Best Chase Cards to Get Under 5/24 (2026)

Why Does Chase Card Order Matter?

Chase is the only major issuer that enforces the 5/24 rule on personal card applications. Every personal credit card you open at any bank — Chase, Amex, Citi, or even a store card — counts toward your 5/24 number. Once you hit 5 or more new accounts in 24 months, Chase will automatically deny your personal card applications.

This means the order in which you apply for cards across all banks directly impacts which Chase cards you can get. Spending a 5/24 slot on a mediocre card from another issuer when you could have used it on a Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the most common and costly mistakes new applicants make.

The solution is straightforward: apply for the highest-value Chase personal cards first, then move to other issuers once you have secured the Chase cards you want. Read the full Chase 5/24 rule guide for more details on how the rule works.

What Is the Best Chase Card Priority Order?

The following table ranks Chase cards by total first-year value, factoring in the welcome bonus, annual fee, and ongoing rewards. This is the order most experienced points collectors recommend for someone starting fresh under 5/24.

*The Ink Business Preferred is listed at #2 because of its exceptional 100,000 UR bonus, but it does not use a 5/24 slot since it's a business card. You can apply for it at any time, even over 5/24. It's listed here because it pairs perfectly with a Sapphire card for transferring Ultimate Rewards to airlines and hotels.

Estimated values use a conservative 2 cents per Ultimate Rewards point when transferred to travel partners. Your actual value may be higher or lower depending on how you redeem. Bonus amounts and annual fees may change — verify the current offer before applying.

Why Should You Start with the Sapphire Preferred?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the cornerstone of most Ultimate Rewards strategies. At $95 per year with a 60,000-point bonus (worth $1,200+ via travel partners), it delivers one of the strongest returns per dollar of any credit card in the market.

The Sapphire Preferred unlocks the ability to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to 14+ airline and hotel partners — including Hyatt, United, Southwest, and British Airways. Without a Sapphire or Ink Preferred card, your UR points are limited to cash back at a lower redemption rate.

Chase enforces a 48-month rule on Sapphire bonuses: you cannot earn a welcome bonus on any Sapphire product if you received a Sapphire bonus within the past 48 months. This means you can only get one Sapphire bonus every four years — making it critical to choose the right one first.

How Do Chase Business Cards Fit into the Strategy?

Chase business cards — the Ink Business Preferred, Ink Business Cash, and Ink Business Unlimited — are uniquely valuable because they do not count toward 5/24 and are not subject to the 5/24 restriction. You can apply for them even if you are over 5/24.

This means you can weave business card applications between personal card applications without consuming any 5/24 slots. A common strategy:

1. Month 1: Sapphire Preferred (uses 1 of 5 slots)
2. Month 4: Ink Business Preferred (no slot used)
3. Month 7: World of Hyatt (uses 1 of 5 slots)
4. Month 10: Freedom Flex (uses 1 of 5 slots)

This sequence earns 240,000+ points across four Chase cards while only consuming 3 of your 5 available slots. See the full application order strategy guide for a complete 12-month plan.

How Does the Ultimate Rewards Ecosystem Work?

Chase Ultimate Rewards points are most valuable when you hold a premium card (Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred) that unlocks transfer partners. Points earned on no-annual-fee cards like the Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited can be pooled into one account and transferred to airline or hotel partners.

The Freedom Flex earns 5x on rotating quarterly categories, while the Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5x on everything. Neither card has an annual fee. When those points are combined with a Sapphire Preferred and transferred to Hyatt, they can be worth 2+ cents each — far more than the 1 cent per point cash back value.

This is why the order matters: get the Sapphire card first to unlock transfers, then add Freedom cards to maximize point earning. Without a premium card in the family, Freedom points are limited to 1 cent each for cash back or statement credits.

What Are the Most Common 5/24 Mistakes?

After reviewing thousands of data points from the credit card community, these are the mistakes that cost applicants the most value:

• Getting store cards impulsively — That 10% off at checkout costs you a 5/24 slot worth $1,000+ in Chase welcome bonus value
• Starting with no-fee cards — Freedom cards are great but their $200 bonus pales compared to starting with the Sapphire Preferred
• Ignoring the 48-month Sapphire rule — Getting a Sapphire Reserve first then wanting the Preferred bonus means waiting 4 years
• Not spacing applications — Chase may deny applications submitted too close together even if you are under 5/24, often enforcing a soft 2/30 limit
• Forgetting authorized user cards count — Being added to a family member's card adds to your 5/24 count unless disputed

The 524 Tracker tool helps you avoid these mistakes by showing your exact count and drop-off dates. Track your applications before you apply, not after a denial.

How Should You Space Chase Applications?

Chase informally enforces a “2/30” rule — no more than 2 Chase card applications in any 30-day period. While not as rigid as 5/24, exceeding 2/30 frequently leads to automatic denial.

The recommended spacing for Chase applications:

• Minimum: 30 days between Chase applications
• Recommended: 90 days between Chase applications
• Conservative: 6 months between applications (highest approval odds)

Spacing also helps with minimum spend requirements. Each card typically requires $3,000–$4,000 in spend within 3 months. Applying for two cards simultaneously means meeting $6,000–$8,000 in combined minimum spend — feasible for some, but challenging for many households.

Frequently Asked Questions