How Many Chase Credit Cards Can You Get? (And Which to Get First!)

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Chase credit cards are among the very best credit cards for travel.  So it’s no wonder many of us in the miles and points hobby have a few in our wallets!

By far the most valuable Chase cards are those that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, because with the right cards, you’ll have the flexibility to transfer points to travel partners like United Airlines and Hyatt.  And Chase also issues a number of excellent branded airline and hotel cards, including Southwest, IHG, Marriott, British Airways, United Airlines, and Hyatt cards.  It’s tempting to want them all.

But due to their strict application rules, you’ll have to plan your Chase card strategy carefully.  Each individual will have a limit to how many Chase cards they can get – and it depends on a lot of factors.

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Here’s what to know about Chase credit cards and how many you’re eligible for.

How Many Chase Credit Cards Can You Get?

Chase doesn’t publish official rules about how many cards you can have at once.  But evidence suggests there is no hard limit to the number of Chase cards you can get.  Instead, you’re restricted by the total amount of credit Chase is willing to extend you.  And that depends on your credit score, income, debt, and other factors.

For example, I’ve got 6 Chase cards (and am looking to add a couple more this year).  Scott also has 6 Chase cards, Harlan has 7 Chase cards, and Keith takes the team title for collecting the most Chase cards with a whopping 12 (including 7 Chase Ultimate Rewards cards) in his wallet.  (He’s our very own credit card equivalent of a crazy cat lady).  🙂

If you’re denied because you’ve reached the maximum amount of credit Chase will give you, don’t give up just yet.  Many folks have had success calling the reconsideration line and offering to shift credit from their existing Chase accounts to get approved.

Other (unofficial) rules to follow when you’re applying for Chase cards:

• Reports online and from our team suggest you won’t be approved for more than 2 personal Chase cards in 30 days, or more than 1 business card
• Other evidence suggests no more than 1 business and 1 personal card in 90 days

To be safe, most recommend spacing out applications by ~90 days or more.  Chase is also sensitive if you’ve applied for a lot of other credit cards recently (even if you’re under 5/24).  So, for example, if you’ve also applied for cards from AMEX or Citi in the past couple of months, you might have a hard time getting approved.

And there are other significant restrictions to consider when it comes to Chase cards.

The Chase 5/24 Rule Is Now the Biggest Limitation

If you’re new to miles and points, we’ve always said to apply for the Chase cards you want first.  That’s because you won’t be approved for Chase cards if you’ve opened 5 or more cards from any bank (except certain business cards) in the past 24 months.  This is commonly referred to as the Chase 5/24 rule.

The 5/24 rule applies to valuable travel credit cards like:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (read our review here)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® (read our review here)
• Chase Freedom® (read our review here)
• Chase Freedom Unlimited® (read our review here)
• Ink Business Preferred℠ Credit Card (read our review here)
• Ink Business Unlimited℠ Credit Card (read our review here)
• Chase Ink Business Cash (read our review here)
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (read our review here)
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card (read our review here)
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card (read our review here)
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card (read our review here)
• United℠ Explorer Card (read our review here)
• United Explorer Business Card (read our review here)
• United MileagePlus® Club Card (read our review here)
• United MileagePlus® Club Business Card
• Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card (read our review here)
• Marriott Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
• British Airways Visa Signature® Card (read our review here)
• IHG® Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card
• IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card (read our review here)
• Iberia Visa Signature® Card (read our review here)
• Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card (read our review here)

The information for the Chase Freedom, Chase Freedom Unlimited, United MileagePlus Club Card, United MileagePlus Club Business Card, Marriott Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, IHG Rewards Club Traveler Credit Card, Iberia Visa Signature Card, and Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card has been collected independently by Million Mile Secrets.  The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Folks who are just getting started should consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred (our #1 card for beginners) first.  Alternately, if you know you’ll travel frequently, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is an equally good choice.  You can no longer have both cards, so you’ll have to pick the one you like more.

If you’re eligible for small business cards (many folks are and don’t even realize it!), it makes more sense to start with Chase business cards, because they don’t appear on your personal credit report and won’t affect your 5/24 count.  Your best bet is the Ink Business Preferred because it comes with the highest welcome bonus of any Chase Ultimate Rewards card.  I’ve got this card and love it for the additional perks like automatic cell phone insurance when you use the card to pay your bill.

From there, consider your travel goals and spending habits to decide which Chase cards to apply for next.  Here’s a post from Scott explaining more about the best Chase credit card strategy for beginners.  And here’s how to figure out your 5/24 count.

But Wait, There’s More! Other Considerations Once You’ve Had a Few Chase Cards

Folks who’ve been into miles and points for a while usually get a little sentimental thinking about the days when the Chase 5/24 rule wasn’t a thing.  So there are a lot of us who may have had some of the best Chase credit cards in the past and are considering applying for them again.

1.  With MOST Chase Cards, You Must Wait at Least 24 Months After Earning a Bonus to Be Eligible Again

For most Chase cards, you’re not eligible to earn a bonus if you currently have the card, or have received a new cardmember bonus for the card in the past 24 months.  Note that the language says “received a new cardmember bonus,” so the clock starts from when the bonus posted to your account, NOT when you were approved for the card.  To see the restrictions specific to the card you’re interested in, click the “Offer Details” link on the card application page.

There’s one major exception.

If you’re interested in the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve card, the terms say:

The product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 48 months.  If you are an existing Sapphire customer and would like this product, please call the number on the back of your card to see if you are eligible for a product change.  You will not receive the new cardmember bonus if you change products.

So not only can you NOT get the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve at the same time, but also you’re restricted from earning a bonus if you’ve received one from either card in the past 48 months.

2.  A Few Chase Cards Have Rules Specific to the Airline or Hotel Brand

I’m getting into the weeds a bit here, but there are a few more rules to know if you’re interested in the Southwest, Marriott, Hyatt, or IHG cards.

Southwest Personal Cards

You can no longer have more than one personal Southwest card at a time.  So if you’re interested in the incredible limited-time offers (until February 11, 2019) from the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus, Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier, and Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority cards, keep in mind you’re not eligible if you already have a personal Southwest credit card (even a different version).  Or if you’ve earned the bonus on any personal Southwest card in the past 24 months.

These cards come with a Southwest Companion Pass (the best deal in travel!) valid through December 31, 2019 AND 30,000 Southwest points after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card isn’t included in this rule.

Marriott Cards

After Marriott and Starwood merged, Chase (issuer of the Marriott cards) and AMEX (issuer of the Starwood cards) implemented some new rules around their products.  With respect to the Chase Marriott cards:

Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card – If you’re a:

• Current cardmember of the Marriott Rewards^® Premier or Marriott Rewards^® Premier Plus credit card, or
• Previous cardmember of the Marriott Rewards Premier or Marriott Rewards Premier Plus credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 24 months

You’re can’t get the card at all.  And you don’t qualify for the bonus if:

• You are a current cardmember, or were a previous cardmember within the last 30 days, of The Starwood Preferred Guest^® Credit Card from American Express;
• You are a current or previous cardmember of either The Starwood Preferred Guest^® Business Credit Card from American Express or the Starwood Preferred Guest^® American Express Luxury Card, and received a new cardmember bonus or upgrade bonus in the last 24 months; or
• You applied and were approved for The Starwood Preferred Guest^® Business Credit Card from American Express or the Starwood Preferred Guest^® American Express Luxury Card within the last 90 days

Marriott Rewards Premier Business Credit Card – You’re not eligible for the bonus if:

• You are a current Marriott Rewards Premier Business Credit Card cardmember
• You were a previous Marriott Rewards Premier Business Credit Card cardmember who received a new cardmember bonus for the card within the last 24 months;
• You are a current cardmember, or were a previous cardmember within the last 30 days, of The Starwood Preferred Guest^® Credit Card from American Express;
• You are a current or previous cardmember of either The Starwood Preferred Guest^® Business Credit Card from American Express or the Starwood Preferred Guest^® American Express Luxury Card, and received a new cardmember bonus or upgrade bonus in the last 24 months; or
• You applied and were approved for The Starwood Preferred Guest^® Business Credit Card from American Express or the Starwood Preferred Guest^® American Express Luxury Card within the last 90 days.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card replaced the old Chase Hyatt credit card (no longer available to new applicants) last year.  I’ve got the old version and am keeping it.

If you’re looking to apply for the World of Hyatt Card, keep in mind you can’t have both the old and new versions.  And if you’ve earned the bonus on either Hyatt card in the past 24 months, you’re not eligible either.  The terms say:

The product is not available to either (i) current Cardmembers of any Hyatt Credit Card, or (ii) previous Cardmembers of any Hyatt Credit Card who received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months.

It is possible to upgrade from the old version to the new, but you won’t earn the welcome bonus.

One really cool thing about The World of Hyatt Credit Card – it comes with a free night at a category 1 to 4 Hyatt each card anniversary.  That’s a big reason why folks hang on to it (or the previous version) year after year.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card

The IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card also replaced the old (no longer available) Chase IHG card (yeah, I’ve got this one too).  In this case, you ARE eligible for the bonus on the new version even if you still have the old version.  The only restriction is that you can’t get the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card if you’ve already got one open, or earned a bonus on the very same card in the past 24 months.  From the terms:

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

The same rules apply to the IHG Rewards Club Traveler Card.  Essentially, all 3 IHG cards are considered different products.

The IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card also comes with an anniversary free night at IHG hotels costing 40,000 points or less.

Bottom Line

Chase doesn’t have a hard limit on the number of cards you can have at once.  Instead, there’s a maximum amount of total credit they’ll extend you.  Some of us on the MMS team have 6, 7, or even 12 Chase credit cards!

That said, everyone is restricted by Chase’s stringent application rules, including:

• Chase 5/24 rule – If you’ve opened 5 or more cards from any bank (except certain business cards) in the past 24 months, you won’t be approved for Chase cards
• For most Chase cards, you’re not eligible to earn a bonus if you currently have the card, or have received a new cardmember bonus for the card in the past 24 months (exception – the Chase Sapphire cards require 48 months after earning a bonus on any Sapphire card)
• You can no longer get the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve at the same time – you’ll have to pick one
• You can’t have more than one personal Southwest card at once (like the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus, Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier, and Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority)
• The Chase Marriott cards have tight restrictions if you’ve earned bonuses on those cards, or the AMEX Starwood cards
• The World of Hyatt card isn’t available to you if you have the old version of the card (but you can upgrade)
• The IHG Premier card is considered a different card product, so you CAN get it if you have the old version of the card

The best strategy if you’re new to miles and points is to apply for the Chase cards you want first (the Chase Sapphire Preferred is our favorite card for beginners).  And if you’ve been the hobby for a while, spacing out your card applications and choosing wisely depending on your travel goals is key to becoming eligible for more Chase credit cards.

What’s your plan for adding more Chase credit cards to your wallet?