SquarePeg

I currently have 5 Chase cards and want to apply for the Explorer card as part of an upcoming mini AoA with the Amex SPG and one other (still researching and open to suggestions). Last app with Chase I had to move credit from an older card to get the new one approved.

Chase:
Disney 2007 2K (use once every 6 mos to keep it active)
Freedom 2011 10K (about 1500/m spend)
CSP 9/12 15K (about 2K/m spend)
Marriott 9/12 6K (use only when at Marriott which is rarely these days)
BA 1/13 5K (met spend and used 1 or 2 times for small charges)
I also have my mortgage w/ Chase

Other:
BoA AS Visa 8/12
BoA Visa 2011
Amex Plat 1/13
Amex HH 9/12
Amex Blue Sky 9/12
Citi AA 9/12
Barclays USAir 1/13


Credit is 770+, 0 inquiries 6 months, 5 inquiries 12 months, 9 new accounts opened since August 2012 (3 w/ Chase). That last is my concern. Should I skip the Chase card this time around and wait until the cards from last September are over 1 year? I'm assuming they would want me to close a card in order to approve the Explorer card and I would be willing to give up the Marriott or the BA. The Disney is useless but it is my oldest Chase card so should I plan to keep that? My average age of accounts is 5 y 5m and oldest account is 18 years old. Did I go overboard the past year with too many new accounts and should sit tight for a while? I've already used a lot of the perks associated with the cards and some of the points so it was well worth it. I just don't want to get on their radar...

Thanks in advance for your experienced opinions.

Edited to add that the reason I am wanting to get the card now instead of later is that I am buying some furniture and can easily hit spend for the SPG plus the UA and at least one other by the end of September.

bribro

SquarePeg, I think you have a decent shot at getting the MPE since it's been at least 6 months since your last Chase card approval. Of course, waiting a full year would improve your chances further, but if you want the card now it's worth a shot as part of an AOR.

Closed accounts still count toward your AAoA for 10 years after closure, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. If you really wanted to optimize your future AAoA though, I would consider PCing the Amazon card to another Freedom card (Visa if you already have an MC and vice versa) and then offering to sacrifice the newer Freedom card in exchange for another approval, thus keeping your oldest Chase account active. But again, this wil make no difference to the AAoA component of your FICO score in the next decade.

SquarePeg

Thanks for the input bribro. PCing? what is that? Also, what do you mean by Amazon card? The British Air visa (BA)?

bribro

PC = product change. Sorry, when I said Amazon I meant Disney.

SquarePeg

Gotcha. Think I'm going to pull the trigger on this and see what happens. Any suggestions for a 3rd app?

Edit to update: Decided to just get the 2 cards I was interested in for this round. Surprisingly, got instant approval on the Chase MPE (did that app first) then the Amex SPG I got a "having difficulties with our website, we'll let you know w/in 14 days via mail" response. I checked the option for electronic notification and will see what happens with that one. I have been an Amex customer for over 15 years so hopefully there won't be an issue there. Would gladly trade my HH or my Blue Sky card for the SPG if it comes to that. Have not read much about Amex reconsideration line. Will head over to the Amex section to do a bit of research in case I need it!

update 8/20 - got the approval email from Amex today without having to call.

g8trgr8t

data point fwiw

have two ink plus cards for small biz, BA card, sapphire. had UA explorer card
three months ago when I was denied for united biz explorer plus.

cancelled personal UA explorer 90 days back, used plus cards more and applied
again for UA explorer biz last night and got approved for the 50k offer today

wheelsup57

Applied for chase ink plus biz card 10 minutes ago. Got the " notify you in writing in 10 days" response. Called in, to the 9419 number,had detailed talk with female rep, and was approved after she swung some credit from my personal British Airways card.

I have three other chase cards, personal ones, B Airways, Saphire and south west. Also I have three citi cards, so not a whole lot of cards. I have applied for credit six times in last six months (to citi and chase).

I have mid to high 700 fico. My business is that I rent out the only house I own, and make about 24k net a year (no mortgage) I supplement my income with about 50k a year additional from stock market retirement etc.

She verified, in detail, how I derive my business income, and asked how much net income it had produced in 2011 and 2012 . She also asked for an estimate of 2013. The only awkward moment was when she asked why I needed more credit, I said something lame like "because I just need more credit". I'd forgotten that the correct response is "I'm looking to expand".

I did get the sense she just wanted me to dot the "I"s and cross the "t" s with her. Basically all a formality.

So if you are concerned about having a legitimate business, a rental house will qualify. Just state that you're a sole proprietorship on the app.

istroke

What's my shot at getting Chase Hyatt & Marriott applying on the same day? Probably toward end of September.

Currently have with Chase: CSP, IHG, Ink Plus, United Bus. IHG & United were approved on 7/27/13.

mid 700 FICO.

jatink129

A few days to go before it's a month since I was denied for my Ink Bold app. 5th time calling. This one looked promising. Asked me a whole lot more questions but unfortunately, still denied.
Refused to shut any accounts or move credit over.

I told them, that I'd see them a year from now. I think I'm done with Chase for the time-being.

liw5215

I had pretty much same experience. have 4 personal ( Freedom, SW, United and United Club) and two biz ( Ink classic and SW biz). got a mail from Chase, inviting me for Ink Plus. called 5-6 times, no dice.

jatink129

I had Freedom, Sapphire Preferred, United, British Airways, Marriott and Priority Club.

When I was denied, I asked them if they'd be willing to move credit around.
They said no. And they said that I had too many accounts open. I asked them to close them and move credit around...They still said no.

So I closed United and Mariott. When I called today, I offered to close BA AND move credit around...This time I thought I'd get lucky, because the lady asked me TONS AND TONS of questions. What do I do? What business? Where? How? Who? What? Then put me on hold and denied me again.

She said that the primary problem wasn't the amount of credit I had with Chase (since moving a CL would mean that I'd get the card without Chase giving me more credit), but rather the primary problem was the 22 cards that have been opened within the last year and a half.
And the fact that she knew that I had opened them for the miles/points.

So she concluded by saying, that Chase would like to see more spend on the other cards as well, and I could try again later.

The way I see it, I'm done. I don't want to risk getting shut down.
I earn enough UR via the UR mall so the loss of the 50k isn't a very big deal.
I'm not gonna be upset over the hard pull either, because if I couldn't afford a hard pull then I shouldn't be in this game at all.

I'm going to close the BA card as well, because the second 50k has already posted, and maybe I'll get a prorated amount back.

I'll keep the Freedom, Sapphire and Priority and reapply a year from now.

liw5215

exactly same experience. no moving credit line or close a card. Actually I did closed my SW biz, and waited about a week, called again. no use. Finally gave up. then I called CSR saying I made a mistake to close my SW biz card. ask her if I can get it back. she re-instated my card back. This is first time I got declined by Chase. it really pissed me for a while.

beltway

In case anyone actually cares about data points on churning Chase cards & timing thereof, here's a new report of someone trying to churn the BA Visa ~1 year after the prior successful application & being shot down in flames. Not terribly surprising, but one current data point is better than none.

TOMFORD

I applied and was approved a Chase personal card 90 days ago. I applied and was approved a Chase biz card 45 days ago. If I apply for another Chase personal now, what are my odds of being approved?

jatink129

Not that easy to say without knowing what other Chase cards you already have, when did you get them, your AAoA, your income, and how many inquiries in the past year.

But to put it simply, if those two cards are the only Chase cards you have, then there's a good chance of getting approved, worst case by moving some credit around.

But if you've got a lot of them, then it would depend on a lot of factors. The two most important ones(IMO) being : How much credit is Chase willing to offer you?
How many inquiries have you had in the last year?