{
  "title": "Credit Card Application Rules Database",
  "description": "A normalized, confidence-tagged database of credit-card application rules across 8 major U.S. issuers: cross-issuer gates (5/24, 3/12, 6/24), per-issuer velocity limits, signup-bonus re-earn windows, holding caps, business-card 5/24 reporting, and annual-fee refund windows.",
  "rulesVersion": "1.0.0",
  "lastReviewed": "2026-06-22",
  "issuerCount": 8,
  "ruleCount": 47,
  "confidenceBreakdown": {
    "HARD": 26,
    "SOFT": 13,
    "UNCERTAIN": 8
  },
  "disclaimer": "Issuer churning rules drift constantly and several are SOFT or UNCERTAIN. Confidence tags (HARD | SOFT | UNCERTAIN) are attached to every rule. Anything tagged SOFT/UNCERTAIN must be verified per-card at runtime before relying on a 'you are eligible' recommendation. A wrong eligibility call can trigger a hard-pull denial. Non-deterministic outcomes (Amex pop-up jail, Amex NLL re-earn offers, the Amex '5-7 year forget' folklore) are modeled as flags/overrides, NOT timers, per the blueprint.",
  "sources": [
    "https://frequentmiler.com/complete-guide-to-credit-card-application-rules-by-bank/",
    "https://www.thepointsanalyst.com/amex-application-rules-guide/",
    "https://onemileatatime.com/guides/citi-card-48-month-rule/",
    "https://onemileatatime.com/guides/credit-card-annual-fee-refund-rules/",
    "https://thriftytraveler.com/guides/credit-card/credit-card-application-rules/",
    "https://financebuzz.com/chase-524-rule-explained",
    "https://awardwallet.com/credit-cards/bank-america-234-policy/",
    "https://travelfreely.com/new-capital-one-venture-cards-rules-what-you-need-to-know/",
    "https://thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/downgrade-chase-credit-card/",
    "https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/your-guide-to-amexs-once-per-lifetime-rule"
  ],
  "rows": [
    {
      "category": "Cross-Issuer Gate",
      "issuer": "Chase",
      "rule_key": "5/24",
      "rule": "5/24 cross-issuer application gate",
      "value": "block at 5 cards",
      "window": "24 months",
      "scope": "any-issuer personal cards",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Chase auto-declines if 5+ PERSONAL cards opened across ALL issuers in trailing 24 months. Counted by account-open date, rolling. Closed cards still count. A card falls off exactly 24 months after its open date. Authorized-user cards count unless excluded by phone. Most business cards do NOT count (see businessCardReporting). Chase's own business cards do not add to 5/24 but you must be UNDER 5/24 to be approved for them."
    },
    {
      "category": "Cross-Issuer Gate",
      "issuer": "Bank of America",
      "rule_key": "3/12",
      "rule": "3/12 cross-issuer application gate",
      "value": "block at 3 cards",
      "window": "12 months",
      "scope": "any-issuer personal cards",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "BoA declines if 3+ new cards (any issuer) opened in past 12 months. Raised to 7/12 if you hold a BoA/Merrill deposit or investment relationship (Preferred Rewards tiers). Counts any-issuer personal cards."
    },
    {
      "category": "Cross-Issuer Gate",
      "issuer": "Barclays",
      "rule_key": "6/24",
      "rule": "6/24 cross-issuer application gate",
      "value": "block at 6 cards",
      "window": "24 months",
      "scope": "any-issuer personal cards",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": "Barclays tends to decline if 6+ new cards (any issuer) in 24 months. Looser and more inconsistent than Chase 5/24."
    },
    {
      "category": "Cross-Issuer Gate",
      "issuer": "Wells Fargo",
      "rule_key": "wf-5/24-style",
      "rule": "wf-5/24-style cross-issuer application gate",
      "value": "block at 5 cards",
      "window": "24 months",
      "scope": "any-issuer personal cards",
      "confidence": "UNCERTAIN",
      "notes": "Wells Fargo reported to decline if 5+ personal cards (any bank) in 24 months. Newer, weakly confirmed, inconsistently enforced."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "Chase",
      "rule_key": "2/30",
      "rule": "Chase velocity 2/30",
      "value": "max 2 approvals",
      "window": "30 days",
      "scope": "issuer-personal-and-business-combined",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Max 2 Chase approvals per rolling 30 days (personal + business combined). A 3rd within 30 days = auto-decline. There is no separate 1/30 rule."
    },
    {
      "category": "Bonus Re-Earn (SUB Eligibility)",
      "issuer": "Chase",
      "rule_key": "months-from-bonus-received",
      "rule": "Chase signup-bonus re-earn",
      "value": "48 months",
      "window": "48 months",
      "scope": "per card",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Cannot earn a card's SUB if you received a bonus on THAT SAME card within the last 48 months (measured from bonus receipt, not approval). Sapphire Preferred + Reserve share one bonus track; a product-change between them does NOT reset SUB eligibility."
    },
    {
      "category": "Annual-Fee Refund Window",
      "issuer": "Chase",
      "rule_key": "af-refund-window",
      "rule": "Chase annual-fee full-refund window",
      "value": "30 days",
      "window": "after AF posts",
      "scope": "cancel for full refund",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Cancel later than 30 days after AF posts = no refund. Downgrade to a no-AF product preserves account age and credit line."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "American Express",
      "rule_key": "1/5",
      "rule": "American Express velocity 1/5",
      "value": "max 1 approvals",
      "window": "5 days",
      "scope": "issuer-credit-cards",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Max 1 Amex approval per 5 days."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "American Express",
      "rule_key": "2/90",
      "rule": "American Express velocity 2/90",
      "value": "max 2 approvals",
      "window": "90 days",
      "scope": "issuer-credit-cards",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Max 2 Amex CREDIT cards approved per 90 days. Velocity cap, not a bonus-waiting rule. Charge cards do not count."
    },
    {
      "category": "Holding Cap (Max Cards Held)",
      "issuer": "American Express",
      "rule_key": "5-credit-card-hold",
      "rule": "American Express holding cap: credit-cards-only",
      "value": "max 5 held",
      "window": "simultaneous",
      "scope": "credit-cards-only",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Max 5 Amex CREDIT cards held simultaneously. Charge cards / NPSL Pay Over Time cards do NOT count toward the 5. To apply for a 6th credit card you must close one first."
    },
    {
      "category": "Holding Cap (Max Cards Held)",
      "issuer": "American Express",
      "rule_key": "10-charge-card-hold",
      "rule": "American Express holding cap: charge-cards-only",
      "value": "max 10 held",
      "window": "simultaneous",
      "scope": "charge-cards-only",
      "confidence": "UNCERTAIN",
      "notes": "Commonly cited overall ceiling ~10 including charge cards. Treat the 5-credit-card cap as the firm one; this charge-card ceiling is uncertain."
    },
    {
      "category": "Bonus Re-Earn (SUB Eligibility)",
      "issuer": "American Express",
      "rule_key": "once-per-lifetime",
      "rule": "American Express signup-bonus re-earn",
      "value": "once per lifetime",
      "window": "once-per-lifetime",
      "scope": "per card",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": "You earn a given card's welcome bonus once, ever. Enforced at application via pop-up ('pop-up jail') which denies the bonus before you submit. The anecdotal ~5-7 year 'forget' window is UNCERTAIN -- do NOT schedule around it; modeled as an advisory flag, never a timer. NLL (No Lifetime Language) targeted offers can let you re-earn a held card's bonus but are not schedulable -- modeled as an opportunistic override flag."
    },
    {
      "category": "Annual-Fee Refund Window",
      "issuer": "American Express",
      "rule_key": "af-refund-window",
      "rule": "American Express annual-fee full-refund window",
      "value": "30 days",
      "window": "after AF posts",
      "scope": "cancel for full refund",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Cancel does not prorate. Downgrade later MAY prorate at Amex. Full refund only within 30 days of AF posting."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "Citi",
      "rule_key": "1/8",
      "rule": "Citi velocity 1/8",
      "value": "max 1 approvals",
      "window": "8 days",
      "scope": "issuer-personal-and-business-combined",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Max 1 Citi card per 8 days (first half of 8/65)."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "Citi",
      "rule_key": "2/65",
      "rule": "Citi velocity 2/65",
      "value": "max 2 approvals",
      "window": "65 days",
      "scope": "issuer-personal-and-business-combined",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Max 2 Citi cards per 65 days (personal + business combined). The binding constraint of the 8/65 rule."
    },
    {
      "category": "Bonus Re-Earn (SUB Eligibility)",
      "issuer": "Citi",
      "rule_key": "months-from-bonus-received",
      "rule": "Citi signup-bonus re-earn",
      "value": "48 months",
      "window": "48 months",
      "scope": "per card",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Cannot earn a card's SUB if you got a new-account bonus on THAT SAME card in the past 48 months (measured from bonus receipt). Historically Citi applied family-wide restrictions (AAdvantage family, ThankYou family) but is simplifying toward per-card. Family-wide is UNCERTAIN/CHANGING -- flag AAdvantage and ThankYou families for manual review, do NOT hard-code family-wide as universally true."
    },
    {
      "category": "Annual-Fee Refund Window",
      "issuer": "Citi",
      "rule_key": "af-refund-window",
      "rule": "Citi annual-fee full-refund window",
      "value": "37 days",
      "window": "after AF posts",
      "scope": "cancel for full refund",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Full refund window is 37 days after AF posts; no proration later. Citi retention offers are often best called for around/before the AF posts."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "Capital One",
      "rule_key": "1/6mo",
      "rule": "Capital One velocity 1/6mo",
      "value": "max 1 approvals",
      "window": "183 days",
      "scope": "issuer-personal-and-business-combined",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": "Roughly 1 new Cap One card per ~6 months (personal + business combined). Inconsistently enforced; some approved sooner. Schedule on 6 months for safety. Reportedly loosening."
    },
    {
      "category": "Holding Cap (Max Cards Held)",
      "issuer": "Capital One",
      "rule_key": "2-personal-card-hold",
      "rule": "Capital One holding cap: personal-cards-only",
      "value": "max 2 held",
      "window": "simultaneous",
      "scope": "personal-cards-only",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": "Generally capped at 2 Cap One personal cards held at once (business cards separate). Loosening / soft."
    },
    {
      "category": "Bonus Re-Earn (SUB Eligibility)",
      "issuer": "Capital One",
      "rule_key": "months-from-bonus-received",
      "rule": "Capital One signup-bonus re-earn",
      "value": "48 months",
      "window": "48 months",
      "scope": "per card",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": "48-month per-card SUB rule applies to Cap One personal cards. Venture family (VentureOne / Venture Rewards / Venture X) bonus + downgrade paths are linked -- flag for manual handling."
    },
    {
      "category": "Annual-Fee Refund Window",
      "issuer": "Capital One",
      "rule_key": "af-refund-window",
      "rule": "Capital One annual-fee full-refund window",
      "value": "39 days",
      "window": "after AF posts",
      "scope": "cancel for full refund",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": "~39 days commonly cited (some say 30). Downgrade proration inconsistent. Verify per-card at runtime."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "Bank of America",
      "rule_key": "2/3/4 (2 per 2 months)",
      "rule": "Bank of America internal velocity: 2 per 2 months",
      "value": "max 2 approvals",
      "window": "60 days",
      "scope": "issuer-only",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Max 2 BoA cards per rolling 2 months, 3 per rolling 12 months, 4 per rolling 24 months. Counts ONLY BoA-issued cards. This is internal velocity; BoA is also gated by the external 3/12-or-7/12 cross-issuer rule (see crossIssuerGates.boaThreeTwelve). Both must pass."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "Bank of America",
      "rule_key": "2/3/4 (3 per 12 months)",
      "rule": "Bank of America internal velocity: 3 per 12 months",
      "value": "max 3 approvals",
      "window": "365 days",
      "scope": "issuer-only",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Max 2 BoA cards per rolling 2 months, 3 per rolling 12 months, 4 per rolling 24 months. Counts ONLY BoA-issued cards. This is internal velocity; BoA is also gated by the external 3/12-or-7/12 cross-issuer rule (see crossIssuerGates.boaThreeTwelve). Both must pass."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "Bank of America",
      "rule_key": "2/3/4 (4 per 24 months)",
      "rule": "Bank of America internal velocity: 4 per 24 months",
      "value": "max 4 approvals",
      "window": "730 days",
      "scope": "issuer-only",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Max 2 BoA cards per rolling 2 months, 3 per rolling 12 months, 4 per rolling 24 months. Counts ONLY BoA-issued cards. This is internal velocity; BoA is also gated by the external 3/12-or-7/12 cross-issuer rule (see crossIssuerGates.boaThreeTwelve). Both must pass."
    },
    {
      "category": "Bonus Re-Earn (SUB Eligibility)",
      "issuer": "Bank of America",
      "rule_key": "none-published",
      "rule": "Bank of America signup-bonus re-earn",
      "value": "none-published",
      "window": "none-published",
      "scope": "per card",
      "confidence": "UNCERTAIN",
      "notes": "No widely published per-card SUB re-earn timer. Typically requires the card be closed first before re-applying."
    },
    {
      "category": "Annual-Fee Refund Window",
      "issuer": "Bank of America",
      "rule_key": "af-refund-window",
      "rule": "Bank of America annual-fee full-refund window",
      "value": "30 days",
      "window": "after AF posts",
      "scope": "cancel for full refund",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": "~30 days but unpredictable / relationship-dependent. Inconsistent. Verify per-card."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "Barclays",
      "rule_key": "no-published-velocity",
      "rule": "Barclays velocity",
      "value": "none published",
      "window": "",
      "scope": "issuer",
      "confidence": "UNCERTAIN",
      "notes": "No published hard daily velocity cap. Barclays is approval-inconsistent generally. The 6/24-style external sensitivity is in crossIssuerGates.barclaysSixTwentyFour."
    },
    {
      "category": "Bonus Re-Earn (SUB Eligibility)",
      "issuer": "Barclays",
      "rule_key": "months-from-card-closed",
      "rule": "Barclays signup-bonus re-earn",
      "value": "24 months",
      "window": "24 months",
      "scope": "per card",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Must wait 24 months from when you last CLOSED the card (closing required, not just elapsed time) to re-earn that card's bonus."
    },
    {
      "category": "Annual-Fee Refund Window",
      "issuer": "Barclays",
      "rule_key": "af-refund-window",
      "rule": "Barclays annual-fee full-refund window",
      "value": "60 days",
      "window": "after AF posts",
      "scope": "cancel for full refund",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Full refund window is 60 days after AF posts. No proration later."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "US Bank",
      "rule_key": "no-published-velocity",
      "rule": "US Bank velocity",
      "value": "none published",
      "window": "",
      "scope": "issuer",
      "confidence": "UNCERTAIN",
      "notes": "No published hard velocity or waiting-period rules -- most permissive of the major issuers. Several premium cards (e.g. Altitude Reserve) effectively require an existing US Bank banking relationship to approve -- flag relationship-gated cards."
    },
    {
      "category": "Bonus Re-Earn (SUB Eligibility)",
      "issuer": "US Bank",
      "rule_key": "requires-card-closed",
      "rule": "US Bank signup-bonus re-earn",
      "value": "requires-card-closed",
      "window": "requires-card-closed",
      "scope": "per card",
      "confidence": "UNCERTAIN",
      "notes": "Bonus re-earn typically requires the card be closed first before re-applying; no fixed month timer published."
    },
    {
      "category": "Annual-Fee Refund Window",
      "issuer": "US Bank",
      "rule_key": "af-refund-window",
      "rule": "US Bank annual-fee full-refund window",
      "value": "not documented",
      "window": "after AF posts",
      "scope": "cancel for full refund",
      "confidence": "UNCERTAIN",
      "notes": "Not well documented. Verify per-card at runtime."
    },
    {
      "category": "Velocity (Application Pace)",
      "issuer": "Wells Fargo",
      "rule_key": "6mo-between-cards",
      "rule": "Wells Fargo velocity 6mo-between-cards",
      "value": "max 1 approvals",
      "window": "183 days",
      "scope": "issuer-only",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": "Must wait ~6 months between Wells Fargo cards (and between receiving WF bonuses). Enforcement eases with a banking relationship. The external 5/24-style sensitivity is in crossIssuerGates.wellsFargoFiveTwentyFour."
    },
    {
      "category": "Bonus Re-Earn (SUB Eligibility)",
      "issuer": "Wells Fargo",
      "rule_key": "months-from-bonus-received",
      "rule": "Wells Fargo signup-bonus re-earn",
      "value": "48 months",
      "window": "48 months",
      "scope": "per card",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Re-earn a card's SUB only every 48 months (added Aug 2024). Notable exception: Choice Privileges every 15 months. Exceptions: choice-privileges=15mo"
    },
    {
      "category": "Annual-Fee Refund Window",
      "issuer": "Wells Fargo",
      "rule_key": "af-refund-window",
      "rule": "Wells Fargo annual-fee full-refund window",
      "value": "35 days",
      "window": "after AF posts",
      "scope": "cancel for full refund",
      "confidence": "UNCERTAIN",
      "notes": "Not well documented (~30-40 days reported). Treated as ~35 days; verify per-card."
    },
    {
      "category": "Business-Card 5/24 Reporting",
      "issuer": "Chase",
      "rule_key": "biz-524-reporting",
      "rule": "Chase business card 5/24 behavior",
      "value": "adds to 5/24: false | gated by 5/24: true",
      "window": "",
      "scope": "business cards",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Chase Ink (all): does not add to 5/24 but still requires you to be under 5/24 to be approved."
    },
    {
      "category": "Business-Card 5/24 Reporting",
      "issuer": "American Express",
      "rule_key": "biz-524-reporting",
      "rule": "American Express business card 5/24 behavior",
      "value": "adds to 5/24: false | gated by 5/24: false",
      "window": "",
      "scope": "business cards",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": ""
    },
    {
      "category": "Business-Card 5/24 Reporting",
      "issuer": "Citi",
      "rule_key": "biz-524-reporting",
      "rule": "Citi business card 5/24 behavior",
      "value": "adds to 5/24: false | gated by 5/24: false",
      "window": "",
      "scope": "business cards",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": ""
    },
    {
      "category": "Business-Card 5/24 Reporting",
      "issuer": "Barclays",
      "rule_key": "biz-524-reporting",
      "rule": "Barclays business card 5/24 behavior",
      "value": "adds to 5/24: false | gated by 5/24: false",
      "window": "",
      "scope": "business cards",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": ""
    },
    {
      "category": "Business-Card 5/24 Reporting",
      "issuer": "US Bank",
      "rule_key": "biz-524-reporting",
      "rule": "US Bank business card 5/24 behavior",
      "value": "adds to 5/24: false | gated by 5/24: false",
      "window": "",
      "scope": "business cards",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": ""
    },
    {
      "category": "Business-Card 5/24 Reporting",
      "issuer": "Bank of America",
      "rule_key": "biz-524-reporting",
      "rule": "Bank of America business card 5/24 behavior",
      "value": "adds to 5/24: false | gated by 5/24: false",
      "window": "",
      "scope": "business cards",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": ""
    },
    {
      "category": "Business-Card 5/24 Reporting",
      "issuer": "Capital One",
      "rule_key": "biz-524-reporting",
      "rule": "Capital One business card 5/24 behavior",
      "value": "adds to 5/24: true | gated by 5/24: false",
      "window": "",
      "scope": "business cards",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": "Cap One business cards generally report; see addsToFiveTwentyFourExceptions for Venture X Business / Spark Cash Plus."
    },
    {
      "category": "Business-Card 5/24 Reporting",
      "issuer": "discover",
      "rule_key": "biz-524-reporting",
      "rule": "discover business card 5/24 behavior",
      "value": "adds to 5/24: true | gated by 5/24: false",
      "window": "",
      "scope": "business cards",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": ""
    },
    {
      "category": "Business-Card 5/24 Reporting",
      "issuer": "tdbank",
      "rule_key": "biz-524-reporting",
      "rule": "tdbank business card 5/24 behavior",
      "value": "adds to 5/24: true | gated by 5/24: false",
      "window": "",
      "scope": "business cards",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": ""
    },
    {
      "category": "System-Wide Default (All Issuers)",
      "issuer": "All",
      "rule_key": "cardActDowngradeFloorMonths",
      "rule": "CARD Act downgrade floor",
      "value": "12 months",
      "window": "12 months",
      "scope": "Earliest product-change / downgrade",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "CARD Act: you generally cannot product-change a card for the first 12 months of ownership. Earliest downgrade is at/after the first anniversary (open_date + 12 months), which coincides with the first AF posting. Applies to all issuers."
    },
    {
      "category": "System-Wide Default (All Issuers)",
      "issuer": "All",
      "rule_key": "afAnniversaryMonths",
      "rule": "Annual-fee anniversary cycle",
      "value": "12 months",
      "window": "12 months",
      "scope": "When the AF re-bills",
      "confidence": "HARD",
      "notes": "Annual fee bills on the statement of the card's anniversary month (~the calendar month you opened), every 12 months. AF_post date is projected as open_date + 12 months and yearly thereafter. Exact statement varies; verify per-card at runtime."
    },
    {
      "category": "System-Wide Default (All Issuers)",
      "issuer": "All",
      "rule_key": "defaultSubEarnWindowMonths",
      "rule": "Default minimum-spend window",
      "value": "3 months",
      "window": "3 months",
      "scope": "Typical SUB spend deadline",
      "confidence": "SOFT",
      "notes": "Minimum-spend window for a SUB is commonly 3 months from approval but varies per offer. Store per-card sub_deadline when known; this default is only used when a card is mid-SUB and no explicit deadline is supplied."
    }
  ]
}