Chime Review 2020

Chime is a US fintech company founded in 2013. It is the fastest-growing financial services app in the US, with more than 8 million customers as of February 2020. It does not have its own banking license, but provides its app-based services via FDIC-insured bank partners.

Chime is a great choice if you are a US resident, and you're looking for a simple, safe and cheap way to handle your checking and savings transactions. 

Pros

• Low fees, no minimum balance required
• Great savings options, pays interest
• Get paid early via direct deposit

Cons

• Only available to US residents
• Cannot use debit card to top up, deposit money to card
• Customer service is not always too helpful

Account opening and maintenance fee

At Chime, the account opening is free and maintaining your account is also free, with no monthly cost. There is also no minimum balance required.

Card fees

Getting a Chime card, including delivery, is also free. Even getting a stolen or lost card replaced is free.

There is no fee for international transactions with your Chime card.

ATM fees

Withdrawing money at over 38,000 ATMs in the US in the MoneyPass and Visa Plus Alliance (VPA) networks is free. However, there is a $2.50 fee for every withdrawal transaction outside these networks in the US and globally. The out-of-network ATM provider may charge additional fees. 

There is a $500 daily limit on ATM withdrawals. 

Transfer fee

Transferring money from your Chime account to other Chime members is free, and Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers are also free. It is not possible to make international wire transfers to or from Chime. 

Top-up fee

Chime does not charge a fee when you top up (add money to) your account using direct deposit, bank transfer from within the Chime app, mobile checks or cash deposits at GreenDot locations.

Compare other digital banks

Opening a Chime account is a breeze: it takes only a few minutes via your phone or online, and you should have your new Chime debit card in your hands in about a week.

Chime countries

Chime is available only in the US, for citizens or permanent residents.

Chime currencies

At Chime, you can open an account only in USD.

Current accounts

The Chime current account (they call it a Spending Account) is also available only in USD. You can also open a separate Savings Account for free.

Currencies in the app

Within the app, you can only hold money in one currency as well, which is USD.

Top up currencies

At Chime, you can top up (deposit money to your account) only in USD.

Security

Is your money safe at Chime? Yes, it is safe. Even though Chime itself is not a bank and does not hold a banking license, Chime accounts are insured up to $250,000 through its partner banks, Stride Bank, N.A. or The Bancorp Bank, which hold your deposits and are both members of the Federal Deposit Insuance Corporation (FDIC).

Stride Bank is based in Oklahoma, while The Bancorp Bank is based in South Dakota. Chime decides which bank will issue your card and manage your deposits, you cannot choose. 

Chime cards overview

What kind of card does Chime provide? Chime cards are provided by Visa. There is only one kind of physical card, a debit card. Chime provides EMV chip cards, which however cannot be used for making contactless payments.

How long till I get my Chime card? It takes about a week for your card to arrive at your home address after ordering. Once your card arrives, you can activate it through the Chime app.  

What happens if my Chime card is lost or stolen? If your Chime card is lost or stolen, you can immediately disallow card transactions within the app, and order a replacement card via the app or by phone. There is no cost for getting a replacement card, which should arrive in about a week. 

Can I use my Chime card abroad? Yes, you can use your Chime card anywhere Visa is accepted, for payments and for withdrawing money from ATMs. However, you have to turn on International Transactions in your settings within the app. Chime does not charge a fee for international transactions, but there is $2.50 fee for international ATM withdrawals.

Chime Premium accounts

Chime has no premium accounts.

Chime top-up methods

At Chime, you can use the following methods to top up, i.e. deposit money to your account:

• Direct deposit from employer
• Bank transfer: either directly from your home bank, or from within the Chime app after linking it to your bank account (not all banks supported). In the latter case, there is a $200 daily and $1,000 monthly limit on transfers.  
• Mobile check deposit (only if direct deposit has been enabled)
• Cash (at over 90,000 GreenDot locations in the US): You can deposit a maximum of $1,000 per 24 hours or $10,000 per month in cash.

Chime offers a wide array of services and features:

• You can see your spending categorized by the type of transaction (e.g. shopping, restaurants).
• You can send money to other Chime users instantly and for free, up to a $2,000 per month limit.
• Smart savings are also available, where Chime will round up the amounts you actually spend and store the difference in your Savings Account.
• These savings are stored separately in your Savings Account for easier overview and management.
• You can earn interest on your savings. (0.50% as of December 8, 2020)
• You can also save when you get paid, whereby 10% of your paycheck (if it is more than $500) automatically goes directly to your savings.
• Setting up or canceling direct debits is possible with Chime.
• Overdrafts are possible. If you receive at least $500 per month in direct deposits, the SpotMe feature allows you to overdraw your account $20 to $100 (depending on your account activity and history) without a fee. 
• You can set up Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay. 

However, Chime also lacks features that some of its competitors offer:

• You cannot set monthly budgets or spending goals.
• You cannot send money requests to friends or contacts, or use the app to split bills.
• Joint accounts are not available.
• 3D Secure online payments are not supported.

You can use Chime through a mobile app or on a desktop computer through the Chime website.

One of the main draws touted by Chime is that it lets you get paid 2 days early through direct deposits sent by your employer. This is compared to traditional banking policies and paper check deposits made by employers or government agencies that send you money, such as your paycheck or monthly benefits. You can set up direct deposits by giving your bank routing number and your Chime account number to your payroll or benefits provider. You can find this information in the Chime app.  

Chime does not have any additional features like a Premium account, virtual cards or cryptocurrency trading.

Loans, investments or insurance are also not directly available via the app. There is only an 'Offers' section for such services by third parties, which are practically advertisements that take you to the providers' website.

You can contact Chime via:

• Chat: The app has a built-in robo-chat function, but if your question is more complicated you have to send an email or call them on the phone to get an answer.
• Phone: You have to get past several automated menu choices before you can select to talk to a personal advisor. Once there, we connected within a few minutes and got mostly useful answers. 
• Email: Your best bet is to send an email if you have a specific question that is not answered in the FAQ. We received responses usually within a few hours. Some of them were not too helpful or relevant, but in other cases we received comprehensive and useful answers. 

Customer service is not available 24/7.