what matters, not whether the account is still active.
Count authorized user accounts separately. You can see these on your credit report too. If a card lists you as an authorized user and was opened in the last 24 months, it's counting against you right now.
If an authorized user account is pushing you over 5/24 and you get denied, you can call Chase's reconsideration line and ask them to exclude authorized user accounts from the count. This works inconsistently — some reps will accommodate it, others won't — but it's worth attempting if you're at exactly 5/24 because of an AU card.
Which Chase cards are subject to 5/24
Nearly all of them. The Chase cards we feature on CardRank that are subject to 5/24 include the Sapphire Preferred, Freedom Unlimited, Freedom Flex, and Prime Visa. Chase business cards (Ink series) are also subject to the 5/24 screen.
A small number of Chase co-branded cards have historically been exempt — certain hotel cards like the IHG Premier and Marriott Boundless have bypassed 5/24 at various points. But exemptions shift without notice, and relying on them is gambling your hard inquiry.
Strategy if you're under 5/24
Apply for Chase cards first. Since Chase is the only major issuer with a hard limit on new accounts, prioritize Chase applications while you're under the threshold. Get the Sapphire Preferred, Freedom Unlimited, or Freedom Flex before opening cards from Amex, Citi, or Capital One, which don't have equivalent restrictions.
Plan your 24-month calendar. If you opened a card in January 2025, it falls off your 5/24 count in February 2027 (the month after the 24th month). If you're at 4/24 right now, your next new card fills the last slot — make it count.
Strategy if you're over 5/24
Wait it out. Cards fall off the 5/24 count 24 months after their open date. If your oldest recent account was opened 20 months ago, you're four months from dropping a slot. Don't open anything else in the meantime.
Focus on issuers that don't care. While you wait, apply for cards from American Express, Citi, Capital One, Bank of America, and other issuers that don't enforce a similar rule. Build your non-Chase portfolio now and come back to Chase when slots open up.
Don't waste a hard inquiry. If you're at 6/24 or higher, do not apply for a 5/24-restricted Chase card. The denial is near-certain and the hard inquiry still hits your credit report.