To lower their risk, credit card issuers may set a card limit for each member. Chase doesn’t set an official cap, but there’s a unique rule you’ll want to watch out for before applying.
There’s no official limit to the number of Chase credit cards you can have.
However, the provider may set internal limits on the credit you can have across all of your Chase accounts. This may increase or decrease based on your credit profile, including factors such as your credit score, debt-to-income ratio, credit utilization, annual income and more.
Instead of worrying about a hard cap, you should put more weight on a guideline unique to Chase: the 5/24 rule.
The 5/24 rule states if you’ve opened at least five cards in the past 24 months — including those from other banks — Chase will decline your card application. The bank does this to cut down on churning, the practice of repeatedly opening new card accounts simply to earn signup bonuses.
Chase counts your five cards from looking at your personal — not your business — credit report. This is why most business cards don’t add another entry to your five. Keep in mind, however, that most Chase business cards and business cards from Discover, Capital One and TD Bank will add to your count.
In a sense, Chase’s rules are stricter than you’ll find with other issuers, as 5/24 encompasses credit cards you’ve opened elsewhere too. Other issuers might consider cards you’ve opened in total, but they might not have a hard-and-fast rule like Chase’s. There are a few banks that have similar guidelines, however: For example Barclays has a 6/24 rule that’s very similar.
Be careful of applying for cards too quickly
Some cardholders have reported being denied for a Chase card when they’ve already opened two accounts with the provider within 30 days. Others have said they didn’t have any luck applying for more than one Chase business card within 30 days.
There have also been reports of being denied after applying for one personal card and one business card from Chase within the last 90 days.
These rules are pretty in much in line with what you’ll find from other issuers. Banks may automatically deny you if you’ve applied for or been approved for two cards within 60 to 90 days — and this is pretty standard.
While Chase doesn’t confirm reports like these, we can take a guess at its intentions: Don’t apply for cards too quickly. As a rule of thumb, consider waiting at least three months between applications.
Does being an authorized user count toward 5/24?
Yes. If you’re an authorized user on someone else’s account, this counts as one of your 5/24 accounts.
If this is an issue, simply ask the primary cardholder to remove you from their account. Then, file a credit-report dispute with each of the three major credit bureaus — TransUnion, Experian and Equifax — requesting them to erase your authorized user account. While Chase tends to pull Experian reports for credit card decisions, it does also use reports from the other two bureaus.
Can I be denied for a credit limit increase due to 5/24?
Yes, this is possible. Cardholders have reported being denied with the reason of “Too many credit cards opened in the last two years,” which hints at 5/24 as the culprit.
Are there exceptions to the 5/24 rule?
Some customers have reportedly bypassed the 5/24 rule, such as by accepting preapproved offers or applying in a branch. Read our guide on the Chase 5/24 rule to learn more.
What do I do if I’m denied a card because I apparently have too many?
If you’re denied due to reaching the card cap, consider calling the Chase reconsideration line. A representative can shed light on why you were denied, and may give suggestions on how to get your application approved. For example, you might be able to move credit from your current Chase cards to the card you want to apply for.
To further limit churning, Chase sets account maximums on its Sapphire and cobranded cards as well. Here’s a list of limitations on several of the provider’s most popular cards.
How many Chase Sapphire cards can you have?
You can have only one Chase Sapphire card at a time.
Even if you’ve closed your Sapphire card and are ready to get another one, you’re not out of the woods yet. Chase has a rule that if you’ve had either Sapphire credit card and received the signup bonus within the last 48 months, you can’t apply for another one.
How many Southwest credit cards can you have?
You can have only one personal Southwest credit card at a time.
Also, you can’t open a personal Southwest card if you’ve previously had one and earned the signup bonus within the last 24 months.
Luckily, these rules don’t apply to Southwest business cards — the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card.
How many IHG credit cards can you have?
Unlike with its other cobranded cards, Chase doesn’t limit the number of IHG cards you can have.
Limitations are on a card-by-card basis. For example, you can’t get the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card if:
- You’re already a cardholder.
- You had the card and earned the signup bonus within the last 24 months.
These rules apply to the IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card as well.
How many Chase Marriott credit cards can you have?
You can have only one Chase-issued Marriott credit card at a time. You’ll hit this maximum even if you have the Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier — also called the Marriott Rewards® Premier credit card — which has been discontinued.
You can’t open a new Marriott card if you’ve previously had one and earned the signup bonus within the last 24 months.
Interestingly, your eligibility for a Marriott-card signup bonus is affected by whether you were a cardholder of an Amex Marriott card. You won’t earn a bonus if you:
- Currently have the Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card, or you had this card within the last 30 days.
- Have or previously had the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, and received the welcome offer or upgrade offer within the last 24 months.
- Were approved for the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card within the last 90 days.
These rules apply to the IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card as well.
How many Hyatt credit cards can you have?
You can have only one Hyatt credit card at a time. For example, if you have the The Hyatt Credit Card — now discontinued — you can’t open the World of Hyatt Credit Card.
Also, you can’t open a Hyatt card if you’ve previously had one and earned the signup bonus within the last 24 months.
Can you have more than one Chase United card?
Yes, you’re allowed to have more than one Chase United credit card. However, you’re not eligible for a United card from the provider if:
- You currently have the card.
- You had the card previously and received the signup bonus within the last 24 months.
Can you have more than one Chase Disney card?
Yes, you can have more than one Chase Disney card. However, you’re not eligible for a Disney card from the provider if:
- You currently have the card.
- You had the card previously and received the signup bonus within the last 24 months.
Finder Tip: Pair Chase credit cards
With a wide collection of products, Chase offers ample opportunity for card combos.
One of the best tactics is to open a cashback card like the Chase Freedom Flex℠ credit card or Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card — or both if you’d like. Then, open one of Chase’s premium Ultimate Rewards cards, which include:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card credit card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
This is known as the Chase trifecta. The main benefit of this combo is that all three cards earn accelerated rewards on select categories. You can then transfer these points to either the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, after which you can leverage these high-value options:
- Redeem points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, your points will be worth 25% more. If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, your points will be worth 50% more. - Transfer points to travel partners.
For the highest reward rates, transfer your points to select airlines. According to our valuations, you can get up to 2 cents per point in value.
If you’re a freelancer or small-business owner, you can use this strategy with the Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card and the Ink Business Cash℠ Credit Card. Remember you’ll need to pair these cards with an Ultimate Rewards card to access point transfers.
Chase is one of the top card issuers, and it has a variety of different products for cash back, points and miles. Here are a few of its most popular personal credit cards.
Managing multiple Chase cards
Using multiple cards can be a powerful way to earn top-notch rewards. However, you may also run the risk of losing track of the details.
Through your Chase online account, you can see information about all of your credit cards from the provider, including your balances and bill due dates. Consider changing your due dates to the same day, so you can easily pay off all of your cards around the same time. Also, it’s wise to set up automatic payments so you never incur a late fee.
For more tips, read our guide on managing multiple credit cards.
Unlike some other major card issuers, Chase doesn’t have a hard cap on the number of cards its customers can have. However, watch out for the 5/24 rule, which limits your ability to get Chase products if you’ve recently opened several cards.
Chase offers a variety of cards, from cash back to hotel to general travel. Compare several Chase products and see if any of them synergize with your spending.
