I've never received any stars across my three Chase accounts. Always cold app'd and instant approvals. So, if I weren't to get a star by June/July of 2021, I'll still cold app for the UA Explorer card in July. Then go after the two Ink cards I want, the finally the Freedom to close out the trifecta. Hopefully the quarterly bonus months will better suit my spending by then?
@cashorcharge wrote:Sounds like a solid plan. @MyFault
To add one more comment as an FYI, I mentioned earlier...I have seen/received a star.
I have banked with them in a minor ancillary account, including a mortgage, Business Account and Southwest Card and had been looking for stars since last OCT when my profile shifted to a much better position in terms of AAoA, Util and DTI...they were doing SP's in the background but never got a star. In May, gave up and cold app'd for the Sapphire Reserve and got it. Point being, I don't know the reliability of not getting stars and then getting approval.
Do you recall what your x/24 status was when you cold apped and got approved? 
@Anonymous wrote:IMO, I would open the account simply for the $500 SUB! As you dais that's more than you'll earn at Marcus, or really any FI's HYSA on that Money in the short term. Nothing to lose really.
Personal DP's, I got a pre-approval for the Freedom Unlimited 3.5 months after opening a Checking account with them. First time ever, that i noticed anyways, since being a CSP cardholder a year prior to that. So there is a very slim chance that it may help, epecially with the kind of cash you'll have parked there. My average monthly balance was only about $4-5K when received the FU offer. All while over 5/24.
That said there is no gurantee the same will happen for you, just one person's outcome.
It might be that Chase is fine with you the way things are, since you do already hace 3 cards with them. Perhsps that is why you do not get the star offers. So aside from the in branch method you only course may be to wait it out until under 5/24.
I'm going back and forth with myself on getting the $500 checking/savings SUB, or waiting until after 8/10 to see if they bring back the $600 SUB. The way my luck works, they'll bring the $600 after i go after the $500. Or, if i don't go after $500 then there won't be a checking/savings SUB at all. lol. So, i may just bite the bullet. In order to keep from being hit with fees, i'll have to park $1500 in checking, and $15k in savings for 6 months. However, again, still more than i'd make on that money sitting with Marcus over 6 months so it is a no brainer.
As for getting any stars while over 5/24 or even an in branch pre-approval, i believe you're right in that it would be very slim chances. My daily spend already goes to Chase, so they wouldn't see much more spend from me by adding the cards i want, i'd only be shifting grocery spend from CFU to CF. They'd only be paying me more perks, so effectively Chase would make less money on me from giving me the last two cards i want. I'm just going to have to stay in the garden, as i originally already planned. I just really want that 5x on grocery spend for 12 months and $12k! lol!
@CivalV wrote:I would go in branch open up a savings or checking and then have the rep check for preapprovals. I've had a chase checking for years and had no clue about the preapprovals in branch. I went in a few months back with nothing reflecting on my online account and yet I was prepproved for all of the Chase cards.. The rep even showed me on his screen. I was shocked. At some point I started to see prequalified on cobranded cards and that is how I got my Marriott Bonvoy card.
I just opened up a checking & savings today for the $500 SUB. Money is being transferred, and I may stop in a branch next week to ask if I have any offers. But I'm not expecting anything at all, while over 5/24, especially in this climate.
