Many card issuers look at how many accounts you opened recently before they approve a new one. Chase 5/24 is the best known of these limits, but it is not the only one.
No bank publishes these rules. The figures below come from applicant reports collected by the points and miles community, and banks can change or stop using them at any time. Treat each one as a guideline, not a promise of approval or denial.
Chase 5/24
Applicants report that Chase declines most people who opened 5 or more personal credit cards at any bank in the last 24 months. The count includes cards from every issuer, not only Chase, so the card you apply for would be the sixth.
Most business cards do not add to the count, because they usually do not appear on your personal credit report. A few business cards from other banks do report there and count. Cards on which you are an authorized user usually count too, because they show on your report, although some applicants say a reconsideration call removed them when they were not responsible for the balance.
An account leaves the count on the same day of the month, 24 months after it opened. Applicants also report a separate pace limit of about 2 new Chase cards in 30 days.
Wells Fargo
Applicant reports suggest Wells Fargo approves about one new Wells Fargo card every 6 months, with personal and business cards counted apart. Reports also say that many recent openings at other banks can lead to a decline, much like Chase 5/24, and that authorized-user cards are counted.
Citi, American Express and Bank of America
Citi: applicants report a limit of about 1 card every 8 days and 2 cards every 65 days. Reports say personal and business cards both count toward it.
American Express: applicants report about 1 credit card every 5 days and 2 credit cards every 90 days. Charge cards, which have no preset spending limit, are usually reported to sit outside these limits.
Bank of America 2/3/4: applicants report at most 2 new cards in 2 months, 3 in 12 months and 4 in 24 months. Reports say the rule applies to personal cards and that the count includes cards from other banks.
Capital One and Barclays
Capital One: a common report is about 1 new Capital One card every 6 months. Some applicants have been approved for a second card sooner, so this is the least settled figure in this guide.
Barclays: applicants report that Barclays is sensitive to 6 or more new accounts in 24 months at any bank, and that it applies this unevenly. Many also wait about 6 months between Barclays applications.
How to plan around these rules
Start with the strictest limit that matters to you. If you want a Chase card, apply for it while you are below 5/24, and leave cards from banks that do not count recent openings as strictly for later.
Keep a dated list of every card you open, with the bank and whether it is personal or business. A free credit report shows the open dates if you are unsure. Before you apply, count the accounts that are still inside each bank's window, not only the cards you still hold: a closed card can still count.
Space applications out. Several inquiries in a short time can also lower your score and make an approval harder, even at a bank with no known count.
How Creddy's 5/24 tracker counts openings
Creddy keeps a 5/24 count for each person in your wallet. It counts the personal cards each person opened in the last 24 months, from the opened date saved on each card and any account openings added by hand, so a closed card still counts until it ages out.
Authorized-user cards are left out of the count. Each opening is marked as counting, not counting or needing review, which is common for a business card, and you can change the mark when your credit report says otherwise. The tracker shows when the next account drops off and when the count is estimated to go below 5. Use it as an estimate, and check your credit report before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Do banks publish their card opening rules?
No. Chase 5/24 and the other limits in this guide come from applicant reports. Banks can change them at any time, and an approval decision also depends on your credit history and income.
Do business cards count toward Chase 5/24?
Most do not, because most business cards are not on your personal credit report. A few that report there do count.
Does a closed card still count?
Yes. A card counts from the month it opened for 24 months, even if you closed it.
