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Don’t Let the Chase 5/24 Rule Stop You – Apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve In-branch!

UPDATE: The bonus on the chase Sapphire Reserve has been reduced from 100k to 50k (both in-branch and online). Additionally, it has been reported that in-branch pre-approved offers are currently unavailable, though I expect these to return in the coming weeks…

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is THE flavor of the week credit card! All we keep hearing is “The CSR this, the CSR that” – it has been the most popular card release that I have ever seen… Due to an insanely large amount of applicants, Chase even ran out of the unique metal material from which the card is made!

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She’s all that and a bag of chips!

The CSR craze makes sense – The 100,000 points bonus offer is HUGE – worth a minimum of $1,500 in travel. The travel credits are sweet and help cut the annual fee to a reasonable amount, and the benefits are some of the best in the game!!

By this time you have heard it all and are well aware of how awesome this card is!

So, why don’t you have the CSR yet!?

Perhaps your reason for not wielding this beauty is the now confirmed, deflating, depressing, and dejecting –

Chase 5/24 Rule

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5/24 in writing… read it and weep…

As soon as this card was released, I knew that the 5/24 Rule was going to be a factor that might preclude me from getting in on the Chase Ultimate Reward action! After all, Chase has denied two of my prior applications (count ‘em – 2 times!) based on this exact rule – and this was even before the rule was ultimately confirmed by Chase (it was more of a “guideline” at the time).

When the card was released, I paid close attention to Reddit, Flyertalk, and the Points With A Crew Slack Channel for reports of applicants being approved despite having opened more than 5 credit cards with any/all issuers in the past 24 months. While most applicants that applied online received denial or a pending decision that evolved into denial, many of those who went in-branch and applied using a pre-approved offer were instantly approved!

Alas! A glimmer of hope!

My Experience

Now I just needed to get my hands on a pre-approved offer for the Chase Sapphire Reserve. I visited my local Chase branch and spoke with a banker with whom which I had become familiar.

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Here goes nothin!

I asked him specifically if I had a “pre-approval” offer for the Chase Sapphire Reserve on my account.

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There was only one pre-approval that mattered…

Lo and behold – I sure did!

So, with the 5/24 rule in mind, combined with some promising experiences of other applicants in my position, I decided to go for it and apply – despite the banker strongly advising me that denial would be the most likely outcome given his experience so far.

APPROVED!

Sweet! I really was surprised and even asked the banker if he was just messing with me.

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My pre-approval turned into an actual real life approval!

With a CSR in my wallet, I am working my way towards the $4,000 in spending and a whopping 100,000 Chase Ultimate Reward Points!

The Takeaway

Based on what I have read and my personal experience – the 5/24 Rule CAN BE BEATEN – specifically with a pre-approval in-branch offer!

The in-branch pre-approval is certainly not a fool-proof approval, and there is still a chance that you may be denied, even if you are tempted with that pre-approval… but it does give applicants a fighting chance against the 5/24 Rule, and that is all that we ever wanted, right!?

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Chase Private Client might help you, but it might not…

Note: This is the only rule bypass that I know of – Chase Private Client status, online pre-approval and pre-qualifications have been inconclusive, so if you are over the 5/24 limit, then in-branch is your best bet!

Have you checked for in-branch pre-approvals already with no luck? Just keep checking, as it has been reported that the pre-approvals reset on the 1st of the month.

Also, even if you have been denied for an online CSR application due to 5/24, it might be worth a second chance at the card with an in-branch pre-approval offer…

Final Thought

The Chase 5/24 Rule is real and it may be the only thing standing between you and your travel dreams. Luckily for you, your travel hopes and dreams are not yet dashed, as there is a 5/24 Rule bypass if you apply in a Chase branch for a pre-approved offer!

Remember, an in-branch pre-approval is not a guarantee, so you still need to consider the possibility that you will be denied when determining whether to apply.

Although the CSR sounds  “too good to be true”, IT’S NOT!  However, I really do believe that we will see the bonus reduced or the benefits cut at some point in the future. It may be 3 months, 6 months, or perhaps even a year away, but I would advise you to not leave it to chance and to head to your local branch ASAP to check on a pre-approval offer for the best card in the game!

Will you be heading to your local Chase branch this week?

Happy Travels!

DW

12 Comments

  1. Are my chances slim to none if I don’t have a relationship with a banker or bank with Chase if I fall into the 5/24 category? It’s gets more painful every week knowing I don’t stand much of a chance to get approved.

    1. It’s at least worth a shot to head to your local Chase branch and ask if there is a pre-approval offer with your name on it! If there isn’t, I have read reports of other that have gone in-branch to open a checking or savings (either personal or business – and remember to take advantage of the Chase account opening bonuses) and upon completion of account opening have been informed of a pre-approved CSR offer!

      Good luck to you!

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