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Happy May 24! In celebration of “5/24 Day” — a reference to the infamous Chase 5/24 Rule — we wanted to take a look at all of the limitations and restrictions put in place by credit card issuers.
Alongside keeping track of rewards card applications and managing your credit score, it’s essential to understand the credit card application rules for each credit provider. How many cards can you hold? Are there restrictions on how many cards you can apply for? Can you hold more than one of the same card?
The internet is flush with incomplete information about what you can and cannot do. So, we wanted to provide a resource that shares information available from the financial institutions and card issuers, combined with the experiences and data points of the award travel community in one place.
Page Contents
To be abundantly clear, these are not all official rules published by any financial institution, but rather anecdotal evidence supported by data from the points and miles community, including readers like you.
These rules have an enormous impact on how you approach your credit card application strategy. Understanding them will help you plan a long-term, sustainable approach to earning points and miles for excellent travel experiences.
These credit card issuer rules affect:
- If you'll be approved for a new card.
- How many credit cards you can hold at any one time from the same issuer.
- If you can receive a bonus more than once on the same card.
- How much credit you can access across all cards you hold with that provider.
We’ll update this post as rules change or new information comes to light. So, if you have a data point to add to one of the listed providers, please reach out in the comments at the bottom of the post.
Credit Card Application Rules by Credit Provider
Before we dig in, it’s important to note that not all the restrictions here are hard and fast ‘rules.’ There are restrictions that are clearly communicated—such as Amex's ‘one bonus per card per lifetime‘. Others, like Chase 5/24 Rule, are derived from a combination of data points supplied by the points and miles community, guidelines described by the provider, and policies printed in error and then retracted.
A Summary:
| Maximum Number of Cards Allowed | Credit Card Application Frequency | Receive New Cardmember Bonus More Than Once? | Waiting Period Between New Cardmember Bonuses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express | 5 credit cards and 10 cards with the Pay Over Time feature | Max 2x credit cards per 90 days (e.g. 1x business + 1x personal), no known limit for cards with the Pay Over Time feature. | No | One welcome offer per card, per lifetime (Marriott-specific rules) |
| Bank of America | Majority of cardholders allowed maximum 4x cards. | 2 new Bank of America cards in any 2 months period. 3 new Bank of America cards in any 12 months period. 4 new Bank of America cards in any 24 months period. | Yes | Must wait 24 months after closing a card to open the same card. Applications subject to 2/3/4 rule |
| Barclays | No set limit but no more than one of each card. | 1 card per 6 months and only 1 card at a time - Arrival Plus specific 6/24 rule (unlikely to be approved if you've opened 6+ new cards in 24 months) | Yes | No set policy. If reapplying for same card, must cancel card and wait 6 months before reapplying |
| Capital One | Max 2x consumer cards per card family (e.g. 2x Capital One branded cards) | 1 personal or 1 business card per 6 months. | Yes | No waiting period outside of application frequency |
| Chase | No card limit. Limit on total line of credit across all cards. | All Ultimate Rewards-earning cards and most (if not all) co-brand cards subject to 5/24, see linked post for list of affected cards. 1 personal + 1 business card per 90 days. | Yes | 24 months (or 48 months for Sapphire cards) after last receiving bonus and not a current cardholder (Sapphire-specific rules) (Marriott-specific rules) |
| Citi | No card limit. Limit on total line of credit across all cards. | Max 1 personal card per 8 days + 2x total cards per 65 days. Max 1 business card per 95 days. | Yes | Can receive a signup bonus if you haven't opened OR closed card from the same family of cards in the previous 24 months. One signup bonus per card family per 24 months. Citi/AAdvantage cards don't have the same restrictions on receiving a bonus within the same family of cards, but have more rigid rules and only allow you to earn a bonus every 48 months on each card. |
| U.S. Bank | No card limit. Limit on total line of credit across all cards. | No written rule, unlikely to be approved if you have many inquiries/new accounts on your credit report. | Yes | No written policy; if approved for the card, you should receive the bonus. |
| Wells Fargo | No card limit. Limit on total line of credit across all cards. | 1 card per 6 months and only 1 card at a time. | Yes | Eligible for one Wells Fargo introductory offer every 15 months |
American Express Application Rules
Maximum Number of Cards
The Amex rules about how many cards you can hold are a bit complicated. Some American Express cards function like a traditional credit card—each cardholder has a credit limit and the option to finance charges that aren’t paid in full.
Other Amex cards only allow you to carry a balance for certain charges with a feature called “Pay Over Time”. Amex used to call this second group of cards “charge cards”. However, it's decided to move away from that term to avoid confusion.
With respect to the number of Amex cards you can hold, it looks like nothing will change:
- Each individual can hold five traditional credit cards from the first group.
- You can hold up to ten cards with an option to Pay Over Time for select charges (from the group of cards formerly referred to as “charge” cards.)
Both limits apply to the total number of American Express cards held by a single individual—including both small business and consumer cards.
Application Frequency
You can safely apply for two Amex cards in a single day (e.g. 1x business + 1x personal, or 1x credit + 1x cards with Pay Over Time). However, one will likely be held up for review as a fraud prevention measure. Amex restricts credit card applications to two every 90 days. But, we've encountered exceptions when applying for a combination of credit cards and cards with the Pay Over Time feature.
Related: Earn 20,000 Bonus Membership Rewards Points for Enrolling in Pay Over Time
Welcome Offer Restrictions
Amex has some of the most restrictive rules for who can earn a new cardmember bonus. You can receive a welcome offer for each product just once per ‘lifetime'.
The good news is that a “lifetime” isn't as long as you might think. Amex will periodically purge old cardholder data, unlocking the ability to earn a welcome offer on the same card. However, it may be several years (generally 5-7 years) after closing an account before this happens.
In the meantime, Amex has a wide variety of cards available. And, unlike some other banks, applying for one Amex card won't disqualify you from cards that earn the same type of points.
For example, if you've received the welcome offer on The Platinum Card® from American Express, you can still receive the bonus on the American Express® Gold Card. You can also get the bonus on both personal and business versions of a card. So, if you’ve received the bonus on a consumer co-brand card, you can still receive the bonus on the business version. Here's the language (or similar) that you'll see on welcome offer restrictions:
“Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this Card. We may also consider the number of American Express Cards you have opened and closed as well as other factors in making a decision on your welcome offer eligibility.”
You don't have to second-guess whether or not you're eligible. Amex added an eligibility tool to help applicants determine if they qualify for a new cardmember welcome offer. Amex will pop up a warning during the application process to indicate if you're not eligible for the welcome offer on a new card.
There are also additional restrictions on the welcome offers for the new Marriott co-brand cards. These rules are confusing, to say the least. Thankfully we have a dedicated post breaking down the eligibility requirements for each card.
Bank of America Application Rules
Maximum Number of Cards
Bank of America used to be the most generous credit provider for opening and holding multiple cards but that no longer appears to be the case. In 2017, Bank of America started clamping down on account holders they think have too many cards, sometimes closing older accounts before new ones (based on the lowest credit limit first).
The data for this is inconsistent. However, it appears BoA is restricting the majority of account holders to a maximum of 4 cards. If you have any data points, please let us know.
Application Frequency
Bank of America tightened its belt for new card applications too. See the Bank of America 2/3/4 rule. This stands for:
- 2 cards per 2-month period
- 3 new cards per rolling 12-month period
- 4 cards per rolling 24-month period
These numbers are specific to BoA cards. Other bank-issued cards aren't counted when calculating the 2/3/4 rule.
BoA used to accept multiple applications in a single day, sometimes even for the same card! However, with reports of applications denied, and sometimes, accounts closed and points forfeited, we’d suggest holding off on applying for multiple cards at the same time and to think long-term.
Another application rule concerns the number of accounts you have opened recently at any bank—not just Bank of America. This rule varies by whether or not you have banking accounts with Bank of America.
- If you have a deposit account with Bank of America: your credit card application will be denied if you have opened 7 new cards in the past 12 months, based on what they see on your credit report.
- If you do NOT have a deposit account with Bank of America: your credit card application will be denied if you have 3 new cards in the past 12 months.
Signup Bonus Restrictions
Most cards are now subject to a 24-month waiting period: You cannot get a card if you currently have (or had in the previous 24 months) the same card.
Barclays Application Rules
Maximum Number of Cards
There is no set limit, but Barclays is pretty stringent on how many cards you can hold. Barclays won’t allow you to hold more than one of the same card. Barclays appears to factor in how often you use current cards, in addition to standard considerations when deciding on new card applications.
Application Frequency
Stick to one card every six months and only one card at a time. Barclays is not flexible on application frequency.
Signup Bonus Restrictions
If you're approved, you're eligible to earn the bonus. If you already hold the card, you must cancel it and wait around six months to get the card again. Barclays will not let you downgrade to a card within the same family to get the signup bonus on the current card.
Capital One Application Rules
Maximum Number of Cards
There is a ton of conflicting information on Capital One cards. From the available info, you can hold a maximum of two Capital One branded cards at any one time. We found no specific cap on the total number of cards you can hold; the restrictions apply to a cap on each family of cards.
For example, you can hold two Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card‘s alongside a Savor Rewards from Capital One, but you could not hold three Capital One Venture cards. We would welcome more data on this. So, if you have specific examples, please let us know in the comments.
Application Frequency
Capital One’s application rules are simple; 1 card every 6 months. There is no distinction between personal and business cards. By all reports, Capital One doesn’t even perform a hard pull on your file if you try to apply for more. Instead, it flags additional applications that follow the first one as ‘duplicates.’
You can apply for the same card after six months but only if you don’t already hold two cards from the same family. Keep in mind when applying for Capital One cards they pull from all three credit bureaus. Capital One business cards are also reported on your personal credit report and will count towards your Chase 5/24 count.
Bonus Restrictions
The general rule for Capital One cards; if you’re approved, you’ll receive the bonus. There is no set time period between bonuses and no restriction on specific families of card, just the application and max number of cards mentioned above.
Chase Application Rules
In 2018, Chase tightened the application requirements for virtually all of its rewards credit cards. The applying the 5/24 policy across its entire range of rewards cards. We cover the changes in more detail in this dedicated post.
Maximum Number of Cards
Chase has no formal policy on the number of cards you can hold, with plenty of cardholders possessing multiple flavors of the same card family amongst a full stable of Chase products. However, Chase restricts the total line of credit available to you across all Chase personal cards.
For example, if you have 6 cards totaling $80K in credit limits, Chase may consider $80K the ceiling for your current income and liabilities. To open another card, you'd likely need to chat with a Chase banker to reallocate your credit from already existing lines of credit to a new line.
Application Frequency
Again, Chase doesn't state a formal position in writing. But, we've covered Chase’s application rules in detail due to its restrictive nature.
The chief policy affecting Chase applicants is the 5/24 rule. If you've had five or more credit cards added to your credit report in the previous 24 months from ANY card issuer, it is highly likely you will be denied when applying for select Chase rewards cards.
The restriction applies to virtually all Chase cards—including the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, the Southwest, Marriott, Hyatt, and other co-brand cards from Chase. It’s also important to distinguish between cards subject to 5/24, and those that count towards 5/24, a subject we deep-dive in our post listing all cards subject to the Chase 5/24 policy.
Besides 5/24, Chase also restricts the number of cards you can apply for in 30- and 90-day periods. Our recommendation is to apply for only 1 personal and 1 business card from Chase in a 90-day period if you want to maximize your chance of having applications accepted.
Signup Bonus Restrictions
While you may need to talk with a banker at Chase to receive an approval, it’s much less restrictive than Amex if you choose to come back to a card that you've previously held. The majority of Chase products state you can earn the bonus again 24 months after you last received it, as long as you're not a current cardmember of that product.
“This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months.”
The exception to this rule is the Sapphire cards. In 2017, Chase updated its terms and conditions for the Sapphire family of credit cards. See a full write-up on the changes in our detailed post. If you already have a Sapphire card or have received a Sapphire card signup bonus anytime in the previous 48 months, you can no longer apply for a second Sapphire product:
“This product is available to you if you do not have any Sapphire card and have not received a new cardmember bonus for any Sapphire card in the past 48 months.”
Other card families also have their own restrictions. For instance, you can't get another personal Southwest card if you've earned a sign-up bonus on another Southwest card within 24 months:
“The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards® Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. This does not apply to Cardmembers of the Southwest Rapid Rewards Business Card and Employee Credit Card products.”
The application restrictions on Marriott co-brand cards are a different beast altogether, confounding even the most experienced points and miles fans. We've put together a post detailing the rules, plus a fantastic guide from Award Travel 101 founder Richard Kerr detailing the best application strategy for Marriott cards.
Citibank Application Rules
Maximum Number of Cards
Much like Chase, Citi doesn’t have a hard and fast rule on the number of cards you can have. Instead, it restricts the combined total credit limit extended across all Citi cards. If you get the ‘Application Pending’ notice, Citi will often provide you an application reference number and a phone number to call for an immediate review of the application.
Application Frequency
Citi has tight restrictions on application frequency which are easy to understand—if a little frustrating. You can only apply for one personal card per eight-day period, and only two cards in a 65-day period. Business accounts are even harder to get, with Citi accepting just one business card application every 90 to 95 days.
Signup Bonus Restrictions
Citi has a 24-month cycle for collecting signup bonuses on most cards, with a twist. If you open a card and receive the signup bonus, you can receive the bonus again after 24 months of having the card open (by opening another of the same card). OR, if you close the card inside the first 24 months, you need to wait 24 months from the date you closed the card to receive the bonus again on a new card account.
Citi also restricts signup bonuses across entire families of rewards cards. For example, if you received a bonus on the Citi Prestige® Card, you’d need to wait 24 months before receiving the bonus on the Citi Premier® Card as they belong to the same rewards family.
Where this rule doesn't apply is to the AAdvantage family of Citi cards. While Citi has dropped the restrictions on applying for other cards within the AAdvantage family, these cards have even more rigid application rules and now require a 48-month wait between signup bonuses.
“American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles are not available if you have received a new account bonus for a Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® account in the past 48 months.”
U.S. Bank Application Rules
Maximum Number of Cards
U.S. Bank doesn't provide a formal limit on the number of cards you can hold. Instead, the bank limits the total line of credit for each customer. Given the bank's sensitivity to recent applications and recent account openings, being approved for numerous cards in a year is not likely for most customers.
Application Frequency
There are no written rules on application frequency. That being said, unwritten rules and consumer experiences show that U.S. Bank is sensitive to how many credit inquiries and new accounts they see on your credit report. U.S. Bank is likely to deny your application if you are applying for and opening numerous accounts—even if these are with other banks.
Signup Bonus Restrictions
There are no written rules against earning a bonus on the same card a second time after closing it and applying again. Additionally, there are no restrictions stating that you cannot have card B if you already have card A, etc. The only rule written in stone is for U.S. Bank's premium card, the U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card. The application page for this card says “Exclusive to U.S. Bank customers.”
Other than this, there are no ‘card family' or ‘had the card before' application restrictions regarding bonuses. If you are approved for the card, you should receive the bonus after completing the spending requirements.
Wells Fargo Application Rules
Maximum Number of Cards
Wells Fargo doesn't provide a formal limit on the number of cards you can hold, however, appears to limit the total line of credit for each customer. Given the inflexible application restrictions, applying for too many Wells Fargo cards is not likely to present much of an issue for most folks, as you simply won't be approved for multiple cards or signup bonuses each year.
Application Frequency
Wells Fargo restricts applicants to one credit card every six months. Although the language is a little vague, the application restrictions are strictly enforced from all reports.
“You may not qualify for an additional Wells Fargo credit card if you have opened a Wells Fargo credit card in the last 6 months.”
Signup Bonus Restrictions
Again, the Wells Fargo language is a little vague, but you'll only receive one introductory offer on a Wells Fargo credit card product every 15 months, and that includes intro APR offers. If you're looking to bank Wells Fargo signup bonuses, you'll need to stagger your applications and space them out at least 15+ months apart.
“Eligibility for introductory rate(s), fees, and bonus rewards offers. You may not be eligible for introductory annual percentage rates, fees, and/or bonus rewards offers if you opened a Wells Fargo Credit Card within the last 15 months from the date of this application, and you received introductory APR(s), fees, and/or bonus rewards offers, even if that account is closed and has a $0 balance.”
Final Thoughts
Understanding each provider's credit card application rules and restrictions will help you develop a successful long-term rewards travel strategy and ensure you don’t waste “hard pulls” (credit inquiries) on cards you aren’t likely to get approved for. Remember, many of these restrictions aren't written rules. Instead, they are pulled from community data. If you receive conflicting information from providers, we’d love to hear about it.
Again, if you have questions about the information we’ve provided in this post, please get in touch in the comments below. We will do our best to find you an answer and update this guide.
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 knew Chase have this as they told me when I got approved for Sapphire reserve Card but didn’t know about others. Now I know other banks also have similar rules. This is very helpful. Thanks !
I just received a sign up bonus for my AMEX PLAT in the mail for 100k bonus plus 10x on grocery and gas. I called AMEX and the first lady said yes! This bonus is for you (even though I told her I already have the Plat card). I was still worried so I called again an hour later another lady said no it wont work and that when I apply, there will be a notification that will pop up saying I do not qualify for the sign up bonus. I decided to apply anyways to see if I get the pop up and I did not get the notification. I read the terms and conditions thoroughly and did not see anything about having more than one Plat. card restrictions to bonuses. I guess I will have to wait and see if i get the sign up bonus.
P.S my social is locked so they didn’t even do a hard pull, according to the applications after I finished, they did a soft pull a month before I locked it. This is so weird. I wonder if there are ever “special rare” times when they do this for their clients?
***Update***
So I can confirm that this lovely offer has worked for me based on my spend and involvement within American Express. I believe they offer same card, same sign up bonuses for certain members. American Express has been really impressing me lately, I really wish their points platform and redemption were more polished however.
I just cancelled my SW Premier card after holding for 2 years, 9 months. A week later I called to see if I was eligible for the SW welcome bonus (I knew I was based on many articles and the terms language). Well, the phone rep said SW is changing the language from 24 months after receiving the bonus to 24 months after last Credit Activity aka closure! Thought I was getting companion pass this year, guess not. Was she wrong? Did I misunderstand?
Hi Claudia, I haven’t heard anything about a policy change. I would imagine this will start coming up in a lot of online forums if it’s true. Hopefully just a misinformed rep.
I had the business Aviator card, canceled it March 2019 and applied for it Dec 15, 2019, got a denial letter stating ” record shows you’ve already established the maximum allowable number of this product with us” Has anyone had this experience?
Are there features within AwardWallet that would help with keeping track of the unique features of each of my credit cards?
Excellent and very thorough summary of all the crazy written and unwritten rules.
The issuer is not the credit card application – it is about the $200 yearly bonus from Charles Schwab on the Schwab Platinum card. We have different SSN (obviously) so I don’t think there is an issue with to respect getting approved but we share the same Schwab account number. If I close my account before she applies one would think her account should qualify for the bonus, but these things don’t always work based upon logic. I was wondering whether someone really KNOWS the answer. If not I’ll have to call AMEX/Schwab.
If you sign up for the Schwab AMEX Platinum card and get the AMEX welcome bonus and $200 annual bonus from Schwab if you close the card account can your spouse sign up and get both bonuses?
Your spouse getting the card has nothing to do whether or not YOU close a card. You’re two different people and are not connected from a credit card application process.
Barclays “one card” includes other company’s credit cards or just Barclays card???
>Application Frequency – Stick to one card every six months and only one card at a time. Barclays is not flexible on application frequency.
WOW! Incredibly useful info. Mahalo from Maui.
I did apply and was approved for the Barclay’s Aviator business card. To get 40K bonus miles I only have to make the first purchase and pay the $95 annual fee. Thinking of AA’s award structure, the difference between a business and first class one way ticket from US to SE Asia is 40K miles. So in other words I just got an upgrade from business to first for the $95 annual fee price. Not bad!
Wonderful information. Thanks.
bookmarked this page! so useful!!!
Great overview, especially the summary table! Really helpful to keep straight and organized when planning apps.
it’s so important to read through these conditions. I got burned badly when I missed the conditon that the amex surpass stated that you cannot have the card previously to get the promo points. 🙁
Howie, I’d like to join other members in thanking you and your crew for doing an incredible service for those of us who like to travel in style!
Steve, we’re happy to have the privilege of being a part in making it happen 🙂
Kindly clarify – I have had the Barclay’s Aviator Red card for a few years and got AA miles as a sign up bonus. Should I be able to get the 40K bonus for the Barclay’s AAdvantage Aviator Business Mastercard (if approved, make the first purchase and pay the $95 annual fee)?
Thanks.
These are two completely different products; yes, you’d be eligible for the associated bonus.
Great stuff here. Howie, you are the new Rick Ingersoll in my book.
Lol 🙂 Thanks!
Great insider tips!
These rules usually make my head spin. Now with this post I have a valuable resource to go to.
Finally reading this and will save for reference to evernote.
Apologies if this has already been answered. However,, am I reading it correctly that one can keep earning the sign-up bonus on BoA cards, even if one is already holding the same card, as long as one is within the 2/3/4 rules? I.e. approved for AK card today, earn sign-up bonus, and keep account open; apply for AK card again in, say, 6 months and earn sign-up bonus again?
That is correct — if you’re approved.
Thanks. Any particular reason to think one wouldn’t be approved outside of non-compliance with the 2/3/4 rule?
any other normal reason you might be declined. Too many recent inquiries. Credit utilization. Sufficient credit already established with the bank. Etc.
Okay, so no hidden pitfalls. The way your previous reply was phrased, it sounded like perhaps there were some additional concern in getting BoA cards approved. At any rate, since none of the things you mention have ever been an issue for me, nor have I, ever, been declined for any card, personal or business, from any issuer, I imagine I’d be equally as successful going for a series of BoA cards. Thanks
thank you for posting this information
Great analysis to keep in mind when applying for credit cards.
this is so important. i tend to gloss over the t&c and gotten screwed for it before.
This could not be more timely for me as just this morning I was contemplating cancelling one of my Barclay cc’s but wondered what my wait time would be before I could reapply. I googled it. Found an answer. Should have come to this site first, obviously!!
Very helpful roundup. Thanks!
Thanks for the detailed post!
I seem to be on some sort of BoA blacklist. I applied for the Alaska card, got it (having just gotten over the 2/3/4 bump), got the card in the mail and then got a letter saying that it was cancelled
I’d suggest calling an asking for an explanation if it didn’t come in the letter.
Thank you for updating this information. this is masterful.
This is the article of the year right here. Wonderfully put together. Well done!
Very helpful guide, thank you!
Thanks for putting this guide together. It’s so helpful to have all this information in my document.
Arguably the most important part of this points hobby of ours. Thanks for the post.
Hi Howie. I just closed my Capital one Venture card. I first opened the account 3-26-16. How long should I wait to reapply for it again to get the sign up bonus?? Also a side note: I recently got the AA aviator red card and CITI AA platinum card for 120k total AA miles. And am planning a trip to Bangkok in Nov 2018. What cards should I get to maximize my points to fly business class of first class one way for one set of miles then maybe one way back for another set of cards or miles or combo of cash and miles. I would appreciate any guidance so my girlfriend and i can plan accordingly. tyvm!
jay –
The questions on redemption are best asked in our Facebook group, Award Travel 101. Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/awardtravel101
Closing and opening the same cards are a surefire way to be a bad bank customer and risk having your accounts terminated. Keep that in mind.
I keep receiving large bonus mail offers for the Delta AMEX card, and I know I had one at least 5 years ago that had a signup bonus. But I don’t remember which one I had. So i never end up applying for it because I don’t want to be denied the bonus just in case it’s the one I previously had. With the others, I’ll just wait a year or 2 (for chase) before applying again.
I believe this blog has become the premiere go to for all things credit card and travel related. Thanks for all the information you provide.
Flattery will get you everything, Bill!
One quick question about the Capital One 1 in 6 rule. Does the 1 in 6 only count for denials as well as acceptances? In other words, if I am denied can I apply again in less than 6 months and be approved if I havent been approved by Cap one in the last 6 months?
Based on our experience, yes. It is 1 NEW card account per six months.
I was recently denied a Capital One credit card. I had not applied nor received one in 10 + years. The reason they gave was that I had opened too many new accounts recently. My credit score was 789. I’m just not sure of the definition of the word “recently”.
Recently is typically 90 days. Something sounds off.
Will you be updating this page with the new Chase Sapphire Family card rules?
We’ve just done that.
Thank you, this is helpful.
I receive approval for 3 BofA cards in one day. These were the first BofA cards I ever applied for and one went to pending but was approved the next days.
How long ago was this John?
Wow…great summary! Thanks for putting this together.
Thank you so much for breaking this down. I am amazed at the complexity involved in being able to utilize all these credit cards. Great credit score and history doesn’t hurt. But it certainly isn’t enough to take advantage of these bonuses being offered.
This article says, “Chase also restricts the number of cards you can apply for in 30 and 90 day periods.” What are the 30 day restrictions versus 90 day restriction?
Typically you can apply for no more than 2 chase cards in a 30 day period. 90 days is typically considered a window in which you might get dinged for too many recent inquiries. While this isn’t a written rule, it is supported through evidence over time.
I’ve bookmarked this page for continuing reference. Will this information be updated if/when a bank’s application rules change?
We will indeed update this post as we identify any updates.
Just a heads up for you that there’s been another update.
Learning the rules is an important part of the game. This is a helpful summary.
Howie, I have the Barclay Aviator red card. I’m aware of the Barclay arrivals card, which is a cash back card. Is there any other Barclay card like the Aviator red which will give me a nice AA miles sign up bonus? Thanks
Steve, this is the only one.
Great to have this all in one place! I appreciate the award wallet service, just realized some miles were about to expire! I’ll have to keep better track in the future!
Thank you for this info. I’m thinking about applying for a new card from several of these companies and did not know their specific rules. It is helpful.
Very informative and thorough. Did not know that BOA had become so restrictive. I guess I know why chase UR denied me now. Well done article
Good article. I have one question about Citi. The article states the following:
“Citi has a 24-month cycle for collecting sign-up bonuses, with a twist. If you open a card and receive the sign-up bonus, you can receive the bonus again after 24 months of having the card open”
So are you saying I can keep the card open for say 25 months and then call Citi to request a bonus if I charge $xxxx in the next 3 months?
Thanks for clarifying.
I’ve updated the language to clear up the confusion. You won’t get a bonus on the same card, you’d need to open an additional card to get that bonus.
Thanks for this post, super helpful!
Thanks for the valuable info. Current and all in one place!
Thank you for this wealth of information. Most helpful.
I love these that have meat to them to read! It really helps move my work day along :o) Truly I’ve started reading through historical blog posts to pass the time at work…so many distract my brain well enough to give it a break from work issues.
I do love these in depth posts. It really helpsS us figure out what we can get easily. I listen to CN Traveler and they mention ya’ll several times to monitor and track :o) It’s cool!
I have gotten several wonderful tips and tricks! So thank you very much!
Any chance of a Canadian version of this?
Unfortunately, we don’t have enough experience in the Canadian credit card market to do this effectively. Sorry!
OK, thanks anyways.
Kind of nice to have these rules in one comparable place. Thanks!
Is it difficult to get a second account/card with Citi? What reason would you give (other than admitting you want another signup bonus) for applying for a card you already have?
I personally had two of the same card because I wanted the rewards the card offered and needed to keep my expenses 100% separate for accounting purposes with work. I would spend and be reimbursed.
Very helpful article indeed!
What would make this an excellent reference is having a table at the end that summarizes the key points.
So the rows could be something along the lines of:
1. Max # of cards allowed
2. Application Frequency – personal
3. Application Frequency – business
4. Signup Bonus Available (Y/N) – this row is only needed because of AmEx
5. Signup Bonus waiting period
And the columns would be the Issuing Banks.
We’re working on it.
Chase also checks for criminal records. Unfortunately, I had a run in with the law about 20 years (white collar and fine/probation), and Chase recently canceled all my credit cards with them. According to Chase, I am a reputational risk to the bank. They did this even though I had had the cards for some time, paid balance in full monthly and have a credit score in excess of 800.
Very helpful. Thank you! I’m actually comparing cards to apply for.
This is the best up-to-date guide! I hate that the banks don’t just clearly tell you what their policies are but this is a great review
Just check Chase Ink and T&C does not mention the 24 months bonus restriction.
thank you for this important information for us regular consumers. I hope you have plans to update the information periodically.
this information is really helpful. thanks for the great info.
Also, the 2 cards in one day mentioned is only for credit cards, you can apply for as many charge cards per day as you want.
Appreciate the clarity here — hopefully no one is applying for that many charge cards in a day.
Where did you guys get the amex 4 charge card limit from? it’s incorrect. and the 4 cc limit is now 5 cc’s according to many reports.
There have been some data points on FlyerTalk but it hasn’t been conclusive. I’ve updated the post to remove that point to help clarify.
This is pretty legit- one of the better posts I’ve read in a while. Keep up the good work!
Super useful, thank you! I didn’t find out about the Chase 5/24 rule util it was too late, so now I’m playing the waiting game.
So many credit cards so little time… This article may encourage me to up my points game
The Advantage Executive 450 per year. I got it for the bonus 50k too and the admiral club for my family and I. Can I have it for a year and reapply to get the bonus?
Based on the current requirements to receive a bonus, you cannot.
This is a very informative and helpful article on flyer club cards. It’s very easy to get carried away and get one card and then apply for another with all the recent promo offers going round but it’s the background we probably do not think about like what it’s doing to our credit ratings etc.
Best advise, keep this article and go steady when applying for various cards.
This is a pretty good guide and one that includes other banks than the usual suspects.
As far as I know there is no limit on Amex charge cards, only the credit cards. For example, I currently have a Platinum, PRG, Gold, Green, BRG, and Biz Platinum. I have run into the Amex credit card limit though. I actually had 6 credit cards and applied for the recently released Blue for Business credit card but couldn’t get approved. To make matters worse, no one in normal customer service understood what was happening with my denial considering my excellent credit and track record with Amex. It wasn’t until I researched on DoC, that I finally found out about the limit, because of course, even Amex weren’t fully transparent about the limit when I called into the business reconsideration line… I spent several calls and several hours moving credit lines around and reducing credit lines to get more available credit which was obviously all for not.
I am opening a case with them about this and should know back in a week if they will settle with me or if there will be a class action. If I have to pursue further recourse would you be interested in sharing your experience about the lack of transparency regarding credit limits?
I wish I had been aware of the 5/24 rule… ruined my shot at an Aviator Red card with it! Hope a good bonus for it still exists in a year or so.
All great info in one place.
good guideline info
Thanks for a great overview of various types of card restrictions! Without your help I’d be searching the internet forever.
This is a great article. Makes it that much easier for those managing multiple cards from multiple providers.
Any good way to track which cards i might have opened in the past so as to avoid opening a card that WONT be able to give me bonus miles?
We’re working on a few things to hopefully replace a pesky spreadsheet.
It’d be awesome to track signup bonuses in AwardWallet. I’m really bad about updating my Excel spreadsheet.
It is definitely something we’ve discussed. Easier said than done, but something we’re continuing to consider.
Thanks for compiling this in one place, easy to understand!
I’ve been interested to see recent reports on Chase in-bank employees letting slip the 5/24 as the unofficially official policy.
Really good information. Thanks!
Great information!! This is a great guide. Wish I could sticky it!
Thank you so much for the info. This is a uaeful guide as we tend to get cards often.
Well done. Thank you.
I have a question about Citi.
You said “Citi has a 24-month cycle for collecting sign-up bonuses, with a twist. If you open a card and receive the sign-up bonus, you can receive the bonus again after 24 months of having the card open.” Does this mean I can ask to receive a bonus again while the card has been open the whole time/without cancelling and getting a new card? How does this work? Do I call customer service?
You’d need to get an additional card. You won’t receive a 2nd bonus on the same card, but rather you’d need a new card account to get the bonus.
I know someone who received a code from Citibank (I guess) which allowed him to bypass any time limit and received another sign up bonus for a card he just received very recently. I assume it was targeted and I don’t know how or why he received it, but, even though I can’t provide more information, it is possible to bypass any time limits for receiving a bonus.
Sounds like a one-off targeted offer.
Thank you so much for this wonderful article!!!
Thank you for this information. I knew about the Chase 5/24 rule, however I did not know the rules for the other banks credit cards.