Chase Sapphire Reserve 5/24 Rule Enforcement & Workarounds
The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is now publicly available. On 8/21/2016 it became available for sign-ups in-branch and now it is available online as well. Since the cards’ launch, the big question has been about Chase Sapphire Reserve 5/24 rule enforcement and if there are any workarounds. Let’s take a look at the data and what you can do.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Overview
Before discussing Chase Sapphire Reserve 5/24 rule enforcement and workarounds towards getting approved, here are the basics of Chase’s new premium credit card offering.
Bonus:
- 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points (worth $1,500 in travel) after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months.
- Annual fee: $450
Earnings:
- 3X Dining & Travel.
- 1X Everywhere else.
Key Benefits:
- $300 annual travel credit per calendar year (get it twice in your first cardmember year.)
- Priority Pass Select membership
- Global Entry fee credit
- 1:1 points transfers
- Travel & purchase protection
- Points worth 1.5 cents each when used to book travel.
What Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve 5/24 Rule?
The 5/24 rule or guideline as I like to call it, means that Chase will almost always deny an applicant who has opened 5 or more new revolving credit accounts within the past 24 months. A denial under the 5/24 rule generally comes with the language, “Too many new accounts in the past 24 months” or simply “Too many new accounts.” Sometimes the specific number of 5 is used and other times no specific number is given.
Chase Sapphire Reserve 5/24 Rule Enforcement
On 8/21 I covered some of the data points regarding in-branch applications for the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. Unfortunately, the data was mixed, but it seemed to indicate that 5/24 was in place for this card. When the card went live for online applications, the data confirmed that the 5/24 rule is being enforced with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
In addition to a number of data points that have surfaced on Reddit (compiled data here) and the data points I covered on 8/21, several Miles to Memories readers have also been denied due to “too many new accounts.”
Applied online at what I thought was 8/24. Got “we need to review” message, called recon and was declined for 9/24! Apparently, heloc counts against you as well! – David T
5/24 is an effect. I can confirm. I was just denied. I’m at 4/24 (my accounts). My wife put me on two of her accounts as an AU. they refused to no count the AU accounts. – A
Chase Sapphire Reserve 5/24 Workarounds
There are a couple of known ways to possibly get a Chase Sapphire Reserve approval if you have opened 5 or more new accounts within the past 24 months. The two confirmed Chase Sapphire Reserve 5/24 workarounds are:
Chase Private Client
Chase Private Client is a program for high net worth customers. Customers who participate in this program are known to get around the 5/24 rule and there are indeed data points indicating CPC works to avoid 5/24 with the Sapphire Reserve card. Unfortunately this option won’t be available to most people since it isn’t easy to get Private Client status.
Preapproved In-Branch Offers
Preapproved offers (in-branch) have been known to get around the Chase Sapphire Reserve 5/24 rule. At this point I have seen dozens of data points from people who are over 5/24, were preapproved in-branch and then had their applications for the Chase Sapphire Reserve approved. To see if you are preapproved, go into a Chase branch and speak with a banker or give your local branch a call.
More Sapphire Reserve Info
As a reminder, I have covered everything you need to know about this card over the past week. For more info see these posts:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve & 5/24: Mixed Results from In-Branch Applications
- How to Activate Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass Lounge & Car Rental Elite Benefits
- Chase Sapphire Reserve Full Benefits Guide Released: All Card Benefits Top to Bottom
- Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve: Which Card to Get & Which to Keep
- How I Got Approved for the Sapphire Reserve but Almost Completely Screwed It Up! (And Other Tidbits)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve Priority Pass Guest Policy Confirmed?!?
- How to Easily Track Your Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Credit & 3X Earnings
Conclusion
For those who have opened up a lot of credit cards within the past two years it may be a difficult road towards getting a Chase Sapphire Reserve approval. I’ll continue to monitor the data points and share the news if anything changes, but for now things are not looking good for the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the 5/24 rule.
Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences with the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the 5/24 rule in the comments.
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[…] Chase Sapphire Reserve & The 5/24 Rule: It Doesn’t Look Good, But There May Be a Way for Some […]
Hey Shawn!
First and foremost, thanks for all you do. I am somewhat a beginner and your words make everything easier.
I am under 5/24 but have some doubts. Earlier this month (I believe 8/4/2016), I applied for CSP and got denied because of a lack of credit history (though my FICO score was 785, I had just one College Wells Fargo card). I then applied for the Chase Freedom a few days later (8/6/2016) and was accepted for that. I got the card and met the $500 minimum spend in like a few days…
What do you think I should do?
Should I apply for the CSR now? Should I wait? Should I call the recon line (again..) for the CSP now?
I am going to a Chase branch for the first time next week (flying out to NY/Jersey). Will open an account with them as well.
What do you suggest? I am thinking of waiting until I get to open an account and talk to a banker (but I am itching to just apply now haha). Thanks for all the help.
Cheers,
Ehsan
Hi Ehsan. Considering you are below 5/24, I would probably wait a couple of months and use your Freedom and pay it so Chase sees a little history. The 100K bonus is going to be around awhile and you will get notice before it goes away, so you shouldn’t have to miss out on that. Chase is a bank that likes to see a track record, but once you have that they are fairly easy to get approvals with (outside of 5/24 of course.) I think you will stand a much better shot of getting approved after using the Freedom for a couple of months. Considering the CSP denial I personally wouldn’t apply for the CSR right now.
As for recon on the CSP, you certainly could try calling recon again or using secure message to ask for recon. Just make sure to do this within 30 days and explicitly state that you don’t want them to run your credit again. Also keep in mind that the minimum credit limit for CSP is $5K and CSR is $10K so that might be what is holding up an approval as well.
Hey Shawn,
If you want to do an in branch application do you need a bank account in place with chase? I applied for my wife today and she was rejected for being at 5/24 even though she has only 2 cresit cards in her name is the AU on 3 others ( one of which she never used). She’s a foreigner and i had to get a credit history going. This was a huge BUMMER for me that they would not approve her with only two cards in her name.
Hey Andrew. No you don’t need an account but it does help. You can close her AU cards and petition to have them removed but it will take a couple of months. That might be a strategy that makes sense though.
I am WAY over 5/24, including 3 Amex cards in last 3 months. But all the hoopla is drawing me in to apply, just like people buying lottery tickets when the jackpot is enormous. I have high credit rating, high salary, and a high number of card openings – would you apply in a branch or online? I know it is a long shot either way, but…. you can’t win if you don’t buy a ticket…
I would check in-branch to see if you are preapproved. If you are, the chances are good of an approval. If you are not then the chances of an approval are probably the same either way.
Unfortunately the only Chase locations in MA are 2 ATMs in downtown Boston. I’m planning to apply once I get home from work, but it looks rather bleak as I’m well over 5/24. We shall see
Hi Shawn, great job covering this. I was one of the lucky ones…over 5/24, with a recent CSP rejection, decided against online app for CSR (based on your datapoints), called branch and found out I was pre-approved, spent literally 8 minutes in the bank and walked out with approval.
That is awesome. Congratulations!
Hi Shawn,
I visited my chase branch earlier today and was told that I have an invitation to apply for the card but not the pre-approval.. I asked about the difference between the invitation and the public offer available online but the banker could not answer.. Do you have any idea about this? thanks
I don’t know that I have heard that term before. It sounds like it may be fancy language for you are allowed to apply. They clearly use the “pre-approval” language when the offer is pre-approved for you. My guess is that it will be tough to get an approval if you are over 5/24.
DP: Good news for those over 5/24….
I am currently a solid 10/24 and applied online this AM only to get the we need more time to review message. Email stated 30 days and when I called recon it said 7-10. For kicks I stopped in to my local Chase on the way home from work. Told the banker I have a checking and savings and wanted to see if I would be pre-qualified based on my profile for CSR. I have 2 personal and one business with Chase along with savings and checking. She said she saw I was pre qualified and I applied after answering two questions mother maiden name and income. We talked a bit about CPC and she said I was approved 32K limit. I would highly recommend you visit your branch. She said there many people coming into apply.
[…] Update: Here is the latest news regarding 5/24. […]
Wow. 21/24, went to local branch and had pre-approval. Was approved for CSR. In my case 18 new credit cards from all banks since Aug 2014. 3 of the 21 were AU. Why was I pre-approved? Car loan via chase, chase checking is my primary and pay auto deposits there. 150k income. 810+ Fico. Have had the CSP for 2 years and paid the AF twice (now in third year). No MS, but lots of regular spend on several chase cards for some time. My wife is 15/24 and was NOT pre-approved even though she has the same chase relationships. Sadly she canceled her CSP and is now an AU on mine, perhaps that was the difference.
Can you call a branch and ask if you are pre approved?
You can try. Ask to speak with a banker. It might be tough given privacy rules, so I’m not sure what they will tell you.
Shawn, thanks for keeping us updated on this. I applied through the early release link last week thanks to your quick pickup of the thread and was approved (despite 5+/24).
I do have a question regarding that. At this point, do you think there’s any chance of Chase reversing course on those of us approved through the “leaked” link and declining to honor the application? Based on the reports of manual review and subsequent approvals by others last week, that seems pretty unlikely, but I wanted to get your take.
I doubt that will happen. There is no precedent for it and it was a legitimate app that was available to the public. I have confirmed my bonus with Chase and my card is supposedly in the mail. Of course there is no guarantee, but I think we are safe.
I got the card today via UPS next day air despite never requesting expedited shipping. You were right, looks like we’re safe! Thanks again.
Do you have any knowledge of people NOT being able to get approved above 5/24 as a Chase Preferred Client? Some guy over on DOC comments said he was still denied as a CPC.
Mainly just would hate to go through the hassle of getting CPC and then find out it didn’t get me past 5/24.
It certainly is possible, but I have seen data points from a few CPC that I know personally who have been approved and more that I don’t know. One person said they applied, were denied by recon and then asked for a supervisor noting they were Private Client. At that point they were transferred to a special line where the app was approved.
Definitely no guarantee though.
shawn, just wanted to say congrats for getting yours. nice man!
Thanks. I do feel lucky. Still going to try to go for CPC for my wife.
do it man! then help us understand how to maximize the benefits! maybe those of us getting the hand of denial really should just PC…
5×24 only applies to personal cards right?
Generally it applies to any revolving credit on your credit report. I have heard of people saying Chase includes Home Equity Lines and similar accounts as part of 5/24.
Many small business credit cards don’t show on your report and thus don’t count. Basically it is what Chase sees on your report. They do often count small business cards you open with them, even though they don’t show on the report.
I am 9/24 so I’m just going to product change my CSP to the CSR. For anyone who has a large amount of UR points its a no brainer. I have close to 500,000 so that’s an easy $1,250 going from 1.25 to 1.50. Once I fall below the 5/24 I can PC back down to the CSP and reapply for the CSR and get the bonus.
Pretty good strategy I think. Of course the bonus could change, but by converting now you get the extra value which in your case is huge.
Okay, so for those of us who can’t get it now the obvious question: Would you bypass a lot of credit card applications for two years to get a CSR? One problem of course is that we don’t know what the bonus offer will be on the CSR in two years… so you might find yourself with a 50K or 60K or 75K offer, can’t know ahead of time. And you might have to wait a while to see if the 100K offer repeats, meaning even longer than 2 years. Yeesh. For 100,000 UR. Give up LOTS of BofA Alaska applications. At least one Citi application in each category–AA, Hilton, TYP. Chase cards not under 5/24–$200 for Disney, Marriott points, etc. Right now I don’t see it.
its a tough choice but as they say… slow and steady wins the race… (in most cases). you can also PC or get CPC… you have options.
Beat me to it. 🙂 Ninja for the win!
haha. no way. can never beat you. you da man shawn… thank you for all you do…
Personally I agree. I wouldn’t probably give up apps because there are a lot of good offers, but some people are doing things like opening business cards that don’t show up on credit. It is a tough decision, but personally I would find it tough to get under 5/24 from where I am now and don’t see my trying.
That decision is one that will vary for many and remember that it is possible to convert to this card meaning you are really only giving up the bonus. You can get the benefits if the card makes sense to you. (As long as you have a card to convert from of course.)
I absolutely agree, it’s not fair.
If you’re into the game w/o a doubt 99 percent chance you have way more than the 5/24.
Who are they targeting???/?