Difference between revisions of "Reciprocal museum programs"

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Temp - {{Title|Chase 5/24}} (2018)}}
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{{DISPLAYTITLE: Temp - Reciprocal Museum Programs}}
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{{#seo:|description=Optimize your credit card strategy and signup bonuses based on the Chase 5/24 rule.}}
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{{Page|article|home}}  
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{{Page|article|Card Strategies}}  
 
  
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'''This page is still under construction.'''
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Chase has some of the best travel and reward credit cards available. However, they have an approval policy that can make it hard to get many of these cards.
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{{Image|NARMMap.png|full}}  
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<blockquote>
 
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Chase won't approve your credit card application, regardless of your credit score or income, if you’ve already signed up for 5 new credit cards, during the last 24 months.
 
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They don’t just count cards you received from Chase. They count all the (personal) cards you’ve received from any credit card company, and even include cards for which you were simply added as an authorized user. This is widely referred to as the Chase “5/24” rule.
 
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If you are following our advice, you are about to start applying for a set of new credit cards—to take advantage of their travel benefits, signup bonuses, and/or reward-earning rates. Once you hit the 5 card limit, you won’t be able to be approved for any of the Chase cards that are affected by the “5/24” rule.
 
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As a result, we recommend that everyone sign up for these Chase cards first, and only after hitting the limit, continue on to other cards.
 
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{{TOC}}
 
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*[[#Because of the Chase 5/24 rule, you need to get certain Chase cards first|You need to get certain Chase cards first]]
 
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*[[#Our recommended strategy|Our recommended strategy]]
 
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*[[#Strategies to continue qualifying for the Southwest Companion Pass|Strategies to continue qualifying for the Southwest Companion Pass]]
 
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*[[#Possibilities for bypassing the rule|Possibilities for bypassing the rule]]
 
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*[[#Advanced 5/24 strategies|Advanced 5/24 strategies]]
 
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*[[#xxx|xxx]]
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{{Main|article}}
 
{{Main|article}}
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=== Because of the Chase 5/24 rule, you need to get certain Chase cards first ===
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=== How reciprocal museum programs work ===
  
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If you are following our advice, you are about to start applying for a set of new credit cards—to take advantage of their travel benefits, signup bonuses, and/or reward-earning rates. Once you hit the 5 card limit, you won’t be able to be approved for any of the Chase cards that are affected by the “5/24” rule.  
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When you become a member of any museum or attraction in the program, you get free access to all of the other participating locations. For example, if you join the Science Museum in your home town, you can freely visit dozens of science museums all around the country.  
  
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<blockquote>
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<ul class="bulletlist">
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As a result, we recommend that everyone sign up for these Chase cards first, and only after hitting the limit, continue on to other cards.
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<li>'''You usually are only entitled to "standard" admission'''. You usually need to pay extra for special exhibits, IMAX movies, and other valued-added attractions. Because these extras are often available as part of a discounted package, if you want the full experience, your discount might not amount to that much.</li>
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</blockquote>
 
  
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For example, if you’ve gotten two new cards in the past two years, you’ve still got room for three of the Chase cards that are affected by this rule. If you haven’t signed up for any new cards, you’ve got room for five. Keep in mind, that you can only apply for two of these cards in any 30-day period, but you will probably want to go slower than that.  
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<li>'''Nearby museums are usually not included'''. With most programs, you WON'T get reciprocal access to any museums that are located close to your home museum. Sometimes "nearby" is defined by an official number of miles, other times it is any location in the same state, and sometimes it is ad-hoc. So, don't expect privileges with other museums in the same metropolitan area or state.</li>
  
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Once you’ve hit the 5 card limit, double-check to see if you have any cards that you acquired nearly two years ago. If you do, you can wait a couple of months, get back under the 5 card limit, and apply for an additional affected card(s). If you want to know the exact number of newer cards you have on record, you can {{Link|Credit Score|check your credit report}}.
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<li>'''Joining an out-of-state museum can provide access to all the locations that are close to your home'''. If you want privileges at all the museums in your area, you can often join a museum in some other city, rather than your favorite nearby museum. While you'll be blocked at locations located nearby the institution you join, you won't be blocked at any of your local locations. There are some downsides to this approach. Your membership money will be supporting the museum you join, rather than the one in your area; and you won't be able to take advantage of many other membership benefits, such as access to special member's only visiting hours or events. With some programs, this approach isn't even possible, as you'll be blocked to local museums based on the address on your ID, rather than the address of the museum you belong to.</li>
  
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=== Our recommended strategy ===
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<li>'''Reciprocal benefits are not available with many less expensive memberships'''. You'll need to join your local museum at a certain level. Each of the programs enforces a minimum membership cost to access reciprocal benefits. For example, no museum in the program can provide reciprocal benefits with any membership level that costs less than $100 per year.</li>
  
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We can’t stress this enough: The Chase cards have such good signup offers (and in many cases, ongoing benefits), that you don’t want to unnecessarily lose the opportunity to obtain them. Before you get any almost any other non-business credit cards, you should get as many of the affected Chase cards as you can. The only exception is you really want another card, such as the {{Card|Altitude|only}} or {{Card|Venture|only}} that is very hard to get once you've started signing up for other cards.  
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<li>'''You can often get a membership discount'''. The best place to check is Groupon, but other promotional codes are sometimes available.</li>
  
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{{Box|The 5/24 Rule is Coming to More Cards}}
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<li>'''The number of guests depends on the type of membership you have'''. Typically, if you have an individual membership, you'll reciprocal benefits only apply to one person. If you have a family membership, you'll receive benefits based on the family membership of the museum you are visiting, not your home museum.</li>
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According to current rumors, Chase is planning to eventually apply the 5/24 rule to all of their credit cards (not just the card that are currently affected by the rule). As more cards are affected, the prioritization of which cards to get will change. We will update this guide as the list of affected cards changes.
 
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{{/Box}}
 
  
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==== Step 1: Apply for any “critical” Chase 5/24 cards ====
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<li>'''Memberships are NOT typically based on the calendar year'''. They usually last for one year after you join. With some museums and attractions, it can take some time for you to receive your membership card. So, you'll need to apply weeks before you you plan to take advantage of any reciprocal benefits.</li>
  
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The 5/24 rule doesn’t affect every Chase card. However, it affects most of their more attractive cards, specifically all their Ultimate Rewards (Sapphire, Freedom, Ink), Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines cards, and the personal version of their Marriott card.  
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<li>'''To get access, you'll need to carry your membership card'''. There is no way to look you up in some "member database". You'll need to have a valid membership card and photo ID.</li>
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</ul>
  
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You almost certainly want to make more than one of these cards part of your core credit card collection. While we’d love to be able to just tell you which of these cards to make sure to get, the right answer for each person can be different, based on the way you travel.
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=== Major reciprocal museum programs ===
  
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{{List|card}}
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While there are many smaller or more specialized reciprocal programs such as the Empire State Museums Reciprocal Program (mix of museums in New York state) or Connections (photography museums around the country), that may be interesting based on your location or interest, the following programs include the widest range of the most popular museums and attractions.
  
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{{CardItem|SWAPremier}}
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==== Art Museums ====
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'''If you want to get the Southwest Companion Pass, you need to prioritize signing up for (ideally two) Southwest Airline card(s)'''. Depending on your travel patterns, the Southwest Companion Pass can be the most lucrative deal in travel hacking. It allows a second person to fly for free, on every paid and every award flight on Southwest Airlines. You can use it as many times as you like. If you are a couple, with the inclination and time to frequently jet around the country, getting the pass lets you travel at essentially half-price. On the other hand, many other travelers can’t get that much value from the pass, either because they frequently fly by themselves, or don’t have an opportunity to fly on Southwest very often.
 
  
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For many people, the only realistic way to get the pass is by signing up for (ideally two) Southwest Airlines credit cards. Signup bonuses can vary, but are typically around 40-60,000 points. If you apply for two cards, and earn their signup bonuses, you’ll be near (or over) the number of points that entitles you to the pass. You’ll also be earning points worth around $3,200 of Southwest Airline flights—$1,600 for you to buy tickets, with $1,600 worth of free tickets for your companion. {{Link|Companion Pass}}.
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Unlike Science Museums, Zoos, and Children's Museums, Art Museum reciprocal programs are pretty fragmented. Some of the more significant programs include.  
  
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If you want to pursue this strategy, you (or your partner) need to have room for a Chase 5/24 card. You are only supposed to be able to have one of the personal versions of the Southwest Airlines card at any one time (and only earn one signup bonus every two years). As a result, the easiest approach, if you qualify, is to signup for the business version of the card, and then one of the personal versions. However, some people have reported being able to sign up for two different personal versions of the Southwest card on the same day, and earning the signup bonuses from both cards. A third, and less desirable option, is to only sign up for only one card, and try to earn the rest of the points in other ways. All three approaches only require a single Chase 5/24 slot.
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<ul class="checklist">
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<li>'''[//www.metmuseum.org/join-and-give/membership/faqs Metropolitan Reciprocal Membership Program]'''. Includes 15 of the top art museums in the country, anchored by the Met in NYC.</li>
  
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{{CardItem|United}}
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{{Image|MET.jpg}}
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'''If you frequently fly United, you’ll want to make sure to get the United card, to get access to free checked bags and other benefits'''. If you fly on United a lot, and you check bags, you can save some serious cash by getting and keeping the United credit card—it lets you and a companion avoid the fee on your first checked bag.  It is also useful for people who frequently fly United, because cardholders get increased availability for both “anytime” and “saver” award redemptions.  
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<li>'''[//www.artic.edu/support-us/membership/member-faqs Art Museum Reciprocal Membership Program]'''. Includes 15 of the top art museums in the country, anchored by Art Institute of Chicago. A few museums belong to both this program and the Met's program. </li>
  
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{{CardItem|InkPreferred}}
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<li>'''[//sites.google.com/view/marplist/participating-museums Museum Alliance Reciprocal Program]''' (MARP). Includes 32 major US art museums, but not quite at the same overall level as the Met and Art Institute programs.</li>
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'''If you are entitled to a small business card, you probably want to get one or both of the Ink Preferred and Ink Cash cards'''. If you have any size business, you are entitled to sign up for small business cards, as well as personal cards. This is true even if you have another full-time job, or haven’t made any money yet. Chase offers some of the best options. The Ink Preferred card earns 3x points on travel, shipping, telecom services, and advertising. When used alongside a Sapphire or Ink Preferred card, the Ink Cash card earns 5x points on telecom services and office supply stores. {{Link|Business Cards}}.
 
  
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The good news here, is that while you can't get these cards if you are above the 5/24 limit, getting either or both these cards doesn't block your ability to get additional affected cards, because (as business cards) they don't count against the limit of five cards. But, you still need to make sure to apply for these before you hit the 5/24 limit.  
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{{Image|Guggenheim.jpg}}
  
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{{CardItem|FreedomUnlimited}}
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<li>'''[//thewalters.org/support/membership/art-museum-reciprocal-network/ Art Museum Reciprocal Network]''' (AMRN). Similar to the MARP program, but a different cluster of major museums. </li>
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'''Almost everyone should get the Sapphire Reserve and one of the Chase Unlimited cards, to earn the highest reward rates on much of their spending'''. These cards work together to earn the most valuable rewards on travel and restaurant spending, and for any spending that doesn’t fit into a bonus category. Most people will want the Freedom Unlimited card. But, if you are entitled to business cards, and willing to use one for your everyday spending, the Ink Unlimited card is the better option, and won't take up an additional slot. {{Link|general purpose}}.
 
  
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{{CardItem|SapphireReserve}}
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<li>'''[//whitney.org/Support/Membership/ReciprocalProgram The Whitney Reciprocal Program]'''. Unlike the other programs, this isn't a mutual alliance amongst a group of museums. Rather, joining the Whitney ($140/2) gives you access to 16 other museums in the US and Europe, and joining any of those museums gives you access to the Whitney. But the various partner museums don't necessarily have any reciprocal benefits between themselves.</li>
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'''You’ll also get valuable travel benefits from the Sapphire Reserve card''', like airport lounge access and primary rental car insurance. {{Link|premium cards}}
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</ul>
  
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If you have room for these two cards, you should almost certainly get them before moving on.
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==== Others ====
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<ul class="checklist">
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<li>'''[//www.astc.org/passport/ Association of Science and Technology Centers Travel Passport]''' (ASTC). Provides benefits at over 350 museums in North America, plus a smattering of museums elsewhere in the world. Includes almost every large science museum, with the notable exceptions of the Exploratarium and the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and the Academy of Natural Sciences in New York. You won't have privileges at museums that are within 90 miles of your home address or your membership museum. [//www.astc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ASTCTravelPassport_6pt_Nov2018-Apr2019.pdf Participating Museums].</li>
  
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{{CardItem|Freedom}}
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{{Image|BostonGenerator.jpg}}
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'''The Chase “Freedom” card is interesting, but you are probably better off getting another card instead'''. The “Freedom” card is a different card than the “Freedom Unlimited”. It earns 5x points on purchases made in a set of categories that change every quarter; which is an incredible earning rate, since the points are worth around {{Value|ur}} cents each. These rewards, however, are capped at $1,500 of spending per quarter, so you can earn up to 30,000 points per year. It can take a bit of effort to use this card effectively, and you are probably better off just signing up for different Chase card instead, and just collecting the signup bonus. Then, you can always convert that card to a Freedom card later. {{Link|Rotating Category}}.
 
  
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{{CardItem|Marriott}}
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<li>'''[//narmassociation.org/ North American Reciprocal Membership]''' (NARM). This is the largest reciprocal museum program, with over 1,000 participating art, history, and specialty museums, primarily in the United States. Most of the hightest-profile museums are not members, but you'll get free access to many excellent museums in every corner of the country. [https://a1pir3oc6nm1k9qfq28au9qx-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/NARM_Winter_2018-2019.pdf Participating Museums].</li>
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'''If you really want to maximize the number of Marriott / SPG free night certificates each year, you'll want to prioritize the Marriott card'''. Every year, after your anniversary, it provides a certificate that can be used for room nights that would cost 35,000 points per night. However, you can get these certificates from several other cards that wouldn't take up a Chase 5/24 slot, such as the SPG card, SPG business card, SPG luxury card, and Marriott business card. But, if you want to maximize the number of certificates you earn each year, you would want this card as well. In general, we would recommend using your slots for likely more valuable other options.  
 
  
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{{/List|card}}
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Most '''[//sites.google.com/site/roammuseums/home Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums]''' (ROAM) members are also part of the much larger NARM program. But, if your membership includes both, you'll have access to some additional museums that are members are ROAM, but not NARM.  [https://sites.google.com/site/roammuseums/home/list-of-roam-museums Participating Museums].
  
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This will typically add up to 1-4 personal cards, and potentially a bunch of Chase business cards.
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<li>'''[//www.aza.org/reciprocity Association of Zoos and Aquariums]''' (AZA). Provides reciprocal benefits at over 150 North American zoos and aquariums. It includes most major zoos, but a few of the most significant zoos (including the San Diego Zoo Bronx Zoo, and Brookfield Zoo) don't participate, and it doesn't provide benefits at most major aquariums.  [//www.aza.org/assets/2332/reciprocitychart.pdf Participating locations].</li>
  
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==== Step 2: If (somehow) you haven’t reached the limit yet, apply for the affected Chase cards with the highest signup bonuses ====
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Unlike most of the other major programs, you usually only receive a 50% discount, rather than free admission. However, memberships with a smaller set of participating zoos and aquariums will give you free admission with that same set of locations (and 50% off everywhere else). 
  
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After you get any of the affected Chase cards, that you want to make a part of your core credit card collection, you will often be out of space for any additional Chase “5/24” cards. However, if you do have some space leftover, you should apply for whichever of the remaining affected Chase cards have the best signup offers. If you start signing up for other cards instead, you won’t be able to go back, and get these excellent signup bonuses later.  
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{{Image|KansasCityZoo.png}}
  
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This list shows the “normal” signup bonuses for each card. Promotions are sometimes available, which may temporarily make one of the cards a more attractive option. {{Link|Promotional Offers}}.
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<li>'''[//findachildrensmuseum.org/reciprocal-network/  Association of Children's Museums]''' (ACM). Provides benefits at around 200 different children's museums. Like the Zoo program, and unlike the other programs, you'll only receive 50% off the regular admission. Nearly every US children's museum participates, admission is good for up to six people, and the conveniently don't block privileges at nearby museums.  [http://childrensmuseums.org/images/Reciprocal-Brochure_1.17.19.pdf Participating Museums].</li>
  
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{{List|card}}
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<li>'''[http://timetravelers.mohistory.org/ Time Travelers]'''. Provides benefits at more than 300 historical sites and museums throughout the United State. [//csv.mohistory.org/static/pdf/institutions.pdf Participating Locations].</li>
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</ul>
  
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{{CardItem|InkPreferred}}
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=== Access multiple programs with a single membership ===
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'''Ink Preferred: 80,000 Ultimate Reward points'''. This is the most valuable standard signup offer available from Chase. If you qualify for a small-business card, it should be your first choice after getting your must-have Chase cards, even if you don’t value its extra benefits. Requires $5,000 initial spend (over 3 months). $95 annual fee.
 
  
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{{CardItem|InkUnlimited}}
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Many museums belong to multiple reciprocal programs. Becoming a member one of these museums lets you enjoy the benefits of multiple programs for a single membership fee.  
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'''Ink Unlimited: 50,000 Ultimate Reward points'''. Chase advertises the signup bonus as $500, but you'll actually receive 50,000 Ultimate Reward points. If you have the Sapphire Reserve, Sapphire Preferred, or Ink Preferred card, you can transfer these points to airline and hotel partners, or get more than 1 cent per point when you use them to purchase travel through Chase. Requires $3,000 initial spend. No annual fee.  
 
  
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{{CardItem|SapphirePreferred}}
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==== Art Museums ====
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'''Sapphire Preferred: 50,000 Ultimate Reward points'''. This is the best pure signup bonus from any of their personal cards. Unlike the Sapphire Reserve, there is no first-year annual fee, and you can get an extra 5,000 points by adding an authorized cardholder.
 
  
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However, you can no longer have both this card and the Sapphire Reserve at the same time, so if you wanted the Sapphire Reserve for its ongoing benefits, you'll need to pass on the Sapphire Preferred's signup bonus.
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<ul class="checklist">
  
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50,000 Ultimate Reward points are worth $600-750 when redeemed like cash, $750-1000 (or more) when redeemed for hotels, and potentially much more when redeemed for flights. To earn the bonus, you'll need to spend $4,000 in the first three months.  
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<li>'''Both the Met and Art Institute Programs'''. A few museums belong to both of the most prestigious art museum programs.</li>
  
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{{CardItem|SapphireReserve}}
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<ul>
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'''Sapphire Reserve: 50,000 Ultimate Reward points'''. Since you can't collect the signup bonuses from both Sapphire cards, if you want the added benefits of the Sapphire Reserve card, you'll need to "settle" for only 50,000 points, rather than getting some additional points, with a lower out-of-pocket expense with the Sapphire Preferred card. That said, some people have reported that if you sign up for both the Sapphire Reserve and the Sapphire Preferred on the same day, you can get approved for both cards, and earn both signup bonuses.  
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<li>Qualifying membership at [//www.philamuseum.org/membership/?page=2 Philadelphia Museum of Art] costs $250 and also includes a membership in AMRN.</li>
  
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{{CardItem|swapremierbiz}}
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<li>The [//www.lacma.org/membership/join/levels/friend Los Angeles County Museum of Art] (LACMA) costs $250 and also includes reciprocal benefits with the Whitney.</li>
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'''Southwest Business: 60,000 Southwest Airlines points'''. These points are valued at {{Value|southwest|60000}}. $3,000 initial spending requirement. $99 annual fee.  
 
  
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{{CardItem|Marriott}}
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<li>The [//www.dma.org/support-partners/dma-members Dallas Museum of Art] costs $250 and also includes a membership in the Western Reciprocal Museum Program and ROAM.</li>
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'''Marriott: 100,000 Marriott points'''. These points are valued at {{Value|Marriott|100000}} and can easily be used for Marriott / SPG hotel rooms or converted into up to 41,666 airline miles with a larger number of different frequent flyer programs. $3,000 initial spending requirement in the first 3 months. $95 annual fee. If you qualify for small business cards, you can get the business version of this card, without taking up one of your slots. But since the business version isn't affected by the Chase 5/24 rule, you could get it later, as well.
+
</ul>
  
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{{CardItem|swaplus}}
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<li>'''One of the Met or Art Institute plus more'''. A few museums belong to either the Met program or the Art Institute and one of the next tier programs (MARP or AMRN).</li>
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'''Southwest Personal: 40,000 Southwest points'''. If you fly Southwest periodically, this works out to about $600 towards flight purchases. The Plus card is a better deal with a $69 annual fee, versus $99, and the same $1,000 initial spending requirement (in first 3 months). Like the Sapphire cards, you are only supposed to have one of the personal Southwest airlines cards at a time, and can only earn one bonus every 24 months. However, some people have reported being able to sign up for both cards in the same day, and earn both signup bonuses.  
 
  
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{{CardItem|United}}
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{{Table|Basic}}
−
'''United Explorer: 40,000 United miles'''. You can use these on a variety of partner airlines, even if you don’t fly United. So, they are more flexible than Southwest Points, but you will need to find available awards space first You need to spend $1,000 in the first 3 months. The annual fee is $95, but it is waived the first year, and if you are only getting it for the signup bonus, you won’t keep it longer than that. If you qualify for small business cards, you can get the business version of this card, without taking up one of your slots. (But, once you hit the limit, you won't get approved for the business version of the card.)
+
!Museum
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{{/List|card}}
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!style="width: .5in;"|Fee
 +
!style="width: .5in;"|Met
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!style="width: .5in;"|Chicago
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!style="width: .5in;"|MARP
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!style="width: .5in;"|AMRN
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!style="width: .5in;"|WRMP
 +
!style="width: .5in;"|NARM
 +
!style="width: .5in;"|ROAM
 +
!style="width: 1in;"|Other
 +
|-
 +
|[//denverartmuseum.org/membership-support/membership-details-benefits Denver Art Museum]
 +
|$150||y|| || ||y|| || || ||[//museumswest.org/ Museums West]
 +
|-
 +
|[//discovernewfields.org/give-and-join/become-member Newfields] (Indianapolis Art Museum)
 +
|$250||y|| ||y|| || ||y||y||[//ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/rap/find/statebystate AHS]
 +
|-
 +
|[//www.clevelandart.org/join-and-give/membership-and-circles/about-membership Cleveland Museum of Art]
 +
|$250|| ||y||y||y|| || || ||
 +
|-
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|[//www.mfah.org/membership/levels/ Museum of Fine Arts] (Houston)
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|$185|| ||y||y|| || || || ||
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|-
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|[//walkerart.org/support/membership/ Walker Art Center] (Minneapolis)
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|$125|| ||y||y|| || || || ||Whitney
 +
|-
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|[//nelson-atkins.org/join/member-benefits/reciprocal-membership-programs/ Nelson Atkins Museum] (Kansas City)
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|$250|| ||y|| ||y|| ||y||y||
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{{/Table|Basic}}
  
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==== Step 3: Fit in the best remaining “Perks” cards ====
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</ul>
  
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After you’ve hit the limit for your Chase “5/24 cards”, you are ready to get any unaffected cards, from Chase or other credit card companies, that you want to make part of your core credit card collection.
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==== Others ====
  
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The only exception would be for a potential travel benefit that is extremely valuable to you. For example, if you could save hundreds of dollars with the Citi Prestige's 4<sup>th</sup> night free benefit, by getting the card earlier, it may be worth missing out on one of your potential Chase 5/24 slots. You have to trade off the value of having access to the benefit, while you are still under the 5/24 limit, versus the value of being able to get an additional valuable Chase card or signup bonus.
+
<ul class="checklist">
 +
<li>'''Science museums and zoos'''. A handful of places are members of both the Science Museum and Zoo programs.</li>
  
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==== Step 4: Collect the best remaining “sign-up” bonuses ====
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<ul>
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<li>Qualifying membership at the [//www.boonshoftmuseum.org/membership/ Boonshoft Museum of Discovery] (Dayton, Ohio) costs $115 for a family, but provides the option to join at a $145 level and also qualify for the Children's Museum program. Both include free admission, rather than 50% off, at a subset of the participating Zoos.</li>
  
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Then, you can continue to get additional cards, just to take advantage of their signup bonuses. {{Link|Best Offers}}.
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{{Image|BoonshoftMembershipLevels.png}}
  
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{{Box|Avoiding Other Chase Cards Once You've Signed Up for a Lot of Cards}}
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<li>Qualifying Membership at the [//wildwnc.org/membership Western North Carolina Nature Center] (Asheville, NC) is only $34 for one person, $49 for two, and $69 for a family, and your membership entitles you to free admission, rather than 50% off at a subset of participating Zoos. At the [//www.lszooduluth.org/visit/membership/ Lake Superior Zoo] (Duluth, Minnesota), qualifying family membership is only $75.</li>
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While many of Chase's best cards are affected by the Chase 5/24 cards, some of its other cards, such as the Hyatt, IHG, and British Airways cards, are not. As a result, you can sign up for these other cards after you've hit the 5/24 limit.  
 
  
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However, if you've been signing up for lots of cards in a relatively short period of time (across all of the credit card companies), in order to collect a lot of signup bonuses, there is some risk in trying to sign up for one of these other Chase cards. As part of processing your application, there is a small risk that Chase will decide that your large number of new cards and/or inquiries makes you a risk, and they will cancel all of your existing cards. This hasn't happened to many people, but it has happened to some.  
+
<li>Other options are he [//curiodyssey.org/membership/reciprocal-program/ CuriOdyssey] (San Mateo, California),  [//www.mos.org/membership Museum of Science] (Boston, Massachusetts), [//www.greensboroscience.org/get-involved/membership/index.html Greensboro Science Center] (Greensboro, NC), and [//www.lifeandscience.org/benefits Museum of Life and Science] (Durham, NC).</li> 
 +
</ul>
  
−
To play it safe, if you want a couple of these cards, get them before you've signed up for many other cards, and don't try to sign up for every possible Chase card as fast as you can. Then, don't apply for new Chase cards, unless you wind up slowing down your credit card applications in the future.  
+
<li>'''Science, Art, History, and Specialty museums'''. A handful of museums are members of both the Science Museum program and of the North American Reciprocal Museum program. You'll need to pay at least $100 for any membership that includes NARM privelges. If you aren't interested, there are some Science Museum only options that are as low as $50/family, such as the [//www.eaa.org/shop/Membership/Join.aspx Experimental Aircraft Association].</li>
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=== Strategies to continue qualifying for the Southwest Companion Pass ===
+
<ul>
 +
<li>The [//kerncountymuseum.org/membership-1/ Kern County Museum] (Bakersfield, CA) also includes benefits in ROAM and at Children's Museums. Qualifying membership is $125/family, and also includes benefits at a hundreds of historical sites through the [//timetravelers.mohistory.org/ Time Travelers] program.</li>
  
−
If you qualify for a Southwest companion pass, by signing up for your Southwest Airline cards towards the beginning of the year, you will have access to the pass for almost two years. The pass is good till the end of the year following when you qualify for it. When the pass expires, you are going to want to re-qualify. But to do that, you’ll need to be under the Chase 5/24 limit, so that you can reapply for the cards.  
+
{{Image|KernCounty.png}}
  
−
<ul class="bulletlist">
+
<li>The [//www.cmog.org/get-involved/membership Corning Museum of Glass] (Corning, NY) and [//www.burkemuseum.org/membership Burke Museum] (Seattle, WA) also include benefits in ROAM, but memberships are more expensive. </li>
−
<li>'''The simplest approach is to have one person stick to a smaller number of cards'''. Every two years, they are eligible for a total of 5 personal cards. As long as you sign up for the Southwest Business card first, you can get the Southwest personal card, as well as four other personal cards over every two year period. The other person doesn’t have to worry about the sign-up limit, and can sign up for as many cards as they want.  </li>
 
  
−
<li>'''The skip-a-year method'''. Under this approach, you get all the credit cards which are most important to you, including the Southwest Airlines cards, during the first year. That way, you can be sure to get all the cards you want for your core credit card collection, and collect all the best signup offers. Then, you stop signing up for new credit cards. A year later, your Southwest pass will expire, but you won’t be able to immediately re-qualify. Then, about two years after you finished your initial burst of sign-up activity, you’ll back under the limit, and will be able to apply for the Southwest Airlines cards again. Depending on how quickly you acquired the other cards you want, you may only need to live without the pass for 12-18 months.</li>
+
<li>The [//greatex.org/memberships/ Great Explorations Children's Museum] (Saint Petersburg, FL) and [//www.theclaycenter.org/join/membership/ Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences] (Charleston, WV) also include benefits at Children's Museums. Qualifying memberships are $150 per family.</li>  
−
</ul>
 
  
−
=== Possibilities for bypassing the rule ===
+
<li>A qualifying membership at the [//evansvillemuseum.org/product/patron-membership/ Evansville Museum of Art, History, and Science] (Evansville, IN) only costs $100, and includes the [//timetravelers.mohistory.org/ Time Travelers] program as well as NARM and ASTC.</li>
  
−
While is almost impossible to get approved for the affected cards, if you are over the 5/24 limit, it is not completely impossible.  
+
<li>A qualifying membership [//minnetrista.net/home/about-minnetrista/get-involved/membership/ Minnestrista] (Muncie, IN) costs $125/family and also includes reciprocal benefits at [//ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/rap/find/statebystate American Horticultural Society] members.</li>
  
−
<ul class="bulletlist">
+
<li>Other options include the Powerhouse Science Center (Sacramento, CA), Yale Peabody Museum (New Haven, CT), Delaware Museum of Natural History (Wilmington, DE), Hagley Museum (Wilmington, DE), Museum of Arts and Sciences (Daytona Beach, FL), South Florida Museum (Bradenton, FL), Peoria Riverfront Museum (Peoria, IL), Indiana State Museum (Indianapolis, IN), Grout Museum District (Waterloo, IA), Berkshire Museum (Pittsfield, MA), Springfield Museums (Springfield, MA), Air Zoo (Portage, MI), Farmington Museum (Farmington, NM), Cape Fear Museum of History & Science (Wilmington, NC), The Works (Newark, OH), University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History (Eugene, OR), Reading Public Museum (Reading, PA), McDonald Observatory (Fort Davis, TX), The Reach (Richland, WA), and Wenatchee Valley Museum (Wenatchee, WA).</li>  
−
<li>'''If you are “pre-approved” in-branch, you will usually get approved for the card, even if you are over 5/24'''. You need to ask your banker to see if you are pre-approved for any cards, and fill out the application in the branch. Just be aware that there isn’t a high likelihood that you will qualify for any pre-approved offers for these cards.</li>
 
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<li>'''If you have a more significant business, you may be able to get approved for additional cards, even if you are over the limit'''. You will need to have your own “Business Relationship Manager”, and fill out a paper-based application form. For this to work, you usually need to be doing a significant amount of business-related banking with Chase.</li>
 
−
 
 
−
<li>'''Being a Chase Private Client no longer exempts you from the rule'''. During the earlier days of the Chase 5/24 rule, Chase didn’t always apply the rule to its best customers. If you were a Chase Private Client, your application might still get approved, or you could wind up getting up approved by having your personal banker help you with the reconsideration process. While anything is possible, this is no longer working for most people.</li>
 
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
  
−
=== Advanced 5/24 strategies ===
+
<li>'''Science and Children's Museums'''. There is a lot of overlap between the Science Museum and Children's Museum programs. Many museums belong to both. As listed above, the Boonshoft museum also includes membership in both programs plus the the Zoo program, the Kern Museum in both programs plus NARM and ROAM, and the Great Explorations and Clay Center in both programs plus NARM.</li>  
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+
−
Our basic approach to the Chase 5/24 rule is simple. Sign up for as many affected cards as you can, move onto other cards, and don’t look back.
 
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−
Until Chase gets rids of the policy, or you slow-down, you won’t be getting any additional affected cards. But, if you are willing to deal with some complexity, you can optimize this further.  
 
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<ul class="bulletlist">
 
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<li>'''If you are at 4 cards, you can probably be approved for 2 additional Chase cards, as long as you apply on the same day'''. This allows you to sneak-in an additional affected card. Apply for the card you want more first.  Then apply for an additional card later that same day.  There is a limit of 2 new Chase cards every 30 days, so you need to make sure at least 30 days have passed since you were approved for your previous card.</li>
 
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−
<li>'''Most business credit cards don’t count towards your Chase 5/24 limit'''. Credit card companies usually look at your personal credit report when deciding whether to give you a small-business card. But once you get the card, it usually won’t be listed among the open accounts on your personal report. So, when Chase looks at your credit report, they won’t see (most of) the small-business cards that you’ve already signed up for.  To see the best information about whether a card will show up or not, check [//www.doctorofcredit.com/which-business-credit-cards-report/ Doctor of Credit’s List].</li>
 
−
 
 
−
<ul>
 
−
<li>'''You can sign up for affected Chase business cards (Ink, Southwest, United) before you hit 5/24, and they shouldn’t count against your limit'''. This lets you squeeze in extra Chase 5/24 cards. Even though Chase obviously knows that you signed up for these cards, most people report that they don’t count against the 5-card limit. This can be confusing, because you can’t get these cards if you have already gotten 5 cards, but getting this card earlier doesn’t count as one of those 5. There are some conflicting reports, so don’t be too upset, if they wind up counting against your 5-card limit</li>
 
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−
<li>'''If you are trying to stay or get back under 5/24, you don’t need to worry about signing up for (most) business cards'''. As soon as you drop below 5 personal cards in the last 24 months, you are re-eligible to get another Chase 5/24 card. To repeat, you can get as many business card as you want, from almost any bank, without affecting your Chase 5/24 status. </li>  
 
−
 
 
−
<li>'''To increase your flexibility of signing up for Chase offers, you focus on business cards first, even before getting all the affected Chase cards that you want'''. Since business cards generally won't be listed on your credit report, you'll stay under the 5/24 limit. This allows you to sign-up for one of the affected Chase cards if a particularly good opportunity comes along; or if your plans change. Until you've started running out of business credit cards to apply to, or you need more than one or two non-Chase personal cards for other reasons, you can postpone getting the personal cards from Chase (or any other bank). </li>
 
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
  
−
<li>'''If Chase cards are extremely important to you, you can use a one-year-on, two-years-off strategy'''. With this approach, you go crazy with credit cards sign-ups, and then go close to cold-turkey for two years. At the end of your two-year abstinence, you can sign-up for up to a set of Chase cards again, then a bunch of other credit cards, and then possibly go cold-turkey again.</li>
 
  
−
During the two “down years”, you can always sign-up for a particularly amazing or useful card. You’ll still get under the 5-card limit around the same time. You just will have room for one less Chase card, when you do. And, you can still sign-up for business cards the entire time.
 
  
−
Also, there is no hard and fast rule about how long your active period should be. You could limit it to six months, so you can get Chase cards every 2.5 years; or you can lengthen it out to 2 years, and wait to get Chase cards every four years.
 
  
−
<li>'''It MAY still be possible to earn the signup bonuses for both versions of the Sapphire card and/or both personal versions of the Southwest Airline cards'''. Chase's official rule is that you can only have one Sapphire card and one personal Southwest Airline card at any one time, and can only earn one Sapphire card bonsu every 48 months, and one personal Southwest card bonus every 24 months. However, some people have reported being able to sign up for both Sapphire or both Southwest cards on the same day, and earn the bonuses from both cards.
 
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</li>
 
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You are still subject to Chase's 2/30 rule, so make sure you haven't signed up for any Chase cards in the last month. According to an excellent post on [//www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/837eq3/faq_credit_card_recommendation_flowchart/ Reddit], wait to get approved for the first card (if you aren't immediately approved called the reconsideration line at 888-270-2127), then apply for the second card in a different browser. The post suggests "starting early in the day, on a non-holiday weekday".
 
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How reciprocal museum programs work

When you become a member of any museum or attraction in the program, you get free access to all of the other participating locations. For example, if you join the Science Museum in your home town, you can freely visit dozens of science museums all around the country.

  • You usually are only entitled to "standard" admission. You usually need to pay extra for special exhibits, IMAX movies, and other valued-added attractions. Because these extras are often available as part of a discounted package, if you want the full experience, your discount might not amount to that much.
  • Nearby museums are usually not included. With most programs, you WON'T get reciprocal access to any museums that are located close to your home museum. Sometimes "nearby" is defined by an official number of miles, other times it is any location in the same state, and sometimes it is ad-hoc. So, don't expect privileges with other museums in the same metropolitan area or state.
  • Joining an out-of-state museum can provide access to all the locations that are close to your home. If you want privileges at all the museums in your area, you can often join a museum in some other city, rather than your favorite nearby museum. While you'll be blocked at locations located nearby the institution you join, you won't be blocked at any of your local locations. There are some downsides to this approach. Your membership money will be supporting the museum you join, rather than the one in your area; and you won't be able to take advantage of many other membership benefits, such as access to special member's only visiting hours or events. With some programs, this approach isn't even possible, as you'll be blocked to local museums based on the address on your ID, rather than the address of the museum you belong to.
  • Reciprocal benefits are not available with many less expensive memberships. You'll need to join your local museum at a certain level. Each of the programs enforces a minimum membership cost to access reciprocal benefits. For example, no museum in the program can provide reciprocal benefits with any membership level that costs less than $100 per year.
  • You can often get a membership discount. The best place to check is Groupon, but other promotional codes are sometimes available.
  • The number of guests depends on the type of membership you have. Typically, if you have an individual membership, you'll reciprocal benefits only apply to one person. If you have a family membership, you'll receive benefits based on the family membership of the museum you are visiting, not your home museum.
  • Memberships are NOT typically based on the calendar year. They usually last for one year after you join. With some museums and attractions, it can take some time for you to receive your membership card. So, you'll need to apply weeks before you you plan to take advantage of any reciprocal benefits.
  • To get access, you'll need to carry your membership card. There is no way to look you up in some "member database". You'll need to have a valid membership card and photo ID.

Major reciprocal museum programs

While there are many smaller or more specialized reciprocal programs such as the Empire State Museums Reciprocal Program (mix of museums in New York state) or Connections (photography museums around the country), that may be interesting based on your location or interest, the following programs include the widest range of the most popular museums and attractions.

Art Museums

Unlike Science Museums, Zoos, and Children's Museums, Art Museum reciprocal programs are pretty fragmented. Some of the more significant programs include.

  • Metropolitan Reciprocal Membership Program. Includes 15 of the top art museums in the country, anchored by the Met in NYC.
    • MET.jpg
  • Art Museum Reciprocal Membership Program. Includes 15 of the top art museums in the country, anchored by Art Institute of Chicago. A few museums belong to both this program and the Met's program.
  • Museum Alliance Reciprocal Program (MARP). Includes 32 major US art museums, but not quite at the same overall level as the Met and Art Institute programs.
    • Guggenheim.jpg
  • Art Museum Reciprocal Network (AMRN). Similar to the MARP program, but a different cluster of major museums.
  • The Whitney Reciprocal Program. Unlike the other programs, this isn't a mutual alliance amongst a group of museums. Rather, joining the Whitney ($140/2) gives you access to 16 other museums in the US and Europe, and joining any of those museums gives you access to the Whitney. But the various partner museums don't necessarily have any reciprocal benefits between themselves.

Others

  • Association of Science and Technology Centers Travel Passport (ASTC). Provides benefits at over 350 museums in North America, plus a smattering of museums elsewhere in the world. Includes almost every large science museum, with the notable exceptions of the Exploratarium and the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and the Academy of Natural Sciences in New York. You won't have privileges at museums that are within 90 miles of your home address or your membership museum. Participating Museums.
    • BostonGenerator.jpg
  • North American Reciprocal Membership (NARM). This is the largest reciprocal museum program, with over 1,000 participating art, history, and specialty museums, primarily in the United States. Most of the hightest-profile museums are not members, but you'll get free access to many excellent museums in every corner of the country. Participating Museums.

    • Most Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (ROAM) members are also part of the much larger NARM program. But, if your membership includes both, you'll have access to some additional museums that are members are ROAM, but not NARM. Participating Museums.

  • Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Provides reciprocal benefits at over 150 North American zoos and aquariums. It includes most major zoos, but a few of the most significant zoos (including the San Diego Zoo Bronx Zoo, and Brookfield Zoo) don't participate, and it doesn't provide benefits at most major aquariums. Participating locations.

    • Unlike most of the other major programs, you usually only receive a 50% discount, rather than free admission. However, memberships with a smaller set of participating zoos and aquariums will give you free admission with that same set of locations (and 50% off everywhere else).

    KansasCityZoo.png
  • Association of Children's Museums (ACM). Provides benefits at around 200 different children's museums. Like the Zoo program, and unlike the other programs, you'll only receive 50% off the regular admission. Nearly every US children's museum participates, admission is good for up to six people, and the conveniently don't block privileges at nearby museums. Participating Museums.
  • Time Travelers. Provides benefits at more than 300 historical sites and museums throughout the United State. Participating Locations.

Access multiple programs with a single membership

Many museums belong to multiple reciprocal programs. Becoming a member one of these museums lets you enjoy the benefits of multiple programs for a single membership fee.

Art Museums

Others

  • Science museums and zoos. A handful of places are members of both the Science Museum and Zoo programs.
    • Qualifying membership at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery (Dayton, Ohio) costs $115 for a family, but provides the option to join at a $145 level and also qualify for the Children's Museum program. Both include free admission, rather than 50% off, at a subset of the participating Zoos.
      • BoonshoftMembershipLevels.png
    • Qualifying Membership at the Western North Carolina Nature Center (Asheville, NC) is only $34 for one person, $49 for two, and $69 for a family, and your membership entitles you to free admission, rather than 50% off at a subset of participating Zoos. At the Lake Superior Zoo (Duluth, Minnesota), qualifying family membership is only $75.
    • Other options are he CuriOdyssey (San Mateo, California), Museum of Science (Boston, Massachusetts), Greensboro Science Center (Greensboro, NC), and Museum of Life and Science (Durham, NC).
  • Science, Art, History, and Specialty museums. A handful of museums are members of both the Science Museum program and of the North American Reciprocal Museum program. You'll need to pay at least $100 for any membership that includes NARM privelges. If you aren't interested, there are some Science Museum only options that are as low as $50/family, such as the Experimental Aircraft Association.
    • The Kern County Museum (Bakersfield, CA) also includes benefits in ROAM and at Children's Museums. Qualifying membership is $125/family, and also includes benefits at a hundreds of historical sites through the Time Travelers program.
      • KernCounty.png
    • The Corning Museum of Glass (Corning, NY) and Burke Museum (Seattle, WA) also include benefits in ROAM, but memberships are more expensive.
    • The Great Explorations Children's Museum (Saint Petersburg, FL) and Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences (Charleston, WV) also include benefits at Children's Museums. Qualifying memberships are $150 per family.
    • A qualifying membership at the Evansville Museum of Art, History, and Science (Evansville, IN) only costs $100, and includes the Time Travelers program as well as NARM and ASTC.
    • A qualifying membership Minnestrista (Muncie, IN) costs $125/family and also includes reciprocal benefits at American Horticultural Society members.
    • Other options include the Powerhouse Science Center (Sacramento, CA), Yale Peabody Museum (New Haven, CT), Delaware Museum of Natural History (Wilmington, DE), Hagley Museum (Wilmington, DE), Museum of Arts and Sciences (Daytona Beach, FL), South Florida Museum (Bradenton, FL), Peoria Riverfront Museum (Peoria, IL), Indiana State Museum (Indianapolis, IN), Grout Museum District (Waterloo, IA), Berkshire Museum (Pittsfield, MA), Springfield Museums (Springfield, MA), Air Zoo (Portage, MI), Farmington Museum (Farmington, NM), Cape Fear Museum of History & Science (Wilmington, NC), The Works (Newark, OH), University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History (Eugene, OR), Reading Public Museum (Reading, PA), McDonald Observatory (Fort Davis, TX), The Reach (Richland, WA), and Wenatchee Valley Museum (Wenatchee, WA).
  • Science and Children's Museums. There is a lot of overlap between the Science Museum and Children's Museum programs. Many museums belong to both. As listed above, the Boonshoft museum also includes membership in both programs plus the the Zoo program, the Kern Museum in both programs plus NARM and ROAM, and the Great Explorations and Clay Center in both programs plus NARM.






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