Whether you opened your first-ever credit card in the pursuit of free travel or already had a few accounts before you found this incredible world of points and miles, your first couple of moves may be highly scripted, thanks to Chase’s 5/24 rule. The issuer uses this rule to automatically reject applicants who have opened five or more cards in the last 24 months.

Some business cards don’t count, so be sure to check out our guide to 5/24 if you’re not familiar with how 5/24 works. But in general, you should open up your Chase cards first before moving on to other issuers because of this rule.

You might go with a tested card combination like the Chase trifecta, or you might build your own strategy after deciding which Sapphire card is better to anchor your strategy. Although there are plenty of great Chase card choices, there are only so many ways to use up those first five slots.

If you exceed five cards in 24 months, you’ll find yourself in the Wild Wild West of credit cards, where anything goes. After 5/24, there’s no uniform path for you to follow. It’s time to evaluate the cards in your wallet, figure out what you want from new credit cards and chart a new course.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of your best options for building a post-5/24 strategy.

Related: How to calculate your 5/24 standing

What NOT to do

Being ineligible for a Chase card doesn’t mean it’s time to stop getting new cards altogether. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is waiting on the sidelines to fall under 5/24 again and missing out on other valuable welcome bonuses in the meantime.

At any given time, there will be multiple welcome bonuses from other cards worth $1,000 or more that you’re eligible for (even if you’re over the 5/24 rule). By opening a card from a different issuer with a valuable welcome offer, you can earn and redeem tons of valuable rewards now rather than waiting for months or years to be eligible for another Chase card.

If you have your eye on a specific Chase card that you’re aiming to be eligible for quickly, you’ll want to be strategic. A great option is to apply for a business card in the meantime. These typically won’t count against your 5/24 status, so you can earn some bonus rewards while still making progress toward eligibility for the Chase card you want.

Related: Business credit cards that aren’t under the 5/24 rule

What to do if you’re over 5/24

If you are over the 5/24 limit, there are a few different strategies you should consider when deciding which cards to add to your wallet next.

Diversify your points

I’d argue that the 5/24 restriction is the main reason most people get Chase cards first rather than collecting other rewards currencies, such as American Express Membership Rewards points, Citi ThankYou points, Capital One miles or Bilt Rewards Points.

However, there is a benefit to having rewards from multiple programs, since each of them has a unique set of redemption options. Plus, they’re all valuable — TPG’s September 2025 valuations peg the value of these points at a minimum of 1.85 cents per point.

The true value of diversifying your points is access to each issuer’s transfer partners and the tremendous flexibility they offer. Citi has the most transfer partners, but the other issuers aren’t far behind.

All five issuers also have some transfer partners in common (British Airways and Air France-KLM Flying Blue make many appearances, for example), but their differences are incredibly complementary.

Star Alliance is a great example. Chase and Amex let you transfer to all the major loyalty programs in the largest airline alliance. This lets you pit United Airlines, Avianca, Air Canada and Singapore Airlines against each other and pick the absolute lowest cost for any award you want to book.

Furthermore, these issuers frequently offer transfer bonuses to transfer partners, meaning that the best transfer option might vary from month to month. By having access to multiple types of points, you can ensure you’re always ready to jump when the right redemption option presents itself.

Top cards to consider:

• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Find out your offer and see if you’re eligible for as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
• American Express® Gold Card: Find out your offer and see if you are eligible for as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
• Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees): Earn Bilt Points on rent without paying any transaction fees (up to 100,000 points per year; you must make at least five transactions each billing cycle to earn points).
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees): Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first three months of account opening.

Look for gaps in earnings rates

While Chase cards are known for having solid bonus categories like travel and dining, you might find that your current portfolio has some bonus-earning gaps. If you’re over 5/24, look for cards from other issuers to fill those gaps.

For example, if you pay rent, the Bilt Mastercard allows you to earn points on rent without paying any transaction fees (see rates and fees) and earns flexible points, which can be redeemed for outsize value (up to 100,000 points on rent per year; you must make at least five transactions each billing cycle to earn points).

Additionally, you may not have a card that covers bonus earnings on groceries or gas. Now is a great time to consider adding a card like the Amex Gold or the Citi Strata Premier to your wallet to earn bonus rewards in those categories (bonus rewards on U.S. supermarkets on the Amex Gold can be earned on up to $25,000 in spending each calendar year, then you’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent).

Lastly, if you have all your bonus spending categories covered, you can opt for a fixed-rate card that earns at least 2 points or miles per dollar spent on all purchases, like the Capital One Venture Rewards card, to ensure you earn bonus earnings on essentially every purchase you make.

Related: The best cards for each bonus category

Consider cobranded cards

While it may seem easy to write off cobranded cards because Chase issues the majority of cobranded airline and hotel cards, there are some excellent offerings from other issuers.

If you’re loyal to Marriott, for instance, you can pick up one of the Amex Bonvoy cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.

Hilton loyalists also have a number of Amex cards to choose from, and American Airlines and Delta flyers can pick up cobranded credit cards without worrying about 5/24. This can be a great way to get a free hotel night each year, save on checked bag fees or simply earn a welcome bonus that can help jump-start your next trip.

Top cards to consider:

Bottom Line

The 5/24 rule is the beginning, not the end, of your credit card rewards journey. Hitting that mark is a rite of passage to serious award travelers. Once you do, it’s time to look forward, not backward.

Figure out which of your Chase cards are keepers, and decide what benefits matter most in your next credit cards.

Whether you’re looking to diversify into a new rewards currency, fill in missing gaps or possibly both, you have plenty of options to consider. The important thing is that you continue to go out and take action so you can keep earning valuable rewards.

Related: The best ways to use your 5/24 slots

For rates and fees of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.

An anonymous caller feels trapped in a no-win situation with her financially reckless mother. She has the means to bail her out, but it doesn’t feel right. What should she do? 

Shannon is excited about investing in several companies overseas. But she can only access them using American Depository Receipts. What are they, and how do they work? 

Jennifer calls back with an update on putting a vacation on a credit card and playing the rewards game.

Former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy and I tackle these questions in today’s episode.

Enjoy!

P.S. Got a question? Leave it here.

Anonymous asks (at 01:27 minutes):  My mother has always lived beyond her means, and now it’s finally catching up to her. My sister and I are deeply concerned.

A couple of years ago, she and my stepdad bought a new house—a larger garage, pool, the works. We knew it was a stretch financially and told her so, but they went ahead anyway. Now they’re house-poor and looking to sell. 

Their marriage is also falling apart, and my mom wants a divorce. She’s in her mid-sixties and lives on $2,800 a month from Social Security and a small pension. Her husband doesn’t make much either. 

A one-bedroom apartment near my sister costs $2,000 a month. My mother has a car loan, medical bills, and less than $100,000 in combined savings between the two of them. The math just doesn’t work.

She doesn’t want to move or downsize further, but neither my sister nor I are in a position to have her move in with us. We live in high-cost-of-living areas, have kids, and are juggling our own financial priorities—saving for college, paying for activities, and building retirement. 

We’re both in strong financial positions thanks to years of hard work and frugal choices, but we don’t feel comfortable committing to giving her hundreds of dollars a month for decades.

Still… she’s our mom. So at some point, her crisis becomes our crisis.

How do we help a parent in a real financial bind when they’re unwilling to make the drastic lifestyle changes needed? Should we “meddle” now in hopes of reducing the long-term financial and emotional cost? 

Would buying a rental property for her to live in be a reasonable middle ground—something that helps her but allows us to build equity?

We’re trying to find a compassionate, realistic, and sustainable solution.

Shannon asks (at 26:58 minutes):  What do I need to know about investing in American Depository Receipts, or ADRs?

After a divorce nine years ago, I had to start over from scratch. Since then, I’ve built up $130,000—mostly in retirement accounts aligned with the Efficient Frontier—and I’ve set aside cash in a high-yield savings account for a home purchase in the next two to three years. 

I’m 39 now, debt-free, and on track for early retirement. Recently, I decided to carve out a small “fun fund” for individual stock picks—just 2 to 3 percent of my portfolio. 

I’ve found a few companies I’d love to invest in, but here’s the twist: they’re based in Finland and Switzerland, and aren’t primarily listed on U.S. exchanges. However, both offer ADRs that trade over the counter here in the U.S.

And… I have no idea what that means.

I’ve been listening to Afford Anything since 2020 (and went back to binge the archives), but I don’t recall hearing anything about ADRs. Can you shed some light on what they are, how they work, and what I should watch out for before investing?

Jennifer shares (at 38:01 minutes): I called in a couple of months ago to ask about potential downsides of putting my vacation expenses on a credit card and paying them off at a later time. I appreciate your insights, and to clarify, you had questioned whether I had the money to pay it back now.

 

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