Megan Lee is a writer and editor who specializes in travel, personal finance, education, and healthcare. She has been published in U.S. News & World Report, REI, USA Today, and elsewhere, and has spoken at conferences like NAFSA’s Annual Conference & Expo. Megan has built and directed remote content teams and editorial strategies for several websites, including NerdWallet, GoAbroad, and Ramp. When she's not crafting her next piece of content, Megan adventures around her Midwest home base, where she likes to drink cortados (it’s research for her coffee blog, she swears), attend theme parties, ride her bike, and cook Asian food.
Key takeaways
SpotMe®1 provides fee-free coverage for eligible debit card purchases, secured credit card purchases, and cash withdrawals — with a combined limit of up to $2001 with no fees.
Your SpotMe® limit is based on your direct deposit history, deposit amount, and how actively you use your Chime account.
You can temporarily increase your limit by receiving SpotMe® Boosts2 from friends and family who use Chime.
Keeping a consistent qualifying direct deposit and using your account regularly may help your SpotMe® limit grow over time.
Overdraft fees can drain your checking account, but SpotMe® gives you a way to avoid them when you open an account through Chime. If you're wondering how to get a higher SpotMe® limit, you're not alone – it's one of the most common questions from Chime members. We'll walk you through how your limit works and what you can do to help it grow.
What is SpotMe® and how does it work?
SpotMe® is fee-free coverage for debit and credit card purchases and cash withdrawals.1 It helps you cover everyday transactions that would exceed your balance – without charging fees.
SpotMe® is available when you activate your Chime Visa® Debit Card or secured Chime Visa® Credit Card and receive at least one qualifying direct deposit of two hundred dollars or more per month.
Here's how SpotMe® works on Chime:
Chime spots you up to $200 fee-free when you overdraw your account
The next time you deposit money into your Chime account, Chime applies it automatically to your negative balance.
If you attempt a transaction that exceeds your balance and SpotMe® limit, the transaction is simply declined. No fees!
Understanding overdraft fees can help you see why fee-free coverage matters.
How is your SpotMe® limit determined?
Your monthly SpotMe® limit is made up of three different parts: your base limit, Boosts2, and bonuses. Several factors can influence where your limit lands, including your direct deposit history, deposit amount, and overall account activity.
Base limit
Your base limit is your account’s default SpotMe® limit — the starting amount of your monthly SpotMe limit before any Boosts or bonuses are added.
How long you direct deposit. The longer you direct deposit, the better.
How much you direct deposit. Keep your amount consistent or bump it up if you can.
How much you use Chime. Regular account activity can play a role in your limit.
Boosts2
Receiving a SpotMe® Boost2 from another member temporarily increases your SpotMe® limit by $5 for the month. Boosts are a great way to add some extra padding when you need it.
Bonuses
Another way to receive a temporary increase is through occasional bonuses sometimes offered by Chime. These are usually tied to promotional campaigns and last for a limited time.
What happens if you reach your limit
If you've reached your SpotMe® limit, Chime simply declines the transaction. There's no fee for declined transactions, so you don't have to worry about extra charges.
How to increase your SpotMe® limit on Chime
You can't manually raise your SpotMe® limit, but certain habits may help it grow over time. Here are a few tips that can make a difference.
Keep up your direct deposit. To stay eligible, make sure you're receiving at least one qualifying direct deposit of two hundred dollars or more per month. Your limit may go up the longer you deposit, so try to keep your amount consistent.
Use your account regularly. Your account activity and history can influence your SpotMe® limit. Along with maintaining direct deposits, you can keep your Chime account active by paying bills online and using your Chime Visa® Debit Card for purchases.
A quick note – our customer support team can't raise your SpotMe® limit. Chime notifies you if and when you qualify for a higher limit.
How SpotMe® Boosts2 work
SpotMe® Boosts2 temporarily increase an eligible member's SpotMe® limit by $5.2 You can both send and receive Boosts2, making it easy to help each other out.
How to send and receive Boosts2
You'll get four Boosts2 at the beginning of each month to send to other people. You can also receive up to four Boosts2 per month. Here are a few things to know:
Boosts2 last until the end of the month.
Your SpotMe® limit returns to your base limit when Boosts2 expire.
You can only send one Boost2 to each friend per month.
There's no fee to send or receive a Boost2.
Chime has a strong "Boost 4 Boost" community on our social channels. To request a Boost2, you can comment "boost 4 boost" under our posts and share your Chime handle.
There are three steps to using Boosts2 on the Chime app:
Open the Chime app and look for "SpotMe® Boosts2" on the home screen under Financial Tools.
Search for the person you want to send a Boost2 to from your contact list.
Tap "Send $5 Boost2" next to their name.
Once you send a Boost2, the recipient has $5 added to their SpotMe® limit. They can do the same for you!
SpotMe® can help you avoid overdraft fees
Chime's SpotMe® has been life-changing for some of our members, and it can help you avoid overdraft fees on purchases and cash withdrawals.1 It's easy to enroll with qualifying direct deposits, and there are no fees to use SpotMe®.
Boosts2 are a nice way to add extra padding to your SpotMe® limit. See how SpotMe® has your back.
What is the highest SpotMe® limit?
The highest SpotMe® limit is $200, though your actual limit may be lower depending on your account history and direct deposit activity.
How do I boost my SpotMe® limit?
You can temporarily increase your SpotMe® limit by receiving Boosts² from friends and family who use Chime. Each Boost adds $5 to your limit for the rest of the month.
Can I use SpotMe® without direct deposit?
No – SpotMe® requires at least one qualifying direct deposit of two hundred dollars or more per month to stay eligible.
Chime® is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.
Chime is not FDIC-insured. The Bancorp Bank, N.A. and Stride Bank, N.A. are the FDIC-insured members. Deposit insurance covers the failure of an insured bank. Certain conditions must be satisfied for pass-through deposit insurance coverage to apply. FDIC deposit insurance limit is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category.
Chime Checkbook: While Chime doesn’t issue personal checkbooks to write checks, Chime Checkbook gives you the freedom to send checks to anyone, anytime, from anywhere. See your issuing bank’s Deposit Account Agreement for full Chime Checkbook details.
By clicking on some of the links above, you will leave the Chime website and be directed to a third-party website. The privacy practices of those third parties may differ from those of Chime. We recommend you review the privacy statements of those third party websites, as Chime is not responsible for those third parties' privacy or security practices.
Opinions, advice, services, or other information or content expressed or contributed here by customers, users, or others, are those of the respective author(s) or contributor(s) and do not necessarily state or reflect those of The Bancorp Bank, N.A. and Stride Bank, N.A. (“Banks”). Banks are not responsible for the accuracy of any content provided by author(s) or contributor(s).
APPLE and the Apple Logo are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. GOOGLE PLAY and the Google Play Logo are registered trademarks of Google LLC. Third-party trademarks referenced for informational purposes only; no endorsements implied.
This guide is for informational purposes only. Chime does not provide financial, legal, or tax advice. You should check with your legal, financial, or tax advisor for advice specific to your situation.
Third-party trademarks referenced for informational purposes only; no endorsements implied.
To be eligible for Chime+™ status you must receive a qualifying direct deposit to your Chime Checking Account in the preceding 34 days. Certain products marketed as Chime+ benefits have additional eligibility requirements. While some Chime+ benefits may have associated fees, none of these fees are mandatory to access Chime+ benefits or to maintain Chime+ status. See Chime+ Terms and Conditions for details.
To be eligible for MyPay, you must receive Qualifying MyPay Direct Deposits to your Chime Checking Account as set forth in the MyPay Agreement. A Qualifying MyPay Direct Deposit is a deposit from an employer, payroll provider, gig economy payer, government benefits payer, or other permitted source of income by Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) or Original Credit Transaction (“OCT”). Your MyPay Credit Limit and Available Advance Amount may change at any time. MyPay is a line of credit and available limits are based on estimated income and risk-based criteria. Eligible members may be offered a $20 - $500 Credit Limit per pay period. Your Credit Limit and Maximum Available Advance will be displayed to you within the Chime app. MyPay is currently only available to eligible Chime members in certain states. Other restrictions may apply. See Bancorp MyPay Agreement or Stride MyPay Agreement for details.
The disclosed Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is available only while you maintain Chime Plus status, otherwise the standard 0.75% APY for non-Chime Plus will apply. The APYs for the Chime Savings Account are effective as of 01/29/2026 and are variable and may change at any time. No minimum balance required. Must have $0.01 in savings to earn interest. See Chime Plus Terms and Conditions for more details.
Qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their Chime Checking Account and/or their Secured Deposit Account up to $20 in total, but may be later eligible for a higher combined limit of up to $200 or more based on member’s Chime account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your SpotMe Limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to your SpotMe Limit. SpotMe for Credit and SpotMe on Debit share a single SpotMe limit. Your SpotMe Limit may change at any time, at Chime or its banking partners’ discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third-party fees associated with ATM transactions or OTC cash withdrawal fees at retailers. SpotMe won’t cover non-card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone transfers, or Chime Checkbook transactions. SpotMe terms and conditions.
Licenses Chime Capital, LLC, Nationwide Multistate Licensing System ("NMLS") ID 2316451 Chime Payments, Inc., Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (“NMLS”) ID 2538752
Address: 101 California Street, Floor 5, San Francisco, CA 94111, United States.
No customer support available at HQ. Customer support details available on the website.
