approval

BIS

Business Card

Definition

Business credit cards. From most major issuers (Chase, Amex, Citi, Cap One), business card applications don't appear on your personal credit report, so they don't count against 5/24 or other personal-card limits.

Why it matters

Business cards are the workaround for hitting personal-card limits. You qualify for a business card as a sole proprietor with no formal business, your SSN and a side income (Uber, freelance, eBay) are enough.

Related terms in approval

5/24 Rule

Chase will decline new credit card applications if you've opened 5 or more credit cards from any issuer in the past 24 months. Includes business cards from some issuers.

Lifetime Language

Amex's policy: you can only earn the welcome bonus on a given card 'once per lifetime' per the application terms. Different Amex cards have different lifetime rules.

Pop-Up

A warning screen that appears during an Amex application stating you're not eligible for the welcome bonus on this card. Effectively a soft-decline of the bonus, not the card.

Downgrade

Converting an existing credit card to a different card in the same family (e.g., Amex Platinum → Amex Gold) instead of canceling and reapplying.