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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees) has long been one of our favorite travel rewards cards — and right now in particular, it's got an incredible welcome bonus.
But what if you’ve had the card before? Are you still eligible for this special offer? Or what if you’re currently an authorized user on someone else’s account? Does that rule you out from qualifying for the bonus?
The short answer: It depends. The specific answer depends on your situation. Chase has several eligibility rules that can affect whether you'll earn the bonus, including its well-known 5/24 rule.
To help you determine your eligibility, here's everything you need to know before you submit an application.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on gas and EV charging
- 3X points on vacation homes at top brands like Airbnb, Vrbo and more
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
The Infamous Chase 5/24 Rule
Before applying for the Sapphire Preferred — or any Chase card, really — you'll want to check your 5/24 status.
Chase generally won't approve applicants who have opened five or more new credit card accounts from any bank in a rolling 24-month period, based on what's reported on their credit report.
Most business credit cards — including Chase Ink business cards — don’t add to your 5/24 count because they typically aren't reported to your personal credit report. However, Chase may still deny your application for a business card if you’ve already exceeded the limit.
You might be wondering why this rule exists. Well, some people apply for cards just to earn welcome bonuses, so Chase designed its 5/24 rule to discourage that behavior.
Related: How to Check Your Chase 5/24 Status for Free
Chase Sapphire Preferred Authorized Users
How does the 5/24 rule apply to Sapphire Preferred authorized users? It’s a little complicated.
Chase determines your 5/24 status based on the accounts reported on your personal credit report, including accounts where you're only an authorized user. If that bumps you over the 5/24 limit, you could be denied.
But that’s not necessarily the end of the road. If you believe authorized user accounts caused a Chase application denial, you can call Chase's reconsideration line:
- Personal cards: 888-270-2127
- Business cards: 800-453-9719
After reviewing your application, a Chase representative may be willing to approve you based on your actual 5/24 status. I've personally had more than one Chase application approved through this process.
Related: Does Being an Authorized User Affect Your Credit?
Chase Sapphire Preferred Approval Conditions
Chase has updated the application rules for Sapphire-branded cards several times over the years. Here's an overview of the rules and restrictions currently in place.
You can now hold both personal Sapphire cards and earn their bonuses
Chase now allows you to hold both the Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees) simultaneously. Earlier this year, Chase softened its Sapphire application terms and conditions, which now read:
“This credit card is unavailable to you if you currently have one open. The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you previously held this card or received a new cardmember bonus for this card. We may also consider the number of cards you have opened and closed in determining your bonus eligibility.”
These updated terms replaced the previous, more restrictive language around the bonus:
“The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you currently have any other personal Sapphire cards open, previously held this card or received a new cardmember bonus for this card.”
Related: Which Should You Get: Sapphire Reserve vs Sapphire Preferred?
One bonus per lifetime
Chase replaced its former 48-month rule — one bonus per Sapphire-branded card every 48 months — with a once-per-lifetime rule. You can earn the welcome bonus on each Sapphire-branded card, provided you're eligible, but this language from the application terms is worth noting:
“The new cardmember bonus may not be available to you if you previously held this card or received a new cardmember bonus for this card.”
If you're not eligible for the bonus, Chase will notify you via a pop-up during the application process before you submit. You'll have the opportunity to cancel your application before proceeding.
Application frequency
Before you apply, it's also worth knowing how often you've applied for cards recently. Chase generally limits applicants to two new card approvals within a 30-day period.
Authorized users
If you're an authorized user on someone else's Sapphire-branded card, you're still eligible to apply for your own Sapphire card and earn a welcome bonus, provided you meet the other requirements. Eligibility is based on being a primary cardmember.
Bottom Line
Timing is everything when applying for the Sapphire Preferred. Understanding the rules can mean the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful application.
Before you apply, check your 5/24 status and confirm how long it's been since your last welcome bonus to maximize your chances of approval and earning the Sapphire Preferred‘s incredible welcome offer.
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on gas and EV charging
- 3X points on vacation homes at top brands like Airbnb, Vrbo and more
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)
How about the scenario where I hold a Sapphire Reserve and want to be added to my mother in law’s Sapphire preferred as an authorized user to help with spend. Can I get added as an authorized user or would it throw any flags?
I don’t think that should be an issue. If there is a flag thrown, it is an error, and it should be possible to resolve with a phone call. Please let us know if you do have any issues.
Too bad, I am not qualified. Definitely a good deal don’t want to miss.
If I have the Preferred now and downgrade the card to say a Freedom Unlimited, could I then apply for this new Preferred and receive the sign-up bonus? The current Preferred I have had for over 5 years and have not received a sign-up bonus in over 2 years. Also, I have no other Sapphire cards via Authorized user and am not bound by 5/24. Also, if I took this approach, is there a way to protect the points I currently have in my Sapphire account before downgrading the card? Thanks
Hey Andy, unfortunately I don’t think that will work. I’ve read that downgrading doesn’t impact your status as “not having a Sapphire card” for a little while. I could be wrong, but we’ve received comments that eligibility for a Sapphire card took several months.
In terms of protecting points, you can keep them by converting to a Freedom Unlimited. They would only have cash back value until you get a Sapphire or Ink card. Lastly, I’d also warn you that Chase probably wouldn’t look positively on downgrading a card to get the same card with another bonus soon afterward. My rule of thumb: Could I explain this activity without taking a SUB into account?
Downgrading a CSR and months/years later deciding you want a CSP makes sense in that context. Downgrading a CSP and getting a CSP soon—not so much.
I understand the 48 months since you received a prior bonus but have a question. My wife received one about that long ago but no longer has an ultimate rewards points account. I know how to check the 5/24 calculation. And I know it has been over 48 months since she last OPENED a Sapphire card. But is there any way to determine when you received the last Sapphire bonus? OR, will they simply decline the card when you request it through the bonus offer if their computer knows you aren’t eligible?
I’d hate to get approved for the card, do the spend, and then find out that they won’t give me the bonus because I opened the card to soon.
Oof. I’m not sure about this situation. Perhaps you can try calling Chase and see if they can retrieve that info? Also, technically the T&C say “The product is not available to … previous cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 48 months.” So, Chase should decline the application if she’s not eligible. But, it’s worth trying to get Chase to confirm that she’s eligible first.
Can my husband get his own RESERVE if he’s an authorized user on my PREFERRED? Or would he have to give up the preferred first?
From our research for this post, it seems that he can get the CSR if he is an authorized user on your CSP. Chase’s restriction of only having one Sapphire card seems to only factor in primary cardholder cards, not authorized user cards.
there is an referral bonus link email of 15,000 going around, so that would make the bonus 95,000.
Yes, you can earn referral bonuses by referring a friend or family member to rack up points on top of the sign-up bonus!
Ooh, I nominate this post for most valuable comment. Commencing a search!
Seems like a careless way of doing business on the part of Chase. From the article, I surmise Chase is merely taking a cursory look at a potential cardholder’s credit report and routinely denying a credit line without considering the full merits & faults of each possible new client.
Seems self defeating for the bank to routinely brush aside a future customer without a proper credit inquiry. That is some business model – shoo off otherwise eligible customers assuming (you know what they say) they “may be” over 5/24. They forgo making an honest effort to fully investigate their creditworthiness (checking for instances of authorized user) and will only look deeper if/when the customer comes back a second time by calling the reconsideration desk.
One would assume that many of the rejected applicants don’t call back and instead reach out to the competition.
I definitely understand your frustration. I was locked out of getting Chase cards due to the 5/24 rule for a few years. However, I get Chase’s desire to avoid signing on new customers that seem to be hopping from one card to the next. It seems that they are OK with losing some potentially valuable customers to focus on cardholders that are (at least) slower to open new cards.
I think the 5/24 comment is the most important. Though for myself, with Covid, I haven’t been opening as many cards as before.
Me too!