5/24 Rule
The 5/24 rule is Chase's unwritten policy of automatically declining credit card applications from anyone who has opened 5 or more personal credit cards — from any issuer — in the past 24 months. It applies to nearly all Chase cards, including the Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve.
The 5/24 rule is the single most important sequencing constraint in US card strategy: because Chase counts cards from every issuer, the standard advice is to get Chase cards first.
How it works. Chase counts personal cards opened in the trailing 24 months, including cards you've since closed and authorized-user accounts that appear on your credit report. Business cards from Chase, Amex, Citi, and most major issuers do not count, because they don't report to personal credit bureaus — Chase Ink cards are the classic example of earning points while staying under 5/24.
Example. You opened personal cards in March 2024, August 2024, January 2025, June 2025, and November 2025. You're at 5/24 until March 2026, when the first card "ages off" and you drop to 4/24 — eligible for a Sapphire Preferred again.
Common mistakes: wasting 5/24 slots on cards you could get anytime (store cards, low-bonus cards) before locking in Chase; counting business cards against yourself; and forgetting authorized-user accounts inflate the count (Chase reconsideration can often exclude them on request). Full details in the 5/24 rule explained and workaround strategies.