Like many flyertalkers, I have A LOT of Chase credit card accounts open, as does my wife. We each probably 5 personal cards and 3 biz cards. I had a hard time getting my last Chase biz account open: I was initially rejected and had to call the reconsideration line. I can tell I'm pretty much "maxed out" with them.

A few of their cards I like to keep for the bonuses (like IHG), but most of their cards I like to cycle through to get the sign up bonus and then cancel after a year. I always need to have at least one UR account open, especially an Ink card for the 5x bonus.

Has anyone done a detailed analysis on the best way to keep Chase happy -- and approving new applications? Should you make a habit of closing cards early, or shifting credit limits? Is there a true maximum number of cards (business or personal) you should have? How many applications per year is "too much"? Does paying an annual fee occasionally help (I always pay the IHG fee for the free night and 10% award bonus). Any insight on these questions would be helpful. Thanks.