What to Do When You’re Over Chase’s 5/24 Rule

Chase is the largest credit card issuer in the United States both in terms of purchase volume and card volume. And Chase has some of the most popular rewards credit cards in the industry. So, if you have a travel rewards credit card, there’s a pretty good chance that it’s issued by Chase. And, if you have multiple cards issued by Chase, then you should be familiar with the 5/24 rule.

Essentially, the 5/24 rule is an unpublished rule that applies to Chase credit cards. This rule prohibits consumers from being approved for a new Chase credit card if they’ve opened five or more credit cards from any bank within the last 24 months. However, there are some exceptions to this rule that we’ll discuss later in this article.

So, if you’ve surpassed this five-card limit in the last 24 months and you’re unable to get approved for a new Chase rewards credit card, you may be wondering whether your options for new travel credit cards (and new welcome bonuses) have run out.

Well, believe it or not, there are some pretty great travel rewards credit cards that aren’t issued by Chase. And many of these cards will still be available to you even if you’ve surpassed your 5/24 Chase threshold. In this article, we’ll talk about some cards from other issuers that you may want to check out.

What Is the 5/24 Rule?

The 5/24 rule is an unwritten rule that determines whether or not you’re eligible to be approved for a new Chase credit card (including most co-branded cards issued by Chase), according to consumer testimony. Consumers who have signed for five or more credit cards from any issuer (including Chase) won’t be approved for a new Chase credit card in most cases.

However, there are exceptions to this rule. Some consumers have reported being approved for a new Chase credit card even though they were over their 5/24 limit. Likewise, certain credits cards won’t count toward your 5/24 limit, including the following:

• Any credit cards that you weren’t approved for
• Small business cards from most issuers (except business credit cards from Discover, TD Bank and Capital One business cards other than Capital One Spark Travel Elite, Capital One Venture X Business and Capital One Spark Cash Plus)
• Store credit cards that aren’t part of the national payment system
• Auto loans, student loans and mortgages

To clarify, any business credit cards from Discover or TD Bank will count toward your 5/24 score. All business credit cards issued by Capital One, except Capital One Spark Travel Elite, Capital One Venture X Business Card and Capital One Spark Cash Plus, will count toward your 5/24 score. Most other business credit cards won’t count toward your 5/24 score.

Product changes and upgrades also won’t affect your 5/24 score. For instance, if you had the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and you upgraded that to the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, that product change would not apply to your 5/24 score.

How to Check Your 5/24 Status

If you’re unaware of where you currently stand with your 5/24 status and you want to know if you can be approved for a new Chase credit card, the best thing to do is request a free credit report from one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion and Experian).

These credit reports will include all of the credit cards that you’ve signed up for in the last 24 months so that you can count up how many new credit cards are contributing to your 5/24 score and when you might be eligible for a new Chase credit card again.

If you find that you’re over the 5/24 limit, you won’t be eligible for a new Chase credit card until the 25th month after your first account was opened. For example, if you opened your first account in January 2023 and opened four more after that, you wouldn’t be able to get approved for a new Chase credit card until February 1, 2025.

If that sounds like a long time to wait, don’t worry. There are some rewards credit cards from other issuers that offer great value and that you can still get approved for even if you’re over Chase’s 5/24 limit.

American Express Membership Rewards Credit Cards

If you’re over Chase’s 5/24 rule, the next place that you may want to look if you’re interested in signing up for a new credit card (and earning a new bonus) is American Express. Most people have heard of The Platinum Card® from American Express, the ultra-premium card with a $695 annual fee (rates & fees). However, Amex has many more affordable options that you may want to consider.

American Express Approval Rules

While Amex card approval isn’t subject to the 5/24 rule, Amex does have its own approval rules that you should be aware of.

“Once Per Lifetime” Rule

The Amex “once per lifetime” rule stipulates that you can only earn a welcome bonus from each of their credit cards once per person per lifetime. So, for example, if you’ve already earned a welcome bonus from the American Express® Gold Card at any point in your life, you can’t earn a welcome bonus from that card again. This rule is meant to prevent people from canceling their cards and then reapplying for the same card just to earn the welcome bonus again. (It’s important to note that “lifetime” generally equals about 7 years, so the language itself sounds lengthier than it is.)

This rule applies to most Amex-issued credit cards, but not all of them. For example, Amex-issued Marriott credit have additional eligibility requirements like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.

If you want to know for sure whether the “once per lifetime” rule applies to an Amex card that you have or you’re interested in, you can check that card’s terms and conditions. Cards to which this rule applies will have the following phrase in their terms and conditions: “Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had this Card or previous versions.” To get around this rule, you can look for “No Lifetime Language” offers.

Family Restrictions

In recent years, Amex has been adding “family” language to the terms and conditions to more and more of its credit card offerings (both Amex cards and co-branded cards). These restrictions prevent consumers from receiving a welcome bonus on a new Amex credit card if they currently have or have had another Amex credit card in the same family.

For instance, in the terms and conditions for the American Express Green Card*, it states:

“You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card, the Platinum Card®, The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley, the Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab, the American Express® Gold Card or previous versions of these Cards.”

All of these cards listed in the terms and conditions above are considered to be in the same “family” as the Amex Green card. And, thus, if you’ve had or currently have any of those cards, you won’t be able to earn the welcome bonus from the Amex Green card. To be clear, having any of these cards (past or present) won’t affect your ability to be approved for the Amex Green card, only to earn the welcome bonus.

These restrictions don’t apply to all Amex cards. However, Amex has been adding clauses such as the one in the example above to more and more of its cards over the past few years.

*All information about American Express Green Card has been collected independently by 10xtravel.com.

Other Restrictions

In addition to the restrictions listed above, there are several other restrictions that apply to getting approved for new American Express credit card, including the following:

• You may not have more than five American Express credit cards at any given time. This limit doesn’t include cards that don’t have a preset spending limit, such as the Amex Platinum card.
• For American Express credit cards without preset spending limits, the limit is 10 cards at any given time.
• You can only sign up for two American Express credit cards in a 90-day period.
• You can only apply for two American Express credit cards in a single day.

American Express Cards to Consider

Now that you understand the restrictions that apply to being approved for a new Amex card and to earning new welcome bonuses, let’s look at a few Amex credit cards that you may want to consider signing up for if you’re over your Chase 5/24 limit.

American Express® Gold Card

One of the best and most well-known cards from American Express is definitely the Amex Gold card. This card has an annual fee of $325 (rates & fees), which is relatively high. However, you can easily offset this card’s annual fee with its spending bonuses and added benefits. And, the Amex Gold card is currently offering a great welcome bonus for new cardmembers:

The Amex Gold card offers great bonuses on everyday spending. Here are the current spending bonuses offered by this card:

• 4X points at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 per calendar year) then 1x points for the rest of the year
• 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year) then 1x points for the rest of the year
• 3X points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com
• 2X points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel purchases booked through AmexTravel.com
• 1X points on all other purchases

On top of the rewards described above, the Amex Gold card also provides value to its cardholders through its statement credits and other benefits. Here are some of the notable benefits that come with the Amex Gold card:

• Up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (up to $10 per month). An Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit. Only valid in the U.S. 
• Up to $84 in statement credits toward Dunkin annually (up to $7 per month) after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations
• Up to $100 in statement credits toward Resy annually (up to $50 semi-annually). Enrollment required
• Up to $120 in statement credits toward participating dining partners annually (up to $10 per month). Enrollment required
• Receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more at The Hotel Collection hotel through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property

As you can see, if you use these statement credits to the fullest, they alone can offset this card’s $325 annual fee. Then, when you consider how much value you can get from this card’s welcome bonus and spending bonuses, it’s clear that the Amex Gold card can be a great deal for certain consumers.

American Express Green Card

If you’re over Chase’s 5/24 limit, chances are you’re already paying several annual fees on several credit cards. So, if you don’t want to add another high-annual-fee credit card (such as the Amex Platinum card) to your wallet, you may want to consider signing up for the American Express Green Card. This card has an annual fee of $150. However, that annual fee can easily be offset with these card bonuses and benefits.

Here’s the current welcome bonus offered by the Amex Green card:

You’ll earn Amex Membership Rewards points on every purchase you make with your Amex Green card every day. Here are the current spending bonuses offered by this card:

• 3X points on travel (including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, vacation rentals and more)
• 3X points on transit (including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses and subways)
• 3X points on restaurants (including eligible takeout and delivery)
• 1X points on all other purchases

In addition to the bonuses listed above, the Amex Green card provides value cardmembers with certain other benefits. One of the card’s most valuable perks is an statement credit of up to $199 for CLEAR Plus membership  annually.

As you can see, the statement credits of up to $199 annually for a CLEAR Plus membership, which allows you to access priority lanes at the airport and more, instantly offset the $150 annual fee charged by the Amex Green card. Once you consider all of the value provided by this card’s welcome bonus, spending bonuses and other benefits, it’s clear that the Amex Green card could be a good addition to your wallet.

Barclays Co-Branded Credit Cards

If you’ve surpassed Chase’s 5/24 limit, another issuer you might consider turning to is Barclays, which issues many co-branded credit cards from popular frequent flyer programs like American Airlines AAdvantage and popular hotel rewards programs like Wyndham Rewards.

However, Barclays also has its own set of approval rules that you should be aware of before you start applying for Barclays co-branded credit cards.

Barclays Approval Rules

Generally, Barclays doesn’t have a limit on the number of credit cards that you can have open with them at one time. Of course, the bank will consider your overall credit profile before approving you for a new credit card. So, if you have a high number of cards on your profile or a high number of hard inquiries, this could affect your chances of approval for a new Barclays credit card.

Approval Restrictions

There are some general guidelines you should follow if you want your next Barclay credit card application to be approved. Try to adhere to the following rules when applying for Barclays credit cards:

• You can only get approved for one Barclays credit card per day
• You may not get approved for a new card if you have opened six or more cards (with any bank) within the past 24 months. This rule, however, is inconsistently applied and some people get approved if they opened more than six cards in the last two years
• You can get a welcome offer for again on a card that you’ve had in the past if it’s been more than 24 months since the last bonus on the same card

Welcome Bonus Restrictions

Barclays usually doesn’t restrict cardmembers from earning a welcome bonus multiple times for the same card. However, to do so, you typically have to cancel the card first, wait and reapply.

But there are some exceptions. Certain Barclays credit cards’ terms and conditions contain clauses that seem to imply that Barclays can deny you your welcome bonus if they believe that you’ve only reopened your account in order to earn the welcome bonus again.

For example, the following clause can be found in the terms and conditions for the Barclays-issued JetBlue Plus Card:

“… you may not be eligible for this offer if, at any time during our relationship with you as the issuer of an account in this Program, we have cause, as determined by us in our sole discretion, to suspect that the account is being obtained or will be used for abusive or gaming activity (such as, but not limited to, obtaining or using the account to maximize rewards earned in a manner that is not consistent with typical consumer activity and/or multiple credit card account applications/openings).”

This statement implies that, although you may be reapproved for the JetBlue Plus Card and meet the spending requirement for the welcome bonus, Barclays may deny you that bonus if they suspect that you’ve canceled and reapplied for the card in order to “game the system” and earn the welcome bonus again.

Barclays Cards to Consider

While Barclays isn’t the first issuer that comes to mind for most people, there are some Barclays-issued cards that are worth consideration if you’re over Chase’s 5/24 limit.

Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card

Since Wyndham is one of the largest hotel chains in the world, it might be a good idea to get a Wyndham co-branded credit card if you travel regularly and stay at Wyndham locations. The Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card has a modest annual fee of $75 that can easily be offset by this card’s welcome bonus, spending bonuses and other benefits.

Here’ the current welcome bonus being offered by the Wyndham Earner Plus card:

On top of that welcome bonus, the Wyndham Earner Plus card earns Wyndham points on every purchase, every day. Here are the spending bonuses offered by the Wyndham Earner Plus card:

• 6X points on eligible purchases made at Hotels by Wyndham
• 6X points on qualifying gas purchases
• 4X points on eligible dining and grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart)
• 1X points on all other purchases

This credit card offers several other notable benefits that provide even more value to cardholders. Here are some of the benefits of the Wyndham Earner Plus card that you should be aware of:

• Annual bonus of 7,500 Wyndham points every cardmember anniversary
• Automatic Wyndham Platinum elite status (includes perks like late checkout, early check-in, Caesars Rewards Platinum status match, Avis and Budget rental car upgrades and more)
• Cardmember booking discount through the Wyndham website
• 10% discount when redeeming Wyndham points for GoFree awards

Between the welcome bonus, spending bonuses and other benefits, the Wyndham Earner Plus card is definitely worth its annual fee if you use it wisely. And, if you’re over Chase’s 5/24 limit and you tend to stay at Wyndham hotels often, then it’s a card you might want to consider applying for.

JetBlue Plus Card

The Barclays-issued JetBlue Plus Card is a good card if you tend to fly with JetBlue often. This card has a $99 annual fee, but you can easily make up for that if you fly with JetBlue just a few times per year. Plus, this card offers a sizable welcome bonus of JetBlue points for new cardmembers.

Here’s the current welcome bonus offered by the JetBlue Plus Card:

You can earn JetBlue points toward your next flight every time that you spend on your JetBlue Plus Card. Here are the spending bonuses offered by this card:

• 6X points on eligible JetBlue purchases
• 2X points at restaurants and eligible grocery stores
• 1X points on all other purchases

As you can see, the best spending bonuses offered by this card are for flight purchases with JetBlue. So, if you don’t often fly with JetBlue, this probably isn’t the best credit card for you. However, there are some other benefits that come with this card that can greatly improve your travel experience with JetBlue:

• Annual bonus of 5,000 JetBlue points every cardmember anniversary
• Free first checked bag for you and up to three travel companions on JetBlue-operated flights
• One tile toward JetBlue Mosaic status for every $1,000 spent on your card
• No blackout dates on JetBlue-operated flights
• Redeem points for any seat, any time on JetBlue-operated flights
• 50% savings on eligible in-flight purchases on JetBlue-operated flights
• Get a 10% point rebate when you redeem for and travel on a JetBlue-operated award flights
• Receive a $100 statement credit after you purchase a JetBlue Vacations package of $100 or more

Once again, if you don’t fly with JetBlue often, this card isn’t the best option for you. But, if you do, signing up for the JetBlue Plus Card could be a great idea (especially if your options are limited because you’re over Chase’s 5/24 limit).

Capital One Rewards Credit Cards

Capital One is another power player in the world of rewards credit cards. And, in recent years, this issuer has unveiled some credit cards that are direct competitors to popular Chase cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®. So, if you’re over the 5/24 limit and you want to sign up for a new credit card with great travel-focused rewards, Capital One is a great place to look.

Like all other issuers, Capital One has its own rules that determine your eligibility for a new credit card and your eligibility for a welcome bonus.

Capital One Approval Rules

Capital One has some general rules that govern whether you can be approved for a new Capital One credit card. There is also some language in the terms and conditions for certain Capital one cards that implies that they reserve the right to not issue you a welcome bonus.

Approval Restrictions

Capital One limits the number of open Capital One credit card accounts that you have to just two. So, for instance, if you already have the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, you won’t be able to be approved for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. This rule generally excludes co-branded cards (such as the Capital One Walmart Rewards Mastercard) as well as business credit cards.

Additionally, you can only get approved for one Capital One credit card in a six-month period. So, even if you have a perfect credit score, if you’ve already applied for a Capital One card in the last six months, you can expect to get rejected for a new Capital One card.

Welcome Bonus Restrictions

If you get preapproved for a Capital One card that you’ve already had and canceled, you should be able to earn the welcome bonus again. However, you may have to wait 48 months since you last earned the welcome bonus for the card you’re applying to.

For example, in the terms and conditions for the Capital One Venture card, it states:

“Existing or previous cardmembers are not eligible for this product if they have received a new cardmember bonus for this product in the past 48 months.”

This implies that you may not receive the welcome bonus for this card if you’ve received a welcome bonus from the Capital One Venture card within the last 48 months.

Capital One Cards to Consider

If you’re currently over the 5/24 limit and you want to earn a new welcome bonus, then Capital One is one of the best issuers for you to turn to. Let’s look at some credit cards from Capital One that you may want to consider.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

If you’re willing to pay a fairly high annual fee, then the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is one of the best cards offered by this issuer. The Venture X card has an annual fee of $395 as this card was created to be a lower-cost competitor to the Sapphire Reserve card (which has a $550 annual fee). But, the Venture X’s annual fee can easily be offset by the welcome bonus, spending bonuses and other benefits that this card offers.

Here’s the welcome bonus currently being offered by the Capital One Venture X card:

The Venture X card also offers lucrative spending bonuses that can help you rack up Capital One miles on every purchase you make. Here are the spending bonuses from the Capital One Venture X:

• 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• 2X miles on all other purchases

As you can see, the best way to earn miles with the Venture X card is by booking travel through the Capital One Travel portal. However, where the Venture X really provides value to cardholders is through its benefits. Here are the other notable benefits provided by this card:

• 10,000 bonus miles every cardmember anniversary
• $300 annual credit for travel bookings made through the Capital One Travel portal
• Reimbursement credit for the application fee for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry (a value of up to $120 every four years)
• Unlimited complimentary access to Capital One Lounges, Priority Pass lounges and Plaza Premium lounges for you and up to two guests
• $100 experience credit and other benefits every time you book a stay with the Premier Collection
• $50 experience credit and other benefits every time you book a stay with the Lifestyle Collection
• Complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status
• Add up to four authorized users for free (each of which can access Capital One Lounges and enroll in their own Priority Pass membership)

If you use these benefits wisely year after year, you can easily make up for the Venture X card’s annual fee and then some. In particular, the $300 annual travel credit and the 10,000-mile anniversary bonus instantly offset this card’s annual fee if you use them every year. So, if you’re an avid traveler and you’re over Chase’s 5/24 limit, then the Venture X might be a good place to look for some new rewards.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is a cash back card from Capital One, which means you can’t access Capital One’s transfer partners with this card alone. However, if you have a Capital One card that does have access to transfer partners (such as the Venture or Venture X), you can transfer miles from your Savor account to that account and then use those miles through transfer partners.

Plus, the Savor card has some of the best available awards of any no-annual-fee card available from any issuer. First off, this card has a welcome bonus available to new cardmembers that can help you rack up some Capital One miles quickly:

This card also offers outstanding spending bonuses for a card that doesn’t charge an annual fee. Here are the current spending bonuses offered by the SavorOne card:

• 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel portal
• 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart and Target)
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Citi ThankYou Rewards Credit Cards

If you’re over Chase’s 5/24 limit, another credit card issuer that you may want to look to for a new card is Citi. The Citi ThankYou Rewards program has improved significantly in recent years by adding new transfer partners and improving its credit card lineup. Most recently, Citi enhanced the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card, its top-tier rewards credit card, with new benefits and spending bonuses, making it a serious competitor for other cards in its price range.

However, while Citi cards don’t adhere to the 5/24 rule, Citi does have some rules of its own that apply to new credit card approval and earning welcome bonuses.

Citi Approval Rules

When it comes to getting approved for Citi credit cards and earning welcome bonuses on those cards, Citi is a bit stricter than some other issuers. However, their rules are, for the most part, clearly laid out. So, if you’re over Chase’s 5/24 rule, it should be easy to figure out whether or not you can get a new Citi card or earn a new Citi welcome bonus.

Approval Restrictions

Rather than restricting the number of Citi cards that you can have in your wallet, Citi typically restricts the overall amount of credit that they’re willing to extend to you. This limit is different for every consumer and is based on a number of factors such as your credit score and income. So, once you’ve hit your personal limit, you’ll probably receive a message that says your application is pending when you apply for a new Citi card.

Some consumers have reported being denied a new Citi card due to the fact that they’d reached the maximum number of Citi cards (although it’s unclear if this refers to the maximum number of cards in a lifetime or in a certain specified time period). We do know that you can only apply for one card (either business or personal) per eight-day period and only two cards per 65-day period. You can also only apply for only one business card per 90-day period.

It’s also worth noting that Citi tends to be very sensitive to recent applications. So, if you’re over the Chase 5/24 limit and you want to sign up for several new credit cards from several other issuers, you should apply for a new card from Citi first (instead of applying for a card from another issuer first, such as Capital One, which is less sensitive to recent applications.

Welcome Bonus Restrictions

In terms of earning welcome bonuses, almost all Citi-issued credit cards (including co-branded cards) adhere to the “48-month rule.” This rule states that, if you’ve already earned a welcome bonus on a certain Citi-issued credit card in the last 48 months, then you won’t be able to earn that welcome bonus again.

For example, if you earned the welcome bonus for the Citi Double Cash® Card in April 2023, you won’t be able to earn that welcome bonus again until April 2028.

Citi Cards to Consider

If you’re currently over your 5/24 limit and you want a new credit card (and a new welcome bonus), Citi is an issuer well worth considering. Let’s take a look at some of our top selections from Cit’s lineup that you may want to look into.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card has an annual fee of $95. However, for such a modest annual fee, this card offers impressive value if you use it correctly. First of all, the Strata Premier offers a welcome bonus to new cardmembers that can offset that annual fee for several years. Here’s the current welcome bonus being offered by this card:

In addition to earning a large sum of Citi points from this welcome bonus, you can also rack up Citi points for every purchase you make on your Strata Premier card, every day. Here are the spending bonuses currently being offered by this card:

• 10X points on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
• 3X points on air travel and other hotel purchases (not booked through CitiTravel.com)
• 3X points at restaurants
• 3X point at supermarkets
• 3X points at gas and EV charging stations
• 1X points on all other purchases

These are some amazing spending bonuses for a card that only has an annual fee of $95. Arguably, the Citi Strata Premier offers better spending bonuses than the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which is widely considered one of the best cards with an annual fee under $100.

The Citi Strata Premier also provides value to cardmembers with certain other benefits. For instance, this card offers $100 off any hotel of $500 or more booked through CitiTravel.com once per calendar year. So, if you’re certain that you’ll use this benefit every year, then this $100 discount alone offsets this card’s annual fee.

In terms of Citi credit cards that you should look into once you‘re over Chase’s 5/24 limit, the Strata Premier is one of your best options due to its low annual fee and impressive spending bonuses.

Citi Custom Cash® Card

Regardless of whether or not you’re over the Chase 5/24 limit, the Citi Custom Cash® Card is a great addition to most people’s credit card strategies. That’s because this card offers elevated spending bonuses tailored to whatever your highest eligible spending category is for each billing cycle. Plus, this card doesn’t charge an annual fee.

While the Custom Cash card’s welcome bonus typically isn’t massive, it’s still a good way to earn some Citi ThankYou points while adding a beneficial piece to your credit card strategy. Here’s the current welcome bonus offered by the Custom Cash card:

As mentioned above, the greatest benefit to the Custom Cash card to most consumers is its unique spending bonus structure. Here are the spending bonuses currently being offered by this card:

• 5% cash back on your top eligible spending category up to $500 spent per billing cycle, including the following categories:
  • Restaurants
  • Gas stations
  • Grocery stores
  • Select travel
  • Select transit
  • Select streaming services
  • Drugstores
  • Home improvement stores
  • Fitness clubs
  • Live entertainment
• 4% cash back on hotels and car rentals booked through CitiTravel.com (for a limited time through 6/30/2026)
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

As you can see, this card can be a great asset to your credit card strategy as it can allow you to earn 5% cash back in any of the categories listed above, depending on what you spend most of your money on.

Wells Fargo Reward Credit Cards

While the Wells Fargo Rewards program hasn’t been very exciting for most of its history, Wells Fargo has recently added transfer partners to their rewards program and has vowed to continue adding more in the future. So, if you’re over Chase’s 5/24 rule, then it may be worth looking at the Wells Fargo program for new credit cards.

In terms of getting approved for new Wells Fargo cards, the rules are fairly unclear. However, most Wells Fargo cards adhere to a 48-month rule when it comes to welcome bonuses (much like Citi credit cards).

Approval Restrictions

Wells Fargo doesn’t explicitly restrict the number of credit cards that you can have from them. However, they do tend to limit the amount of credit that they’re willing to extend to you. This limit will vary from consumer to consumer based on factors such as income and creditworthiness. Still, Wells Fargo reserves the right to deny you approval based on the number of Wells Fargo credit cards that you have.

You may also be denied a new Wells Fargo credit card if you’ve opened a new Wells Fargo credit card account within the last six months. In the terms and conditions for most Wells Fargo cards, you’ll find the following wording: “You may not qualify for an additional Wells Fargo-branded credit card if you have opened a Wells Fargo-branded credit card in the last six months.” This restriction seems to apply only to Wells Fargo-branded cards as no such clause can be found in the terms and conditions for Wells Fargo co-branded cards (such as the Choice Privileges® Mastercard® Credit Card).

Welcome Bonus Restrictions

Welcome bonuses on Wells Fargo-branded cards are subject to the 48-month rule. This rule says that if you’ve received a welcome bonus for a specific Wells Fargo credit card within the past 48 months, you can’t receive a welcome bonus for that same card again.

For example, if you were to earn a welcome bonus from the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Visa® Card in January 2025, you wouldn’t be eligible to earn another welcome bonus from that card until January 2029.

However, Wells Fargo co-branded cards don’t seem to abide by this same 48-month rule. For example, in the terms and conditions for the Choice Privileges Mastercard, it states:

“You may not be eligible for an introductory bonus rewards offer if you opened a Choice Privileges Mastercard Credit Card or a Choice Privileges Select Mastercard Credit Card within the last 15 months from the date of this application and you received an introductory bonus rewards offer – even if that account is closed and has a $0 balance.”

So, if you want to earn a welcome bonus twice on the same Wells Fargo-branded card, you’ll have to wait 48 months. But, if you want to earn the same welcome bonus twice on a Choice Privileges co-branded Wells Fargo card, you only have to wait 15 months.

Wells Fargo Cards to Consider

In the past, Wells Fargo’s credit card lineup didn’t have much to offer for points/miles enthusiasts. However, since Wells Fargo has some high-quality transfer partners to its rewards program, it may be worth looking into some Wells Fargo credit cards now. Let’s take a look at some options that may interest you if you’re over your Chase 5/24 limit.

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card

If you’re interested in earning miles that can be redeemed for travel, then one of the best cards in the Wells Fargo lineup is definitely the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card. This card has an annual fee of $95. However, it easily makes up for that fee with its welcome bonus, spending bonuses and other benefits. Here’s the current welcome bonus offered by this card:

This welcome bonus is a quick way to rack up a ton of Wells Fargo Rewards points (which, once again, can now be transferred to partner travel loyalty programs such as Air France-KLM Flying Blue or Avianca LifeMiles). On top of this welcome bonus, you’ll also earn Well Fargo points on every purchase as well as elevated spending bonuses in select categories:

• 5X points on hotels
• 4X points on airlines
• 3X points on other travel (such as timeshare, car rental, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites and campgrounds)
• 3X points on restaurants
• 1X points on all other purchases

As you can see, this credit card offers excellent spending bonuses on travel and dining for a card with an annual fee of just $95. Plus, this card also provides value to customers through certain other benefits. For example, the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card offers a $50 statement credit per cardmember year for airline purchases of at least $50.

While Wells Fargo is an issuer that’s often overlooked, it’s beginning to make a name for itself in the points-and-miles industry with the addition of transfer partners to the Wells Fargo Rewards program and the release of the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey.

Wells Fargo Autograph® Card

If you aren’t interested in signing up for a Wells Fargo card with an annual fee, you may want to look into signing up for the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Autograph® Card. This card also earns Wells Fargo Rewards points, which can be redeemed through transfer partners, and offers a solid welcome bonus. Here’s the current welcome bonus offered by the Autograph card:

Plus, the Autograph card also earns Wells Fargo points on every purchase, including elevated earnings in special bonus categories. Here are the current spending bonuses offered by this card:

• 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans
• 1X points on all other purchases

These are pretty great spending bonuses in some major categories for a card that doesn’t charge an annual fee, which makes the Autograph card a great addition to almost everyone’s credit card strategy.

The Bottom Line

All in all, if you’ve surpassed Chase’s limit of five new credit cards opened in the last 24 months (also known as the “5/24 rule”), then it’s very unlikely that you’ll be approved for a new Chase credit card (whether a Chase-branded card or a co-branded card). Nevertheless, there are still many credit cards out there from other issuers that you can get approved for and earn welcome bonuses with.

However, most issuers also have their own rules for new credit card approval and for earning welcome bonuses on cards that you’ve previously had. For example, with Citi-issued and Wells Fargo-branded credit cards, you typically can’t earn a new welcome bonus on a card that you’ve already earned a welcome bonus with in the last 48 months. Likewise, you can’t have more than five Amex credit card accounts open at any given time.

Paying attention to these rules is very important. For one, applying for credit cards that you don’t get approved for causes a temporary drop in your credit score without the benefit of getting a new credit card. And, second, it would be a shame to get a new credit card only to find out that you aren’t eligible to receive that card’s welcome bonus.

So, if you’re over the 5/24 limit, you’re not out of luck. There are still plenty of credit cards and welcome bonuses that you can get approved for. But make sure you research other issuers’ approval and bonus eligibility rules before you apply for their cards.