5/24 rule.
In plain English
The 5/24 rule is an unofficial but well-documented policy of one large card issuer: if you have opened five or more credit cards from any bank in the previous 24 months, it will usually decline your application for most of its cards. It exists to discourage people from opening cards purely to harvest sign-up bonuses. The count includes most personal cards from all issuers, not just that bank's, though some business cards do not count. It is the single most important constraint that rewards-focused applicants track, and it resets as older accounts age past the 24-month window.
01Why it matters
For anyone opening cards for rewards, 5/24 decides which applications will be approved, so knowing your count prevents wasted hard inquiries on cards you cannot get.
02The math, step by step
You have opened five cards in the last two years. Under the 5/24 rule, a new application at that issuer is likely denied until one of those accounts passes the 24-month mark and drops your count to four.
03What this is NOT
5/24 is NOT an industry-wide law. It is one issuer's internal policy; other banks have their own, different rules, so a denial under 5/24 does not mean every bank will decline you.
04Receipts
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