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Of all the credit card card application restrictions, Chase’s 5/24 policy is one of the most prohibitive — and one of the most (in)famous. The policy applies to all Chase-issued rewards cards, including crowd favorites like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
A question we field on a regular basis — both here on the blog and in AwardWallet’s Facebook community, Award Travel 101 — is how to check your 5/24 status.
We recommend keeping a detailed spreadsheet tracking all of your credit card applications, approvals, and cancellation dates. However, if you don't already have these details, there are free tools that can help you determine your Chase 5/24 status for free. Here's how.
A Quick Recap of Chase's 5/24 Policy
The 5/24 policy restricts the approval of new Chase credit cards to applicants with less than five new credit card accounts opened over the past 24 months. Chase applies this restriction to essentially all Chase credit cards — including all Sapphire, Ink, Freedom, airline, hotel, and business credit cards.
Here are the main takeaways from our in-depth post on 5/24:
- All personal credit cards opened in the past 24 months (from any card issuer) count towards your 5/24 status. For example, say you’ve opened one card each with American Express, Bank of America, and Barclaycard in the previous 24 months. You would be 3/24 — even though none of the cards are issued by Chase.
- In most cases, Chase doesn’t count business cards toward your 5/24 status, including its own cards. This can be confusing as applications for the Ink Preferred are still subject to the 5/24 policy when applying. However, if you're approved, Chase won't count this card towards your 5/24 status when applying for another Chase card.
- The exceptions to this rule are Capital One, Discover, and TD Bank. These card issuers report most of their small business cards to your personal credit report. Thus, these business cards will count toward your 5/24 status.
- Even if you subsequently close a card, that card will still count toward your 5/24 status. This policy is based on opening new credit cards, regardless of closing activity.
- If you're an authorized user on credit cards opened in the past 24 months, Chase may count these during your application. If that pushes you past five new accounts, a reconsideration call can straighten this out.
- Other loans you have — such as car loans, personal loans, mortgages, and tuition — don’t count towards your 5/24 status.
Related: How Does the Chase 5/24 Policy Work?
The Simplest Way to Check Your Chase 5/24 Status
The good news is that you have several ways to check your 5/24 status for free — including apps like those from Experian or counting the new cards on your free annual credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com.
Previously, a free Credit Karma account allowed you to sort by date and see all accounts opened in past two years, but that feature went away. Now, the simplest method is using a free account from Experian. Let's show you how.
On Experian's site, fill out the requested information to create an account.
After it pulls your credit profile, you can view a list of your accounts. Each will show the issuer name, most recent balance, and when that balance was updated.
Clicking on any one of them will show details, such as payment history and the most recent balance reported to the credit agencies.
Some of your cards will even show the full account number — such as those by American Express — which can be helpful for knowing which card has which opening date.
Using this information, you can check each account, one at a time, to find the opening dates and calculate your 5/24 status. However, it's much easier to check this information using Experian's app.
At the bottom of the Experian app, click on “Reports” in the menu.
When you arrive at your credit report, click on “Views” in the top right. From here, you can choose to sort your accounts by the date they were opened, from new to old.
In this way, your newest accounts will be at the top. Additionally, you'll see “Open” or “Closed” noted next to each account.
Both open and closed accounts will appear together, which is fine. You'll need to count all accounts opened in the past 24 months, even if you subsequently closed them. Moving through this list, check every new account showing from the past 24 months and you can find your 5/24 status for free.
Other Free Methods to Check Your Chase 5/24 Status
Previously, Credit Karma offered the ability to sort accounts by date. While that feature is gone, it's still possible to use Credit Karma and a service called Travel Freely to check your 5/24 status for free.
Check your 5/24 status on Credit Karma
After signing up for Credit Karma, click on “Credit” on the top menu and choose “Score Details.”
On the next page, scroll down to find the option “View full credit report” and click on that. This will take you to your credit report and a list of your accounts.
You'll notice “Reported” dates on these accounts, with the accounts updated most recently showing at the top. Click on the gray bar for the card you want, and this will show the account details.
Each account will show its opening date, and you can check each of these to find how many accounts were opened in the past 24 months.
Check your 5/24 status on Travel Freely
If you spend the time putting your credit card history into Travel Freely, it will tell you your 5/24 status every time you log in.
However, it can take some time to add all of your accounts to your free account at Travel Freely — depending on how many credit cards you have.
For past accounts, you may not be worried about listing the bonus that you earned or when you product changed from one credit card to another. However, the important details include the card name and the opening date. You'll need to find that opening date from your credit report or by asking your credit card issuer.
The good news is that maintaining your information on Travel Freely is quite simple once you set up an account and enter all of your cards. Adding a new card is quick, as is updating a card that you changed or closed, and you'll see your 5/24 status every time you log in.
Check your 5/24 status from your free credit report
You can get a free copy of your credit report at annualcreditreport.com. As the name implies, this site previously offered a report annually, then you had to pay for viewing your full report additional times. A recent change now offers weekly access to your credit report, and this is a permanent feature.
How to determine which accounts are Authorized User accounts
No matter which method you use to check your credit report, you can identify authorized user accounts in the details for each. Look for “Responsibility: Authorized User” or similar language when checking an account's details.
If you're the primary cardholder on the account, the Responsibility row will show “Individual.”
When counting how many credit cards on your credit report show an opening date in the past two years, make sure to note how many of those are authorized user accounts.
While authorized user accounts don't count toward your 5/24 status, it's important to know these numbers in case you need to explain this to a phone representative.
Final Thoughts
Because of Chase’s inflexible application rules, we recommend building your portfolio of Ultimate Rewards earning cards before diversifying into other rewards currencies. If you focus on other card issuers and climb over 5/24, getting back under 5/24 can be a hassle. And it's no fun missing out on Chase's great sign-up bonuses.
Do you know other free, simple methods to check your 5/24 status? Let us know in the comments below.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
I checked my card status using the Experian app and it showed most of my cards (open and closed) Interestingly enough it did not show a Chase Flex card I opened last year. Any idea why that would be?
Patrick, it definitely should show up. I would reach out to Chase and Experian to ask why the card isn’t showing on your credit report (unless you want it to not show up…).
I am not able to check my 5/24 status. Credit Karma does not work. Please provide a direct link and instructions. I just want to know my 5/24 status (accounts opened in past 24 months).
We’ve dug into a few options, but nothing is as easy to do as Credit Karma was.
Both you and the Points Guy recommended Credit Karma to determine 5/24 status; however, the link provided and the account page does not allow sorting in any way. I don’t know if the functionality has been removed or something else is going on.
Yes, Credit Karma did remove that functionality – as we note at the top of this post. We have been looking for other options ever since. If you have an existing Mint account, I built this spreadsheet to help you determine your 5/24 status. Just note that you’ll need to remove non-card accounts added in the past 24 months (mortgage, student loans, etc): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1u0u2NPW5v2qyer05E5Ncx8A7PgMTWt4ywOqgNDnHg24/edit?usp=sharing
The CreditKarma site changed and none of these tricks work any longer.
Thank you for the heads up. We are researching a new option for figuring out your 5/24 status.
One problem with CreditKarma is that they block access when you are overseas.
This is really great to know – it’s so important in the credit card game to understand your status with Chase, as they offer some of the most competitive cards (especially at the no annual fee level).
I heard Clark Howard talking about how more and more people are paying off their credit cards, and that this is putting the credit card companies in a bind. So they are going to be putting more and more great offers out trying to get people to run up a balance. Great news for those of us who churn and can reap the rewards!
There’s a risk that it actually has the opposite effect. Credit cards can make generous signup offers for the very reason that many folks carry balances and the companies profit handsomely off them. We benefit because others pay the bill.
Chase has great offers, but other issuer’s offers keep getting in my way of 5/24
The Chase Southwest bonus was great this year! Working on getting companion pass.
“The exceptions to this rule are Capital One and Discover. Both card issuers report small business cards to your personal credit report. Thus, these business cards will count towards 5/24.”
Does this apply to all business cards with Capital One?
Yes, as far as I know, this includes all Cap1 Business cards.
I keep a spreadsheet of all of mine and my wife’s cards. It’s smart to keep a slot open but I’ve backed off of Chase and am now in the MR earning world.
Great tip to easily check your account openings and what you 24mo status is. Hey , maybe if someone at CK is listening they should just show that on a dashboard. I can always dream.
I had heard both scenarios, that 5/24 was only applicable to Chase-branded cards, and I also heard it applied to all card-issuers. So thankful you cleared this up for me!
Honestly though, not too sure I would trust Credit Karma. Had a bad experience with them and a younger friend of mine. She had absolutely no credit history, but signed up for Credit Karma and saw she had an 800 credit score and tried to buy her first car. I tried explaining that that score wasn’t accurate and why, but she didn’t listen. Needless to say, she was shocked when she found out I was right and that she had no credit history and the interest rates they charged her were astronomical for the FEW banks that would approve her for a car loan.
Two other useful tools which I personally use are the credit score tab in Mint, and the website Travel Freely. Although Mint & Credit Karma are both owned by Intuit, the former is far more useful as a comprehensive personal finance app. Travel Freely is specifically geared to credit card enthusiasts, and includes 5/24 status and bonus trackers on its dashboard. You enter the card you have (no personal info required), when you applied for it, and it’ll map it to your 5/24 count, track your annual fee posting date, and your SUB due date automatically.
You can also easily look at the “age” of the card by going to the “Overview” menu item in the top left and selecting “Score Details”, once there, you will see the 6 factors that affect your credit score and one of them is “Credit age”. Clicking on that gives you a list of accounts and also lists how long each card has been opened. Count the cards that are under 2 years.
I dont agree with Chase limited card openings within the last 24 months from other card issuers aside from their own. If you qualify on their terms, then it should not matter that you also got other cards from other issuers.
Great article on how to know and plan for 5/24….the points and miles game got a LOT more complicated when Chase started implementing the 5/24 rule….makes one have to go on a credit card diet for 2 years to re-qualify for Chase cards…have to really pick your spots now. I really miss the wide open playing field of just 6-7 years ago when you could sign up for just about anything and get approved if your credit score was high enough.
Switching between card products could be easily completed too.
I missed out on the original 100k bonus on the Sapphire Reserve due to the 5/24 rule. It was also very soon after the rule was implemented so very unfortunate timing for me.
Great post, very useful and I’ll be bookmarking it for future reference.
Never knew they tracked this!
So important to stay on top of your 5/24 status!
Thanks. While I am currently safely outside of the 5/24 rule, Credit Karma seems to be a good way of keeping track of accounts not just for 5/24 purposes, but to make sure no unauthorized accounts are out there. That said, what, if any, are the negative or pitfalls of having the free Credit Karma account? Amongst thoughts, since it is free, would I be authorizing unsolicited offers from either Credit Karma or their “partners”?
Yes, that sounds about right. And really, most marketing companies can buy your credit score and market to you regardless of whether you use a free service like Credit Karma. I’ve used the service for years and never found their marketing overly intrusive.
Thanks for the tips since I have not been keeping track of the opening of credit cards. I am now though. I too have been denied by Chase.
I can only see Transition in the CK site. Is that what Chase uses?
This is useful, thanks!
Do Amex cards not show up in Credit Karma? I got the SPG personal card a couple of months ago, but it’s not listed as one of my accounts in CK.
They most definitely do. It could be a lag in your report or Amex reporting.
Great tip! Note that authorized user cards you have been added on will likely show up as “new” cards and count toward 5/24, but reports are Chase will not count those when call reconsideration and make that point to them.
Thanks! Great info. I have always loved Credit Karma.
I just started using Credit Karma a few months ago and I was also surprised at how easy it is to do. I had been tracking my 5/24 status myself but it was much less accurate. I couldn’t be sure which cards affected 5/24 and which didn’t. Now I know for certain. Next month I will finally be under 5/24 and I can start applying for more UR earning cards! Very exciting.
Very helpful, thanks for the reminder
The restriction is such a bummer.
Great way to find out about the 5/24 status! I have never had to worry about that, thank goodness! I just don’t open enough cards I guess to have bumped into the 5/24 rule with Chase. Just having this info really helps that I won’t in the future either.
I would rather keep Chase Hyatt and Chase IHG cards in case I can only have two.
Thanks. I wondered how to do this without spreadsheet. Great to know.
Nice tool. Def going to check it out
Great tool. Will def check my history.
Very useful! Thank you!
More people need to use tools like this to be aware of their 5/24 and personal finance issues
I used that tool, very easy and intuitive. Well done!
Thanks for this tip. I’ve had several accounts opened lately but can’t quite recall the timing of them.
I guess I’m limited to the non 5/24 cards, like British Airways.
nice to know that this is out there
This is actually a pretty good tool.
Thanks for the post!
Great idea to use Credit Karma. I’m going to check mine now.
Good information, thanks
Haha, couldn’t be easier… and to think, all this time I’ve been keeping track of this on post-it notes!
Great info
thanks- very helpful tools and tips
great tip. thank yoU!
I always wondered about how to do it. good guide.
I tried using the link , but it took me to the dashboard. I explored the Credit Karma site, but was unable to find a listing that looked anything like the one shown.
I was still able to find the data, but it took a lot of work – looking at each account individually.
Try that link again.
You need to login first and then go to that link
This is a good tip. I do this but always forget to tell others to check this way.
The credit karma credit score always seems a bit off to me, but it really useful for keeping track off all credit lines.
The score isn’t off. It is either outdated (it doesn’t update your score daily) or it’s using a different credit scoring model. Nothing to worry about.
prefect!! I don’t keep track like some do with a spreadsheet!! so this is great.
I use CreditWise from Capital One to check my credit score through TransUnion. When I check my credit score, one of the pieces of information returned is the number of new accounts in the past 2 years. I haven’t double checked it with CreditKarma.
https://creditwise.capitalone.com/home
Thanks for that tip. That worked for me, and it matched CreditKarma. I’m 17/24, so that might explain why I’m getting denials lately.
Thanks, useful!