What it is. Why it matters, and how to avoid costly mistakes
If you are brand new to points and miles, one of the first things you should understand is something commonly referred to as the “Chase 5/24 Rule.”
This is one of the most important concepts for beginners because it can significantly impact which travel credit cards you may be approved for — and ultimately how quickly you can build a strong points strategy.
The good news? Once you understand it, it’s actually very manageable.
What is Chase 5/24 Rule?
The Chase 5/24 rule is an unofficial application guideline that generally means you may not be approved for many Chase credit cards if you have opened 5 or more personal credit cards (from any bank) within the last 24 months.
Even though Chase does not formally publish detailed 5/24 rules, years of data points from the points and miles community consistently show that this guideline is still widely used in approval decisions.
For beginners, this is an important rule of thumb to understand before opening travel credit cards.Paragraph
Why Beginners Should Understand 5/24 FIRST
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is opening random cashback cards, store cards, or airline cards before understanding how application rules work.
Once you are over 5/24, many valuable Chase travel cards may become much harder to get approved for.
That’s why I generally recommend beginners:
- first determine their current 5/24 status
- then decide whether they want to prioritize the Chase ecosystem before moving on to other banks
This does NOT mean Chase is the only good option in points and miles. But for many beginners, Chase offers one of the most flexible and beginner-friendly ecosystems.
How to check your 5/24 status
Before applying for anything, I recommend pulling your credit report and making a simple list of every personal credit card you have opened within the last 24 months.
You can use:
- Experian
- AnnualCreditReport.com
- your own credit monitoring service
Then count:
- personal credit cards
- store credit cards
- authorized user accounts that appear on your credit report
A few important notes:
Closed cards still typically count if they were opened within the last 24 months.
Many business cards do NOT add to your 5/24 count because they may not report to your personal credit report.
Authorized user cards can sometimes temporarily affect your count, although there are many data points showing Chase may reconsider those manually.
This hobby changes constantly, and there are always exceptions and data points. But for beginners, I still believe 5/24 is one of the most important foundational concepts to understand.
How I track my 5/24 Status
Personally, I rely heavily on the free Travel Freely app to organize my points and miles strategy.
Every time we open a new card, I:
- Add it to Travel Freely
- Link the card inside my budgeting system (YNAB)
- Set up automatic payments immediately
Travel Freely helps track:
- application dates
- annual fees
- bonus eligibility
- 5/24 status
I honestly could not manage this hobby effectively without a good organization system.
Why I Recommend Starting With Chase
If you are under 5/24, I generally recommend beginners start by focusing on the Chase ecosystem first.
Why?
Because Chase Ultimate Rewards points are incredibly flexible.
Instead of being locked into one airline or hotel program, Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to multiple airline and hotel partners.
This flexibility is one of the reasons Chase points are so valuable for families and beginners.
How Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Work
Many Chase cards earn Ultimate Rewards points through:
- sign-up bonuses
- regular spending
- bonus spending categories
Certain Chase cards — including cards in the Sapphire family — allow you to transfer points to travel partners.
This is where points and miles become much more powerful.
For example, instead of redeeming points for simple cashback, you may be able to:
- transfer points to Hyatt for hotel stays
- transfer points to Southwest for flights
- transfer points to airline partners for international travel
One of my favorite beginner-friendly strategies is combining points earned across Chase cards into one Sapphire account, then transferring those points to travel partners when ready to book.
This gives families much more flexibility than earning points with only one airline or hotel.
Chase Transfer Partners
Chase currently partners with multiple airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Some beginner-friendly examples include:
- Hyatt
- Southwest Airlines
- United Airlines
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- British Airways
- Virgin Atlantic
- Marriott Bonvoy
- IHG
Personally, our family first found incredible value using:
- Hyatt points for hotel stays
- Southwest Companion Pass for family flights
Those beginner-friendly domestic and Caribbean/Mexico trips helped us build confidence before moving into more advanced redemptions later.
But is 5/24 Always Enforced?
Not always.
There are many reported data points over the years suggesting that:
- certain targeted offers
- private banking relationships
- in-branch approvals
- special offers
may occasionally bypass or soften 5/24 restrictions.
But I do NOT recommend beginners rely on exceptions or loopholes.
Rules change constantly in this hobby, and banks have become increasingly strict in recent years regarding approvals, referrals, and bonus eligibility.
For most beginners, the safest and simplest strategy is:
- understand 5/24
- stay organized
- apply slowly and intentionally
- prioritize Chase early if it fits your goals
When It May Be Time To Go Beyond Chase
Eventually, many people expand beyond Chase into:
- American Express Membership Rewards
- Capital One Miles
- Citi ThankYou Points
- airline-specific cards
- hotel-specific cards
Personally, I think this usually makes sense AFTER:
- you understand transferable points
- you have a solid organization system
- you are comfortable tracking annual fees and applications
- you have already built a Chase foundation
You do not need every card or every bank to travel well on points.
In fact, I think beginners are usually much more successful when they simplify.
Final Thoughts
Points and miles is not about opening as many cards as possible.
The Chase 5/24 rule can sound intimidating at first, but it is really just a framework to help you strategically plan your applications.
It is about:
- staying organized
- earning flexible points
- building a sustainable system
- and using those points to create meaningful travel experiences for your family
For us, understanding 5/24 early helped shape our entire points strategy — and ultimately helped us book trips we never thought would be possible.
