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5/24
Also known as: Chase 5/24
What it is
Chase's unofficial application rule: if you've opened five or more new credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months, they'll almost always deny you.
What it really means
The invisible wall most points beginners hit after their third exciting sign-up bonus. Chase counts cards you've forgotten about — including store cards, authorized user accounts, and business cards from other issuers.
The story
The classic sequence: someone reads a blog post, opens an Amex Gold, a Capital One Venture, a Citi Premier, and two store cards in twelve months, then finally applies for the Sapphire Preferred and gets denied. The order matters. Chase almost always goes first.