The Guide to Credit Card Rules on Welcome Bonus Offers

Ariana Arghandewal
By Ariana Arghandewal 
Updated
Edited by Mary M. Flory

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Nerdy takeaways
  • American Express imposes a once-per-lifetime restriction on welcome bonus offers.

  • If you’ve applied to 5 credit cards in the last 24 months (from any bank), Chase will not approve you.

  • You can earn a sign-up bonus from Citi once every 48 months.

  • Get the cards with the most restrictive rules first, and hold out for large offers if you don't need points.

Nerdy takeaways
  • American Express imposes a once-per-lifetime restriction on welcome bonus offers.

  • If you’ve applied to 5 credit cards in the last 24 months (from any bank), Chase will not approve you.

  • You can earn a sign-up bonus from Citi once every 48 months.

  • Get the cards with the most restrictive rules first, and hold out for large offers if you don't need points.

If you’re in the market for a rewards credit card, chances are you either have a specific award redemption in mind or just want to give your points balance a boost in case of a spur-of-the-moment trip. A big welcome bonus offer is a great way to achieve this, and there are many options to choose from.

However, with several issuers imposing restrictions on welcome bonus offer eligibility, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the rules so you don’t miss out on any big welcome bonus offers. Here are some card issuer rules you should be aware of:

AmEx application rules

American Express imposes a once-per-lifetime restriction on welcome bonus offers. In other words, you can’t get a welcome bonus offer for the same card more than once. That’s why it’s best to get in on big welcome bonus offers when they come around. Since you’ll only qualify for it once, you may as well hold out for the biggest one possible.

A quick Google search is a good way to determine what the highest bonus has been for a particular card. This may not work out well for people who like to speculatively stock up on points, but it is conducive to a more sensible approach for acquiring new credit cards.

Chase credit card rules

The Chase 5/24 rule is simple and straightforward: If you’ve applied to five other rewards credit cards in the last 24 months (from any bank), Chase will not approve you for a new card. There's a simple strategy for dealing with this restriction: Get a Chase card first if you have other cards in mind.

Whether you’re just starting out with rewards credit cards or looking to stock up on points, one good strategy given the 5/24 rule is to get your desired Chase card first. Whether it’s the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you should apply for these cards before any others to make sure you remain compliant with the 5/24 rule.

Once you’ve been approved for a Chase card subject to 5/24, you can then move on to applying for any other credit cards. Of course, you’ll want to keep in mind restrictions imposed by American Express and Citi as well.

Citi credit card rules

Citi restricts earning the welcome bonus offer for the same card to one per 48 months. In other words, if you apply for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® this year, you won’t be eligible to earn its sign-up bonus again for another four years.

This is less restrictive than the Chase 5/24 rule, but it’s nonetheless disappointing if you’re looking to stock up on Citi ThankYou points through a new welcome bonus offer (without waiting upwards of four years).

While the 48-month rule used to only apply to some of Citi's co-branded cards, it now applies to basically all Citi cards, including the Citi Premier® Card.

The bottom line

These credit card issuer restrictions make it more difficult to obtain big credit card welcome bonus offers spontaneously. But the rules can still be manageable with a little bit of planning.

The key takeaway is to be strategic about applying for rewards credit cards: Get the cards with the most restrictive rules first, and try to hold out for the biggest bonus possible if you don’t have an immediate need for the points.


How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024, including those best for:

Travel Cards from Our Partners
Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1x-5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

Points

Intro offer

60,000

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Points
Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Freedom Unlimited®
5.0
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

1.5%-6.5%

Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Cashback

Intro offer

$300

Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

on Capital One's website

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
4.7
NerdWallet Rating
Rewards rate

2x-5x

Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

Miles

Intro offer

75,000

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

Miles
See more travel cards
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