Credit Card Application Rules by Bank (2026): Chase 5/24, Amex, Citi and More

Last updated: October 13, 2026. This is a reference page: each bank’s rules for getting approved, getting the sign-up bonus, and what to do after a denial, kept short so you can find one answer fast. Bank rules change often and many are unofficial, based on reader data points rather than published policy, so each section shows its sources and when it was last checked. No affiliate links, as always on Travel Summary.

Quick Take

• Chase first. Chase still applies 5/24 (5 or more new cards from any bank in 24 months usually means a denial), and in September 2026 reconsideration agents started citing a stricter 3/24 limit for sole-proprietor business applications.
• Bonuses are getting harder to repeat. Amex, Citi’s Strata cards, Bilt and (in practice) Chase’s Sapphire and Ink cards now use lifetime-style rules or an eligibility pop-up that warns you before you apply.
• Know which bureau a bank pulls before you freeze or apply. Capital One pulls all three; U.S. Bank is very sensitive to recent inquiries.

1. Before You Apply Anywhere

• Credit freezes are free at all three bureaus, and a lift requested online or by phone has to take effect within an hour. Freeze pages: Equifax, Experian, TransUnion. Lift only the bureau the bank pulls (see the table below), then freeze again.
• Counting your 5/24: count every new credit or charge card that appears on your personal credit report from the last 24 months, from any bank. Authorized-user cards usually count (reconsideration sometimes removes them); business cards that don’t report to your personal credit don’t count; denied applications don’t count. You usually drop a card on the first day of the month after it turns 24 months old.
• Business cards and your personal credit: Amex, Bank of America, Barclays, Chase, Citi, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo business cards don’t report to your personal credit report. Most Capital One business cards and Discover’s do. Almost every business application still means a hard pull on your personal report.
• Check pre-approvals first. Most banks have a soft-pull pre-qualification page (linked in each bank’s section). A pre-qualification isn’t a guarantee, but it costs nothing to check.

1.1 If You’re Denied: Reconsideration Basics

Most banks let you call and ask a person to look at an application the computer denied or left pending. Each bank’s section below has its number and what tends to work there; these points apply everywhere:

• Call soon. An application usually stays open for about 30 days. After that you have to reapply, which means another hard pull.
• Know why you were denied. The denial letter lists the reasons. Some people call as soon as they see a pending or denied message; others wait for the letter so they know the reason first. Both work.
• Have your numbers ready and give the same answers as on the application: income, housing payment, employer and how long you’ve been there. Expect identity questions (address, date of birth, last four of your SSN).
• Know your recent accounts and inquiries, and have a short, honest explanation for them.
• Give a reason you want this card that isn’t the sign-up bonus: the earning categories, the benefits, the travel you have coming up.
• Offer to move credit from a card you already have with that bank, where the bank allows it. It’s the most common way a denial becomes an approval.
• Be polite and don’t argue. Mention a long history or deposits with the bank if you have them.
• Hard rules can’t be talked around: Chase 5/24, Citi’s 8- and 65-day rules, Amex’s 5-card limit and similar velocity limits.

Sources: Doctor of Credit (reconsideration tips), The Points Guy (June 2024), NerdWallet (Nov 2025). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

2. All Banks at a Glance

Bank	Approval rules	Bonus rule	Card limit	Bureau usually pulled	Reconsideration
3. Chase	5/24; about 2 cards per 30 days; 3/24 reported for sole-prop business apps (Sept 2026)	24 months on most cards; Sapphire and Ink: eligibility pop-up, lifetime-style	No set number; total credit Chase will extend	Depends on your state	1-888-270-2127; business 1-800-453-9719
4. Amex	1 credit card per 5 days, 2 per 90 days (charge cards excluded)	Once per card, per “lifetime”; family rules; pop-up	5 credit cards (charge cards don’t count)	Experian (most of the time)	1-877-399-3083
5. Citi	1 card per 8 days, 2 per 65 days; business 1 per 95 days	Strata cards: once per lifetime (Sept 2026); AAdvantage: 48 months	None stated	Experian or Equifax	1-800-695-5171
6. Capital One	Reported: 1 card per 6 months	48 months per card; Venture family rule	Reported: 2 personal cards	All three	No reconsideration line; status 1-800-903-9177
7. Discover	Second card after the first is a year old (older rule)	Cashback Match	2 Discover cards (older rule)	Depends on your state	Now Capital One
8. Bank of America	2/3/4; 3/12 (7/12 with a BofA deposit account)	24 months on many cards	No set number	Experian (usually)	Numbers change; see section
9. U.S. Bank	No published rule; very sensitive to recent inquiries and new accounts	Varies by card	No set number	TransUnion most often; depends on state	1-800-947-1444
10. Barclays	Unofficial 6/24; about 1 card per 6 months	Lifetime-style wording, loosely enforced	No set number	TransUnion	1-866-408-4064 (reported)
11. Wells Fargo	1 Wells Fargo card per 6 months	Varies by card	No set number	Experian or TransUnion	1-866-412-5956
12. Bilt	Not published	One welcome bonus per lifetime across the Bilt cards	Not published	Not published	No dedicated line

“Reported” means the rule comes from reader data points rather than the bank’s terms. Reconsideration numbers change from time to time.

3. Chase

• Approval: the 5/24 rule: Chase generally denies you if you’ve opened 5 or more new cards (from any bank) in the past 24 months. It applies to Chase business cards too. In September 2026, Chase reconsideration agents began telling sole-proprietor business applicants that the limit is now 3/24; it looks like a new rule, but Chase hasn’t confirmed it. Chase also tends to approve about 2 personal cards (or 1 business card) per 30 days.
• Bonus: most Chase cards: no bonus if you have the card or got its bonus in the past 24 months. The Sapphire cards dropped their 48-month rule on June 23, 2025 for an eligibility check that shows a “not eligible” pop-up during the application (you can stop with no credit pull). Chase says the window is “longer than 48 months,” and 2026 data points show denials 4 to 10 years after a previous bonus. Ink business cards got the same pop-up in November 2025. Southwest: no bonus if you have any Southwest card or got one’s bonus in the past 24 months.
• Freeze: Chase pulls a bureau based on your state. With a frozen report, some reps will pull another bureau; Chase also accepts a temporary freeze PIN.
• Pre-approval check: Chase pre-approved offers (intermittently broken).
• Product changes: within the same family (Chase-branded to Chase-branded, a co-brand to the same co-brand), after the card is 12 months old, by phone, with no hard pull. Common downgrades: Freedom, Freedom Unlimited, Ink Cash. A product-changed card doesn’t come with a bonus.
• Moving credit lines: by secure message or phone; usually a soft pull (a hard pull if the receiving card goes above $35,000). Not between personal and business cards.
• Retention offers: not generous, but you can ask around your annual fee.
• Business cards: don’t report to your personal credit, so they don’t add to 5/24, but Chase business applications are subject to it.
• Also: Chase is the announced next issuer of the Apple Card, with the move from Goldman Sachs expected about 24 months after the January 7, 2026 announcement.

3.1 Chase Reconsideration

• Call: personal 1-888-270-2127 (Doctor of Credit lists Mon–Fri 8am–10pm, Sat–Sun 8am–8pm ET; a 2025 reader found it closed at 9pm ET); business 1-800-453-9719. Other numbers circulate (1-888-338-2586, 1-800-432-3117); the first two are the ones most sources agree on.
• Check status first: log in at chase.com and open Application Status, or call 1-800-432-3117. A “7–10 days” message usually means a denial is coming, and “30 days” means it’s still under review; either is the time to call.
• What to say: ask what’s holding the application up. If the answer is how much credit Chase already gives you, offer to move part of a limit from an existing Chase card (each card has to keep at least $500, and personal and business limits can’t be swapped). Correct any typo on the application and say how you’ll use the card.
• What to expect: identity questions and then an approval are common for personal cards. Business card calls are more thorough: be ready to explain what the business does, its revenue and why it needs the card.
• What won’t work: 5/24 can’t be overridden. The one fix that sometimes works is asking the agent to remove authorized-user cards that were counted against you. Don’t call while you’re over 5/24 or have just opened two Chase cards in 30 days.

Sources: Doctor of Credit (reconsideration numbers), Doctor of Credit (application status by issuer, Nov 2024), The Points Guy (June 2024), Upgraded Points (Oct 2026), Upon Arriving (2022), Doctor of Credit (things to know about Chase). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

4. American Express

• Approval: up to 1 credit card every 5 days and 2 every 90 days. Charge cards (like the Platinum and Gold) don’t count toward those limits.
• Bonus: the “lifetime” rule: generally one welcome bonus per card, per lifetime; data points suggest a “lifetime” is about 5 to 6 years after you close the card. Some cards have family rules (for example, no Gold bonus if you’ve had a Platinum). Amex shows a pop-up before any credit pull if you’re not eligible, and you can cancel with no pull. Since late 2025, the terms have reportedly said you “may not be eligible” rather than “not available”, and at least one repeat Platinum bonus has been reported; Amex hasn’t announced a change. Targeted “no lifetime language” offers are the exception.
• Card limit: 5 Amex credit cards; charge cards don’t count (enforcement is inconsistent).
• Freeze: usually Experian; Amex accepts a temporary freeze PIN, and existing customers often get no new pull.
• Pre-qualification: personal (check signed out) and business.
• Product changes: upgrades usually need the card to be 13 months old and are often offered with a bonus, but upgrading uses up that card’s future welcome bonus. Downgrades stay within a family; a charge card can’t become a credit card.
• Moving credit lines: online, no hard pull.
• Retention offers: ask around the annual fee.
• Business cards: don’t report to your personal credit.

4.1 American Express Reconsideration

• Call: new applications (personal and business) 1-877-399-3083; if you already have an Amex card, 1-866-314-0237. Doctor of Credit lists Mon–Fri 8am–midnight and Sat 10am–6:30pm ET. NerdWallet and AwardWallet list 1-800-567-1083 (personal) and 1-800-567-1085 (business).
• Check status first: americanexpress.com/myappstatus (SSN and ZIP code).
• What to say: if the issue is how much credit Amex already gives you, offer to move credit from another Amex card (no hard pull). At the 5-credit-card limit, offer to close one or product-change it first; charge cards like the Platinum don’t count toward the 5.
• What to expect: often an approval after a few questions. Lately some agents resubmit the application with a note instead of sending you to an analyst, so the answer may come by email. If you already have an Amex card, a new application is often a soft pull, so a denial may not cost you an inquiry.
• What won’t work: the velocity limits (1 credit card per 5 days, 2 per 90 days) and the lifetime bonus rule.

Sources: Doctor of Credit (reconsideration numbers), NerdWallet (Nov 2025), AwardWallet, The Points Guy (June 2024), Doctor of Credit (things to know about Amex). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

5. Citi

• Approval: 1 personal card per 8 days and 2 per 65 days; business cards 1 per 95 days. Since 2023 Citi may automatically decline you if any bank pulled your credit in the past 5 days.
• Bonus: the Strata rule: since about September 20, 2026, the Strata Premier bonus isn’t available if you “currently have or previously had” the card (it was 48 months), and the same change has been reported on the Strata and Strata Elite. Citi added an eligibility pop-up on October 10, 2026. AAdvantage cards keep the 48-month rule.
• Freeze: usually Experian or Equifax; Citi generally won’t switch bureaus but accepts a temporary freeze PIN.
• Pre-approval check: Citi pre-screened offers.
• Product changes: after 12 months; no-fee options include Double Cash, Custom Cash and Rewards+. Upgrades are by targeted offer.
• Moving credit lines: no longer allowed.
• Retention offers: worth asking around the annual fee.
• Business cards: don’t report to your personal credit.
• Also: Citi is now the only American Airlines card issuer: Barclays’ AAdvantage cards became Citi cards on April 24, 2026.

5.1 Citi Reconsideration

• Call: personal 1-800-695-5171 (daily 8am–midnight ET); business 1-800-763-9795 (daily 7am–midnight ET).
• Check status first: Citi application status.
• What to say: confirm your income, explain recent inquiries and new accounts, and ask for a second look. Citi no longer moves credit between cards, so that offer isn’t available here.
• What to expect: Doctor of Credit’s take is that turning a Citi denial into an approval usually isn’t too difficult.
• What won’t work: the 8-day, 65-day and (business) 95-day rules. The 48-month and Strata lifetime rules only decide whether you get the bonus, not whether you’re approved.

Sources: Doctor of Credit (reconsideration numbers), Doctor of Credit (application status by issuer, Nov 2024), Doctor of Credit (things to know about Citi, Mar 2022). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

6. Capital One

• Approval: The usual guidance is one Capital One card per six months and a maximum of two personal Capital One-branded cards, but recent data points contradict both, so treat them as likely, not certain.
• Bonus: generally one bonus per card every 48 months. Since October 2025 the Venture family shares a rule, counted from when you earned the bonus: no Venture X bonus if you earned one in the past 48 months; no Venture bonus if you earned a Venture X or Venture bonus; no VentureOne bonus if you earned any of the three.
• Freeze: Capital One pulls all three bureaus. Approval is possible with a TransUnion or Experian freeze in place, but an Equifax freeze likely won’t work, so unfreeze Equifax at least.
• Pre-approval check: Capital One pre-qualify (soft pull; accepting an offer is a hard pull).
• Product changes: allowed with no hard pull, but approvals are inconsistent; the Quicksilver is the usual downgrade.
• Moving credit lines: online once both cards are 6 months old.
• Retention offers: no retention bonuses, but annual fees are often waived on request.
• Business cards: most report to your personal credit (so they count toward Chase’s 5/24); the Spark Cash Plus, Venture X Business and Venture Business don’t.

6.1 Capital One Reconsideration

• Call: Capital One has no reconsideration department; decisions are automated. Application status: 1-800-903-9177 (have the last four of your SSN, date of birth and ZIP). Doctor of Credit’s choice for a person is Application Services, 1-800-625-7866.
• When: wait for Capital One’s email about the application. A pending application usually means it needs to verify your identity or can’t read a frozen report.
• What to do: unfreeze all three bureaus (Capital One pulls Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), then use the application-center link in the email to upload anything it asks for.
• What to expect: a denial is very rarely reversed by phone. Reapplying means another three hard pulls, so wait until the reason on the letter has changed.

Sources: Doctor of Credit (reconsideration numbers), Capital One (application status, July 2026), Travel on Points (Aug 2025), myFICO forums (Aug 2025). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

7. Discover

• Status: Discover is now owned by Capital One. Discover-branded cards are still offered (discover.com’s card pages now carry Capital One’s name and apply through capitalone.com), and servicing moves to the Capital One app and website in phases from July 27, 2026 into early 2027. Cardholders keep their card numbers, rewards and Cashback Match.
• Approval and limits (older rules): up to 2 Discover cards, the second after the first is a year old. It isn’t known yet whether Capital One’s own limits now include Discover cards.
• Freeze: bureau depends on your state; Discover doesn’t accept a freeze PIN, so lift the freeze.
• Product changes: online between Discover cards after a year. Moving credit lines: by phone, with at least $500 left on each card.
• Business cards: report to your personal credit.

7.1 Discover Reconsideration

• Call: the old Discover numbers are 1-888-676-3695 and 1-800-DISCOVER. Discover accounts moved to Capital One’s website and app on July 27, 2026, so expect new applications to follow Capital One’s process (above).
• Freeze: Discover’s older rule was no approval with a frozen report and no freeze PIN, so unfreeze before applying.

Sources: Doctor of Credit (reconsideration numbers), Travel on Points (Aug 2025), Doctor of Credit (things to know about Discover, 2019), Doctor of Credit (Discover to Capital One, July 2026). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

8. Bank of America

• Approval: 2/3/4: at most 2 new BofA cards in 2 months, 3 in 12 months and 4 in 24 months. Separately, 3/12 (3 new cards from any bank in 12 months), or 7/12 if you have a BofA deposit account. Both are soft rules.
• Bonus: many cards: no bonus if you’ve had that card in the past 24 months, enforced inconsistently.
• Freeze: usually Experian; no freeze PIN, so lift the freeze or ask for another bureau.
• Pre-approval check: BofA customized offers.
• Product changes: allowed; common downgrades are the Travel Rewards and Customized Cash cards.
• Moving credit lines: by phone, and BofA is the one bank that allows moves between personal and business cards.
• Retention offers: annual-fee waivers are common, especially with a banking relationship.
• Business cards: don’t report to your personal credit.
• Also: BofA issues the Alaska/Hawaiian Atmos Rewards cards and has announced that eligible BofA cards will be able to transfer points to Atmos Rewards in 2027.

8.1 Bank of America Reconsideration

• Call: Doctor of Credit notes that Bank of America’s personal numbers change often; it lists 1-800-732-9194 and 1-888-762-5486 (Mon–Fri 8am–7pm ET), and readers have reported 1-877-261-3664 working. Business: 1-888-782-7717. Status: 1-877-721-9405 (press 3) or online.
• What to say: lean on any checking, savings or Merrill accounts you have, and offer to move credit from another Bank of America card (a soft pull).
• What to expect: denials can be turned around, sometimes by being offered a lower tier of the card you applied for (a Platinum instead of a Signature, for example).
• What won’t work: the 2/3/4 rule and the 3/12 limit (7/12 with deposits).

Sources: Doctor of Credit (reconsideration numbers), Doctor of Credit (application status by issuer, Nov 2024), Doctor of Credit (things to know about Bank of America, June 2020). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

9. U.S. Bank

• Approval: no published rule, but U.S. Bank is very sensitive to recent inquiries and new accounts, and each extra U.S. Bank card makes the next one harder. Applicants with many new accounts have had existing U.S. Bank cards closed.
• Freeze: TransUnion most often (it depends on your state). U.S. Bank won’t use another bureau or a freeze PIN, so unfreeze the one it pulls. It also checks the smaller SageStream and ARS bureaus.
• Pre-approval check: none at the moment; U.S. Bank removed its checker.
• Product changes: not between co-branded and U.S. Bank-branded cards; common downgrades are Cash+ and Altitude Go.
• Moving credit lines: no longer offered.
• Retention offers: the annual fee is refunded if you cancel within 30 days of it posting.
• Business cards: don’t report to your personal credit.

9.1 U.S. Bank Reconsideration

• Call: 1-800-947-1444 or 1-800-685-7680 (Mon–Fri 8am–8pm, Sat 9am–6pm ET). The automated status line (option 1, then option 1) works any time; there’s no online status page.
• What to say: explain recent inquiries and new accounts, since that’s U.S. Bank’s usual concern. Several auto-loan inquiries from one car purchase can be pointed out as one shopping trip.
• What to expect: “worth a call, no guarantee.” A March 2026 data point: the agent sent the file for review (3 to 5 days), U.S. Bank then texted asking the applicant to call its Customer Authentication Department, and after that call the card was approved within hours.
• Freeze: unfreeze the bureau U.S. Bank pulls; it won’t switch to another bureau or accept a freeze PIN.

Sources: Doctor of Credit (reconsideration numbers), Doctor of Credit (things to know about U.S. Bank, Feb 2026), myFICO forums (data point, Mar 2026). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

10. Barclays

• Approval: an unofficial 6/24 (6 new cards from any bank in 24 months), not consistently enforced; about one new Barclays card every 6 months. Using your existing Barclays cards helps; dormant cards reportedly hurt.
• Bonus: terms use lifetime-style wording (“not previously been” a cardmember), but it hasn’t been strictly enforced; about 6 months after closing the same card is the usual practice.
• Freeze: almost always TransUnion.
• Pre-approval check: Barclays removed its general checker.
• Product changes: downgrades to no-fee versions exist; asking for a retention offer first is often better.
• Moving credit lines: call the credit analyst department; soft pull.
• Business cards: don’t report to your personal credit.
• Also: Barclays no longer issues American Airlines cards (they moved to Citi in April 2026).

10.1 Barclays Reconsideration

• Call: 1-866-408-4064 (listed by AwardWallet, NerdWallet and Travel on Points; Doctor of Credit doesn’t list a Barclays number).
• Check status first: Barclays application status (last name, last four of your SSN, ZIP and email).
• What to say: why you want this card, and an offer to move credit from another Barclays card (a soft pull).
• What to expect: sometimes only identity verification is needed. If you already have a Barclays card, a denial usually doesn’t add a new hard pull.

Sources: AwardWallet, NerdWallet (Nov 2025), Travel on Points (Aug 2025), Doctor of Credit (application status by issuer, Nov 2024), Doctor of Credit (things to know about Barclays, 2019). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

11. Wells Fargo

• Approval: you “may not qualify” for another Wells Fargo card if you opened one in the past 6 months. Business: no bonus if the business opened or closed a Wells Fargo business card in the past 12 months.
• Card limit: none set; a Wells Fargo checking relationship usually helps.
• Freeze: usually Experian or TransUnion, depending on your state.
• Pre-approval check: Wells Fargo preselected offers.
• Product changes: Wells Fargo closes the old account and opens a new one, so you lose that account’s age (no hard pull).
• Moving credit lines: reports vary between a soft and a hard pull.
• Retention offers: none known.
• Business cards: don’t report to your personal credit.

11.1 Wells Fargo Reconsideration

• Call: 1-866-412-5956 (Mon–Fri 9am–9pm) or 1-800-967-9521 (Saturday 8am–7pm). Status: 1-877-514-3717 or online.
• What to say: point to your existing Wells Fargo relationship; Wells Fargo usually wants you to have a checking account first.
• What to expect: Doctor of Credit calls Wells Fargo denials hard to overturn, and one reader was told there’s no reconsideration line. Moving credit between Wells Fargo cards is a hard pull, so it isn’t a cheap fix here.
• What won’t work: the 1-card-per-6-months rule.

Sources: Doctor of Credit (reconsideration numbers), Doctor of Credit (application status by issuer, Nov 2024), Doctor of Credit (things to know about Wells Fargo, Feb 2026). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

12. Bilt

• Issuer: since February 7, 2026 the Bilt cards (Blue $0, Obsidian $95, Palladium $495) are issued by Column N.A. and serviced by Cardless; the old Wells Fargo Bilt card was converted to a Wells Fargo Autograph unless you opted out. More in my Bilt card review.
• Bonus: no welcome bonus if you currently hold or previously held any of the new Bilt cards, or ever received a welcome bonus, so effectively one per lifetime across all three. Bilt can deny or reverse bonuses for opening multiple cards.
• Product changes: not allowed in the first year.
• 5/24: a Bilt card counts as a new account.
• Not published yet: which bureau it pulls and approval limits.

12.1 Bilt Reconsideration

• Call: there’s no dedicated reconsideration line, and calling Wells Fargo won’t help with the new cards. Cardless support is 1-888-227-3537 (reported), or use in-app chat or support@cardless.com.
• What to expect: denials have cited being unable to verify identity or the credit profile, and some applicants with no Innovis file were denied. Phone support has told denied applicants to reapply after 45 days, and in January 2026 many denied Bilt cardholders were later approved by email without calling.
• What won’t work: reapplying several times in a row.

Sources: Travel on Points (Aug 2025), Doctor of Credit (Bilt, Jan 2026), Frequent Miler (Jan 2026), Upgraded Points (2026), myFICO forums (Mar 2026). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

13. Credit Unions

• Navy Federal: open to service members, veterans, their families and household members, and Department of Defense civilians. Up to 3 cards; product changes allowed; business cards don’t report to your personal credit.
• PenFed: anyone can join during the application. No product changes.

13.1 Credit Union Reconsideration

• Navy Federal: decisions usually come by text, can take up to 30 days if documents are needed, and denials come by letter. Members have asked for a second look through Secure Message in online banking with a short, specific explanation, with mixed results; read the denial letter first. Member Services: 1-888-842-6328 (24/7).
• PenFed: credit cards 1-877-856-9690; member services 1-800-225-6378. Reported calls haven’t changed denials, and reapplying usually means a new hard pull.

Sources: Navy Federal (applying for a credit card), PenFed (contact us), myFICO forums (Navy Federal, 2022). Last checked: October 13, 2026.

14. Store Cards and Other Issuers

Synchrony and Bread (Comenity) issue most store cards. Some can be pre-approved at a retailer’s checkout with only a soft pull (the “shopping cart trick”). Store cards on a network (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover) count toward 5/24; store-only cards don’t. Both banks are known for closing accounts that are in good standing. The Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs until Chase takes over (see Chase).

15. Quick Answers