How CardOptimizer Works

📌 What it does

Most Chase credit cards are subject to the 5/24 rule. If you have opened 5 or more personal credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months, Chase will generally decline your application. This includes cards from any bank — not just Chase. Cards are counted based on account opening date, not approval date.

💡 Why it exists

Chase uses the 5/24 rule to limit approvals for applicants who rapidly open multiple cards for signup bonuses. It acts as a velocity control mechanism to reduce bonus abuse and acquisition costs.

✅ How to satisfy it

You must be under 5/24 at the time of application. Cards fall off your count exactly 24 months after their opening date. Some business cards (especially from Chase and Amex) typically do not add to your 5/24 count, but they may still require you to be under 5/24 for approval. Authorized user accounts usually appear in your 5/24 count, but can sometimes be removed through reconsideration if you are not financially responsible for the account.

📌 What it does

Most American Express cards include 'lifetime language' in their terms. If you have previously received the welcome bonus for a specific card product, you are generally not eligible to receive that bonus again. The restriction applies to the exact same card — not automatically to other cards in the same brand or tier.

💡 Why it exists

American Express uses lifetime language to prevent repeated bonus cycling. Unlike issuers that use time-based rules (e.g., Citi's 48 months, Chase's 48 months for Sapphire), Amex typically limits each card's welcome bonus to one per person per product.

✅ How to satisfy it

You may still apply and be approved for the card again, but you will not receive the welcome bonus if you previously earned it. To remain eligible, you must apply for a card you have never received a bonus on before. Occasionally, targeted offers without lifetime language (NLL offers) may bypass this restriction.

📌 What it does

American Express generally limits how many revolving credit cards you can hold at the same time. Most cardholders are approved for around five Amex credit cards, although the exact number can vary by profile. Charge cards (such as Platinum, Gold, and Green) are evaluated separately and typically do not count toward this credit card limit because they do not have preset spending limits.

💡 Why it exists

This is an internal risk control policy. Amex manages overall credit exposure by limiting the number of open revolving credit lines rather than strictly limiting the total number of Amex cards.

✅ How to satisfy it

If you are denied for 'too many credit cards,' you may need to close an existing Amex credit card or move credit limits between accounts. In many cases, charge cards can still be opened because they are evaluated independently.

📌 What it does

Citi is widely observed to limit how frequently you can be approved for new cards. Most applicants are approved for no more than one Citi card within about 8 days, and no more than two Citi cards within about 65 days. These are not officially published rules, but consistent approval patterns seen across many applications.

💡 Why it exists

Citi uses velocity controls to reduce rapid account openings and manage risk exposure. Rather than a long-term restriction like Chase 5/24, this rule controls short-term application frequency.

✅ How to satisfy it

After a Citi approval, it is generally safest to wait at least 8 days before applying again. After two approvals, waiting about 65 days from the most recent approval significantly improves approval odds.

📌 What it does

Many Citi cards restrict welcome bonus eligibility for 48 months after you last received a bonus on that same card. In most current Citi terms, the 48-month clock is based on when you received the previous signup bonus — not when you opened or closed the account. Some Citi card families, particularly ThankYou points cards, may include cross-card language that limits bonuses across related products.

💡 Why it exists

Citi uses a long bonus restriction window to discourage repeat bonus cycling. The 48-month timeframe is one of the longest among major issuers.

✅ How to satisfy it

Check the exact bonus eligibility language in the current offer terms. In most cases, you must wait 48 months from when you received your previous bonus on that card before becoming eligible again. Closing the card does not automatically reset the timer unless explicitly stated in the offer terms.

📌 What it does

You cannot receive a Sapphire welcome bonus (Preferred or Reserve) if: (1) you currently hold any Sapphire card, or (2) you have received a new cardmember bonus on any Sapphire card within the past 48 months. Chase treats Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve as one family for bonus eligibility purposes.

💡 Why it exists

Chase enforces this rule to prevent repeated cycling between Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve to earn multiple bonuses. It preserves the long-term value of the Sapphire product line.

✅ How to satisfy it

To become eligible for a new Sapphire bonus: you must not currently hold any Sapphire card, and you must wait 48 months from when you last received a Sapphire bonus. Product changes (downgrades or upgrades) do not reset the 48-month clock, but you must downgrade out of Sapphire before applying for a new Sapphire card.

📌 What it does

Each Amex Hilton card (Honors, Surpass, Aspire, Business) has its own independent per-product lifetime bonus. Hilton cards do NOT block each other across tiers — there is no ascending-order restriction or cross-card blocking. Application order does not determine eligibility. However, standard American Express restrictions still apply: lifetime language on the same product, upgrade history counting as prior ownership, and occasional welcome-offer ineligibility pop-ups.

💡 Why it exists

Unlike Delta or Membership Rewards families, Amex does not enforce a tier hierarchy on Hilton cards. Each Hilton product is treated as a completely separate product with its own independent bonus eligibility. This makes Hilton one of the most straightforward Amex card families for collecting multiple welcome bonuses.

✅ How to satisfy it

You can earn a bonus on every Hilton card in any order — Aspire first, then Surpass, then Honors — and earn all bonuses. The only restrictions are: (1) you can only earn each specific card's bonus once (per-product lifetime), (2) upgrading/product-changing to a Hilton card counts as prior ownership (forfeiting its bonus), and (3) Amex may show a pop-up warning that you're ineligible for the welcome offer, which is based on your overall Amex relationship.

📌 What it does

Barclays only allows you to hold one JetBlue personal card at a time—JetBlue Card, JetBlue Plus, or JetBlue Premier. You must close or product-change your current JetBlue personal card before applying for a different one. The JetBlue Business card is separate and not affected by this restriction. Additionally, bonus eligibility resets after 24 months.

💡 Why it exists

Barclays enforces a one-personal-card-per-family policy for JetBlue products. This prevents customers from holding multiple tiers simultaneously and encourages product changes rather than new applications. The 24-month bonus cooldown discourages frequent churning.

✅ How to satisfy it

If you want a different JetBlue personal card, close or product-change your current one first. For bonus eligibility, wait 24 months from when you last received a JetBlue bonus. The business card can be held alongside any personal JetBlue card.

📌 What it does

Barclays only allows you to hold one Wyndham personal card at a time. You must close or product-change your current Wyndham personal card before applying for a different one. The Wyndham Business card is separate and not affected by this restriction. Additionally, bonus eligibility resets after 24 months.

💡 Why it exists

Barclays enforces a one-personal-card-per-family policy for Wyndham products. This prevents customers from holding multiple personal Wyndham tiers simultaneously. The 24-month bonus cooldown discourages frequent churning while still allowing repeat bonuses.

✅ How to satisfy it

If you want a different Wyndham personal card, close or product-change your current one first. For bonus eligibility, wait 24 months from when you last received a Wyndham bonus. The business card can be held alongside any personal Wyndham card.

📌 What it does

The Delta family has three interacting rules: (1) Per-product lifetime bonus — each Delta tier (Gold, Platinum, Reserve) has its own one-time bonus. Getting the Gold bonus doesn't block the Platinum bonus. (2) Upgrade trap — if you upgrade (product change) to a higher Delta tier instead of applying as new, Amex considers you to have 'had' that card, permanently forfeiting its welcome bonus. (3) Ascending order — you must open Delta cards from lowest to highest tier (Gold → Platinum → Reserve). Opening a higher tier first blocks bonuses on all lower tiers in the same track (personal or business).

💡 Why it exists

Amex applies lifetime bonus language per product for Delta cards, but also enforces a strict tier ordering. The ascending order rule discourages cherry-picking the top tier first. The upgrade trap prevents gaming via product changes — Amex wants new applications for each tier to unlock its bonus.

✅ How to satisfy it

Always apply for Delta cards in ascending order: Gold first, then Platinum, then Reserve. Never upgrade to a higher Delta tier — always apply as a new card to preserve the bonus. Each tier's bonus can only be earned once per lifetime. Personal and business tracks are independent, so you can get Gold personal and then Gold business without conflict.

📌 What it does

Amex Membership Rewards cards (Green, Gold, Platinum) follow an ascending-order rule. Opening a higher-tier card first blocks bonuses on lower-tier cards. For example, if you open Platinum first, you lose eligibility for the Gold and Green bonuses. Additionally, upgrading (product-changing) to a higher tier permanently forfeits that card's welcome bonus.

💡 Why it exists

Amex enforces tier ordering to encourage customers to work up through the product lineup rather than cherry-picking the top card. The upgrade trap prevents gaming via product changes — Amex wants new applications for each tier.

✅ How to satisfy it

Apply for MR cards in ascending order: Green first, then Gold, then Platinum. Never upgrade to a higher MR tier — always apply as a new card. Each tier's bonus can only be earned once per lifetime.

📌 What it does

Amex Blue Cash cards follow an ascending-order rule. Opening Blue Cash Preferred first blocks the Blue Cash Everyday bonus. Additionally, upgrading (product-changing) from Everyday to Preferred permanently forfeits the Preferred welcome bonus.

💡 Why it exists

Amex applies the same tier-ordering restriction to its cashback lineup. Preferred is the higher tier, so opening it first blocks the Everyday bonus.

✅ How to satisfy it

If you want bonuses on both cards, apply for Blue Cash Everyday first, then Blue Cash Preferred. Never upgrade from Everyday to Preferred — apply as a new card to preserve the bonus.

📌 What it does

Amex Marriott Bonvoy consumer cards follow an ascending-order rule. Opening the Brilliant (higher tier) first blocks the Bevy bonus. This is separate from the Marriott cross-issuer rule — even if the cross-issuer cooldown is clear, the ascending-order restriction still applies. Business cards are not affected.

💡 Why it exists

Amex applies tier-ordering restrictions to its Marriott Bonvoy lineup. Brilliant is the premium tier, so opening it first blocks the Bevy bonus. This prevents customers from cherry-picking the top card and then collecting lower-tier bonuses.

✅ How to satisfy it

If you want bonuses on both Amex Marriott consumer cards, apply for Bevy first, then Brilliant. The Marriott Business card is independent and can be applied for in any order.

📌 What it does

Chase United cards have a 48-month per-product bonus cooldown. You cannot earn a bonus on the same United product if you received one within the last 48 months. Cross-product bonuses are allowed — getting a United Explorer bonus does NOT block a United Quest bonus.

💡 Why it exists

Chase applies a 48-month same-product cooldown on United cards. Unlike Amex's lifetime language, this means you CAN earn a repeat bonus on the same card — just not within 48 months.

✅ How to satisfy it

Wait 48 months from when you last received a bonus on the same United card. You can freely apply for a different United product at any time (subject to 5/24). Track your bonus receipt dates, not application dates.

📌 What it does

You can only earn ONE Southwest personal card bonus every 24 months. Getting any Southwest personal card bonus (Plus, Premier, or Priority) blocks ALL other Southwest personal bonuses for 24 months. Business cards (Performance Business, Premier Business) are exempt from this family-level restriction.

💡 Why it exists

Chase enforces a family-wide 24-month cooldown on Southwest personal card bonuses. This is stricter than typical per-product cooldowns — it's a family-level restriction. This is partly to prevent easy Companion Pass churning.

✅ How to satisfy it

Wait 24 months from your last Southwest personal card bonus before applying for any other Southwest personal card. Business cards are not affected — you can get a Southwest Business bonus independently of your personal card bonus timeline.

📌 What it does

Marriott cards from Chase and Amex share bonus eligibility restrictions. You can't get a bonus on a new Marriott card if you've received one (from EITHER issuer) in the past 24 months. This is unusual because it crosses issuer boundaries.

💡 Why it exists

Marriott enforces this rule across both Chase and Amex issuers to prevent bonus abuse across their co-branded card portfolio. It's a Marriott policy, not a bank policy.

✅ How to satisfy it

Wait 24 months from your last Marriott bonus, regardless of which bank issued the card. Track both Chase and Amex Marriott bonuses carefully before applying for any new Marriott card.