How Does Chime Make Money?

Key takeaways

Here are the key points about how Chime^® generates revenue and what it means for your wallet.

• Chime earns most of its revenue from interchange fees that Visa collects from merchants each time you use your card.

• Unlike many traditional banks, Chime doesn't rely on monthly maintenance fees, overdraft fees, or minimum balance requirements to make money.

• Chime reported $543.5 million in revenue for Q3 2025, with interchange and payment fees making up about two-thirds of that total. (see disclosure 1) ¹

• Because Chime's business model is built around card usage rather than account fees, members can keep more of their money.

Banking fees can quietly chip away at your checking or savings account. Chime takes a different approach by earning revenue through card transactions rather than charging you – so how exactly does that work?

How does Chime^® make money?

Chime makes money primarily through interchange fees. Each time you swipe, tap, or use your card online, Visa collects a small processing fee from the merchant. Chime receives a portion of that fee as revenue, and you don't pay anything extra.

An interchange fee – sometimes called a swipe fee – covers the cost of processing debit or credit card transactions electronically. The merchant accepting your card pays the fee, and the card issuer receives a share.

Here is how interchange fees work with Chime:

• You make a purchase: When you use your debit card or credit card, Visa collects an interchange fee from the merchant for processing your payment.

• Chime gets a share: A portion of that interchange fee is paid out to Chime.

• It adds up over time: Each time you use your Chime Card™ to make purchases and pay bills, Chime receives a small portion of the fee.

You don't pay monthly service fees or similar charges to Chime. Instead, most of our income comes from Visa – one of the ways we set ourselves apart from many traditional banks.

How Chime works

Chime is an online-only financial technology company offering banking products through its partner banks. These products include checking and savings accounts.

Your Chime Checking Account comes with a free Chime Visa^® Debit Card. Members can also apply for a secured Chime Card™ to help build credit history without an annual fee or interest charges. (see disclosure 2) ² (see disclosure 3) ³

We partner with two FDIC-member banks (see disclosure 4) ⁴ – The Bancorp Bank, N.A., and Stride Bank, N.A. Funds held in your Chime deposit account are eligible for deposit insurance through our partner banks, subject to applicable limitations and requirements.

You can use mobile check deposit (see disclosure 5) ⁵ from anywhere and get paid up to two days early (see disclosure 6) ⁶ with direct deposit through the Chime online banking app. Members who qualify can also use MyPay^® to get up to $500 of their pay before payday. (see disclosure 7) ⁷

Chime's revenue at a glance

Now that Chime is a publicly traded company, its financials offer a clearer picture of how this model works at scale.

In Q3 2025, Chime reported $543.5 million in total revenue. (see disclosure 1) ¹ That breaks down into two main categories:

Interchange and payment fees make up the majority. Platform revenue includes income from interest earned on member deposits held at partner banks and other financial products.

With 10.4 million active members as of September 2026, Chime's revenue engine runs on card transactions and platform services – not on fees pulled from your account. (see disclosure 1) ¹

What fees does Chime charge?

Chime eliminates most banking fees for its members. A look at Chime's deposit agreement shows there are no:

• Monthly maintenance fees

• Overdraft fees

• Minimum balance fees

• Paper statement fees

• Returned check fees

While Chime does not charge monthly maintenance fees, overdraft fees, or minimum balance fees, certain optional services may have fees. For example, out-of-network ATM withdrawals and over-the-counter cash withdrawals may incur fees, (see disclosure 8) ⁸ and MyPay instant transfers may include an optional instant transfer fee of up to $5. (see disclosure 7) ⁷

You can withdraw cash without a fee at more than 47,000 fee-free ATMs (see disclosure 3) ³ nationwide.Find in-network ATMs near you to avoid out-of-network charges.

How Chime compares to traditional banks

Third-party brands and companies are mentioned for informational purposes only. Chime does not sponsor, endorse, or partner with any of these brands or companies, and they do not sponsor or endorse Chime.

Many traditional banks charge their customers fees as a significant source of revenue. While banks earn a large share of their income through interest on loans, a meaningful portion also comes from deposit account fees.

The average percentage of non-interest income made from deposit account fees ranges from 12.8% to 18.2%, depending on the size of the financial institution. (see disclosure 9) ⁹ According to DepositAccounts, reported average amount of fees per deposit is $91.68 at Chase^® (see disclosure 10) ¹⁰ and $72.67 at Bank of America^®. (see disclosure 11) ¹¹

Chime's model flips that approach. We rely on interchange fees for most of our income and intentionally limit the fees that members pay.

What Chime's business model means for you

Chime's approach to revenue means you can manage your money without common bank fees eating into your balance. By earning a share of the interchange fees that Visa charges to process card transactions, we generate revenue without passing costs on to members.

Each penny saved in fees is a penny you can put toward your financial progress. Need to add cash to your Chime Card? Learn how to make a cash deposit to your account.