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Chime Reviews

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Edited by: Jon Bortin

About Chime

Chime is a financial technology company that aims to provide helpful and easy-to-use online banking services. You can open a checking account, a savings account with a 0.5% annual percentage yield and a secured credit card that helps increase your credit score. Chime charges no monthly fees and no overdraft fees. U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are at least 18 can apply on Chime’s website or using its app.

Pros
  • 0.5% APY on savings account
  • No-fee overdraft protection up to $200
  • Secured credit card with no fees
  • Over 60,000 fee-free ATMs
Cons
  • Some services require direct deposit
  • No joint accounts or secondary cards

Featured Reviews

Soddy Daisy, TN
Verified purchase
Getting a Chime card and account was the best idea I’ve had in years. No overdraft fees, no surprises and the app is amazing!! Big banks scam is but chime is not one of them. I ca...

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Nampa, ID
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I have had an active Chime checking account for about 14 months now. All of my deposits, transfers, withdrawals have gone absolutely smooth. The Spot Me feature is amazing if you ...

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What is Chime?

Chime is a fintech company partnering with two banks to offer “member-first” banking services online to members in all 50 states. It offers a checking account with a Visa debit card, a savings account with a 0.5% APY and a secured credit card that helps build credit. Other benefits include fee-free overdraft protection, early direct deposit and over 60,000 no-fee ATMs. There are no monthly fees or minimum balances.

Chime is based in San Francisco and has offices in Chicago and Vancouver, British Columbia. Members can reach customer service by phone seven days a week.

How does Chime work?

Chime is not a bank; it’s a fintech company that partners with two banks: The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank. It's online only, with no physical banking locations. Members can log in to their accounts on Chime’s website or using the app. There are no fees to set up and maintain a Chime checking account, savings account or secured credit card.

To be eligible to sign up with Chime, you need to be at least 18 and a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. with a valid Social Security number. Once you open an account, you get a Visa debit card. You also have the option to open a savings account and apply for a Credit Builder secured credit card. Chime also lets you:

  • Set up direct deposit and get access to the funds up to two days early
  • Send (including paper checks) and receive money without fees
  • Withdraw cash without a fee from any MoneyPass ATM
  • Deposit checks with mobile deposit
  • Get fee-free overdrafts up to $200
  • Get balance notifications and instant transaction alerts

Chime accounts

Chime has three types of accounts. When you become a Chime member, you open a checking account and receive your Visa debit card. You then have the option to open a savings account and apply for a secure credit card.

Checking
The Chime checking account has no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirement. The debit card attached to your checking account works anywhere Visa is accepted. You can withdraw money without a fee from any MoneyPass ATM, disable your card at any time from the app and get a replacement card free.

Chime offers an overdraft protection program, SpotMe, which gives you protection up to a limit (between $20 and $200) with no fees.

Savings
Chime’s savings account comes with a 0.5% variable APY. As with the checking account, there's no minimum balance requirement and no fees. There’s also no minimum deposit required to open an account and no cap on earning interest. You can transfer money directly from your checking account.

Two optional savings features allow customers to automatically transfer money to savings. With Round Ups, all purchases you make with your debit card are rounded up to the nearest dollar; Chime transfers the amount to your savings account. The Save When I Get Paid feature automatically transfers 10% of direct deposits of $500 or more from checking to savings.

Credit Builder
The Credit Builder account helps you build credit with a secured Chime Visa credit card. You transfer money from your checking account into the secured account to serve as a security deposit; this money also becomes the credit limit on the card.

You can pay the monthly balance automatically with the Safer Credit Building feature. You can also pay manually. Chime reports to all three major credit bureaus. There is no credit check when you apply for the card, no annual fee and no interest.

Chime fees

Chime has no monthly fees and no overdraft fees. The only fee at Chime is a $2.50 charge for out-of-network ATM withdrawal or a withdrawal at a bank or credit union where you present your debit card.

You can also be charged a fee by an out-of-network ATM operator, third-party money transfer services or retailers other than Walgreens that allow you to make cash deposits to your checking account.

Chime FAQ

What bank is Chime?

Chime’s banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank. Both are FDIC-insured; accounts are insured up to $250,000 per depositor.

How does Chime Credit Builder work?

Chime Credit Builder is a secured Visa credit card that is designed to help members build credit. Chime reports to all three major credit bureaus. To apply, you need a Chime checking account and qualifying direct deposits of at least $200; no credit check is necessary.

Once you have the Credit Builder card, you can use it anywhere Visa is accepted and start building credit. Your credit limit is based on the amount of money you move from your checking account to the secured account. There are multiple ways to pay off your card each month, including Safer Credit Building, which automatically pays your balance.

What time does Chime direct deposit hit?

Direct deposit funds are available as soon as Chime receives the payment file from the payer. This can be up to two days earlier than the scheduled payment date. Chime recommends contacting the payer if you have questions about the timing of direct deposit.

How do I add money to Chime?

Members can transfer money electronically from other banks. They can also add money via direct deposit and mobile check deposit and by depositing cash at thousands of retail locations (free at Walgreens).

Is Chime a prepaid card?

No, neither the Chime Visa debit card nor the Credit Builder secured credit card is a prepaid card. The Credit Builder card is secured by the money you move into the secured account.

What are the cons of Chime?

Some of Chime’s services have eligibility requirements. SpotMe, the fee-free overdraft program, requires a qualifying direct deposit of at least $200 over the previous 34 days. Credit Builder, the secured credit card, also requires a $200 qualifying direct deposit.

Other cons of Chime are it doesn’t allow joint accounts or secondary cards, and it doesn’t have a rewards program.

Is Chime legit?

Chime is a legitimate financial technology company working with The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank, which are both FDIC-insured. Members in all 50 states use its mobile banking services, including Chime’s checking account, savings account and secured credit card, and benefit from overdraft protection, early access to direct deposit funds and easy sending and receiving of money — all with no fees. There are many fintech companies in the mobile banking space; consider comparing Chime with several others before deciding on the right one for you.

Chime Reviews

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    Page 1 Reviews 0 - 5

    Reviewed April 14, 2025

    I had to pay a 1,600$ deposit to my new apartment which I was in a rush to move in, the customer service gave me info how to do that since the limit is 1,000 daily to upload, I was told to add a 1,000$ on my debit card then add the 500$ and then the 100$ onto my credit builder card and I found a 24/7 711 store at the airport in Portland Oregon and was able to PAY MY SECURITY DEPOSIT THAT NIGHT. THANKS MILLIONS CHIME.

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      Customer ServiceStaff

      Reviewed Feb. 22, 2025

      "I've been a Chime customer for over two years, and they've consistently exceeded expectations. In under a year, their Credit Builder feature delivered a significant 40+ point increase to my credit score. Beyond the impressive credit growth, their financial guidance has been invaluable. Recently, I experienced exceptional customer service from Belle, who handled a duplicate charge issue with patience, professionalism, and genuine comfort. Chime stands out as a reliable and supportive financial partner, offering effective tools and top-tier service. Highly recommended, especially for anyone seeking tangible credit improvement and outstanding customer support."

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      Reviewed Jan. 22, 2025

      This is a truthful review. I am actually a Chime customer. My credit score was 530 and Chime got it up the 758. I used the Chime credit builder card and paid for everything with it. But I never considered them a real bank so I have another bank account for direct deposit. I withdraw from my real bank and refill the Chime card at any Walgreens. I know it's inconvenient but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I only transfer money to the credit builder card when I'm about to buy something.

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      Reviewed Dec. 18, 2024

      I absolutely love Chime, but I would like to be able to freeze and unfreeze my card on the opening screen instead of having to go to three different screens to lock my card and unlock my card. Also, I live in a rural area that doesn’t have a chime, ATM and I would like to have the ATM here in Chillicothe, Missouri. A bunch of us have it and wish that we could have an ATM so we could avoid ATM fees. The closest one to us is about 25 miles west of us with less people.

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      Customer Service

      Reviewed Dec. 12, 2024

      I have had my Chime account for three years and have zero complaints. It is the easiest and best bank that I have ever had. My check is deposited two days before my coworkers and I have both checking and savings. I have increased my credit score and have been able to get a Discover card. The Credit Builder card is excellent. This company has the best customer service ever. You will not be disappointed with this bank!

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      Sales & Marketing

      Reviewed April 27, 2025

      I accidentally signed up for Chime three years ago and absolutely never used it. Now that I’m with time and I have my direct deposit set up. I don’t qualify for the referral plan. I don’t mind but they didn’t let me know before I signed up for my direct deposit. I feel like it’s false advertisement. I’m quite sure I’m not the only one who done this. Of course everything computerized these days and nothing nobody can do. What they should do is let a person know if they qualify for the referral plan before you sign up as a common courtesy. That’s all.

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      Customer Service

      Reviewed April 26, 2025

      Strongly dislike Chime. I had them since 2018 so that’s 7 years for them to not put my check into my account after changing my last name to my married last name and they returned my pay to my job twice after they said they fixed the problem. I hate the card and I don’t recommend the card. Also isn’t compatible with Zelle so what’s the point in this card and the customer service support center is horrible. Barely speak English and they don’t care.

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      Staff

      Reviewed April 25, 2025

      They're an unethical bank practices unethical banking practices. I've filed a complaint with the FDIC for unethical practices. If you use the Pay Anyone feature and the recipient is unable to collect the funds (under age 18 in my case), they will deduct the money from your account, refuse to refund it, and the other party never gets their money. They picked the wrong person to steal from!

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      Customer ServiceSales & MarketingStaff

      Reviewed April 19, 2025

      Have been with Chime for awhile. No issues until yesterday. Had money taken out of my account. Was a scam. Called Customer Service. Was told It was my fault and I should have known better. It was over 1400.00 dollars. I have closed my accounts. They were rude and unprofessional.. They never even tried to help. Basically called me stupid.

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      Customer ServiceContract & TermsStaff

      Reviewed April 19, 2025

      If I could give them 0 stars I would. I was with them for years and had no problems at all. But in the last 2 months they have been horrible. There is a feature called MyPay which is basically a small cash advance. Part of the amount you get is determined by certain factors, one of which is linking your payroll provider. For months, this feature worked fine. Then all of a sudden chime drops the connection. I talk to Chime, several times, and each person I talk to tells me something different. One person even told me inaccurate information, and I know it’s an accurate because I read the terms and services. They said they would escalate and try and get the issue resolved, and I never heard back from them.

      Most recently I have been experiencing an issue where chime will not let me transfer money from a different bank account into my Chime account. Again, talk to multiple people each person giving me a different answer. Multiple times they told me that it was with my external bank. I called my external bank, they said they approved the transfer and chime was the one that rejected it. I told this to chime, chime said they would escalate it. The response I got was instructions on how to link my debit card to my chime account, which was the issue that I was facing. It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to link my card, the issue is that it was not allowing me to transfer with that linked card.

      I called them back to let them know that their specialist did not read the ticket properly, and the supervisor I was speaking to chose to tell me that I was wrong, even though the previous supervisor agreed that the issue was on their end. They have some of the worst customer service I have ever dealt with. Their people do not know what they’re talking about. Their specialist obviously do not read tickets. I would not recommend them to anybody.

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      Chime Company Information

      Company Name:
      Chime
      Website:
      www.chime.com