Approval Rules Cap One 1/6
One Sentence Summary
You won’t be approved for a second Capital One card if you’ve opened one in the past six months
Deep Dive into the Cap One 1/6 Rule
This rule is specific to Capital One cards, so you cannot get 2 Capital One cards within 6 months of each other. This rule also includes Capital One business cards. There are other credit card rules that don’t include business cards, like Chase’s 5/24 rule. You can have as many business cards as you’d like, and they don’t count against your 5/24 status.
But for this rule, you cannot get one personal and one business Capital One card within 6 months. It’s a 1 card per 6 month policy, regardless of whether the cards are personal or business.
Important to know:
There has been chatter over the past couple years that Capital One has loosened its restrictions on this rule. Many of these credit card rules are not explicitly stated rules on each bank’s website or in their terms and conditions, including the most referenced rule in the points and miles world - Chase’s 5/24 rule. So it’s difficult to definitively say one way or another which ones are consistently enforced.
We have seen data points saying that this rule is not always enforced. There are instances when people have been approved for 2 Capital One cards within a 6 month period. We always recommend flexibility and having a backup plan when it comes to your credit card strategy, so if you want to test this rule out, go for it. Just make sure you have a backup plan in place in case of a denial.
Related Rules
How Does This Affect Your Credit Card Strategy?
We rank Capital One Miles third as a system behind Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Member Rewards, as its purchase eraser function is good to use for those instances when transfer partners don’t exist (like vacation rentals). Capital One miles are good to have to fill in the gaps that Chase and American Express don’t cover. They offer a handful of high value cards for those in the points and miles hobby, and we have several that rank highly on our credit cards rankings. They do also have transfer partners, which is the way to get the most value out of your points.
Important to know:
We do recommend getting a Capital One card early in the hobby because diversifying your points portfolio is important. Any time you can get the clock started on a card system that has a velocity rule like this, it’s smart to do so. This rule will most likely become an afterthought after getting your first card from the bank though. There won’t be many instances where you’ll want or need a Capital One card more than once every six months.
Importance of this Rule
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This rule shouldn’t have a major impact on your overall card strategy. There is rarely a need to get more than one Capital One card in a 6 month period. You can easily apply for cards with other banks so this rule is not one you have to consider often, if at all.
Though we like Capital One as a system, you’ll spend more of your card capital on Chase and American Express cards. Cards from banks like Capital One and Citi are good for filling in the gaps that Chase and Amex don’t cover. Capital One is also good when you need a break from one or both of the other major systems, but again, that shouldn’t require a new Capital One card within 6 months of getting one.
Banks That Use This Rule
Cards Subject to This Rule
FAQs
Are there exceptions to this rule?
No. Business cards are often the exception to many credit card rules, but this one is an outlier. Business cards are also counted.
How do I check my status?
We always recommend keeping close track of which cards you get, when you get them, and when you receive the signup bonus. All are important when taking into account the various rules that each credit card provider has and making sure you don’t break any of them.
If you don’t want to keep track of it all yourself, that’s why we built the Points Navigator. You can load all your cards into our system, and we’ll keep track of everything for you. We’ll offer suggestions on which card to get next, notify you when an annual fee is going to be due, and keep track of all these pesky rules, alerting you if you are going to apply for a card that will trip one of them.
Do business cards count for this rule?
Yes, they do count for this rule.
Do product changes on existing cards count for this rule?
The 1/6 rule applies to new applications, so downgrading a card or product changing a card should not trip this rule.
About Approval Rules
Collecting credit card points is largely driven by understanding and abiding by bank rules regarding approval (or disapproval) of cards. So here's what you need to know:
- Approval rules are rarely fully publicized by the banks
- We use our own research and data points from other users in creating the rules listing
- Our goal in sharing/using the rule listings is to provide you guidance to avoid getting declined
- There can sometimes be exceptions to the rules, but we try to take a more cautious approach in advising you.