Old Jan 19, 2017, 8:44 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: StartinSanDiego
Please read this Wiki before posting questions in the thread.

Do not post offers or requests for referral links in this thread! The proper thread for referral offers is here.
All Chase issued cards are here: https://creditcards.chase.com/sitemap

This thread--a continuation of previous discussions through May 2015 and December 2016--focuses on general Chase policies & practices for new applications. For information on specific Chase cards and their bonuses/terms/benefits, see the following threads and their associated wikis: Table of Contents
  1. Does Chase have a limit on the number or frequency of applications like Citi's 8/65 rule?

  2. What's this I hear about Chase denying applications to people who have recently opened a lot of credit cards?

  3. Does the 5/24 rule apply to applications for all Chase cards?

  4. How does Chase calculate the number of an applicant's new cards for purposes of the 5/24 rule?

  5. How does Chase calculate the relevant 24-month period? By calendar months? By exact days?

  6. Can I get around the 5/24 policy by closing cards I've opened in the past 24 months?

  7. Is there any way around the 5/24 policy (targeted mailers, pre-approvals, Chase Private Client status)?

  8. Can I apply for a specific Chase card and earn the bonus again after doing so previously?

  9. I'm an authorized user for a card issued to my spouse/parent. Does that prevent me from signing up for the same card and earning a bonus?

  10. I already have several Chase cards with a substantial aggregate line of credit. Will it improve my odds if I close an existing account (or lower its credit line) before applying for another?

  11. I wasn't auto-approved. Should I call in?

  12. How can I determine the deadline for meeting the spend requirement to earn the signup bonus?

  13. Once I meet the card's spend requirement, how soon will I receive my signup bonus points?

  14. Should I downgrade or cancel my existing cards before applying?

  15. Useful Chase telephone numbers

Does Chase have a limit on the number or frequency of applications like Citi's 8/65 rule?
Chase does not have a known limit. However, several reports (for example) indicate that Chase is highly sensitive to multiple applications within a short time period, and that the second (or subsequent) applications run a substantial risk of being denied. In many cases, this is likely related to Chase's practice of allocating a large credit line (up to an applicant's personal maximum) when approving a new card such as the first application in a series. (See also the discussion below concerning aggregate Chase credit lines.)

What's this I hear about Chase denying applications to people who have recently opened a lot of credit cards?
Starting in May 2015, Chase began denying applications for its own personal cards (e.g., Sapphire Preferred, Freedom, Slate & Freedom Unlimited) if the applicant's credit report shows that she or he opened 5 or more credit cards with any card issuer in the prior 24 months ("the 5/24 rule").

For a few days in early September 2016, Chase included explicit language ("You will not be approved for this card if you have opened 5 or more bank cards in the past 24 months") on the application page for the Sapphire Reserve card--and then promptly removed it. The absence of this language on landing/application pages for the CSR or any other Chase card is not a reliable indicator of whether the 5/24 policy applies.

See the next section for co-branded cards exempt from the 5/24 policy, and the later section discussing potential ways around 5/24.

Does the 5/24 rule apply to applications for all Chase cards?
Previously the rule did not apply to applications for the Ink Plus business card or to co-branded cards such as United, Hyatt, IHG, etc. However, on May 22, 2016 Chase extended its 5/24 rule to cover Ink business cards and some co-branded cards. (Note that there were premature reports that Chase Ink Plus would be made subject to the rule in March 2016 (which did not happen), and that all co-branded cards would follow in April 2016 (also did not happen).)

Although we had numerous reports of applications prior to May 22 being denied for a United/Hyatt/IHG/WN card by a CSR citing the 5/24 rule, the available evidence strongly suggested that those applicants had other serious issues--multiple Chase applications in a short period; large existing Chase credit line--and that overzealous CSRs gratuitously (and erroneously) invoked the 5/24 rule in the past as an additional supposed justification for the denial. Thus, it is difficult to separate such false positives from any change in Chase policy.

Instead, the most useful data points are those where an applicant is approved for a Chase card despite being over 5/24. Since May 22, 2016, we have such reports for these co-branded cards (in order from oldest to newest for each card):
For a longer list of cards apparently not subject to 5/24, check this link:
In November 2018, Chase seems to have possibly expanded 5/24 to more cards, possibly including some mentioned above. See this link:
Please follow discussion in the thread for current updates.

How does Chase calculate the number of an applicant's new cards for purposes of the 5/24 rule?
The 24-month count includes personal cards opened at other banks, and even cards on which the applicant is only an authorized user and not the primary cardholder. Chase has been extremely inflexible with this policy, with agents stating that there is nothing they can do to circumvent this restriction. However, in some cases Chase may reconsider a denial if the applicant has <5 new cards excluding cards on which s/he is an authorized user. You may need to escalate to the next level of customer service agent, as many front-line agents seem to be unable or unwilling to remove the authorized user accounts from the count.

Note:

How does Chase calculate the relevant 24-month period? By calendar months? By exact days?
In February 2017, a FTer reported a successful application a day or two after dropping from 5/24 to 4/24. However, because Chase sometimes approves applicants who are at 5/24 exactly (see above), this data point does not conclusively prove that Chase drops cards from its calculation on the exact 24-month anniversary of the previous bonus.

Can I get around the 5/24 policy by closing cards I've opened in the past 24 months?
No. Chase uses the information from your credit report, and closing an account doesn't make it disappear.

Is there any way around the 5/24 policy (targeted mailers, pre-approvals, Chase Private Client status)?
As to targeted mailers, we have insufficient anecdotal evidence to reach any reliable conclusions. (Reports suggesting no exemption from 5/24 here and here.)

There have been reports of people with more than 5 cards opened in the last 24 months being successful if they are already pre-approved for the card in question. To find out if you are pre-approved, you can call or go into a branch to ask. Success stories appear to be connected to Chase Private Client (CPC) status and the rollout of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. In-branch pre-approvals (showing a green screen on the banker's computer) result in automatic approvals. Some (but not all) CPC clients had success in recon calls[[I]citation needed].

Can I apply for a specific Chase card and earn the bonus again after doing so previously?
It depends. A Chase card may be "churned" when an entirely new version becomes available. For example, business cards are distinct from personal/consumer cards. Note that simple variations among bonus offers do not amount to new versions/products for purposes of this rule.

Beginning in 2014, Chase began including explicit language in most of its offers, such as the following:
This new cardmember bonus offer is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this consumer credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this consumer credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this consumer credit card within the last 24 months.
Effective August 2018, Chase imposed stringent additional restrictions on receiving the signup bonus for any version of the Sapphire card. See Sapphire (CSR & CSP) 48 months between bonuses, August 2018 and the master threads for each card (listed above) for details and discussion.

There are four key considerations in determining whether you can churn a given card:
  • The 5/24 policy discussed in detail above.
  • The 24-month bonus waiting period--in the case of Sapphire cards, the collective 48-month period--is measured not from the date of your previous application (or approval date, if different), but instead from the date you received the signup-related bonus on the previous card, which may be 3-4 months later than the approval date. The same rule applies regardless of the type of signup bonus received (points, miles, or free-night certs); anniversary benefits unrelated to spending requirements, such as annual IHG & Marriott certs, do not count as signup bonuses.
  • If you still have your old card of the same type, you're ineligible.
  • Chase's policy does not indicate whether there is also a minimum waiting period between cancellation and reapplication, and there is not yet sufficient anecdotal evidence from FTers to draw firm conclusions. At a minimum, a prudent churner will wait at least a week or two after cancellation before reapplying so that all of Chase's systems fully reflect that closure. (See first bullet point above.) At least one FTer has reported re-applying successfully 14 days after canceling the previous card.
Finally, note that if you reapply too soon, Chase may still issue you the new card. (This differs from some other card issuers, which may deny such applications outright.) In this case, Chase typically notifies you by letter within a month or two after approval that, as a previous cardholder, you will not receive the bonus a second time.

I'm an authorized user for a card issued to my spouse/parent. Does that prevent me from signing up for the same card and earning a bonus?
No. Being an additional user on someone else's account poses no bar to applying for that same card & bonus, except insofar as such cards may count toward the 5/24 rule (as discussed above).

I already have several Chase cards with a substantial aggregate line of credit. Will it improve my odds if I close an existing account (or lower its credit line) before applying for another?
Yes.

In the past, the conventional wisdom among FTers was that you were more likely to hurt your chances by closing an account or reducing CL unilaterally. However, substantial evidence from 2014 onward strongly indicates that Chase is increasingly likely to reject applications (or at least not auto-approve them) where an applicant has an existing total credit line that is high compared to his/her income & spending patterns. (For many members, the threshold appears to be in the $45K-60K range, but that is highly speculative.)

Recent reports suggest that closing accounts and/or voluntarily reducing credit lines increases the odds of auto-approval or in-branch pre-approval. (You can do either by calling or simply sending a secure message through your Chase online account. You do not need to provide a reason for the request.) For best results, keep at least $5K-10K in excess credit; if your application is not approved, you can always contact the reconsideration department and offer to reallocate that portion of your existing credit line. Note: despite allowing credit line to be moved between personal and business accounts in the past, Chase is no longer permitting such reallocation in either direction.

With respect to timing, it is better to reduce any CL as soon as you can conveniently do so, e.g., after meeting the bonus spend on a card you do not plan to use regularly thereafter. (Do not reduce CL on a given card if it would increase your "credit utiilization"--that is, the ratio of outstanding balance to CL--above ~30%. A high credit utilization number is a red flag for banks and can adversely affect your credit score.) Waiting until one's next application to lower a CL is less than optimal, as the reduced CL is not immediately recognized by all of Chase's systems.

There is no known minimum wait between lowering a CL and having the freed-up amount become available for purposes of a new application. A prudent applicant will, as recommended above, plan well in advance; failing that, an applicant would be wise to wait at least 24 hours between lowering a CL and applying for a new card.

I wasn't auto-approved. Should I call in?
It may be better to avoid calling Chase unless your application is denied. Many recent calls on pending applications led to denials, and many people report having success letting applications work their way through the system. Be patient. Time is on your side; increasingly, Chase CSRs are not.

If you do call, expect extensive and possibly hostile questioning. Be prepared to answer questions regarding the need for more credit, past credit apps for both Chase and other banks, income, business finances, etc. Know your CLs with Chase before you call so you know which card/s you are willing to decrease the CLs on. If the app is for a significant other who dislikes such calls, they can authorize you to speak on their behalf and hand the phone over to you.

How can I determine the deadline for meeting the spend requirement to earn the signup bonus?
Just send Chase a secure message (SM) through your online account. Although the deadline should in theory be N months from the date of approval (not the date of application or card activation)--where N is the number of months specified in the offer--Chase typically pads this period to account for the time required to fabricate and deliver physical cards. For example, a recent "3-month" deadline was in fact 114 days, as confirmed by Chase's SM confirmation.

Once I meet the card's spend requirement, how soon will I receive my signup bonus points?
Bonus points typically accrue at the close of the billing period in which you incur the corresponding charges. Points should appear in your hotel/airline account within a few days thereafter.

NOTE: If you complete your required spending in the last 7-10 days of the statement period, the bonus may not post until the following month's statement, even if the regular per-dollar points post on the first statement. This is normal behavior for Chase and is not worth a phone call.

Should I downgrade or cancel my existing cards before applying?
Useful Chase telephone numbers
(800) 432-3117 General Application Status Line, automated
(800) 436-7927 Alternative General Application Status Line, automated
(888) 609-7805 Alternative Personal Reconsideration line with live rep
(888) 269-8690 - Business Credit Card Application Status Line, automated
(800) 453-9719 Business Credit Card Reconsideration Line with live rep
(800) 955-9900 General Card Services and Application status, automated
(888) 298-5623 Credit Reallocation Office (Personal cards)
(800) 453-9719 Credit Reallocation Office (Business cards)
(888) 622-7547 Executive Offices
(877) 470-9042 Personal Application Verification line with live rep
Twitter: @ChaseSupport
Note: In the past, automated telephone status reports stating that Chase would notify you in 2 weeks often resulted in an approval, whereas the "7-10 days" telephone recording often indicated imminent denial. In 2016, this pattern became increasingly unpredictable, with many applicants receiving approval despite an earlier "7-10 days" automated telephone message. As a result, automated telephone responses should not be regarded as reliable indicators of an application's likely outcome.
Print Wikipost

Applying for Chase Credit Cards, 2017-2019

Old Aug 17, 2018, 6:42 pm
  #1891  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Truth or Consequences, NM
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Hertz President's Circle, UA Silver, Mobile Passport Unobtanium
Posts: 6,186
Originally Posted by sikorloa
Got an invite with code for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited, for my business, but I don't meet 5/24 rule. Apply or not apply?

I applied for exactly 5 cards in the past 24 months, however some were business cards for my small business (with separate EIN)
Business cards do not add to your 5/24 count. Therefore, if you applied for 5 cards in the last 24 months - and some were business cards - you are under 5/24 and should not run afoul of the 5/24 rule as a reason for refusal. (Obviously, you could be refused for other reasons.)
Diplomatico is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2018, 9:08 pm
  #1892  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: PHX, ORD, MDW
Programs: WN A-List, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold, National Executive Elite
Posts: 292
Applied for the Southwest Priority card yesterday and received the 30-day message. Called recon immediately afterwards and was approved after shifting around some credit. Automated application status phone line says I've been approved, says card will arrive in 7-10 days, and states my credit limit & APR. However, the new card does not appear on my Chase.com online account. With previous Chase approvals, I seem to remember the card appearing on my account almost instantly. Has anyone else experienced this? Do I need to call in and verify anything?
ryanmcv is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2018, 9:18 pm
  #1893  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,927
Originally Posted by sikorloa
Got an invite with code for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited, for my business, but I don't meet 5/24 rule. Apply or not apply?

I applied for exactly 5 cards in the past 24 months, however some were business cards for my small business (with separate EIN)
The way you figure out if you're 5/24 is not by guessing. Go to Check Your Credit Report & FICO Score Experian and sign up for the free account, which lets you view your credit report (but not your credit score). On the Experian site, you credit report is sortable by date opened, so do that, on both the "open cards" and "closed cards" sections. Then count the number of cards you see in both sections that have an "opened on" date in the past 24 months. (They'll be at the top of each section if you sorted properly>) That's your N/24 count.

Most business cards don't show up on credit reports, and thus don't count for 5/24, but a few business cards do show up (mostly from Discover and Capital One).

So the best way to figure out our N/24 status is to actually count entries on the credit report, because that's exactly what Chase does. And since you can do it for free in just a few minutes on the Experian website, why not do it?

(You can do it for free at other sites like Credit Karma and Annual Credit Report too, but at those sites it's harder because they don't have a way for you to sort the list by card open date.)
sdsearch is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2018, 9:24 pm
  #1894  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,927
Originally Posted by Diplomatico
Business cards do not add to your 5/24 count. Therefore, if you applied for 5 cards in the last 24 months - and some were business cards - you are under 5/24 and should not run afoul of the 5/24 rule as a reason for refusal. (Obviously, you could be refused for other reasons.)
Only if they don't show on your report (only because the credit report is what Chase checks). From a banks, such as Discover and Cap One, business cards do show up on credit reports, and so do count toward 5/24.

Thus it's best to actually look at your credit report and count the way Chase counts, rather than by trying "guess" what might be on your credit report.
sdsearch is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2018, 9:41 pm
  #1895  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 65
Originally Posted by Tony300S
Completely Removed
Thanks! I had originally SM'd Chase to close the account in April and it has since been listed in the Experian's Closed Accounts section.... Based on your comment, I just put in a dispute... oddly, when I clicked into the dispute section the account was listed as open. I'm glad I asked.
pokeygirl is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2018, 10:02 pm
  #1896  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 65
Originally Posted by sdsearch
The way you figure out if you're 5/24 is not by guessing. Go to Check Your Credit Report & FICO Score Experian and sign up for the free account, which lets you view your credit report (but not your credit score).
Actually, it's better to sign up for an Experian account through freecreditscore.com, you get your FICO score and also some free credit monitoring and alerts that don't come with the default account at experian.com. If you search for Experian on DoC there is a post about that, and if you look in the comments there is a writeup (look for the latest) of how to convert your account if you signed up at Experian first. I updated mine a month or so ago and it seems that my data refreshes each time there is an alert which is nice. Previously it was updating once a month.
pokeygirl is offline  
Old Aug 17, 2018, 10:11 pm
  #1897  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,927
Originally Posted by pokeygirl
Actually, it's better to sign up for an Experian account through freecreditscore.com, you get your FICO score and also some free credit monitoring and alerts that don't come with the default account at experian.com. If you search for Experian on DoC there is a post about that, and if you look in the comments there is a writeup (look for the latest) of how to convert your account if you signed up at Experian first. I updated mine a month or so ago and it seems that my data refreshes each time there is an alert which is nice. Previously it was updating once a month.
Yes, but you can also sign up for Credit Karma, and that gives you free scores from the other two bureaus.(TU and EQ), plus credit reports (just not sortable) from those other two bureaus.

Plus lots of credit card issuers now give you free credit scores, and some (including Discover) give you some types of free monitoring (like whether they find your info on the "dark web").

I'm not sure what you mean by "each time there is an alert". Experian sends me alerts when I get an Experian pull, with the free credit-report-only account. And I've also seen cases, with my free credit-report-only account, where it updated more often than a month, even though it said it would only update once a month

Last edited by sdsearch; Aug 17, 2018 at 10:18 pm
sdsearch is offline  
Old Aug 18, 2018, 7:40 am
  #1898  
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Posts: 556
Originally Posted by ryanmcv
Applied for the Southwest Priority card yesterday and received the 30-day message. Called recon immediately afterwards and was approved after shifting around some credit. Automated application status phone line says I've been approved, says card will arrive in 7-10 days, and states my credit limit & APR. However, the new card does not appear on my Chase.com online account. With previous Chase approvals, I seem to remember the card appearing on my account almost instantly. Has anyone else experienced this? Do I need to call in and verify anything?
Cobrands sometimes take more time to show up online. If the status line says approved, you're approved.
NYCFlyer10001 is offline  
Old Aug 18, 2018, 12:58 pm
  #1899  
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 2
Fictitious name follow up

I applied for Chase Ink on their 80k bonus. I'm under 5/24 for the first time in a while. Credit score plenty strong. Trouble is, as I've been reading, I applied under a different business name other than my First + Last. I've done this under different business names for years and just now ran into this problem. I don't have this business registered anywhere, and I can't go through the hassle of a Fictitious Name or any other government paperwork. That's what the Chase CSR has asked for. Letter came asking for documentation of "Name of Company" and "Proof of current business physical address".

I want to call back and see about possibly changing the application to my name but I've read that's dicey. What suggestions are out there?? What should I say to the rep that will help my case? Thanks!
FlyerTalk12345 is offline  
Old Aug 18, 2018, 3:41 pm
  #1900  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: SAN
Programs: AA, SPG, UR, MR
Posts: 181
Originally Posted by sdsearch
The way you figure out if you're 5/24 is not by guessing. Go to Check Your Credit Report & FICO Score Experian and sign up for the free account, which lets you view your credit report (but not your credit score). On the Experian site, you credit report is sortable by date opened, so do that, on both the "open cards" and "closed cards" sections. Then count the number of cards you see in both sections that have an "opened on" date in the past 24 months. (They'll be at the top of each section if you sorted properly>) That's your N/24 count.

Most business cards don't show up on credit reports, and thus don't count for 5/24, but a few business cards do show up (mostly from Discover and Capital One).

So the best way to figure out our N/24 status is to actually count entries on the credit report, because that's exactly what Chase does. And since you can do it for free in just a few minutes on the Experian website, why not do it?

(You can do it for free at other sites like Credit Karma and Annual Credit Report too, but at those sites it's harder because they don't have a way for you to sort the list by card open date.)
Thank you sdsearch for your reply!

Do you think it's better to sign up for Credit Karma to check, or better use Experian?

Cheers
sikorloa is offline  
Old Aug 18, 2018, 6:12 pm
  #1901  
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,857
Originally Posted by FlyerTalk12345
I want to call back and see about possibly changing the application to my name but I've read that's dicey. What suggestions are out there?? What should I say to the rep that will help my case? Thanks!
I recommend that you wait at least 30 days to let this application lapse and then apply again. When a financial document asks for your "Legal Business Name", please don't lie.
pallhedge is offline  
Old Aug 18, 2018, 6:44 pm
  #1902  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,927
Originally Posted by sikorloa
Thank you sdsearch for your reply!

Do you think it's better to sign up for Credit Karma to check, or better use Experian?

Cheers
I'd say it's easier to make sure you get the right results with Experian, because of the ability to sort by open date (which should be the right-most column).. With Credit Karma's unsorted list, you'd have to very carefully go through all the cards it shows (which includes all the cards you currently have open, plus all the cards you closed in the last 10 years) and make sure you catch every date correctly, even though they're in a jumbled order.

And because ti's easier to be sure you're doing it correctly, I'd say it's better to use Experian for this specific task (where you clearly want to see which cards were opened in the past 24 months).
sdsearch is offline  
Old Aug 19, 2018, 12:02 pm
  #1903  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: SAN
Programs: AA, SPG, UR, MR
Posts: 181
Originally Posted by sdsearch
I'd say it's easier to make sure you get the right results with Experian, because of the ability to sort by open date (which should be the right-most column).. With Credit Karma's unsorted list, you'd have to very carefully go through all the cards it shows (which includes all the cards you currently have open, plus all the cards you closed in the last 10 years) and make sure you catch every date correctly, even though they're in a jumbled order.

And because ti's easier to be sure you're doing it correctly, I'd say it's better to use Experian for this specific task (where you clearly want to see which cards were opened in the past 24 months).
Thanks SDSearch!

No harm in using both right? Or better to just use 1?
sikorloa is offline  
Old Aug 19, 2018, 1:24 pm
  #1904  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,927
Originally Posted by sikorloa
Thanks SDSearch!

No harm in using both right? Or better to just use 1?
For N/24 calculation or in general?

You should get the same N/24 results from using either, it's just more work doing it at CK.

Except that CK will give you open dates down to the day, while Experian only gives you the month on their website. But if you're not cutting it really close, that doesn't matter much.

For certain other things, CK is more useful, including TU and EQ pulls, and free credit scores, so definitely if you're interested in more than just 5/24 calculation, you might as well sign up for both. And there's no harm in doing the N/24 calculation at both of them, but if you get a different result, double and triple and quadruple check, because you shouldn't get a different result.

Things like inquiries are different at each of the 3 credit bureaus. But the card account info should be pretty much the same at all 3 credit bureaus, unless one of them made a mistake.
sdsearch is offline  
Old Aug 19, 2018, 2:25 pm
  #1905  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: SAN
Programs: AA, SPG, UR, MR
Posts: 181
Originally Posted by sdsearch
For N/24 calculation or in general?

You should get the same N/24 results from using either, it's just more work doing it at CK.
Thanks SD! Much appreciated
sikorloa is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.