Card blogs repeat rules like 5/24, 2/90 and 8/65 as if they were policy. Most of them are not written anywhere by the issuer. They come from applicants comparing approvals and denials. This guide splits each issuer into two parts: what the issuer's own page says, which we checked in October 2026, and what applicants report (not published by the issuer). The issuer decides every application, and both kinds of rule can change without notice.
Official: the Sapphire Preferred page says the card is unavailable if you currently have it open. It says the new cardmember bonus may not be available if you previously held this card, and that Chase may consider how many cards you have opened and closed. The current page shows no fixed 48-month window; the old Sapphire 48-month wording is gone, though many sites still quote it. Applicants report (not published by the issuer): 5/24, meaning denial if you opened five or more personal cards from any bank in the past 24 months. Experian notes Chase has never officially outlined it. Our guide What is Chase 5/24 covers it in detail.
Official, from Amex terms pages seen in search results (Amex blocked our direct fetch): you may not be eligible for a welcome offer if you have or have had the card. Eligibility can also consider your balance-transfer history, your history as an Amex member, and the number of cards you have opened and closed. Amex terms say applicants are told before processing if they will not get the offer, so they can withdraw. Applicants report (not published by the issuer): one credit card approval per 5 days, two per 90 days, and a limit of about four or five Amex credit cards, with charge cards not counted. Sources disagree on four versus five.
Official: the Venture page says you are not eligible for the bonus if you received a Venture or Venture X new cardmember bonus in the past 48 months. The preapproval page lists two or more Capital One applications in the past 30 days as a reason you may be ineligible. Applicants report (not published by the issuer): one new Capital One card per six months, and a cap of two personal cards, with some reports saying this has loosened. Discover: its Cashback Match is exclusively for new cardholders. Discover pages now carry Capital One branding.
Citi, official: the Strata Premier bonus is not available if you currently have or previously had Strata Premier or Premier, with no time window, and Citi may also look at your history of opening, closing and using cards. Applicants report (not published by the issuer): one personal application per 8 days and two per 65 days. Barclays, official: the View card bonus is for applicants who are not and have not been View cardmembers. Applicants report: 6/24. U.S. Bank, official: Altitude Connect and Altitude Go cardmembers are not eligible if they received that card's bonus in the last five years. Applicants report: U.S. Bank prefers existing customers and is sensitive to recent inquiries. Bank of America: the Premium Rewards product page shows no bonus restriction. Applicants report a 2/3/4 limit and a 7/12 limit.
Open the card's own page and read the bonus terms near the offer, usually in the footnotes. Look for the words "have or have had", "previously held", or a number of months. List every card you opened in the past 24 months with the month you opened it. If a rule is only applicant-reported, treat it as a risk, not a certainty. Do not apply for two cards from the same issuer on the same day unless you have read that issuer's terms.
Chase Sapphire Preferred: https://creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/sapphire/preferred; Experian on Chase 5/24: https://experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-is-chase-5-24-rule-and-how-does-it-work; Amex Gold terms: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card-application/apply/prospect/terms/gold-card/25330-10-0; Capital One Venture: https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/venture/; Capital One preapproval: https://www.capitalone.com/apply/credit-cards/preapprove/; Citi Strata Premier: https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/citi-strata-premier-credit-card; Barclays View: https://cards.barclaycardus.com/banking/cards/barclaysview/; U.S. Bank Altitude Connect: https://www.usbank.com/credit-cards/altitude-connect-visa-signature-credit-card.html; Bank of America Premium Rewards: https://www.bankofamerica.com/credit-cards/products/premium-rewards-credit-card/; Discover it Cash Back: https://www.discover.com/credit-cards/cash-back/it-card.html; Applicant reports: Doctor of Credit (doctorofcredit.com), Upon Arriving (uponarriving.com), AwardWallet (awardwallet.com).; Issuer pages checked October 14, 2026.
No. It is applicant-reported. Experian notes Chase has never officially outlined it. Chase's own page says it may consider how many cards you have opened and closed.
The current Sapphire Preferred page does not show a 48-month window. It says the bonus may not be available if you previously held the card.
Citi's current page says the bonus is not available if you currently have or previously had Strata Premier or Premier, with no time limit stated.
No. They are applicant reports. Amex terms say the welcome offer may be withheld if you have or have had the card and list other factors it considers.
⚠️ About this data: Where we have checked a card's annual fee, APR and foreign-transaction fee, the page shows the date and the source. Welcome offers, rewards and benefits change often, so the issuer's own site is the final word. Approval is decided by the issuer. Nothing here is financial advice.