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All of the major credit card issuers have different rules and guidelines when it comes to new applications for cards, the number of cards they will allow you to hold, and whether or not you will be eligible for a welcome bonus.
The rules credit issuers put in place are constantly changing, and often times becoming more and more restrictive. To help keep all of the different policies in place, we’ve put together a master guide for 9 of the major credit card issuers that outline each of their guidelines on the number of cards you can hold with them, their application rules, and welcome bonus eligibility.
So, let’s get to it!
American Express Credit Cards
Card Limits
American Express limits customers to have a total of 5Amex credit cards open at any one time. This includes both personal credit cards and business credit cards but does not apply to their charge cards.
Hot Tip: Depending on your credit profile and history, Amex may allow you a maximum of 4-6 credit cards, with the most common maximum being 5 credit cards.
This is not to say that is impossible to have more than 5 credit cards with American Express, as there will always be exceptions, but those cases are few and far between. So if you currently have 5 (or more) Amex credit cards, you extremely unlikely to be approved for another. However, there’s no limit on the number of charge cards you can have open at 1 time.
Credit cards, on the other hand, do have a fixed credit limit but allow you to carry a balance from month to month. Because of this, we strongly advise that you continue to pay your statement balance in full each and every month.
Application Rules
American Express has a number of rules regarding how often you can get approved for their credit cards. While these rules are not published, here are some guidelines to follow based on our writing team’s experiences.
You’re limited to 1 approved credit card every 5-day rolling period and 2 approved credit cards every 90 day rolling period. This rule only applies to credit cards and not their charge cards. So, given that, you could apply for 1 credit card and 1 charge card on the same day (or 2 charge cards), but if you apply for 2 credit cards, the second application will, almost certainly, result in a denial.
Hot Tip: Why would you consider applying for 2 cards in 1 day? Generally, as long as all of your applications are approved on the same day, American Express will combine multiple hard inquiries into a single inquiry, reducing the impact those new cards have on your credit score.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
Unlike many other card issuers, American Express will only allow you to earn the welcome bonus on their cards once per lifetime.
In fact, if you look closely at the terms and conditions when applying for a new card you will see this statement: “Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product.”
This means if you currently have (or have had) a particular card, you are not eligible to earn the welcome bonus again. This restriction applies across the entire Amex portfolio of cards but there are a couple of workarounds.
For example, if you’re a cardholder of the personal version of the Amex Gold Card and decide that you’d like to open up the business version, the American Express® Business Gold Card, you’re still eligible for the welcome bonus.
Even though these are both “Gold cards” that are apart of the same family of cards, you can receive the welcome bonus for each since they are separate products. The same goes for similar instances across the entire suite of Amex cards like the multiple different Delta card options and Hilton card options.
Hot Tip: If you can’t remember whether or not you’ve had a specific card before, American Express offers a tool that allows you to double-check your eligibility for a welcome bonus. This check takes place automatically during your application process before the application is submitted.
If you’re not eligible for the bonus you will receive a pop-up on your screen that informs you of this, and can then withdraw the application before Amex performs a hard inquiry on your credit report.
Since you’re only eligible to receive American Express welcome bonuses once in a lifetime, you’ll want to be certain that you’re getting a great offer before submitting your application, like the amazing 100,000 point welcome bonus offer for Amex Platinum. You can also use resources like the CardMatch tool to help locate other great offers.
Bank of America Credit Cards
Card Limits
Unlike American Express, Bank of America does not have a hard limit on the number of credit cards you can hold with them. However, they likely have a cap on the total credit limit that they are willing to extend to you based on your stated income and spending habits. In this case, you may need to lower your credit limits on certain cards in order to get approved for new ones.
In terms of application restrictions, Bank of America has the 2/3/4 rule, which allows you to be approved for:
2 new cards in a 2-month period
3 new cards in a 12-month period
4 new cards in a 24-month period
This means you could apply for 2 Bank of America cards within the same month or even the same day. But if you apply for a third within 2 months, a fourth within 12 months, or a fifth within 24 months, you will very likely be denied.
Furthermore, recent reports are indicating that Bank of America also has a 7/12 rule and 3/12 rule that they have implemented to new applications. These rules state that if you have a bank account with Bank of America and you have opened 7 new cards in the past 12 months, your application will be denied.
If you do not have a bank account with Bank of America and you have opened 3 new cards in the past 12 months, your application will be denied.
It appears that business credit cards do not currently fall under this rule, but that certainly does not mean you’re guaranteed to get approved if you’ve over either of those limits.
Hot Tip: Not sure if you’re eligible to be approved for a business credit card? It’s actually much easier than you might think! Check out our guide on how to get approved for a business credit card.
It is worth mentioning that, much like the Chase 5/24 rule, this applies to cards from all issuers, not just Bank of America cards. Having any sort of banking relationship with Bank of America, with no minimum deposit, will immediately move you from the 3/12 limit to the 7/12 limit.
Finally, Bank of America does not allow you to open up a credit card if you currently have or have had the card in the last 24 month period. This is known as their 24-month rule.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
Bank of America does not have any restrictions on earning a welcome bonus. In fact, you can earn a welcome bonus on the same card multiple times, as long as you are in line with the application rules and you’re actually approved for the card. While it is possible to get the welcome bonus on the same card twice, the 24-month rule makes it so you need to wait at least 2 years after opening the original card before applying again.
Image Credit: Kite-lin via Shutterstock
Barclays Credit Cards
Card Limits
Barclays does not have a limit on the number of cards they will approve you for. With that said, they will still consider your overall credit profile before approving you. Having a large number of cards open, a high number of hard inquiries, or large balances may impact your chances of being approved for a new card.
Application Rules
Barclays has a few general guidelines that are helpful to follow when applying for their cards. These are not hard and fast rules, so following them will not guarantee your acceptance, nor will you automatically be denied if you don’t.
For starters, you can apply for multiple cards in 1 day, and while it is unlikely that both will be automatically approved, Barclays will often combine these applications into a single hard inquiry.
Data points have shown that Barclays will have a look at the prior spending on your current cards to determine whether to approve you for a new card. So if you’re considering opening a new card with the issuer, and seldom put spend on the current card you have, you may want to work that current card into your regular rotation for a few months before submitting an application.
Hot Tip: A final Barclays rule to be aware of is the 6/24 rule. While it is a soft rule that they don’t apply in all cases, it has been listed as a reason for denial for enough people to be worth mentioning.
Similar to the 5/24 rule, the 6/24 rule kicks in if you have more than 6 new accounts on your credit report in the last 24-months. Unlike the 5/24 rule, with Barclays, you can still get approved for new cards even if you have over 6 new accounts in the last 24 months. At present, they seem to apply this rule at-will.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
With Barclays, you can earn a welcome bonus on the same card multiple times as long as you close the card first and then wait at least 24 months to apply again. You should look carefully at the terms and conditions before submitting your application, though, as some cards like the Lufthansa Miles & More® card have verbiage in their terms and conditions that states, “you may not be eligible for this offer if you currently have or previously had an account with us in this program.”
While that is rather ambiguous and doesn’t flat out say that former cardholders are not eligible, there’s always the chance that you could be approved for the card, meet the minimum spending requirement, and then be denied the welcome bonus if Barclays decides you’re ineligible.
Capital One Credit Cards
Card Limits
Capital One does limit the number of personal cards you can open with them to just 2 cards.
However, this only applies to Capital One-branded cards (like the Capital One® Venture® Rewards card) and not co-branded cards or business cards (like the Bass Pro Shops CLUB card or the Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card). Cards that have been product changed due to other cards being discontinued do not count either (even if they are Capital One-branded cards).
Application Rules
Capital One will only approve you for 1 credit card every 6 months, and this applies to both personal and business credit cards. So, if you open the Capital One® Savor® Rewards card today, you’ll have to wait at least 6 months before applying for a card like the Cap One Venture.
Keep in mind that once you’ve reached your 2 card limit on Capital One-branded cards, no amount of time between applications will help you get approved for a third.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
In the past, Capital One has allowed cardholders to receive a welcome bonus on the same card multiple times. As long as you’re approved for the card you should get the bonus. They will even allow you to have 2 of the same card concurrently and get the bonus on both, and you don’t have to cancel the first to receive the bonus on the second.
Similar to Barclays, the terms and conditions for most cards do state, “The bonus may not be available for existing or previous account holders.”
While that is quite vague, and even though cardholders have received a welcome bonus multiple times in the past, the words “may not be available” sort of allude that you may be denied from earning a bonus if you’re a current or past holder of that card.
Chase Credit Cards
Card Limits
Chase does not officially restrict the number of their credit cards that you can hold, but rather a cap on the overall credit limit they are willing to extend to you.
As mentioned, Chase is more concerned with the total level of credit they extend to you rather than the number of cards you have. So how do you know what that limit is? Well, you really don’t. Generally, they will set a limit in relation to your stated income on your applications.
If you find yourself rejected for a card with the reason being that they’ve already extended too much credit to you, you can easily call their reconsideration line and ask that they transfer some of your credit limit from your current cards to the new card.
Hot Tip: If you’re concerned that you may be nearing your max credit limit with Chase and want to improve your odds at being approved for a new card, you can preemptively lower the credit limits on your current cards before submitting your application. Simply send Chase a message via their secure message center, inform them that you’d like your credit limits lowered and the amount you’d like them lowered by — and they will take care of it!
Application Rules
Even if you’re brand new to the world of points and miles, you’ve likely already heard about the Chase 5/24 rule. But if not, the rule is pretty simple to follow. The 5/24 rule states that if you’ve opened 5 or more credit cards with any issuer over the past 24 months, you will be denied from all credit cards in the Chase portfolio with near certainty.
While Chase has never officially confirmed this rule exists, you’ll know you were denied due to the 5/24 rule if your rejection letter states, “too many credit cards opened within the last 2 years.”
One exception to this rule is if 1 or more of your new credit cards in the last 24 months are cards that you’re an authorized user on. If this is the case you will likely still receive a denial for the card after you apply, but you can call and explain the situation to one of their reconsideration agents who can then approve you for the card.
Again, the 5/24 rule applies to all new credit card accounts from allissuers but does not include things like auto loans, mortgages, or personal loans.
In some cases, Chase business credit cards will also not count towards the 5/24 rule. This is entirely dependent on whether or not the business card has been reported to your personal credit report. For instance, business credit cards from issuers like American Express, Citibank, and even Chase, do not report to your personal credit report.
So opening a business card with these issuers will not add to your x/24 count. On the other hand, there are issuers like Capital One whose business credit cards do report to your personal credit report, so always make sure to double-check which cards report where before hitting submit on that credit card application!
Hot Tip: Curious how to figure out where you stand when it comes to the Chase 5/24 rule? The easiest way to calculate your x/24 count is to use a free service like Credit Karma which provides the details of each credit account you’ve opened and the date on which you opened it.
Once you can see each of your account dates, simply count up each new account you’ve opened in the last 24 months to determine your x/24 figure.
Chase will typically not approve you for more than 2 of their credit cards in a single month (business and personal cards are considered separate). If you manage to get approved for 2 personal cards on the same day, Chase will combine them into 1 hard inquiry on your credit report.
If you do happen to get approved for 2 cards in the same day or month, you’re probably better waiting at least 90 days before applying for another card with Chase. In the past, Chase has not looked favorably upon people opening too many cards within a short time frame which has even lead to some accounts being shut down.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
Chase will allow you to earn a welcome bonus on a card more than once as long as it has been at least 24 months since you last earned the bonus. The specific wording on the Chase application pages states:
“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.”
So if you receive the welcome bonus for the Sapphire Preferred, you need to wait 48 months from that date in order to be eligible to receive the welcome bonus for the Sapphire Reserve or a second Sapphire Preferred.
Citibank typically doesn’t limit the overall number of credit cards you’re allowed to have. However, they will limit the overall credit they are willing to extend to you across all of your Citi cards. When you start to reach this limit you will either need to close certain cards you have open, lower your credit limits, or move some of the credit you currently have to the new card.
Application Rules
Citibank separates its application rules by both personal and business cards.
You can only apply for 1 personal card every 8 days and no more than 2 in a 65-day window.
You can only apply for 1 business card every 95 days.
If you’re planning to time your applications around these restrictions, you may want to wait a few extra days past the 65-day and 95-day windows, just to play it safe.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
Citibank will allow you to earn a welcome bonus on any given card multiple times provided it’s been at least 24-48 months from either opening or closing the card. This is an incredibly important distinction to keep in mind when planning your card applications.
For example, if you were to open the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®, you would need to wait 24 months from that date before you were eligible to receive the welcome bonus again. However, if you were to decide to cancel that card before that 24 month period ended, the eligibility clock will re-set and you will now need to wait 24 months from the date you canceled the card.
Additionally, Citibank places limits on how often you can earn welcome bonuses for cards within the same “family.” The 2 families of cards that are bound by these restrictions are cards that earn ThankYou points and cards that earn AAdvantage miles.
Bottom Line: As a reminder, opening a new card, closing an old card, product changing to a new card, or even downgrading your card can all re-set your 24-month eligibility clock, so make that decision carefully and be certain it is the best option for you before moving forward.
Discover Credit Cards
Card Limits
You can have a maximum of 2 credit cards issued by Discover. Your first account needs to be open for 1 year before the second can be opened. This obviously means that multiple inquiries on the same day will not be merged, as you can only apply for 1 card at a time.
Application Rules
At the present time, Discover does not have any rules or guidelines regarding card applications.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
It is possible to receive a welcome bonus multiple times on any given Discover card, and receiving a welcome bonus on any given card does not restrict you from receiving a bonus on others. Just remember that you can only hold 2 cards at most with Discover and that your first needs to be open for an entire year before you can be approved for a second.
Image Credit: Monkey Business Images via Shutterstock
U.S. Bank Credit Cards
Card Limits
U.S. Bank does not have a hard limit on the number of credit cards you can hold with them, but rather the total amount of credit they are willing to extend to you.
Application Rules
U.S. Bank only has just 1 application rule and it is only applied to their U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite card. The rule states that U.S. Bank wants you to have a prior relationship, either through another credit card or bank account, before they will approve you for the Altitude Reserve card.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
You can receive a welcome bonus on U.S. Bank cards multiple times and there are no hard limits or required waiting periods.
Wells Fargo Credit Cards
Card Limits
Like other issuers, Wells Fargo doesn’t limit the number of cards you can hold with them; they are more concerned with the total amount of credit a cardholder has.
Application Rules
The language on the Wells Fargo website states that, “If you opened a Wells Fargo Credit Card account within the last 6 months, then you may not qualify to open an additional Wells Fargo Credit Card account.” Additionally, like U.S. Bank, data points have shown that Wells Fargo will consider your “relationship status” with the bank when determining whether to approve you for a new credit card.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
Wells Fargo requires you to wait 16 months between receiving the welcome bonus on their cards. Personal and business cards are separate, though, so you can get 1 personal card and 1 business card within 16 months.
Final Thoughts
When you break each issuer down one-by-one, it seems like banks have nearly as many rules about credit cards as they do credit cards themselves! If you do not have a good understanding of the credit issuer policies for the card you’re applying for, you could easily end up missing on the welcome bonus or being denied for the card. This is precisely why we put this guide together so that you can stay informed with the ever-changing landscape of credit card application rules.
It is important to mention that credit cards are powerful financial tools that can be extremely rewarding when used responsibly. This means not spending beyond your means and keeping your balances paid off in full each month to avoid incurring any fees.
Again, credit card issuers are known to update their policies suddenly and without warning, so be sure to refer back to this guide periodically for new updates as rules change.
The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information for the Citi Prestige® Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here. For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
Featured Image Credit: Kenishirotie via Adobe Stock
Frequently Asked Questions
The Chase 5/24 rule states that if you’ve opened 5 or more credit cards with any issuer over the past 24 months, you will be denied from all credit cards in the Chase portfolio. This does not include things like auto loans, mortgages, or personal loans. In some cases, business credit cards will also not count towards the 5/24 rule, as long as they are not reported to your personal credit report.
Yes, application rules can vary greatly by bank so it is very important that you know the rules and guidelines before applying so that you don’t miss out on a welcome bonus or get denied.
Many business credit cards do not count towards your personal credit, like business cards from issuers like American Express, Citibank, or Barclays, for example. However, business credit cards from Capital One do report to your personal credit report! So be certain which business cards do and do not report before applying.
The easiest way to calculate your x/24 count is to use a free service like Credit Karma which provides the details of each credit account you’ve opened and the date on which you opened it. Once you can see each of your account dates, simply count up each new account you’ve opened in the last 24 months to determine your x/24 figure. Do keep in mind that this only applies to new credit card accounts, so things like auto loans do not add to your 5/24 count.
Generally, you can have up to 5 credit cards with American Express. This includes business credit cards but does not include charge cards like Amex Platinum.
Applying for a new credit card and receiving a hard inquiry on your credit report can generally drop your credit score around 2-5 points. However, the more credit card accounts you have, and the higher credit limit you have, the better your score will be due to having a lower utilization. Just always be certain to pay your balances off in full each month!
Having more credit cards can actually improve your credit score because they provide more available credit to you which helps lower your credit utilization. Keeping your credit utilization low and paying your bills off in full each month are key to receiving and keeping a high credit score.
That depends! If you have a credit card you don’t use much anymore but it doesn’t have an annual fee, then there is no reason to cancel it. The reason for this is older credit cards help improve your overall age of accounts.
On the other hand, if you have an older credit card that is charging you an annual fee each year that you are not receiving any value from, you are probably better off canceling that card or downgrading it to a no-annual-fee option.
While there are limits to how many credit cards you can hold with certain banks, there are no limits to the total number of credit cards one can hold.
Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.
35 comments
Jimmy
February 09, 2020
Hi Jarrod,
I applied for a Hilton Honors Surpass AMEX card in Aug 2019 and was approved right away. I then applied for the Delta Gold AMEX card in Oct 2019 and again was approved right away. I applied for the Delta Gold Business AMEX card in Jan 2020 but received the dreaded “You are not eligible for the bonus award. Would you like to continue with the application.” Do you have any suggestions on how I can approved for the business card?
Thanks
That is strange indeed. Are both of your other cards still open? My guess would be that the 3 applications have been too close together since you just recently became a new customer of American Express in August. I would take a break from applying for new cards with them for a few months before trying again.
Dror
May 25, 2020
Do Charge and Secured cards count towards BofA’s 3/12 rule?
I have a BofA secured card, issued Sep 2019, and two Amex cards – Green, Dec 2019, and Surpass, May 2020.
I’m thinking about applying for a BofA card, and I’m worried that those 3 cards will cause me to be declined due to the 3/12 rule.
Yes, both Charge and Secured cards count towards BofA’s 3/12 rule.
Dror
May 26, 2020
Got it, thanks very much!
I guess it’s a bit of a wait for me then 🙂
Mike
August 04, 2020
I think that US Bank has a potential 12 month rule too. I applied for the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve, but was denied for having too many new credit cards in the last 12 months. I have only 4 new CCs in the last 12 months. So maybe they have a 3/12 or 4/12 rule?
Raymond Wong
October 07, 2020
Happened to me too. I have 4 cards but US Bank rejected my application in Aug. They should have 4/12 rule or less.
Subhra P Bhattacharjee
August 13, 2020
Same for me. They denied it even though I have a high score.
Harry M Lothridge
December 31, 2020
Your Updated December 2, 2020 post: Jarrod check out AmEx rules. I understand it is now (4) credit cards and (10) charge cards. Also to Jimmy’s initial post: Are you an authorized signer on someone’s Delta Business gold card? Ran into that problem with my wife. Authorized signing can be a big problem. Counts as a slot (Chase 5/24 for example) and also hits one’s credit report.
Dee
February 05, 2021
Thank you for all the helpful information! I had a quick question. How does BoA count the 12 months in their rule? Example: Open cards on 2/4/2020, 6/1/2020, 11/30/2020. If I want to apply on 2/5/2021 or anytime after (technically outside the 12 months), would that put me under 3? Or should I wait until 3/1/2021 just to be safe? Not sure if they count 12 months to the day, or if they just go by the first of a specific month.
The Amex 2/90 rule is not supposed to apply to charge cards, but of course, your mileage may vary.
To my knowledge, Citi has not charged the 6/6 rule to 0/6. Citi will still know if you’ve opened a new card, even if there is no hard pull, because the new account will show up on your credit report.
Marcus
March 13, 2021
I thought the rule with Capital One was only 2 subprime cards and only 3 prime cards? Did that rule change?
For Capital One co-branded cards, like the Venture and Savor cards, you can have two total. But this does not appear to apply to non-branded cards like the Spark or store cards. As far as I know, this rule has been in place for some time now.
Jon Z
July 11, 2021
I recently applied for a Capital One Venture 2% points card. They have a great 100,000 point welcome offer that I wanted. I was denied. The reason on the denial letter was that I have too many revolving accounts. I thought that the more cards I have the better it is for my credit score, as I would have more credit and my credit utilization ratio would always remain low. Is having many cards a normal reason to deny a new card?
Usually, no, having a large number of cards is not a common reason to deny someone for a credit card – unless many of those cards were opened very recently. Honestly, I would not take it too personally as Capital One is known for being very finicky when it comes to approvals for its credit cards. Oftentimes people with 800+ credit scores find that they are unable to get approved for a Capital One card.
Jon
August 08, 2021
Re: BoA 7/12 rule “opened 7 new cards in the past 12 months” — are business cards that were opened in the last year included in the count of 7? I see that “business credit cards do not currently fall under this rule” but I assume that means opening new BoA business cards circumvents the 7/12 rule, which is different than what I’m asking. Thanks!
Based on data points I’ve seen, business cards that were opened in the last year should not be included in the count of 7. Thanks for reading!
Stan Jones
August 14, 2021
Jarrod–VERY informative, however could you please clarify the rules for receiving the citibank AA card welcome bonus? Is it 48 months between getting any welcome bonus or from closure of card? Citibanks own published policy states the former–HOWEVER when I called Citibank they were clueless when I had last received my welcome bonus–the only thing they could tell me and thus defaulted to was the closing date of the card–which is in conflict with their own policy based upon when last welcome bonus was received. Thanks.
With a Citi AA card you have to wait 48 months from the time that you received the bonus, not the close date. If you log in to your Credit Karma account using the old interface you should be able to track down the card and see when you opened it, which should give you a better idea of around when you might have received the bonus.
Thanks for reading!
Michael Sagalovich
October 23, 2021
I applied for Capital One Venture Rewards Visa Credit Card and was denied for just one reason: having too many credit cards opened during the last 24 months. I opened 4 cards during the last 24 months, and I have never had any Capital card before.
My wife was approved for this card. She had 3 cards opened during 24 months.
Neither of us opened a new card within the last 6 months.
Both of us have excellent 800+ credit score.
Is this just us, or this is a new Capital One rule: 4/24?
Capital One is notoriously difficult when it comes to card approvals for some reason. But as far as we know, Capital One has not put a 4/24 rule in place, though it could be something they’re working on.
Raj
November 23, 2021
Hi,
Thanks for putting this together.
Re: “You can receive a welcome bonus on U.S. Bank cards multiple times and there are no hard limits or required waiting periods.”
RE: Barclay AAdvantage Business card: Question: “6 new accounts on your credit report in the last 24-months.” Would I be correct that business cards like Amex, Chase or Citi that do not show on a personal record would not be included in the 6/24 count? Seems someplace I read that it includes all cards – personal and business. Thanks & you guys are my go to for cc info from an array of blogs I follow.
Thanks for the kind words! To answer your question, yes, any business credit cards that do not report to your personal credit would not count towards the 6/24 count.
Bob
October 13, 2022
“Finally, Bank of America does not allow you to open up a credit card if you currently have or have had the card in the last 24 month period. This is known as their 24-month rule.”
I have multiple data points against this with the premium rewards elite card, I have opened x2 and P2 same in the past 2 months. Also, received sign up bonus x2.
James
April 21, 2023
Trying to find out if I am eligible for the 60,000 point sign up bonus from Wells Fargo. I have the Barclays Choice Privileges credit card. However, starting May 1, it becomes a Wells Fargo Choice card. New applicants receive a bonus after spending $1000 within 3 months. But would I also be eligible, since I had the Barclays card?
Yes, you should be eligible since the card is offered with a different bank.
James
May 25, 2023
They just told me ( after i spent 1000 bucks) I am not eligible for the 60000 points. I have a complaint out to the bank in regards to this matter.
Jarrod
June 02, 2023
I just applied for the Wells Fargo Autograph card and got denied. Credit score is over 800, never missed or late payment, have paid off loans, so at a loss for why I would be denied. I did open the Active Cash card in April 2022 so June 2023 would be 14 months; I’m guessing the 15 month rule played a part? I have four accounts with WF so relationship should benefit me too. If it is the 15 month rule and I applied too early, when should I apply again? Right after 15 months or do I have to wait longer since I just applied?
Thomas
July 13, 2023
How can I receive the Chase Sapphire welcome bonus twice? Would I need to close the account and apply for that same card again? How long after closing the card would I have to wait before re-applying? I have also read that you can call the bank and tell them you would like the welcome bonus and they’ll give it to you, that way you don’t have to go through the hassle of closing the account and then re-applying, is this true? Thanks!
![Applying for Credit Cards – The Rules for Each Bank [Limits, Bonus Eligibility & More]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/credit-card-stack-e1680359305252.jpeg?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=1420&height=650&fit=crop)
35 comments
Jimmy
February 09, 2020
Hi Jarrod,
I applied for a Hilton Honors Surpass AMEX card in Aug 2019 and was approved right away. I then applied for the Delta Gold AMEX card in Oct 2019 and again was approved right away. I applied for the Delta Gold Business AMEX card in Jan 2020 but received the dreaded “You are not eligible for the bonus award. Would you like to continue with the application.” Do you have any suggestions on how I can approved for the business card?
Thanks
Jarrod West
February 10, 2020
Hi Jimmy,
That is very strange! Are those the only two credit cards you have open with American Express? Have you ever held the Delta Gold Business card before?
Jimmy Lau
February 18, 2020
I have never held the Delta Gold Business card before and I only have the two AMEX cards listed above.
Jarrod West
February 19, 2020
Hi Jimmy,
That is strange indeed. Are both of your other cards still open? My guess would be that the 3 applications have been too close together since you just recently became a new customer of American Express in August. I would take a break from applying for new cards with them for a few months before trying again.
Dror
May 25, 2020
Do Charge and Secured cards count towards BofA’s 3/12 rule?
I have a BofA secured card, issued Sep 2019, and two Amex cards – Green, Dec 2019, and Surpass, May 2020.
I’m thinking about applying for a BofA card, and I’m worried that those 3 cards will cause me to be declined due to the 3/12 rule.
Jarrod West
May 25, 2020
Hi Dror,
Yes, both Charge and Secured cards count towards BofA’s 3/12 rule.
Dror
May 26, 2020
Got it, thanks very much!
I guess it’s a bit of a wait for me then 🙂
Mike
August 04, 2020
I think that US Bank has a potential 12 month rule too. I applied for the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve, but was denied for having too many new credit cards in the last 12 months. I have only 4 new CCs in the last 12 months. So maybe they have a 3/12 or 4/12 rule?
Raymond Wong
October 07, 2020
Happened to me too. I have 4 cards but US Bank rejected my application in Aug. They should have 4/12 rule or less.
Subhra P Bhattacharjee
August 13, 2020
Same for me. They denied it even though I have a high score.
Harry M Lothridge
December 31, 2020
Your Updated December 2, 2020 post: Jarrod check out AmEx rules. I understand it is now (4) credit cards and (10) charge cards. Also to Jimmy’s initial post: Are you an authorized signer on someone’s Delta Business gold card? Ran into that problem with my wife. Authorized signing can be a big problem. Counts as a slot (Chase 5/24 for example) and also hits one’s credit report.
Dee
February 05, 2021
Thank you for all the helpful information! I had a quick question. How does BoA count the 12 months in their rule? Example: Open cards on 2/4/2020, 6/1/2020, 11/30/2020. If I want to apply on 2/5/2021 or anytime after (technically outside the 12 months), would that put me under 3? Or should I wait until 3/1/2021 just to be safe? Not sure if they count 12 months to the day, or if they just go by the first of a specific month.
Thank you in advance!
Jarrod West
February 09, 2021
Hi Dee,
Technically speaking, you would be able to apply on 2/5/2021. But if I were you I would wait until 3/1/2021 just to be on the safe side.
Brian Hasbro
February 27, 2021
Thanks for the info, great to know these things before being denied for something that could have been avoided.
I have 2 questions if you don’t mind answering.
1. Does the Amex 2/90 rule apply to Charge Cards, specifically the Amex Green Card?
2. Did Citi change the 6/6 rule to 0/6? Also, if my Amex doesn’t report a hard pull, will Citi know I have a new card in that time period?
Jarrod West
March 01, 2021
Hi Brian,
The Amex 2/90 rule is not supposed to apply to charge cards, but of course, your mileage may vary.
To my knowledge, Citi has not charged the 6/6 rule to 0/6. Citi will still know if you’ve opened a new card, even if there is no hard pull, because the new account will show up on your credit report.
Marcus
March 13, 2021
I thought the rule with Capital One was only 2 subprime cards and only 3 prime cards? Did that rule change?
Jarrod West
March 15, 2021
Hi Marcus,
For Capital One co-branded cards, like the Venture and Savor cards, you can have two total. But this does not appear to apply to non-branded cards like the Spark or store cards. As far as I know, this rule has been in place for some time now.
Jon Z
July 11, 2021
I recently applied for a Capital One Venture 2% points card. They have a great 100,000 point welcome offer that I wanted. I was denied. The reason on the denial letter was that I have too many revolving accounts. I thought that the more cards I have the better it is for my credit score, as I would have more credit and my credit utilization ratio would always remain low. Is having many cards a normal reason to deny a new card?
Jarrod West
July 13, 2021
Hi Jon,
Usually, no, having a large number of cards is not a common reason to deny someone for a credit card – unless many of those cards were opened very recently. Honestly, I would not take it too personally as Capital One is known for being very finicky when it comes to approvals for its credit cards. Oftentimes people with 800+ credit scores find that they are unable to get approved for a Capital One card.
Jon
August 08, 2021
Re: BoA 7/12 rule “opened 7 new cards in the past 12 months” — are business cards that were opened in the last year included in the count of 7? I see that “business credit cards do not currently fall under this rule” but I assume that means opening new BoA business cards circumvents the 7/12 rule, which is different than what I’m asking. Thanks!
Jarrod West
August 09, 2021
Hi Jon,
Based on data points I’ve seen, business cards that were opened in the last year should not be included in the count of 7. Thanks for reading!
Stan Jones
August 14, 2021
Jarrod–VERY informative, however could you please clarify the rules for receiving the citibank AA card welcome bonus? Is it 48 months between getting any welcome bonus or from closure of card? Citibanks own published policy states the former–HOWEVER when I called Citibank they were clueless when I had last received my welcome bonus–the only thing they could tell me and thus defaulted to was the closing date of the card–which is in conflict with their own policy based upon when last welcome bonus was received. Thanks.
Jarrod West
August 17, 2021
Hi Stan,
With a Citi AA card you have to wait 48 months from the time that you received the bonus, not the close date. If you log in to your Credit Karma account using the old interface you should be able to track down the card and see when you opened it, which should give you a better idea of around when you might have received the bonus.
Thanks for reading!
Michael Sagalovich
October 23, 2021
I applied for Capital One Venture Rewards Visa Credit Card and was denied for just one reason: having too many credit cards opened during the last 24 months. I opened 4 cards during the last 24 months, and I have never had any Capital card before.
My wife was approved for this card. She had 3 cards opened during 24 months.
Neither of us opened a new card within the last 6 months.
Both of us have excellent 800+ credit score.
Is this just us, or this is a new Capital One rule: 4/24?
Jarrod West
October 29, 2021
Hi Michael,
Capital One is notoriously difficult when it comes to card approvals for some reason. But as far as we know, Capital One has not put a 4/24 rule in place, though it could be something they’re working on.
Raj
November 23, 2021
Hi,
Thanks for putting this together.
Re: “You can receive a welcome bonus on U.S. Bank cards multiple times and there are no hard limits or required waiting periods.”
This seems incorrect for some cards. e.g. from https://www.usbank.com/credit-cards/altitude-go-visa-signature-credit-card.html
“The bonus is not available to Cardmembers who currently have, or had, a U.S. Bank Altitude Go Visa Signature account.”
Harry
December 28, 2021
RE: Barclay AAdvantage Business card: Question: “6 new accounts on your credit report in the last 24-months.” Would I be correct that business cards like Amex, Chase or Citi that do not show on a personal record would not be included in the 6/24 count? Seems someplace I read that it includes all cards – personal and business. Thanks & you guys are my go to for cc info from an array of blogs I follow.
Jarrod West
December 29, 2021
Hi Harry,
Thanks for the kind words! To answer your question, yes, any business credit cards that do not report to your personal credit would not count towards the 6/24 count.
Bob
October 13, 2022
“Finally, Bank of America does not allow you to open up a credit card if you currently have or have had the card in the last 24 month period. This is known as their 24-month rule.”
I have multiple data points against this with the premium rewards elite card, I have opened x2 and P2 same in the past 2 months. Also, received sign up bonus x2.
James
April 21, 2023
Trying to find out if I am eligible for the 60,000 point sign up bonus from Wells Fargo. I have the Barclays Choice Privileges credit card. However, starting May 1, it becomes a Wells Fargo Choice card. New applicants receive a bonus after spending $1000 within 3 months. But would I also be eligible, since I had the Barclays card?
Jarrod West
April 26, 2023
Hi James,
Yes, you should be eligible since the card is offered with a different bank.
James
May 25, 2023
They just told me ( after i spent 1000 bucks) I am not eligible for the 60000 points. I have a complaint out to the bank in regards to this matter.
Jarrod
June 02, 2023
I just applied for the Wells Fargo Autograph card and got denied. Credit score is over 800, never missed or late payment, have paid off loans, so at a loss for why I would be denied. I did open the Active Cash card in April 2022 so June 2023 would be 14 months; I’m guessing the 15 month rule played a part? I have four accounts with WF so relationship should benefit me too. If it is the 15 month rule and I applied too early, when should I apply again? Right after 15 months or do I have to wait longer since I just applied?
Thomas
July 13, 2023
How can I receive the Chase Sapphire welcome bonus twice? Would I need to close the account and apply for that same card again? How long after closing the card would I have to wait before re-applying? I have also read that you can call the bank and tell them you would like the welcome bonus and they’ll give it to you, that way you don’t have to go through the hassle of closing the account and then re-applying, is this true? Thanks!
Jarrod West
July 13, 2023
Hi Thomas,
If it has been 48 months since you last received the bonus, then you can cancel or downgrade the card, and then apply again after 30 days has passed.
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