Updated October 23, 2026

Chime review covers a US online banking service founded in 2013, offering checking and savings accounts without monthly fees. Note upfront: Chime is a banking provider, not a crypto or trading platform. Updated September 2026.

Chime at a glance

• Founded: 2013, headquartered in San Francisco

• Customers: 14.5 million

• ATM network: over 60,000 fee-free ATMs

• Monthly fees: none

• Overdraft: fee-free for eligible customers

• Direct deposit: available up to two days early

• Savings: competitive rates with no balance requirements

• Insurance: FDIC insured

• Credit Builder: no fees, no APR, no credit check, no minimum security deposit

• Not offered: branch offices, cryptocurrency services

What Chime offers

The proposition is straightforward banking without the fee structure traditional banks apply. No monthly maintenance charge, no balance requirement on savings, over 60,000 fee-free ATMs and direct deposit arriving up to two days early. For someone paid weekly or fortnightly, that early deposit is a practical benefit rather than a marketing line.

The automated savings tools are the other genuinely useful feature. Rounding up transactions or setting automatic transfers builds a balance without requiring a decision each time, which is how most people actually save successfully.

Pros

• Competitive savings rates

• Automated savings tools that improve financial habits

• Direct deposit up to two days early

• Over 60,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide

• Free peer-to-peer payments

• No foreign transaction fees

• Online check sending

Cons

• No branch offices

• Mobile check deposit is limited to accounts with direct deposit

• Recent complaints about account access and access to funds

• Out-of-network ATM fees apply

The complaints about account access deserve weight. With an online-only provider there is no branch to visit when something goes wrong, so if your account is frozen or a transfer stalls, you are dependent on remote support. Keeping a second account elsewhere is sensible insurance against that scenario.

Accounts

The Chime checking account carries the core features: no monthly fee, the fee-free ATM network, peer-to-peer payments, early direct deposit and no foreign transaction fees. The high-yield savings account has no fees or balance requirements, is FDIC insured and opens easily.

Credit Builder is the more unusual product: no fees, no APR, no credit check and no minimum security deposit. For someone with no credit history it provides a route to building one without the cost or risk of a conventional credit card, which is a real gap in the market.

What Chime is not

There is no cryptocurrency support and no trading service. If you arrived looking for a crypto platform, this is a banking provider. Our broker hub covers trading accounts, and the crypto platforms are listed separately.

Who Chime suits

• US residents who want fee-free everyday banking from a phone

• Anyone paid by direct deposit, given the two-day early access

• People building credit history through Credit Builder

• Not suitable if you need branch access, deposit cash regularly, or want crypto and trading services

Chime removes the standard banking fees and adds genuinely useful tools, with no branches and reported access issues as the trade-offs. For a banking relationship with investing attached, Capital One Bank review covers a traditional alternative.

Chime review: frequently asked questions

Does Chime charge monthly fees?

No. There are no monthly maintenance fees, and eligible customers get fee-free overdraft.

No monthly service fee by Chime

Customers free access to cash

Customizable debit card security

Chime checking account vs. traditional banks

top perks of a chime checking account

SpotMe allowance is $200

Chime® Checking Account

chime security and support

Is my money FDIC insured?

Yes. Chime accounts carry FDIC insurance through its partner banks.

Open an online checking account for free

Chime Visa debit card

2.00% annual percentage yield (APY)

Can I get paid early?

Yes, up to two days before your direct deposit is due, which is one of the service's most-used features.

Earn money by saving money

No Fees Or Balance Requirements

Chime Savings Account

What is Credit Builder?

A credit-building product with no fees, no APR, no credit check and no minimum security deposit, aimed at people establishing credit history.

Chime Credit Builder

Steps to open a savings account with Chime

Earn with savings account

Ease of account opening

Does Chime offer cryptocurrency?

No. Chime is a banking service, with no crypto or trading functionality.

What happens if there is a problem with my account?

There are no branches, so you rely on remote support. Recent complaints mention account and fund access issues, which is worth factoring in.

pay anyone the fast fee free way

Get paid early

Credit score by 30 points on average

Chime rating

chime credit builder visa