Chime Review [2024]: Get Your Paycheck Early

BANKING - CHECKING ACCOUNTS
Get ahead, and stay ahead. Chime® makes managing money easier, paydays come sooner, and fees a thing of the past.
Updated Jan. 8, 2024
Fact checked
Chime Account Review

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Chime® has no minimum balance fees, no monthly service fees, no foreign transaction fees, and no transfer fees.1

It's fully mobile, and it offers a Chime Visa® Debit Card and an optional High Yield Savings Account.2 So, does Chime have a place in your personal finance plans? We’re here to help you figure that out.

Featured Checking Accounts

Discover®️ Cashback Checking - Earn Cash Back

Earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month.3 No minimum deposit or balance. FDIC Insured.

Open Account
Earn up to $400

When you open a new U.S. Bank Smartly® Checking account and complete qualifying activities. Subject to certain terms and limitations. Offer valid through April 3, 2024. Member FDIC. Offer may not be available if you live outside of the U.S. Bank footprint or are not an existing client of U.S. Bank or State Farm.

Open and fund your account to earn up to $400
SoFi Checking & Savings - Earn Up to $300 When You Set Up Direct Deposit

Earn 4.60% APY4 and collect up to a $300 cash bonus with direct deposit or $5,000 or more in qualifying deposits.5 FDIC Insured.

Open Account

Quick Summary

Make managing your money easier and less expensive with this straightforward mobile app.

  • No monthly fees
  • Improve your cash flow by getting your paycheck up to 2 days earlier with direct deposit6
  • Automatic savings, including Round Ups7, help you grow your money faster
In this Chime review:

*Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services and debit card provided by The Bancorp Bank N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A.; Members FDIC.

Chime® Checking Account basics

APY Not an interest-bearing account
Minimum balance for APY N/A
Minimum deposit to open account None
Monthly maintenance fees None
ATM access Yes, up to $500 of ATM withdrawals per day with a $2.50 fee per transaction. Transactions are free at over 60,000 ATMs.
Transactions per month No limit on number of transactions; however, all transactions are subject to the $2,500 maximum amount that can be spent on the card per day.
FDIC insured Yes
Visit Chime

Chime Savings Account basics

APY 2.00% (as of Oct. 25, 2023)8
Minimum balance for APY None
Minimum deposit to open account None
Monthly maintenance fees None
ATM access None
Transactions per month Up to six withdrawals per statement cycle by transferring money to your Checking Account
FDIC insured Yes
Visit Chime

Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card

Chime also offers a Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card.9 To qualify for the card, you need to have received a qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more to your Checking Account within the past 365 days. It has a $0 annual fee and you don't need a credit check to apply. The Credit Builder card is designed to help you improve your credit through on-time payments.10

The way it works is that you move money from your Checking Account to your Credit Builder account.11 The amount you move is what you can spend. You can also use the money you moved to pay your balance by turning on Chime's Safer Credit Building feature.12 Chime reports your payments to the major credit bureaus. Chime doesn't report credit utilization, so you don't have to worry about high utilization hurting your credit score. 

Learn more in our Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card review.

Chime® Benefits

  • No interest, no annual fee, no credit check to apply
  • Better credit can mean better interest rates
  • Start building credit with everyday purchases and on-time payments

What we like about Chime

  • Get your paycheck early: Chime members who set up direct deposit are automatically eligible to receive their paycheck up to two days early. How? Employers often deposit your money up to two days before it’s made available to you in most accounts. Chime makes your money available as soon as your employer deposits it.6
  • No monthly fees: There are a lot of bank fees you should never pay. And Chime knows this. So with Chime you won't pay monthly maintenance fees, monthly service fees, minimum balance fees, foreign transaction fees, and you have access to over 60,000 fee-free ATMs.113
  • Overdraft protection: Chime has a special program they named SpotMe® to help you with accidental overdrafts that other financial institutions might charge you a lot for. With SpotMe, qualifying members can overdraft up to $200 without incurring a fee.14
  • Mobile banking: The Chime mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices.
  • Save automatically: Chime’s Savings Account has several features that allow you to automate your savings, such as automatic transfers and an option to save when you spend. You can choose to automatically transfer a percentage of every paycheck into your Savings Account to put aside extra money toward your goals.15 You can also have every debit card transaction rounded up to the nearest dollar. That rounded amount will then be transferred automatically from your Checking Account into your Savings Account.7
  • A decent savings rate: APY stands for annual percentage yield, and is the amount your money could earn you while sitting in your account. The Chime Savings Account offers a generous APY of 2.00% (as of Oct. 25, 2023)8 — the average APY for traditional savings accounts is just 0.47% (as of Feb. 8, 2024).16
  • Easy deposits: It’s simple to make deposits with Chime. Direct deposit is the easiest way to add funds to your account, but Chime also supports mobile check deposits, electronic funds transfers, and cash deposits.17 Cash deposits are available at over 90,000 retail locations — such as Walgreens, CVS, and 7-Eleven — using the Green Dot Network.18
  • Write checks: Fewer and fewer paper checks are written these days, but Chime provides an option for people who still need them. The service is known as Chime Checkbook, and it’s 100% free, takes only a few clicks to initiate, and has no limit on the number of checks you can send each day. Just enter the check details in your Chime Checkbook, either online or through the app, and Chime drops your check in the mail for you. 
  • Referral bonus: Chime offers a referral bonus of $100 for both you and the person you refer. The person you refer must enroll and complete a single direct deposit of $200 or more from their payroll provider within 45 days of opening their new account for you to receive the bonus.

Chime® Checking19 - No Fees + Early Paydays114

Checking Account. No minimum balance. FDIC Insured through The Bank Corp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A.

Open Account

What Chime could improve

  • Fees for depositing cash: Many online banking accounts don’t provide a way to deposit cash, so the fact that Chime even offers a solution to this problem is worth noting. However, depending on how often you’ll need to deposit cash, you might find yourself racking up quite a few fees. Chime doesn’t charge a fee itself, but the Green Dot location that processes the cash deposit might, which could cost you up to $4.95 for each deposit.

Compare Chime Savings Account and a traditional savings account 

The Chime Savings Account offers a generous APY of 2.00% (as of Oct. 25, 2023), compared to a traditional bank account, which only offers 0.47% (as of Feb. 8, 2024). With more and more of the best banks competing for your money, there’s no need to settle for a less-than-generous interest rate. 

To showcase the difference in earning potential, we put a traditional savings account to a hypothetical high-yield savings account up against each other. We used an initial deposit of $5,000 for our example. As you can see, a high-yield savings account offers a better return.

Traditional savings account with 0.47% APY Example savings account with 3.00% APY
Initial balance $5,000 $5,000
After 1 year $5,023.50 $5,150
After 3 years $5,070.83 $5,463.64
After 10 years $5,240.03 $6,719.58

Featured High Yield Savings Accounts

Customers Bank - 5.26% APY20

High-yield savings account. $1 minimum deposit. FDIC insured.

Open Account
SoFi Checking & Savings - Earn Up to $300 When You Set Up Direct Deposit

Earn 4.60% APY4 and collect up to a $300 cash bonus with direct deposit or $5,000 or more in qualifying deposits.5 FDIC Insured.

Open Account
Barclays Online Savings - 4.35% APY21

High-yield savings account. No minimum deposit. FDIC insured.

Open Account


How to open an account with Chime

Opening an account with Chime is straightforward and can be completed through the Chime app or website in just two minutes. You must be a U.S. citizen who is at least 18 years old to open an account, and all you need is a few bits of personal information to apply.

Since Chime is mobile-only, you’ll need to download the Chime mobile app via your smartphone by visiting the Google Play or Apple App stores. 

Chime app screenshot

Next, you’ll provide your first and last name.

 

Chime app screenshot

You'll also need to provide your email address, date of birth, and mobile phone number. You'll be sent a verification code to confirm your mobile number. 

Chime app screenshot

Chime app screenshot

Chime app screenshot

Next, you'll need to enter your home address and create a strong password. 

Chime app screenshot

Chime app screenshot

Chime will also ask for your Social Security number to verify your identity. You'll also need to provide a few details about yourself.

Chime app screenshot

Chime app screenshot

Finally, you'll need to agree to the terms of service and indicate whether you want to also apply for the Credit Builder secured Visa card. 

Once you complete your account in the app, you can set up direct deposit to fund your account. You can also fund your account at any time if you transfer money from an external bank account at a different financial institution.

How to withdraw money from a Chime account

Chime members are provided with a debit card when they open a Chime Checking Account, which can be used for purchases and cash withdrawals at ATMs.

Other Chime account fees

Overdraft fee $0
Stop payment fee $0
ACH transfers $0
Incoming wire Not offered
Outgoing wire Not offered

Chime customer service

Chime’s Member Services team can be reached 24/7 through the customer support tab in the Chime app or by email at support@chime.com. You can contact one of their phone specialists by dialing 844-244-6363.

FAQs about Chime

Is Chime secure?

Chime uses a variety of bank-level security processes to ensure your money is always safe. As a Chime member, you’ll receive instant transaction notifications. If you notice an unauthorized transaction, you can immediately disable your Chime card from your Chime app or the Chime website. Chime accounts are also insured by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) up to $250,000. Banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.

Can you withdraw money from a Chime Savings Account?

You can withdraw money from your Chime Savings Account by transferring it to your Checking Account using the website or mobile app. Online transfers from your Savings Account are limited to six per statement cycle, per federal regulations.

How much money can I withdraw from Chime?

Chime doesn’t limit the number of times you can use your Chime Visa Debit Card, but it does limit the amount of money that can be spent using the card each day. While each of the following transaction types has a specific daily maximum, the total of each day’s transactions is limited to a combined $2,500:

Transaction type Dollar limit per day
ATM withdrawal $500
Cash back at a register $500
Over the Counter (OTC) withdrawals (at participating banks and credit unions) $500
Card purchases $2,500

Can I have two Chime accounts?

Chime does not offer members the option of having multiple accounts.

Does Chime offer joint accounts?

Currently, Chime does not offer joint accounts or secondary cards; however, its website states that it is “actively working on this feature.”

Final thoughts

There's a reason Chime is on our list of the best checking accounts. If simple, on-the-go money management is your top priority, then opening a Savings Account or Checking Account with Chime might seem pretty appealing. With no fees and a passive-saving feature, managing your money can be simpler and less expensive.

Chime® Benefits

  • No minimum balance, no monthly service fees1
  • Get your paycheck up to 2 days earlier with direct deposit6
  • Eligible Members can access fee-free overdraft up to $20014
  • 60K+ fee-free ATMs13 nationwide
  • Automatic savings helps you grow your money faster19

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