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By Kimberly Rotter

(https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/kimberly-rotter),

Contributor | May 14, 2019, at 9:00 a.m.

Can You Have Two of the Same CreditCard?It's possible, but rare, to have multiples of the same card.

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card%3Fsrc=usn_li&title=Can%20You%20Have%20Two%20of%20the%20Same%20Credit%20Card%3F%20%7C%20US%20News&summary=Issuers%20aren't%20eager%20to%20give%20consumers%20multiples%20of%20the%20same%20credit%20card.%20But%20there%20are%20exceptions.%20If%20you%20have%20a%20few%20businesses%2C%20you%20might%20have%20the%20same%20card%20for%20each.&source=U.%20S.%20News)

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Having two of the same credit card could help you maximize specicc

perks you may be looking for, but issuers are not always keen on

approving this. (Getty Images)

Some of the links on this site contain offers from our partners(https://creditcards.usnews.com/articles/advertising-policy).

Under most circumstances, credit card issuers will not approve

a new credit card account if you already have one for the same

card. However, they make exceptions. Here's a look at when

having two of the same card makes sense – and why it's so

rare.

[Read: Best Rewards Credit Cards.

(https://creditcards.usnews.com/rewards)]

Why Have Two of the Same Credit Card?

Maximizing certain perks is a key reason for trying to apply for

several of the same card. For example, the Alaska Airlines Visa

Signature credit card (https://creditcards.usnews.com/bank-of-

america/alaska-airlines-visa-signature-credit-card) lets its

cardholders earn a companion fare every year. In the past,

some sought multiples of that card to earn more annual

companion fare certiccates, says S. Gideon Sandford, author of

"The Free-quent Flyer's Manifesto," who writes about travel

rewards programs.

The issuer stopped approving people for additional Alaska

Airlines personal credit cards if they already had one or more

open. "But you can still have a personal card and a business

card and get two annual certiccates," Sandford says.

It could also increase your potential to earn ongoing rewards,

particularly if the card has a rewards cap. Hilary Stockton, CEO

of luxury travel company TravelSort, says she and her spouse

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carry doubles of two cards that each have a $1,500 cap on

quarterly bonus rewards for that reason.

Card Issuers Don't Encourage Identical

Accounts

That said, card issuers aren't clamoring for their cardholders to

apply for multiple identical accounts or to hold two or more of

the same card product.

David Robertson, publisher of The Nilson Report, which

analyzes and reports on the global card and mobile payment

industries, says that historically, allowing a consumer to own

multiple identical credit card products may have increased the

issuer's exposure to risk.

"If you have a line of credit tied to one card and a separate line

of credit tied to a second card, it's easier for the consumer to

run up two accounts if he or she runs into cnancial problems

down the road," he says. "Multiple accounts may make it harder

to spot that person who might be going toward a problem

status."

However, since limiting risk and monitoring credit has become

easier for issuers over time, Robertson suspects that the

primary reason banks shy away from allowing multiple identical

card products now is to limit cnancial exposure from offering

rewards.

Some issuers explicitly ban having two of the same card, while

others just discourage the practice.

[Read: Best 5% Cash Back Cards.

(https://creditcards.usnews.com/best--percent-cash-back-

cards)]

How Consumers Can Get Two of the

Same Credit Card

(https://oc.brcclx.com/t/?lid=26638413&tid=388|desktop|article-rail)

(https://oc.brcclx.com/t/?lid=26642512&tid=276|desktop|article-rail)

(https://oc.brcclx.com/t/?lid=26642503&tid=118|desktop|article-rail)

ADVERTISEMENT

You don't have to be a credit card hacker to have multiple

identical credit card accounts. Here are the most common

scenarios in which a person might end up with two of the same

credit card product:

Business use (https://creditcards.usnews.com/business). Ifyou own multiple businesses, you might apply for the same

credit card for each.

As an authorized user. If you are the primary account holder

on one account and an authorized user

(https://creditcards.usnews.com/articles/the-pros-and-cons-

of-adding-an-authorized-user-to-your-credit-card) on another

account, you could end up with two of the same credit card

in your wallet, both bearing your name.

Similar products. You can carry two similar, but not identical,

cards. The Citi Rewards+ Card

(https://creditcards.usnews.com/citi/citi-rewards-card) and

the Citi Rewards+ Student Card

(https://creditcards.usnews.com/citi/citi-rewards-student-

card) offer similar rewards programs with no annual fee.

Likewise, business and consumer versions of the same

credit card are distinct products but may offer some of the

same features.

Product change. If you decide that you don't want to keep a

card that has an annual fee

(https://creditcards.usnews.com/articles/credit-card-perks-

that-are-worth-the-annual-fee) and you call to close the

account, the representative might suggest converting the

account to a product without an annual fee. If you already

own the annual fee-free version, you could end up with a

second.

Earning Multiple Sign-Up Bonuses

Some consumers may want to sign up for a card they've held in

the past to earn another lucrative sign-up bonus

(https://creditcards.usnews.com/signup-bonus). But again,

issuers aren't eager to let cardholders double dip on past sign-

up bonuses.

"From the issuer's standpoint, you don't want anyone running

up the score when it comes to rewards," says Robertson.

American Express does not extend welcome offers to

applicants who have ever had the same card in the past.

Furthermore, when evaluating your eligibility for a welcome

offer, it may also take into consideration the number of

American Express cards you've opened and closed, along with

other factors.

Chase and Citi say you can't earn a sign-up bonus if you

received one for the same card in the past 24 months.

If you want to enjoy a sign-up bonus more than once, read the

card's terms and conditions before you apply.

[Read: Best Grocery Credit Cards.

(https://creditcards.usnews.com/best-grocery-cards)]

What to Remember Before Carrying Two

of the Same Credit Card

The lure of bonuses and rewards can be strong, but carrying

two of the same card can come with risks. Keep these

warnings in mind before you apply for an identical card.

Multiple accounts are harder to manage. Whether it's the same

card or not, a new card is another account to manage. You

might fall into debt more easily if small balances are spread out

across multiple cards, making the total seem smaller than it is.

You'll also need to manage multiple payment due dates or risk

incurring late fees and damage to your credit score

(https://creditcards.usnews.com/articles/fastest-ways-to-

improve-your-credit-score). And it can be especially confusing

with identical cards. You may note you've made a payment on

one and think you've covered both, which could lead to a

missed payment on the other.

Your credit score could drop as the result of multiple creditcard applications. Each application is likely to result in an

inquiry into your credit, and each hard inquiry

(https://creditcards.usnews.com/articles/difference-between-

hard-and-soft-credit-inquiries) has the potential to cause your

score to dip slightly. Even if the same creditor is pulling your

credit, it counts as a new inquiry. It's usually a temporary drop

of about cve points. But some creditors may reject your

application if your credit report

(https://creditcards.usnews.com/articles/how-to-get-your-free-

annual-credit-reports) shows too many recent inquiries.

Issuers won't make it easy. Having two of the same credit card

is generally discouraged by issuers. If you're planning to try to

get two of the same card, you're going to have to read the cne

print and may face limitations, especially if you're planning on

earning sign-up bonuses for both.

Tags: credit cards (https://www.usnews.com/topics/subjects/credit-

cards)

Kimberly B. Rotter began writing for U.S. News in 2017. She is a

consumer credit expert who covers personal cnance topics, often

focusing on issues affecting... full bio »

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