This week I applied for a Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business^SM (See rates and fees), American Express® Business Gold Card (See rates and fees) and Capital One Venture X Business. The results of my applications surprised me a little bit.

• Sapphire Reserve for Business^SM earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening. They promote more than $2,500 in annual value from things like The Edit^SM hotels credit and travel credit and other statement credits.

  And of course the $795 annual fee card comes with access to the Chase Sapphire Lounges and Priority Pass Select, each with up to two complimentary guests.

  
  Chase Sapphire Lounge Philadelphia

• American Express® Business Gold Card earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points after $15,000 spend on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of cardmembership.

  This $375 annual fee card earns 4X Membership Rewards on the top two eligible categories with the most spending each month out of 6 eligible categories (on up to $150,000 spend annually). There’s also a $20 monthl credit for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx, Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores.

• Capital One Venture X Business Earn 150,000 bonus miles when you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months. There a $300 travel credit against the card’s $395 annual fee, and there’s a 10,000 mile annual anniversary bonus at renewal. Venture X Business’s Priority Pass will continue to include guest access.

  
  Capital One Landing DCA

  
  Capital One Landing DCA

Amex Business Gold and Venture X Business were approved instantly. The Sapphire Reserve for Business was not. I’m used to that. Chase rarely gives me instant approvals anymore. However, I’ve actually never been rejected by Chase. Not once. Until now?

After about 48 hours I received a letter in my Chase account saying that I had too many open accounts with Chase and too much credit. They also noted that the credit they were extending me was underutilized.

It’s almost frightening how much credit Chase extends to me. I’ve been a customer for decades and over time I’ve changed between different preferred cards that they offer. And instead of cancelling old cards I first move the credit off those cards onto the acconts I’m keeping. During the Great Recession they did drop the available credit on a United card by about $40,000. But otherwise I’ve just been adding to the credit they’re extending to me for many years.

I called Chase’s business reconsideration line. I explained that I really didn’t need more credit or even more cards, I just really liked the Sapphire Reserve for Business^SM and wanted to use that one; that it was true I hadn’t been using some other cards that much so it was fine to close a card if I needed to or move some credit off of it so that they could approve me.

I was transferred to another rep, we repeated the same conversation, they pulled up my accounts and asked what I wanted to do. I suggested moving $30,000 off of a no annual fee Ink card that had $44,000 in available credit. She made the notes, put me on hold, submitted the request and it came back approved. I thanked her and went on with the day.

In 30 years of credit cards I’ve only actually spoken to Chase reconsideration once before, 11 or 13 years ago, applying for a British Airways Visa Signature® Card (See rates and fees). That time I think I called them while the decision was still pending. I’ve learned patience over time and don’t do that anymore. I just wait – because until now waiting always turned into an approval on its own.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.