Datapoint regarding being over 5/24 and in-branch approvals:
I believe I'm at 8/24 (9/24 if car loans count). I went into a Chase branch in Georgia after doing errands, and simply asked if I could check if I was pre-approved for any credit cards. I didn't ask about setting up a checking account or any other account, nor do I even have any other account besides my CSP/Freedom/Marriott cards. I just went in and asked if I'm pre-approved.
Guy checked his computer, saw that I was in-fact pre-approved for FU (and joked about how "I'm collecting all of them"). Got some info (confirmed phone #, address, income), printed some docs and walked me through them, and said I was approved for the CC right then and there. Confirmed I see the new CC in my online account already.
So another DP that confirms that in-branch pre-approvals can bypass 5/24 (again, I'm at 8 or 9/24). To reiterate, I just straight up asked for pre-approved CC (and FU specifically) and did not ask about any other type of account, nor do I *have* any other account besides other CC.