The Points Tool You've Always Wanted

There are growing reports that Chase may have tightened its 5/24 rule for business credit card applications, as multiple customer service reps have told applicants they must now be under 3/24 instead. We are not ready to call this a confirmed change yet, but there are now enough independent data points that it's worth having on your radar, especially if you planned to open a Chase business card in the near future. Multiple applicants at 3/24 or 4/24 have recently been denied for Chase business cards, with Chase reconsideration representatives specifically telling them that a new 3/24 restriction applies. Most reports so far involve people applying as sole proprietors, and several Chase representatives have reportedly cited mid-September as the start of the new rule. There are also conflicting data points, including applicants at 3/24 or 4/24 who have still been approved, but that doesn't necessarily disprove anything since Chase has been increasingly inconsistent with approvals over the last 9-12 months after tightening restrictions on many of its cards. We don't yet know exactly how the rule works, who it applies to, or how consistently it will be enforced. There is also no indication that Chase has changed the 5/24 rule for personal cards. While we don't recommend changing your entire credit card strategy based on this yet, if you're at 3/24 or 4/24 and planning to apply for a Chase business card as a sole proprietor, you should absolutely be aware of it. Between this and the recent Citi Strata updates, these are both good reminders of the importance of staying flexible in this hobby. We'll update this as more data points emerge

Citi has changed the eligibility requirements for signup bonuses on its Strata cards, and it's not great. Citi has three Strata cards: the Strata, Strata Premier, and Strata Elite. All three previously had 48-month language, meaning you could earn the bonus on each card once every 48 months. Citi recently removed that language and replaced it with lifetime-style restrictions similar to Amex and the Chase Sapphire and Ink cards. The new terms say, "New account bonus offer is not available if you currently have or previously had a Citi Strata Elite® account. You also may not be eligible for the new account bonus offer based on a number of factors, such as your history of opening, closing and using credit cards." We'll have to wait and see what "lifetime" means in Citi's case. With Amex, data points suggest lifetime is typically around 7-10 years. Chase added similar restrictions to its Sapphire and Ink cards within the last year, but data points there are still mixed, so we don't yet have a firm handle on how long its version of "lifetime" lasts.

IHG has a new promotion offering up to 3X points on qualifying paid stays through December 31, 2026. There are several requirements to keep in mind. You must register, only stays booked after October 1 qualify, and your first qualifying stay earns no bonus at all. Starting with your second stay, you'll earn 2X points when booking through an eligible IHG direct channel or 3X points when booking through the IHG app. Reward Nights and Points + Cash stays do not qualify, but bonus earning is unlimited. If you already have IHG stays planned for October through December, register now and consider rebooking them through the app after October 1 if the rate is the same.

The IHG One Rewards Premier Card has a welcome offer for five 40,000-point Free Night Awards after spending $4,000 in the first three months, which could provide up to 200,000 points worth of hotel nights. You can top off each 40K Free Night Award with your own points for a more expensive stay. The catch is that the five Free Night Awards expire after 12 months, making them much less flexible than points. Go here to find this offer. This is an alternative to the public offer of 140,000 IHG points after spending $3,000 in three months. Which offer is better depends entirely on your travel plans over the next year. If you know you'll use all five certificates before they expire, this offer provides the equivalent of 60,000 more points. Keep in mind that you cannot use IHG's fourth-night-free benefit when redeeming Free Night Awards, but you can when booking entirely with points. The 140,000-point offer is more flexible for anyone who isn't certain they'll use all five Free Night Awards.