How many months between credit card applications?

[Realist]

P1 is you.

P2 is your spouse or significant other.

P3 is child one.

P4 is child two.

etc.

Depending on where you sit right now, you may have a light, medium, or heavy credit profile.   Understanding where you are makes sense.  When I was a light to medium profile, I wasn't thinking about SUBs, I didn't even know about them, so I was using credit to live life as responsibility as I could.  During that time I kept accounts open, paid off and closed accounts, and then opened others over time.  Next thing you know know I have maybe 3-6 cards.  All accumulating in age, but still, not at my SUB and bank welcome bonus moment in life yet.

By the time I hit my SUB life, and bank bonus income, I had already established a solid credit profile simply by living life and using credit responsibly over a decade or two.  So live life using credit responsibly, where it makes sense.  Now, the chexsystem score was solid simply by banking responsibly across a few banks and credit unions.  I didn't even know chexsystem scoring was a thing until later.  I'm glad I banked responsibly, as that's been more helpful even over CC welcome bonuses.

If your credit score is reasonably under 800, it's not yet a thick profile, and what you do matters.  Do the right thing, or do the wrong thing, and your scores will move noticably in either direction.  When you are over 800, the moves, these swings, they don't often move much.  Other than paying on time, managing your debt and utilization properly, time is the deciding factor that will push and keep you into the 800 club.  We've pushed kids into the 800's, and kept them there for some time, but the fluxuation is large.   Until time catches up.  They'll need to do everything responsible to keep the score as high as possible.  They bounce in and out, even when doing everything completely correct.    They lack age.  Time.  Development.

As for these SUBs and welcome offers, you get six (6) hard inquiries in a two year timeframe.  Sure you might find some card that doesn't care, but most abide by the six in 24 months.   If it's you alone, that's about one inquiry and application every four to six months.  If a P2 is involved, you can either double up on the same schedule, or alternate with a faster schedule.  If you want to blow through a quick spree, you can do that too.  I did that this last time.  I'm set for a few years due to that benefit, and gardening for a year or so.  Average age took a nice hit, but when all of these cards age in time, it solidifies the average age overall.

Again, cards that increase your credit line but offer no rewards, once you have enough of these, you should be targeting some kind of SUB cash back, or hotel/airline.  The greater your score and financials, the more likely you will snag one.  In the end nothing is guaranteed.  There's nothing worse to apply, be denied, and have to eat a hard inquiry, but thats is life.  Your goal, is to try to present a borrowing status that a lender will want to issue a SUB card to.

[oupsmince]

Thank you, how can I know my chexsystem score?

[FicoMike0]

You can create an account with Chex and request score and report. Theyll mail it.

[oupsmince]

Finally, I started to use my Discover card to make purchases since the beginning of August. Right now, my balance is $551. My statement date is on the 12th of the month. When should I ask for a CLI? Today, I applied for the Citi Strata Premier, I was told "We've received your application for Citi Strata Premier℠ credit card, and is currently under review at this time. We'll be in touch when we've made our decision. Sometimes we may be able to post our decision in 24 hours, feel free to check back then. We'll be in touch in approximately 7-10 days via mail or email.". I never had a Citi Premier card before.

[Kforce]

Just for fun, I took your current card set and did some math to see what

happens to AAoA with a new card every 3 months.

  
  New card every 3_mo : 90 days

       Date           AAoA yrs       AAoA (No New Cards)
 ------------------------------------------------------------
    2025-08-23          2.41                Current Set
    2025-08-23          1.93          2.41  1 New card's
    2025-11-21          1.82          2.66  2 
    2026-02-19          1.74          2.91  3
    2026-05-20          1.67          3.16  4
    2026-08-18          1.63          3.41  5
    2026-11-16          1.59          3.66  6
    2027-02-14          1.56          3.91  7
    2027-05-15          1.53          4.16  8
    2027-08-13          1.51          4.41  9
    2027-11-11          1.49          4.66  10

[ElvisCaprice]

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@oupsmince wrote:
My goal is more SUB offers. I don't see any use to More credit availability. Does P1 means Preference 1? I updated my credit scores in my signature. What does "What's it's average age?" mean?

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If you goal is SUBS, then you don't really need to do CLI's,  in fact I am more apt to CLD immediatly a new account with too high of a SL, with the exception that you do need to show a card or two with higher credit limits in order to get cards with minimum higher limits.  This can be done with your emergency general spend card and backup.    As a suggestion, get the Aven 3% general spend card, there is no HP unless approved, no risk.  And they seem to be giving out a 15k SL to most.  This would be more than enough CL, at least for myself and would satisfy most higher limit CC's.

Like you, I don't need more CL, my spend is low and frugal, thus utilization is usually no more than 1%.  You will want individual utilization to be no more than 10% per account (8.9% to be exact), although these have short term effects as long as you pay off the balance each month.  

It's getting tougher and tougher to churn CC's.  So take you time and go slowly, say 1 every 6 months.  Get the cards first that you can keep and use long term (to build avg. age of accounts open).  That will take awhile.   Cash back debit cards are your friend, no HP.

If you like to churn for SUBS, I would recommend turning to new checking account offers or new investment account offers, as long as there is no HP involved.  

[ElvisCaprice]

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@oupsmince wrote:
Finally, I started to use my Discover card to make purchases since the beginning of August. Right now, my balance is $551. My statement date is on the 12th of the month. When should I ask for a CLI? Today, I applied for the Citi Strata Premier, I was told "We've received your application for Citi Strata Premier℠ credit card, and is currently under review at this time. We'll be in touch when we've made our decision. Sometimes we may be able to post our decision in 24 hours, feel free to check back then. We'll be in touch in approximately 7-10 days via mail or email.". I never had a Citi Premier card before.

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Don't spend on a CC just to induce a CLI, especially since you don't need additional CL for utilization.   That was bad advice since your not chasing CL for sport.   Best to just apply for a new card like I suggested.    Your Venture Card with 11k is all you need.  Just add one more general spend card with a 15 to 20k CL and your done with chasing CL noise.  

I wouldn't have recommended a Citi Strata Premier unless your new account and inquiry numbers were great.   Do you want an AF card?   You should have started with a Custom Cash from Citi first, get the SUB, it's a great 5% keeper card.  Then a Double Cash, good SUB, PC to another Custom Cash.   THEN go for the Premier cards, get the SUB, then  PC to another Custom Cash on the 1 year anniversary, to forgo the AF fee.

If I'm misreading your income/spend needs and your a high income/ big spender then ignore what I just said here.

[oupsmince]

You wrote "Get the cards first that you can keep and use long term (to build avg. age of accounts open). That will take awhile. Cash back debit cards are your friend, no HP.". Are you sure that Cash back debit cards build avg. age of accounts open? I thought that debit cards didn't have any influence on the credit score. Is it better to first get no AF CC with high cashback percent first because it increases the avg. age of accounts open? While AF CC are more difficult to get now? It is true that I'm chasing SUBs because next summer, we'll go to Paris 2 adults and 2 teeenagers, so I'm trying to get Air France and American airline miles. Maybe I can follow your tactic after next summer. Anyway, I was approved for the Citi Strata Premier and I should receive it in the next few days. My next goal is to apply for the Citi AAdvantage Business in 3 months. I never had a business CC but I read online that it's easy to get. I have an eBay account where I sell personal items. About doing bank account churning, I did it for the first time the past year and it's nice, but I saw that it would bring me more money if I buy a condo and rent it instead of devoting around $170,000 to bank account churning.

[ElvisCaprice]

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@oupsmince wrote:
You wrote "Get the cards first that you can keep and use long term (to build avg. age of accounts open). That will take awhile. Cash back debit cards are your friend, no HP.". Are you sure that Cash back debit cards build avg. age of accounts open? I thought that debit cards didn't have any influence on the credit score. Is it better to first get no AF CC with high cashback percent first because it increases the avg. age of accounts open? While AF CC are more difficult to get now? It is true that I'm chasing SUBs because next summer, we'll go to Paris 2 adults and 2 teeenagers, so I'm trying to get Air France and American airline miles. Maybe I can follow your tactic after next summer. Anyway, I was approved for the Citi Strata Premier and I should receive it in the next few days. My next goal is to apply for the Citi AAdvantage Business in 3 months. I never had a business CC but I read online that it's easy to get. I have an eBay account where I sell personal items. About doing bank account churning, I did it for the first time the past year and it's nice, but I saw that it would bring me more money if I buy a condo and rent it instead of devoting around $170,000 to bank account churning.

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Cash back debit cards are just a freebie for enhancing overall return.  Have nothing to do with Credit Score or building credit profile.  Sounds like you have a plan for those AF CC's and have the spend.  That's fine.  Congrats on the Premier!  You don't need alot of seed money to churn checking account SUB's.  Can do both, just do the accounts slower.  Sounds like your on your way!!!  Well done!

[oupsmince]

Thank you. After I buy the condo, I won't be able to get a good savings bank account bonus for $100,000 anymore, but I can do it for checking account.