Approval Rules Chase 4/6
Chase will decline your application you apply for a 5th Chase card (personal or BUSINESS) in 6 months
Deep Dive into the Chase 4/6 Rule
This is somewhat of an ancillary to the 5/24 rule: You'll be declined if you try for a 5th Chase cards (personal or BUSINESS) in a 6-month period. If you have a business with a big spend, hitting this rule is more likely, since Chase business cards don't count towards 5/24 -- but they do count towards this rule. Don't worry. As long as you keep your cards up to date, we'll keep track and warn you if the rule is tripped.
Important to know:
The Chase 4/6 rule is lesser known than its more popular 5/24 counterpart. It is also one of two Chase rules that deals with card velocity in a short period of time. The other is the 2/30 rule, which states that you cannot open more than two cards in 30 days. Note that both of these rules (2/30 and 4/6) apply to Chase cards only. While the 5/24 rule excludes business cards, the 4/6 rule does not. You cannot get more than four Chase cards of any kind in six months.
Related Rules
How Does This Affect Your Credit Card Strategy?
Chase’s 5/24 rule is the driver of card strategy for anyone in the hobby, and it’s usually the first rule you come across when you get into this. When you get deeper into the hobby, you’ll soon find out Chase has other rules, as do all other banks. The 4/6 rule in and of itself probably won’t come into play much for you, as opening more than four cards in six months isn’t a typical pace. While by rule you are allowed to do it, you won’t be able to keep opening up that many cards in such a short period without getting yourself into trouble.
Knowledge of this rule and the rules by other banks is important to your overall card strategy and longevity in the hobby. We recommend coming up with a plan for opening cards so as to not trip any of these rules and get denied. It’s necessary to look at the rules for all banks, as they all have similar restrictions in terms of how many cards you can open in a certain amount of time.
Important to know:
On the most basic level, here are a few general suggestions to keep you clear of the velocity rules in place. You always want to keep in mind that you want to stay under the Chase’s golden rule - no more than 5 cards in 24 months:
- Only open a new card every 2-3 months (you may have to stretch this out the longer you’re in the hobby)
- Switch between banks as often as possible
- Switch between personal and business cards when possible
If you use these very general guidelines while also staying within velocity rules of each bank, that should keep you going strong in the hobby for years. There may be times when you have to take a break from a specific bank because you’ve opened too many cards with them. Even if you haven’t actually violated one of these rules (as many of them are unwritten), a bank can always deny you a new card. The key is not to be too greedy and space applications/new cards out as much as possible. You can almost always be working towards a new signup bonus if you do it right, but it’s important to be strategic in the way you go about doing it.
Importance of this Rule
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We place this rule pretty high up in importance. One because it’s a Chase rule, and Chase is the most important system in this hobby. The second reason is because the concept of limiting cards you open with one bank should help drive your strategy.
Much like Chase’s 2/30 rule, it’s not necessarily the specific rule that is important. It’s the idea that you are allowed to open up to four cards in a six month period that could get you into trouble. While the rule says you can do it, we suggest not opening that many cards from one bank in that little of a time period. With so many different banks and cards out there, and the possibility of getting business cards along with personal ones, it's not necessary to restrict yourself to one bank in six months. Use the idea of this rule as a guideline to vary the cards you apply for, by bank, by business or personal, and by time between applications.
Rule Applies to All Cards from This Bank
Cards Subject to This Rule
FAQs
Are there exceptions to this rule?
No, business cards are often the exception to this rule, but in this case all Chase cards, both business and personal, count.
How do I check my status?
Even if you are an organized person who has a nice, color coded spreadsheet to keep track of all the cards you’ve opened, you could make it easier on yourself. By loading all your cards into the Points Navigator, we’ll do all the hard, detailed work for you. We can let you know when you trip one of these rules. We can also let you know when an annual fee is about to hit. We can make suggestions on strategy and which card to get next.
Do business cards count for this rule?
Yes, business cards count against your 4/6 status.
Do product changes on existing cards count for this rule?
No, if you product change to a different card, that does not count since you didn’t apply for a new card.
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.