Chime Checking Review

Fee-free mobile banking with early direct deposit and a $100 bonus. No credit pull. Independent Chime Checking review: 4.4/5 for checking.

By Michael Hewitt, Founder & Editor-in-Chief.

Our verdict

Chime Checking fits people who want a mobile-first account with no monthly, overdraft or minimum balance fees, and pay up to 2 days early with direct deposit. SpotMe covers overdrafts up to $200 at no cost if you're eligible. Chime isn't a bank, so partner banks provide the services, and there are no joint accounts or branches, which keeps it from the top.

Skip it if you need a joint account or a branch you can walk into.

About Chime Checking

Fee-free mobile banking with early direct deposit and a $100 bonus. No credit pull. Chime Checking is offered by Chime (banking services by The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank). Our editorial rating is 4.4 out of 5.

Best for: Mobile-first banking without fees.

Editorial grade: A (composite score 88/100).

Highlights

$100 reward: enter your promo code, enroll, and make your first qualifying direct deposit within 30 days of enrolling¹
Get paid up to 2 days early with direct deposit
SpotMe fee-free overdraft up to $200 (eligibility required)
60,000+ fee-free ATMs (MoneyPass, Visa Plus Alliance, Allpoint)

What we like

$100 reward for new members, with no credit pull¹
No monthly fees², and no overdraft or minimum balance fees
Fast, easy mobile-first sign-up
SpotMe covers small overdrafts at no cost

Where it falls short

Not a bank, so services are provided through partner banks
No joint accounts or physical branches

Fees, minimums, and rates

Monthly fee: $0/month. Minimum to open: $0. New-customer bonus: $100. Rates and promotional offers change often, so check the provider's own page before you apply.

How we reviewed it

This is a desk review: we have not opened an account with Chime (banking services by The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank). It is built from Chime (banking services by The Bancorp Bank or Stride Bank)'s published rates, fee schedule and terms and from the public complaint record, and compared with the other products in the Checking shortlist. Our bank-account reviews weight APY (30%), fees (20%), access and convenience (15%), account features (15%), trust and safety (10%), and customer support (10%). The rubric is the same for every brand.

Not a bank. Deposits are held at these banks

The Bancorp Bank, FDIC certificate 35444: capital, loan quality, every office and the complaint record.
Stride Bank, FDIC certificate 4091: capital, loan quality, every office and the complaint record.

Similar products to compare

Read our full editorial methodology for how we review products.