Chase has some increasingly strict rules and restrictions for applying for their credit cards. There’s the Chase 5/24 rule and there’s also the Chase 30 day rule (2/30 rule). I’m going to shed some light on the 30 day rule in this article, as this rule can be quite confusing despite its apparent simplicity.
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Chase combines hard pulls
Update: You can no longer apply for two Chase cards at the same time.
It’s important to remember that Chase (or more accurately the credit bureaus) combines hard pulls so if you apply for two cards at the same time or near the same time, there will usually only be one hard pull on your credit report.
This helps reduce the damage done to your credit score from recent inquiries and so it’s generally recommended to do so. The only thing is, you need to know how to go about the Chase 30 day rule if you’re going to be applying for more than one credit card.
What is the Chase 30 day rule?
The general consensus on this rule is that you cannot apply for more than two Chase cards within any 30 day period. This means the 30 day period does not reset at the end of a month. The simple way to make sure you are not violating this rule is to ask yourself the following question:
- Have I opened more than 2 Chase cards within the past 30 days?
If the answer is yes, then you will likely be found in violation of this rule.
This isn’t a hard and fast rule like the Citi 8/65 rule, however, and there are some exceptions.
Only 1 Chase card sometimes allowed in 30 days
The “bad” exception is that sometimes applicants are denied more than 1 Chase card within a 30 day period. This is increasingly becoming less common based on newer data points and there are numerous theories on why applicants are only allowed one card.
Some have reported that Chase runs an algorithm and pre-determines if you’re eligible for more than one card in a 30 day period. If this mysterious algorithm decides you can’t have two cards then presumably there’s nothing you can do about it.
There may also be a link to the type of Chase cards you apply for. For example, it might be that when someone applies for more than 1 Chase branded card, such as the Sapphire Preferred, Freedom, or Ink, they stand a higher chance of being denied than if they applied for a mix of a Chase branded card and a co-branded card (Southwest, United, Marriott, etc.).
Ultimately, I don’t think anybody knows why some applicants are only allowed one credit card in 30 days but based on my personal experience and research, these applicants denied two cards in 30 days make up the minority.
2 Chase cards are often approved in 30 days
Many people are able to be approved for two Chase branded cards at the same time or within a 30 day time span. This is an area where YMMV, but it’s definitely possible to get, for example, the Freedom and the Sapphire Preferred at the same time or any other duo you want to try (except now you can’t get two Sapphire credit cards).
Note: When applicants combine the Chase Ink with another Chase card like the Sapphire at the same time, there are a lot of reports of one card being rejected. So if you really want the Chase Ink card consider applying for that separately. But yet again, some still get approved for both at the same time, so YMMV.
3 cards opened in 30 days
Now to add even more uncertainty in the mix, some people have even been approved for 3 cards within a 30 day period. These applicants tend to be extreme outliers so if you’re counting on this working for you, know that the odds are definitely stacked against you.
People who get approved for more than two cards in 30 days typically are applying for a business card along with two other personal cards. I have personally had success with opening up a 1 business + 2 personal cards in a span of 30 days, so I know it can be done.
With that said, I personally would not recommend applying for 3 Chase cards with 30 days, especially at once. There have been some reports of others getting shutdown from Chase and, although the data is very limited, there might be a link between accounts being flagged and having three applications at once.
So my recommendation is to just stick to two applications.
A note about recon
When you apply for two Chase cards at the same time, It’s not uncommon for one app to be approved while another app goes to pending. If this happens to you you should follow the normal course of action and wait it out or call into recon to see if you can get approved. (For personal recon calls read this; for business credit card applications read this first.) If you are told that you’re only allowed one card in 30 days then try to call recon back in 30 days and inquire if they can re-open your application without you incurring an additional hard pull.
A note about bankers
It’s not uncommon for bankers at a Chase branch to tell you that you cannot apply for more than one card at once. If that arises and you don’t want to argue, just do your application(s) online.
Conclusion
In the end, while there are some data points on either side of the equation, when it comes to the Chase 30 day application rule, it’s definitely possible to get approved for two Chase cards at once. Just remember as always YMMV.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
Is it 30 days since application submission, or since approval? The post is not clear.
I’d need more data points to know definitively, but I’d go with date of approval just to be safe.
Does being made an authorized user on my spouse’s cards within the past 30 days contributed to the 2/30 rule?
I was approved for Chase Southwest RR Premier card on May 5. On May 20, I applied for SW RR Business card and was given “Pending” status and was ultimately denied upon calling recon line. Right now, Chase is offering 60k sign-up bonus on SW RR Plus card so was thinking about going for that considering the reasons given for denying me Business card (business wasn’t old enough, not enough credit history with other lenders). I have 8 years of credit history with Wells Fargo, no missed/late payments ever. FICO 817.
Given what you stated in your article, should I go 30 days from the date of my Premier card approval or from my May 20 denial?
You should be in the clear. As of today, June 8, you only have one application made to Chase within the last 30 days. Chase’s rule, unlike Citi, tends to focus on number of approvals and not applications. But even if they went by applications, you’d still only have one app in the last 30 days. Thus, the 30 day rule should not have any effect on your approval odds if you apply today. Also, make sure you requested a match for your other card to 60K, assuming you received a lower bonus (40K or 50K).
Wanted to follow up. Applied for the SW RR Plus card today and was approved. Appreciate the guidance!
I had applied for Chase Southwest premier on 6/6 and CS Plus card on 6/8
Was approved for premier, but denied for plus. Reason was too many cards opened in short period of time and they want to see how I use it. I had also opened a Chase United mileage explorer in March of this year. don’t have any other Chase.
In case southwest extends the 60K offer, so it’s after 30 days from 6/8, can I try to re-apply for Plus? (need companion pass really badly :)) Or it won’t work for me since it’ll be 3 new cards within a year. Credit score is 800+
Did you try recon on your 6/8 SW Plus application? You could try for the Plus again as soon as 7/8 but it looks like Chase feels like you’re moving too fast. When Chase denies you for too many cards in a short period of time, generally you want to wait at least a few months to reapply (I’d usually recommend at least 3). In this case, you’re kind of in a bind because at best you’ll probably lose out on a lot of time of your Companion Pass for the first year. Still, I’d probably wait to re-apply until after a few months. Even if the 60K bonus goes away, there’s a good chance that a 50K bonus for the Plus will be around.
I did call for recon but didn’t work. Guess I will wait for a couple months. Pretty new to all this, thank you for the quick reply..appreciate it.
I applied and was approved instantly on 6/12 for the RR Plus. I wanted the premier and now I would like both to double my mileage. I’m worried if I wait the full 30 days I will be denied. 5/24 rule is not a concern. Should I risk getting denied or apply? Trying to weigh the pros and cons
If you only have one Chase card in the last 30 days then I would say apply for the second SW card. That 60K bonus is likely going away as soon as this week, so I think it’s worth a shot. If you’ve opened 2 Chase cards in the past 30 days, you’ll likely be denied.
After working Hurd rebuilding my credit its been more than 5 years of my BK discharged I was finally approved for Amex every day card $11000 credit limit and every day blue cash $5000 credit limit got what are my chances to get approve for Chase freedom unlimited
Check your email!
I was unaware of the Chase 2/30 rule. I applied to Chase Sapphire Reserve on 8/17 (approved) and then applied for both SW Plus and Premier (personal) on 8/29. I was approved for Plus and Declined on Premier. How long should I wait to reapply, as I am trying to get Companion pass before December. Thanks
You’ll need to wait until 30 days after 8/17 to apply. You might want to give yourself a few extra days just to be sure you’re over the 30 day limit.
Thanks, I think I will hold off till 10/1 just be safe because then both should be past the 30 days. Also if I apply for the SW premier and get approved on 10/1 could I apply for CITI prestige on same day? Would any of my chase card openings effect CITI approval? Thanks
I have the United Club card, approved 8/16; I would like to apply for the CSR and Ink Preferred when should I do this? I have banked with Chase for over 10 years both business and personal account there. I don’t have any other credit cards, FICO is excellent.
Are you still under 5/24? Do you have any other Chase cards? If that United card is your only Chase credit card, I would wait 60 to 90 days from 8/16 to apply for those two cards. However, you could apply for both of those as soon as 30 days from 8/16.
Hi Daniel,
I was approved for a SW Premier on 5/31 and the SW Plus on 9/27. I was able to get a companion pass, but wanted other cards to maximize bonuses. I want to apply for both the CSR and CSP cards on the same day to limit the hard inquiry. I will use an incognito browser in hopes that it helps me get approved for both. If I apply for both, it will put me right at the 5/24 rule. My question is how long should I wait to apply?
I have some trips coming up and it will help me hit minimum spend on both cards so I wanted to apply as soon as possible. My credit score is 800+
Thank you,
Eric
Congrats on the Companion Pass. Keep in mind Chase recently changed their rules to only allow one sign-up bonus for Sapphire cards, so you’ll have to choose between the two. There might be some exceptions to that rule, but I haven’t seen them. I would wait at least 30 days from 9/27 to apply for your next Chase card, though. If these are your first and only Chase cards you might even want to wait 60 to 90 days to be on the safe side.
Thanks for letting me know about the one sign-up bonus rule. I did not know that. I think instead of the CSP, I will try for the Unlimited Freedom.
Is this 30 days for a person or a household?
Person (individual applicant). I once heard of an agent in-branch saying that it was per household but that never proved true in my experience.
Thanks for your quick reply!
I applied for both the SW RR plus and premier card at the same time, on 1/31, with two different browsers in private mode (because I read you should do that, not sure why… ha) and was instantly approved for the Premier then told it would take 7-10 days to inform me if I would be approved for the Plus card. I got the letter today saying I had been denied for the Plus card…
Should I call the Recon line…? and if so what do I say to them to help me get approved…?
Credit score: 700+
I have 5yrs credit history with WF bank and am perfect.
I’ve not applied for any type of card or loan over a year….
What woud you suggest?
Definitely call recon. Check out the link in the article for tips on how to handle the call.
Thank you! I will try and call tomorrow. I’ll update after the call.
I called and they still denied my request. They said I did not have enough credit history with Chase and they wanted to see how I handled my credit with them before they approved again…. Bummer!!! How soon should I call back? And what are the next steps I should take?
Bummer. I would try my luck with recon at least one more time (call asap). If they don’t budge, you probably want to wait 3 to 6 months before applying again. If that’s truly the reason for the denial, you’ll probably have some luck with them come round 2.
Great article! Does applying for 1 Chase personal card and 1 business card in the same day usually result in 1 HP?
Thanks in advance!
Thanks! Business and personal apps will result in separate credit pulls so they can’t be combined.
Was denied my second card (an Ink Business Unlimited card) within 30 days after being approved for a personal Unitedmileage plus card 20 days ago. Reason given was that “I’ve already been approved for a Chase card within the last 30 days”. I was also approved for a Ink Preferred about 50 days ago, but I am still under 5/24. I would assume the reason I’m only allowed 1 while others are allowed 2 is a combination of the fact that I have many Chase cards (7 across personal and business), plus the fact I had been approved for another business card within 60 days. They told me to call back in another couple weeks and they will be able to hopefully approve me.
Yep. Many people struggle to ever get approved for two Chase biz cards. So the fact that you also had a pretty recent business app (along with all your other chase cards) is a likely a major reason for the denial. You might need to wait a while to re-apply and even cancel a Chase card since you’re already up there with 7 cards.
My wife got instant approval 10/30/18 for Southwest Business. Before applying we reduced her total credit limits across 5 cards with Chase to an avg of 10k per card. That definitely helped avoid the usual stressful reconsideration call to request a credit move. She is waiting one month to apply for either the Southwest Priority or Plus to renew our companion pass for 2019 & 2020. (I got our pass last time Jan 2017 with a 270 Marriott point purchase of a travel package. Unfortunately no longer an option). Is one month wait enough? Are we wiser to wait 3 months despite losing some months we could be using our pass. We use the pass to fly about once a month to visit family and friends and to travel to our 3 resale timeshares. We want this second Southwest card more than any other 3 cards we’ve gotten in the last 5 years. We appreciate your helpful advise.
Hi Larry, I think the answer depends a lot on how long ago your wife was approved for those other 5 Chase cards? Were those recent?
No all 5 are more than 2 years old. Most are much older. In fact she is down to 0/24 across all cards open and closed on Credit Karma. She has on lots of card bonus opportunities to get sw companion pass again.
Ok, then 30 days is all you would need to wait, though waiting 60 or 90 days will not hurt. She is going to be going for her 7th Chase card though so she’ll be on the upper limits pretty soon, so that’s something to keep in mind, too.
Thanks for the read Daniel!
I do have a question and wanted to get your opinion. I was just approved (Nov 1st) for the Chase SW Business Card and will get the bonus 60k points in early Jan. 2019. I’m strategizing on when I should get the Chase SW Plus card so I can lock in my Companion Pass for 2019 and 2020. So here is my question… In a few weeks I’ll be flying to Vegas on SouthWest and I hear that there is an In-Flight SW Credit Card offer w/ a 50k sign up bonus. I’d like to do this if offered but I’m concerned if I’m applying for this 2nd card too soon. There are no other reasons why I would get denied for this card. Do you think I should do it or should I wait awhile?
Personally, I would wait at least 30 days after applying for a business card. So I usually wouldn’t apply for another Chase card until December 1. However, if that’s your only way to get a 50K offer then you could always give it a try since 1/30 is not a hard and fast rule.
Does being made an authorized user on 2 of my spouse’s cards within the past 30 days contribute to the 2/30 rule?
No you should be good.
So if I am reading this correctly, I will not get approved (very unlikely) for 2 Chase cards within 30 days of each other? I was thinking of getting the Chase Freedom Unlimited and the Flex. I already have the CSP and I am looking to get more Chase cards to pair with it.
I am confused, I applied for the CSP on 1/29 and got approved. I also want the Freedom Flex and was thinking of applying this week as it is still within the 30 days. I only have 1 chase card (CSP), under 5/24 and been a chase customer for 15 yrs. Will I get approved for the CFF if I apply and will that affect my points? I really want it to be one hard pull
I don’t think you can take advantage of one hard pull at their point. Personally, I would just wait until after 30 days have passed from the first app to put some distance between the apps.
I just got the Amazon Prime Visa Signature Card and was wondering how long I should wait to apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited to pair with my CSP?
My general recommendation is to wait 30 days although some may want to wait 90 days given how approvals are a little tighter since covid.
I am trying to build credit for my LLC. I was approved for the Amex Blue Business Cash Card a week ago. Then I discovered the Chase Ink Business Preferred card. I applied w/ them today and received the you will hear something in 30 days via mail msg. I have a 10 year old chase freedom card and checking account with them.
I want cards that will give me travel points, so I also was approved for a personal capitalone venture card a week ago. Again, I learned about the chase sapphire preferred a little late. I want to apply for this card, but I’m afraid I will be declined. It previously showed up as pre-approved when I logged into my chase account, but now it’s gone. I have only opened 1 personal card in the past 24 months. My other w cards are 20 yrs old. Should I go ahead and apply for the sapphire preferred today?
Three inquiries in the last week might make you a little hot but you could still apply today if you wanted to push it a little. You’re basically doing a little app-o-rama. If you wanted to play it safe you may want to wait 30 to 90 days but the CSP 80k bonus may be gone by then.
Pretty much. That was my fear. I figured if I apply for the sapphire it will be the same credit report, so only one pull, then if I am rejected, I can try to do the recon within 25 days and see. I have a great history with them, so I was hoping that would help. Thank you for your help!