Churning
The practice of opening, earning the bonus on, and sometimes closing credit cards in rapid succession to maximize points.
Full definition
Churning is the systematic pursuit of credit card sign-up bonuses. Serious churners open 6-12+ new cards per year, accumulating 500K-1M+ points annually.
Risks: too-fast applications can trigger credit inquiries, bank shutdowns (Amex financial review, Chase RAT), and credit score dips. Most successful practitioners space applications 2-3 months apart, maintain low utilization, and rotate across banks to avoid looking like a risk to any single issuer.
Related terms
Sign-up Bonus (SUB)
A one-time bonus of points awarded for opening a credit card and meeting the minimum spend...Chase 5/24 Rule
Chase's policy of denying credit card applications if you've opened 5 or more personal acc...Minimum Spend
The required spending threshold (typically $3-$6K over 3-6 months) to earn a credit card's...
A one-time bonus of points awarded for opening a credit card and meeting the minimum spend...Chase 5/24 Rule
Chase's policy of denying credit card applications if you've opened 5 or more personal acc...Minimum Spend
The required spending threshold (typically $3-$6K over 3-6 months) to earn a credit card's...
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