There are a few fundamental rules to the success of anyone involved in points and miles. If there’s one that is more important than any other, it is the Chase 5/24 rule.

The Chase 5/24 rule is so fundamental that you’ll almost always hear someone mention it when discussing sign up strategies. “What’s your 5/24 status?” is almost always the first question asked when someone asks for credit card recommendations.

If you haven’t heard of the 5/24 rule yet, you may be wondering what the big deal is.

I just applied for the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card.

This is a living post, continuously updated over time as the miles and points hobby evolves. They change the rules and we have to stay on top of them.
Today I've updated the section about Citi cards to reflect the new sign up bonus eligibility timelines for their AAdvantage co-branded credit cards. If I've left something important out please feel free to let me know in the comments.

A couple days ago I wrote a post clarifying the Chase 5/24 rule and it's relationship to small business credit cards. A reader asked the following question in the comments:

"How do I figure out if I can apply for the United Explore Card under the 5/24 rule. I didn’t keep track of when I applied for the various cards I have.

Once you’ve opened five credit cards from any bank in the last 24 months (not counting most business cards), Chase will likely deny you for all of their travel rewards credit cards.

5/24 is a buzzword in the miles and points sphere. It refers to the fact that Chase will cut you off from eligibility for their credit cards once you’ve opened five credit cards from any bank in the last 24 months (not counting most business cards).