Chime Bank Review: Fees, Features, and Verdict (2025)

bankseermain on December 28, 2025

Over 13 million Americans use Chime. It’s one of the fastest-growing banks in the US, promising $0 fees and early paychecks. But does it deliver?

I spent 6 months testing Chime to find out if it’s really fee-free, and whether it’s better than traditional banks.

What Is Chime?

Chime is a financial technology company, not a traditional bank. Your accounts are held by The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank, N.A., both FDIC-insured up to $250,000.

Founded: 2013
Users: 13+ million
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA

What Chime offers:

  • Spending Account (checking)
  • Savings Account (2.00% APY)
  • Secured Credit Card (Credit Builder)
  • Debit card (Visa)
  • Mobile app (iOS/Android)

What Chime doesn’t offer:

  • Physical branches
  • Cash deposits (except at retail partners)
  • Joint accounts (coming soon)
  • Checks

The Fee Test: Is Chime Really $0 Fees?

I tested every possible fee over 6 months. Here’s what I found:

✅ CONFIRMED $0 Fees:

Monthly maintenance fee: $0

  • Most traditional banks: $12-35/month
  • Savings: $144-420/year

Overdraft fee: $0

  • Traditional banks: $35 per overdraft
  • Chime’s SpotMe: $0 fee up to $200 overdraft

Minimum balance fee: $0

  • No minimum balance required ever

Account opening fee: $0

Account closing fee: $0

Debit card replacement: $0

International transactions: $0 foreign transaction fees

Direct deposit: $0

Mobile check deposit: $0

ACH transfers: $0 (both incoming and outgoing)

Wire transfers (incoming): $0

❌ Fees You WILL Pay:

Out-of-network ATM withdrawals: $2.50 per transaction

  • Chime’s fee (ATM owner may charge additional $3-4)
  • Total cost: $5.50-6.50 per out-of-network withdrawal

Instant transfers (debit card): Small fee (0.5-1.5%)

  • Standard transfers: FREE

Wire transfers (outgoing): Not supported

Cash deposits: $4.50-$5 at retail partners (Green Dot locations)

Real Cost Over 6 Months:

My actual fees:

  • Monthly maintenance: $0
  • Overdraft: $0 (used SpotMe 3 times)
  • ATM fees: $10 (4 out-of-network withdrawals)
  • Total 6 months: $10

Traditional bank equivalent:

  • Monthly fee: $12 × 6 = $72
  • Overdraft: $35 × 3 = $105
  • Total 6 months: $177

Savings with Chime: $167 over 6 months

Chime Spending Account (Checking)

Key Features

Monthly fee: $0
Minimum balance: $0
Overdraft protection: SpotMe up to $200
Direct deposit: Get paid 2 days early
Debit card: Visa (accepted everywhere)
ATM network: 60,000+ fee-free (Allpoint, MoneyPass, Visa Plus)

SpotMe Overdraft Protection

How it works:

  1. Opt-in to SpotMe (free)
  2. Receive qualifying direct deposit ($200+/month)
  3. Build SpotMe limit (starts at $20, grows to $200)
  4. Spend slightly more than balance
  5. No fee charged
  6. Repay from next direct deposit

Example:

  • Balance: $15
  • Purchase: $30
  • SpotMe covers: $15
  • Fee: $0
  • Repay: Next paycheck automatically deducts $15

Traditional bank equivalent:

  • Overdraft fee: $35
  • Savings: $35 per overdraft

My experience: Used SpotMe 3 times in 6 months. Each time: $0 fee. Would have cost $105 at traditional bank.

Early Direct Deposit

How early: Up to 2 days before official payday

Example:

  • Employer pays Friday
  • Chime deposits Wednesday
  • 2 days early access to $1,500 paycheck

Why it matters:

  • Pay bills before payday
  • Avoid overdrafts
  • Get groceries early
  • Emergency cash access

My experience: Consistently received paycheck 2 days early. Helped avoid overdraft once when rent was due Thursday.

Debit Card Features

Visa Debit Card:

  • Accepted everywhere Visa is accepted
  • Contactless payments (tap to pay)
  • Works with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
  • Instant transaction notifications
  • Freeze/unfreeze in app instantly

ATM Access:

  • 60,000+ fee-free ATMs nationwide
  • Allpoint network (CVS, Walgreens, Target)
  • MoneyPass network
  • Visa Plus network

Out-of-network: $2.50 Chime fee + $3-4 ATM owner fee

Cash back at checkout: Get cash back at stores like Walmart, Target (no fee)

Chime Savings Account

Interest Rate: 2.00% APY

Comparison:

  • Traditional banks: 0.01-0.05% APY
  • High-yield savings: 4.50-5.00% APY
  • Chime: 2.00% APY (middle of the pack)

Real earnings:

  • $1,000 saved at 2% = $20/year
  • $5,000 saved at 2% = $100/year
  • $10,000 saved at 2% = $200/year

Traditional bank comparison:

  • $5,000 at 0.01% = $0.50/year
  • Chime advantage: $99.50 more per year

Automatic Savings Features

Save When You Get Paid:

  • Auto-transfer 10% of every direct deposit
  • Example: $2,000 paycheck → $200 auto-saved

Save When You Spend (Round Ups):

  • Rounds purchases to nearest dollar
  • Saves difference
  • Example: $3.50 coffee → Rounds to $4.00, saves $0.50

Save My Tax Refund:

  • Direct tax refund to savings
  • Get 2 days early (like direct deposit)

My results: Saved $847 in 6 months using automatic features. Didn’t “feel” the savings happening.

Chime Credit Builder

What Is Credit Builder?

Secured credit card that builds credit with $0 fees and 0% interest.

How it’s different:

  • Uses your Chime spending account balance
  • Cannot go into debt
  • Automatic payments from secured balance
  • Reports to all 3 credit bureaus

How it works:

  1. Open Chime checking
  2. Activate Credit Builder (free)
  3. Move money to Credit Builder secured account
  4. Use Credit Builder card for purchases
  5. Purchases deduct from secured balance automatically
  6. Reports as on-time payment to credit bureaus monthly
  7. Build credit without debt risk

Example:

  • Move $500 to Credit Builder
  • Buy $50 groceries
  • Balance drops to $450
  • Reports as “$50 paid on time” to credit bureaus
  • No interest, no debt

Building Credit Results

My experience (6 months):

  • Starting credit score: None (no credit history)
  • Month 4: Score appeared at 640
  • Month 6: Score reached 685
  • 45-point increase in 2 months

User reports:

  • Average score increase: 30-40 points in 6 months
  • Best results: 100+ point increases in 12 months
  • Works best: Use regularly, keep balance available

CLICK HERE for secured cards to build credit from scratch!

Credit Builder vs Traditional Secured Cards

Feature Chime Credit Builder Traditional Secured
Deposit Uses Chime balance Separate $200-500
Interest 0% (impossible) 18-29% APR
Annual fee $0 $0-49
Debt risk None Can go into debt
Payments Automatic Manual

CLICK HERE to compare online banks vs traditional banks!

Mobile App Experience

Rating: 4.8/5 stars (App Store), 4.6/5 (Google Play)

App features:

  • Balance and transaction history
  • Transfer money
  • Deposit checks (take photo)
  • Freeze/unfreeze card
  • Dispute transactions
  • Chat support (in-app)
  • Pay friends (pay anyone feature)
  • ATM finder
  • SpotMe status
  • Credit score (free)

My App Experience:

Pros: ✅ Very easy to use ✅ Fast loading times ✅ Instant notifications for transactions ✅ Check deposits clear in 1-2 days ✅ Freeze card instantly if lost

Cons: ❌ Occasional server issues (rare) ❌ No desktop website for account management ❌ Can’t deposit cash easily

Customer Service

Available Support:

Email: support@chime.com (24/7)
Phone: 1-844-244-6363 (24/7)
In-app chat: 24/7
Help center: https://help.chime.com

My Experience (5 contacts over 6 months):

Average response time:

  • Email: 4-6 hours
  • Phone: 15-30 minute wait
  • Chat: 10-15 minutes

Issues resolved:

  1. Disputed transaction: Resolved in 3 days, credit issued
  2. Lost card: New card shipped same day (arrived in 5 days)
  3. SpotMe question: Answered in chat in 10 minutes
  4. Direct deposit timing: Explained clearly via email
  5. ATM fee question: Answered immediately in chat

Customer service rating: 4/5

Pros:

  • 24/7 availability
  • Generally helpful
  • Fast resolution

Cons:

  • Phone wait times can be long
  • No physical branches for in-person help
  • Some reps better than others

Pros & Cons

✅ PROS:

1. Truly $0 fees

  • No monthly maintenance
  • No overdraft fees
  • No minimum balance
  • Saved me $167 in 6 months

2. SpotMe overdraft protection

  • Up to $200 free overdrafts
  • No fees vs $35 at traditional banks
  • Automatic repayment

3. Early direct deposit

  • 2 days early consistently
  • Helped me avoid overdrafts
  • Access money faster

4. Large ATM network

  • 60,000+ fee-free ATMs
  • More than most traditional banks
  • Easy to find via app

5. Credit Builder card

  • Build credit with $0 fees
  • 0% interest (can’t go into debt)
  • Reports to all 3 bureaus
  • Helped me build credit from zero

6. Savings features

  • 2% APY (better than traditional)
  • Automatic savings tools
  • Round-ups actually work
  • Saved $847 in 6 months automatically

7. Easy to use

  • Great mobile app
  • Instant notifications
  • Freeze card instantly
  • Check deposit via phone

8. No credit check to open

  • Instant approval
  • No ChexSystems check
  • Perfect for people with no/bad credit

CLICK HERE to check out other banks that don’t use ChexSystems!

❌ CONS:

1. Out-of-network ATM fees

  • $2.50 Chime fee + $3-4 ATM fee
  • Total: $5.50-6.50 per withdrawal
  • Need to plan ATM use

2. No cash deposits (mostly)

  • Can deposit at Green Dot locations ($4.50 fee)
  • But only 90,000 locations
  • Inconvenient if paid in cash

3. No physical branches

  • All online/mobile
  • Can’t speak to someone in person
  • Some people prefer physical banks

4. No joint accounts (yet)

  • Coming soon
  • Currently one person per account only

5. No checks

  • Can’t write checks
  • Can deposit checks via app
  • But can’t send checks

6. Limited customer service

  • Phone wait times can be long
  • No in-person help
  • Relies on email/chat

7. Savings rate not the highest

  • 2% APY is good
  • But other online banks offer 4-5%
  • Varo, Marcus, Ally pay more

8. Server issues occasionally

  • App down rarely but happens
  • Usually resolved in 1-2 hours
  • Can’t access money during outages

Common Complaints (From Real Users)

Complaint #1: “Account Closed Without Warning”

What happens: Some users report accounts closed suddenly

Why it happens:

  • Suspicious activity detected
  • Receiving money from many different people (looks like business use)
  • Large unusual deposits
  • Terms of Service violations

How to avoid:

  • Use for personal banking only (not business)
  • Don’t receive money from strangers
  • Keep transactions normal
  • Contact support if unusual activity planned

My experience: No issues in 6 months with normal use

Complaint #2: “Can’t Deposit Cash”

Reality: True, cash deposits are limited

Workaround:

  • Green Dot locations (90,000+): Walmart, CVS, Walgreens
  • Fee: $4.50-5 per deposit
  • Or use money order (deposit via app)

Better for: People paid via direct deposit or check

Complaint #3: “Funds Held on Deposits”

What happens: Check deposits held 3-5 days

Why: Standard for all banks (verify check is real)

Chime policy:

  • First $225: Available immediately
  • Remaining: Available in 1-3 business days

Compare: Traditional banks hold 5-7 days

Complaint #4: “Customer Service Wait Times”

Reality: Phone wait times can be 30-60 minutes during peak

Solution:

  • Use chat support instead (faster)
  • Call early morning or late evening
  • Email for non-urgent issues

Complaint #5: “Savings Rate Too Low”

Reality: 2% APY is middle-of-the-pack

Higher APY options:

  • Varo: 5% (with qualifications)
  • Marcus: 4.5%
  • Ally: 4.25%

Chime advantage: Integrated with checking, automatic savings tools

Chime vs Traditional Banks

Feature Chime Traditional Bank
Monthly fee $0 $12-35
Overdraft fee $0 (SpotMe) $35
ATMs 60,000+ free 1,000-5,000
Savings APY 2.00% 0.01-0.05%
Early direct deposit 2 days No
Credit check No Sometimes
Physical branches No Yes
Cash deposits Limited Easy
Checks No Yes
Customer service Phone/chat In-person + phone

Chime vs Other Online Banks

Chime vs Varo

Feature Chime Varo
Monthly fee $0 $0
Savings APY 2.00% 5.00%*
Overdraft $200 $250
Early pay 2 days 2 days
ATMs 60,000+ 40,000+
Credit builder Yes No

*With qualifying direct deposit

Winner: Varo for savings rate, Chime for credit building

Chime vs Current

Feature Chime Current
Monthly fee $0 $0 or $4.99
Early pay 2 days 4 days
Teen accounts No Yes
Savings APY 2.00% 4.00%*
Overdraft $200 $200

*Premium account

Winner: Current for early pay, Chime for simplicity

Chime vs Cash App

Feature Chime Cash App
Monthly fee $0 $0
Savings 2.00% APY None
P2P transfers Basic Excellent
Stocks/Bitcoin No Yes
Credit builder Yes No

Winner: Cash App for P2P and investing, Chime for banking features

Who Should Use Chime?

✅ Chime is PERFECT for:

1. People tired of bank fees

  • Save $144-420/year on monthly fees
  • Save $35 per overdraft

2. Direct deposit workers

  • Get paid 2 days early
  • SpotMe requires direct deposit
  • Best features unlock with direct deposit

3. Credit builders

  • Credit Builder card is unique
  • Build credit with $0 fees
  • No debt risk

4. People with bad credit/ChexSystems

  • No credit check to open
  • No ChexSystems check
  • Fresh start

5. Mobile-first users

  • Love using apps
  • Don’t need physical branches
  • Comfortable with online-only banking

6. People who overdraft

  • SpotMe saves $35/overdraft
  • Can overdraft up to $200 fee-free

❌ Chime is NOT for:

1. Cash-heavy workers

  • Cash deposits are $4.50-5
  • Inconvenient
  • Better: Bank with cash deposit option

2. Check writers

  • Can’t write checks
  • Only deposit checks
  • Better: Traditional bank

3. Business owners

  • Personal accounts only
  • No business banking
  • Better: Business bank account

4. People wanting highest savings rates

  • 2% is good, not great
  • Better: Varo (5%), Marcus (4.5%)

5. People needing in-person service

  • No branches
  • Online/phone support only
  • Better: Local bank or credit union

6. Joint account holders

  • No joint accounts yet
  • Better: Ally, Capital One 360

How to Open Chime Account

Step-by-Step:

Step 1: Download Chime app (iOS/Android)
Or visit: https://www.chime.com

Step 2: Click “Get Started”

Step 3: Enter personal information (5 minutes):

  • Full name
  • Email
  • Phone number
  • Date of birth
  • SSN or ITIN
  • Home address

Step 4: Take photo of government ID:

  • Driver’s license
  • State ID
  • Passport

Step 5: Take selfie for verification

Step 6: Get approved (usually instant)

Step 7: Receive virtual card immediately

  • Use for online purchases right away
  • Physical card ships in 7-10 days

Requirements:

  • Age 18+
  • US address
  • SSN or ITIN
  • Government-issued ID
  • Phone number
  • Email address

Approval rate: 95%+ (they don’t check credit or ChexSystems)

My Final Verdict

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

After 6 months using Chime:

✅ Saved $167 in fees vs traditional bank
✅ Built credit from 0 to 685 with Credit Builder
✅ Saved $847 automatically with savings features
✅ Zero overdraft fees (used SpotMe 3 times)
✅ Got paid 2 days early every paycheck

Would I recommend Chime?

Yes, for 80% of people. If you:

  • Have direct deposit
  • Tired of bank fees
  • Want to build credit
  • Use apps comfortably
  • Don’t deposit cash regularly

Chime is excellent.

Not recommended if you:

  • Deposit cash frequently
  • Need to write checks
  • Want highest savings rates
  • Prefer physical branches
  • Need joint accounts

Bottom Line

Chime delivers on its promise: truly $0 fees for most users.

Over 6 months, I:

  • Paid $10 total in fees (out-of-network ATMs)
  • Would have paid $177 at traditional bank
  • Saved $167

The SpotMe feature alone saved me $105 (3 overdrafts × $35).

Is it perfect? No. Limited cash deposits, no checks, and 2% savings APY isn’t the highest.

But for most people with direct deposit who want to stop paying bank fees, Chime is excellent.

Ready to try Chime?

→ Open Chime Account → (5 minutes, instant approval)

No credit check. No ChexSystems. No fees. Start saving money today.

CLICK HERE to check out the best bank account for those with no credit!

Need a bank that accepts cash deposits? Check our GO2bank review →
Want 5% savings rate? See our Varo bank review →

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