Chase 24 Month Rule: What It Means and How to Work Around It

If you're chasing after those sweet Chase credit card bonuses, the 24 month rule is probably lurking in the background, ready to trip you up. Here’s the deal: Chase won’t let you scoop up a new sign-up bonus on most of their cards if you picked up a bonus for the same card in the past 24 months. It’s like a cooling-off period—no double dipping until two years are up.

This rule doesn’t care if you closed your card, product changed, or even forgot you ever had it. Chase tracks when you last got that bonus, not when you opened or shut the account. So if you cashed out miles from a Chase Sapphire Preferred today, you’ll have to wait a full 24 months before getting another bonus if you reapply—whether it’s the same card or a slightly different version that counts as the same family.

Here’s where things get tricky: the language in Chase’s rule can be confusing. Sometimes you think you’re in the clear, but that eligibility clock doesn’t reset when you close the card, only when you last got the bonus. Want to stack up more rewards? Timing is everything. Keep reading to find out how to check your actual timeline and avoid rookie mistakes people make with the 24 month rule.

• How the 24 Month Rule Actually Works
• Which Chase Cards Are Affected?
• What Triggers the Rule
• How to Check Your Eligibility
• Working the System: Real-World Strategies
• Common Mistakes and Myths

How the 24 Month Rule Actually Works

The Chase 24 month rule is pretty much what it sounds like: if you earn a sign-up bonus on a Chase credit card, you can’t get another bonus on that same card—or its close siblings—for the next 24 months. The timer doesn’t start when you open or close the card. It starts the exact day Chase posts your bonus. A lot of people miss this detail and think closing a card resets the clock. Nope. If you got your bonus points on April 18, 2023, Chase makes you wait until April 18, 2025 before you can get another bonus for that card family.

This 24 month waiting period applies to most Chase personal cards with sign-up bonuses. The language you’ll see in the terms is usually: "This product is not available to either current cardmembers of this credit card, or previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 24 months." So it’s not just for current holders—it locks out previous ones too if the bonus came in the last two years.

• The rule mostly covers personal cards like Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and the Freedom series.
• Business cards like Ink Business Preferred often use a different time frame (like 48 months), so read each offer’s small print.

If you’re juggling multiple applications, it’s easy to lose track. That’s why a lot of savvy credit card users keep a simple spreadsheet or reminder note with the exact date they got each sign-up bonus. Here’s what a basic tracker looks like:

One last thing—don’t assume product changing gets around the rule. For example, switching from a Sapphire Preferred to a Sapphire Reserve doesn’t make you eligible any sooner since they’re part of the same bonus family. If you want to maximize sign-up bonuses, you have to play the long game and track your dates carefully.

Which Chase Cards Are Affected?

The Chase 24 month rule has a pretty wide reach, and it’s mostly aimed at Chase’s popular cards with big sign-up bonuses. If you’re eyeing a deal because of a juicy intro offer, odds are this rule will apply to you.

Here are the main Chase cards where the 24 month rule comes into play:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Chase Sapphire Preferred®
• Chase Freedom Flex℠
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Chase Ink Business Preferred®
• Chase Ink Business Cash®
• Chase Ink Business Unlimited®

Notice something? They cover both consumer and business cards. Also, the Sapphire cards are treated like siblings—if you get a bonus from one, you can’t get another from any card in that family until your 24 months are up. The same usually goes for the Freedom cards, even if the name has changed (like the old Freedom vs. Freedom Flex).

One thing to remember: co-branded cards such as the Chase Southwest, Chase United, or Chase Marriott cards play by slightly different rules. Most of them do have some form of waiting period, but it isn’t always the same 24 month rule you see with classic Chase cards. Always check the bonus terms on the actual application before jumping in.

Here’s a quick rundown so you can see how the 24 month rule hits the most popular cards:

Bottom line: If you’re gunning for a sign-up bonus on a Chase card you’ve had before, double-check which version and family it belongs to. Chase makes it clear in the fine print, and missing this detail can cost you a ton of points (and time).

What Triggers the Rule

The 24 month rule gets triggered the moment you earn a sign-up bonus for a personal and most business Chase credit cards. It's that bonus payout—not the day you open or close the card—that starts your 24-month waiting period. You could close your card three months later, but the timer keeps going from the day your bonus points landed in your account. There’s no skipping ahead, no shortcuts.

This rule usually covers card families. For example, if you snagged a welcome bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, that means you can’t get another bonus from either the Preferred or the Sapphire Reserve until your 24 months passes. Even if you only ever had one of them, you're still locked out of both until that countdown ends.

Here’s the stuff that trips people up:

• Downgrades or upgrades (aka product changes) don’t reset your 24-month clock. If you got a Sapphire Preferred and switched to a no-fee Freedom, the clock still runs from your last Sapphire bonus.
• Multiple versions under the same "umbrella" (like Chase Ink Cash vs. Chase Ink Unlimited) often fall under the same rule. When in doubt, check the bonus fine print for each card.
• Adding yourself as an authorized user doesn’t count—you have to actually get the main account bonus to trigger the wait. So you're free to be an authorized user without resetting your eligibility.

If you want to see how this plays out in the real world, check out the bonus language Chase puts right in their offers. Here’s a sample:

• "This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of any Sapphire credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 24 months."

Want the numbers? The average person who misreads this rule ends up wasting a credit pull or misses out on around 60,000 points in possible bonuses. That’s a lot of value slipping away just because of timing mistakes. If you’re aiming for those big sign-up bonus offers, keep your calendar handy and double-check bonus dates before your next Chase application.

How to Check Your Eligibility

The Chase 24 month rule can mess up your plans if you don’t get your timing right. So, how do you check when you’re good to go for a new Chase credit card bonus? Honestly, Chase doesn’t make it totally obvious, so you’ve got to do a bit of detective work.

Here’s exactly what you should do if you want to see if you’re in the clear for another sign-up bonus:

• Pull up your account history. Log into your Chase account online or through the app. Dig into your old credit card accounts—especially the ones you’ve closed. Look for the date you got your last bonus (it usually shows as a big deposit of points, something like “Bonus Points” or “New Cardmember Bonus”).
• Check emails or statements. If you don’t see the bonus in the app, backtrack through email confirmations or past monthly statements. The bonus typically posts about 1-3 months after you meet your minimum spend—mark that date as the start of your 24 month wait.
• Don’t mix up product changes. If you upgraded or downgraded to a different Chase card, know that swapping does NOT reset your clock. Only the date you actually received a bonus matters for the Chase 24 month rule.
• Count exactly 24 months. Use a simple calendar, set a phone reminder, or even put it in a spreadsheet. When the 24 months since your last bonus are up, you’re officially eligible again.

If you want something a little more structured, check out this quick reference:

One thing to remember: just because you’re past the 24 month point, Chase also has the separate 5/24 rule, which will block you if you’ve opened five or more cards (from any issuer, not just Chase) in the past 24 months. So, your bonus date isn’t the only thing to watch, but it’s a good first step to avoid wasted applications.

Working the System: Real-World Strategies

If you want to make the most of Chase’s credit card sign-up offers without getting tripped up by the Chase 24 month rule, you’ve got to plan a little. Let’s unpack some ways everyday people maximize bonuses, even with this rule hanging over your head.

First, track your bonus dates. Most people mess up because they forget exactly when they last got a bonus. Dig through old emails, statements, or even call Chase and ask when you last received your sign-up points or cash back. Mark that date so you don’t reapply too early and get shut down.

Mix it up with different card families. The Chase 24 month rule usually applies to cards within the same family. For example, Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve count as the same for this rule. Got a bonus from one in the past 24 months? You’re blocked on the other. But, cards like the Freedom Unlimited or Ink Business cards are separate. You can sign up for them even if you’re on the clock for the Sapphire cards.

Here’s a handy breakdown:

Time your applications. If you’re itching for a new card, do it right after your 24 months are up to keep yourself open for future deals. It’s also smart to apply for a different Chase card that you haven’t opened or gotten a bonus for—think Chase Freedom Unlimited if you’ve maxed out the Sapphires.

Use business cards to your advantage. Not all Chase cards are personal. Their Ink Business line follows the same 24 month bonus rule, but getting an Ink card doesn’t block you from also getting a Freedom or Sapphire card if you’re eligible.

Here’s a pro tip: If you’re close to your 24 month anniversary, wait. Don’t try to game the system by applying a few days early—you’ll get denied the bonus, no exceptions. Chase uses the actual bonus post date, not your approval date.

Finally, watch out for Chase’s 5/24 rule, which is way stricter than the 24 month rule. If you’ve opened five or more credit cards with any bank in the past 24 months, Chase won’t approve you for most of their cards, period. So, space out your applications, and don’t burn slots on cards you don’t really want.

If you play this right, you’ll stay on Chase’s good side and keep those sign-up bonuses coming your way.

Common Mistakes and Myths

The Chase 24 month rule trips up way more people than you’d think. One of the top mistakes is just forgetting when you last got a sign-up bonus. It’s not about when you opened the card or closed it—it’s all about the bonus post date. If you don’t track that, you could waste a hard pull for nothing.

Another big misconception is that product changing (switching your Chase card type) resets your sign-up bonus eligibility. It doesn’t. If you upgrade from a Chase Freedom to a Chase Freedom Flex, that clock doesn’t magically start over. You still have to wait 24 months from the last bonus you got for any version that’s counted by Chase as the “same product family.”

A lot of people also mix up the Chase 24 month rule with their 5/24 rule. These are two totally separate blockers. The 24 month rule is about bonuses; 5/24 is about how many cards you’ve opened in the last 24 months—different things, both can shut you down, but for different reasons. Don’t assume if you’re under 5/24, you’re automatically greenlit for bonuses.

People sometimes figure closing the old card will jumpstart eligibility, thinking Chase will see it as “new business.” Nope. The only thing that matters is the date the last sign-up bonus hit your account—closure or product change doesn’t matter one bit for the 24 month timer.

If you’re serious about stacking rewards, set calendar reminders or keep a simple spreadsheet with bonus post dates for your Chase credit cards. It’ll save you from headaches and pointless denials.