An application rule is an internal issuer policy that rejects an application regardless of creditworthiness, for example because too many accounts were opened recently.
Also called: Anti-churning rule.
How it works#
An application rule takes effect before the credit assessment, which is why a strong score does not overcome it. The best known form counts newly opened card accounts within a fixed window. Issuers neither publish nor confirm such rules and change them without notice, so circulating thresholds are planning aids rather than promises. Applying anyway costs a hard inquiry and returns nothing.
Not to be confused with#
An application rule is not a bonus waiting period: the rule decides whether you get the card, the waiting period only whether the welcome bonus is granted again.
In German#
The German term is Antragsregel. German version of this term
Related terms#
- Hard pull: A hard pull is a check of a credit file made because a lending decision is pending. It is recorded, visible to other lenders and counts towards the score.
- Welcome bonus: A welcome bonus is a one-off points credit for opening a new card and meeting a minimum spending requirement within a set period.
- Credit report: A credit report is the collection of reported credit accounts held on a person by a bureau, with limit, balance, payment status and the inquiries other lenders made.
