Open non-retail Chase card before hotel card?

[James3]

I'm thinking of getting one of Chase's hotel credit cards. Is there any reason I'd want a non-retail Chase card first? I don't plan to apply for multiple cards in the near future, so 5/24 isn't an issue. The only thing I can think of that might be beneficial is that I may close a hotel card after a few years but I'd likely keep a Chase Freedom Unlimited open forever, and that would help my AAoA.

[FireMedic1]

" and that would help my AAoA."

I'm no Chase expert. Others will help. But each time you get a new account on your credit file. Your AAoA's drop. Doesnt help. Also AoYA resets back to 0 months.

[James3]

Yes, the average account age will drop if I open an account (even more if I open two), but if I later close the hotel card I still have the original Chase account open. It's not really logical reasoning, and I probably shouldn't have mentioned that. I figured that if I'm likely to want a non-retail Chase card eventually, better to get it sooner rather than later.

[SouthJamaica]

---

@James3 wrote:

I'm thinking of getting one of Chase's hotel credit cards. Is there any reason I'd want a non-retail Chase card first? I don't plan to apply for multiple cards in the near future, so 5/24 isn't an issue. The only thing I can think of that might be beneficial is that I may close a hotel card after a few years but I'd likely keep a Chase Freedom Unlimited open forever, and that would help my AAoA.

---

I think you should just get the card you'd enjoy having the most.

I wouldn't concern myself about closing the card some day, since after you close it it will continue to be factored into your aging factors for many years to come.

But yes it's true that a card with an annual fee is more likely one day to get dumped by you than a no-annual-fee card like Chase's Freedom cards.