AAFE
AAFE stands for Authorized User Add Fee — the charge some issuers collect when you add a secondary cardholder to your account. Learn which cards charge it, how much it costs, and when it can be worth paying.
Churning Glossary
Every term you need to understand credit card rewards, applications, and the rules issuers don't advertise.
A
Annual Fee
The annual fee is the yearly cost charged by an issuer to hold a credit card. Learn how annual fees work, when they are worth paying, and how churners minimize or eliminate them.
AOR
An Application O' Rama (AOR) is a coordinated session of applying for multiple credit cards in rapid succession to minimize credit score impact and maximize new account bonuses. Learn how to plan and execute one.
Authorized User
An authorized user (AU) is a secondary cardholder added to someone else's credit card account. Learn how AU status affects credit scores, 5/24 counts, and points accumulation strategies.
B
Bonus Posted Date
The bonus posted date is the date a credit card sign-up bonus officially appears in your rewards account after meeting the minimum spend requirement. Learn why it matters and how to track it.
Business Card
A business credit card is issued to a business entity rather than an individual consumer. In churning, business cards are prized because most do not appear on personal credit reports, keeping your 5/24 count clean.
C
Card Velocity
Card velocity refers to how frequently you open new credit cards. Issuers track velocity to detect churners and enforce rules that limit bonus eligibility. Learn each major issuer's velocity rules.
Churning
Churning is the practice of repeatedly opening credit cards to earn sign-up bonuses, then downgrading or closing them before the next annual fee. Learn how it works, the risks, and how to start.
Cancellation Window
The cancellation window, also called the fee window, is the period after an annual fee posts during which a cardholder can cancel their credit card and receive a full or prorated refund of that fee.
D
Downgrade
A downgrade is the process of converting a credit card with an annual fee to a no-fee version within the same card family, preserving account age and credit limit while eliminating ongoing cost.
F
5/24 Rule
Definition of the Chase 5/24 rule: Chase's policy that limits card approvals to applicants who have opened fewer than 5 credit cards in the last 24 months.
H
Hard Pull / Hard Inquiry
Definition of a hard pull (hard inquiry) in credit card churning: a formal credit check by an issuer that temporarily lowers your credit score and remains on your report for two years.
I
ID Verification (Pop-Up Jail / 4506-T)
Definition of ID verification in credit card churning: the identity confirmation process issuers use that can freeze an application in 'pop-up jail' or trigger a 4506-T IRS income request.
Issuer
Definition of issuer in credit card churning: the financial institution (bank) that issues a credit card, sets its terms, manages the account, and pays out rewards.
K
Keep Date
Definition of keep date in credit card churning: the date by which a churner must decide whether to keep (pay the annual fee) or downgrade/cancel a credit card.
L
Lifetime Language (Once-per-lifetime)
Definition of lifetime language in credit card churning: issuer terms that restrict a welcome bonus to once per lifetime per card, permanently preventing a second bonus on the same product.
M
Manufactured Spending (MS)
Definition of manufactured spending (MS) in credit card churning: the practice of generating artificial credit card spend to meet MSRs or earn rewards points without making genuine purchases.
MDD (Multiple Deposits Daily)
Definition of MDD (Multiple Deposits Daily) in credit card churning: the American Express application technique of applying for multiple cards in a single day to maximize approval chances under Amex's internal rules.
MSR (Minimum Spend Requirement)
Definition of MSR: the minimum spend threshold required within a specific time window to earn a credit card's sign-up bonus.
Mod (Mod Status)
Definition of Mod status in credit card churning: the moderator or verified contributor designation on churning community platforms, and how community moderation shapes the flow of strategy information.
MSR Window
Definition of MSR window in credit card churning: the specific time period (usually 3 months) within which a cardholder must meet the minimum spend requirement to earn the welcome bonus.
N
NLL (No Lifetime Language)
Definition of NLL: a credit card offer with no lifetime language, meaning you can earn the sign-up bonus again even if you previously held the card.
O
Organic Spend
Definition of organic spend: everyday, natural purchases on a credit card that count toward a minimum spend requirement without using manufactured spending techniques.
P
P1 / P2 (Player One / Player Two)
Definition of P1 and P2: churning community shorthand for the primary cardholder (P1) and their partner or spouse (P2), who each hold separate credit histories and bonus eligibility.
POT (Pop-Up Tax)
Definition of POT (Pop-Up Tax): the American Express real-time popup notification that blocks bonus eligibility at the point of application, used to describe the friction imposed on ineligible applicants.
Product Change (PC)
Definition of product change (PC): converting an existing credit card to a different card product within the same issuer's family, typically to avoid an annual fee or change earning structure without a new application.
R
Recon (Reconsideration)
Definition of recon: the process of calling an issuer's reconsideration line after a credit card denial to request a manual review and overturn of the rejection decision.
Referral Bonus
Definition of referral bonus: points or miles awarded to an existing cardholder when a person they referred is approved for the same credit card and meets any required spend.
Retention Offer
Definition of retention offer: a bonus or benefit extended by a credit card issuer to persuade an existing cardholder to keep their card open rather than closing it around the annual fee date.
S
Signup Bonus (SUB)
A one-time bonus of points, miles, or cash back awarded after meeting the minimum spend requirement within the required timeframe.
Soft Pull / Soft Inquiry
Definition of soft pull: a credit inquiry that does not affect your credit score, used by issuers for prequalification, account reviews, and background checks — in contrast to hard pulls triggered by new credit applications.
Statement Credit
A statement credit is a reduction applied directly to your credit card balance by the issuer, often as a reward redemption, annual benefit, or promotional rebate.
T
Two Browsers Trick
The Two Browsers Trick is a technique used by churners to check for targeted credit card offers without triggering application rules or exposing their existing account history to the issuer's marketing system.
U
UR Points (Ultimate Rewards)
UR Points, or Ultimate Rewards points, are Chase's proprietary loyalty currency — widely considered one of the most valuable flexible point currencies in credit card churning.
V
Velocity Rule
Velocity rules are issuer-specific limits on how frequently a cardholder can apply for new cards, receive a sign-up bonus, or be approved within a given time window.
W
Watch / Pop-Up Tax
Watch refers to monitoring targeted credit card offers, while Pop-Up Tax describes the implicit cost of aggressive churning that causes issuers to withhold future welcome bonuses via pop-up warnings.
Welcome Offer
A welcome offer is the sign-up bonus awarded to new cardholders after meeting a minimum spend requirement within the required time window. It is the primary driver of credit card churning.
Wildcard Card
A wildcard card is a credit card kept primarily for its flexible benefits, non-expiring points, or strategic positioning outside of a churner's standard card rotation — often held long-term as an insurance policy.
Y
Y/N Reply
Y/N Reply refers to the simple yes/no SMS or written response mechanism used to accept or decline targeted credit card offers, particularly retention offers or balance transfer promotions sent by issuers.
YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)
YMMV, or 'Your Mileage May Vary,' is a caveat used in churning communities to indicate that a strategy, offer, or data point may not work identically for every person due to individual credit profiles, spending histories, or issuer targeting.