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.

Partner Spotlight | Public

Chime Team • October 28, 2021

Always wanted to invest but don't know where to start? Enter Public, an app that helps you buy stocks for as little as $1.

So you’ve always wanted to invest but didn’t know where to start. 

Welcome to the club.

While there’s no doubt that investing in the stock market can be intimidating, it doesn’t have to be that way. Thanks to the internet, you can learn to invest in stocks, even if you don’t have a million dollars or a degree in economics. 

One of our favorite tools for new investors is Public, an app that helps you buy stocks for as little as $1. We love Public because it prioritizes education and community (which, if you couldn’t tell, are big things for us at Chime, too). 

Here’s why you should give Public a look, plus how to get a free $20 just for trying it out! 

#1 most-loved banking app™~

  • Over 1,000,000+ five-star reviews on Google Play & Apple Store
  • Send and receive money fee-free
  • Deposit checks from anywhere
Get Started

Find Public in the Chime Marketplace

We’ve partnered with Public because it’s a rad company that could help you secure your financial future. 

You can find Public — and lots of other brands aimed at bringing you financial peace of mind — in our brand new Chime Marketplace. That’s where we showcase partners that offer incredible value to members like you. 

We’ve handpicked all of the companies in the Chime Marketplace because they’re A) the best at what they do, and B) happy to give our members an extra special deal. (In this case, a free $20 to start your investing journey!) 

How investing with Public works

Public is an investing tool and social media platform rolled into one sleek app. It allows you to start investing, build community, and improve your financial literacy — all at the same time. 

After signing up with Public, you’ll be able to pick and choose the companies you’d like to invest in. Since Public allows “fractional investing,” you’re not required to buy a whole share of any company. That matters because shares can be hundreds or thousands of dollars each!

Rather, you can invest as little as $1 in one of the thousands of companies or ETFs (collections of different stocks and bonds). You can even invest in different “themes,” such as green power, sports, or companies with female CEOs, diverse leadership, or immigrant founders.¹

Best of all, Public has no account minimums and no commission fees on regular trades. 

Public offers a social feed, too. You’ll be able to follow friends, family, and top investors, see what they’re buying and selling — and why. You can also attend live events like Town Halls, where you can speak directly to CEOs, or Public Live, where you can hear current events (and their financial implications) broken down in real time.  

Though all those features are great, we fell in love with Public because it prioritizes transparency and education. (Ring any bells?) Within the app, you can tap on key investing terms to see simple definitions, as well as get easy-to-understand explanations for why a stock may be rising or falling — amplifying your financial knowledge every time you log on.

What puts Public ahead of the pack

Just 56% of the American population owns a piece of the stock market.² That means more than 4 in 10 Americans are missing out on one of the best ways to build wealth over the long term, and over generations. 

If you’re someone who’s always wanted to start investing, but hasn’t known how, then Public is perfect for you. It’s made for wannabe investors who are intimidated by the high startup costs, endless mumbo jumbo, and lack of financial education provided by other investment platforms.

Public is different because it’s … 

  • Anti-jargon: It defines complex financial terms every step of the way. 
  • Affordable: It only requires $1 to support the companies you believe in. (Talk about leveling the playing field!)
  • Social: It lets you see how friends, family, and public figures are investing so you can learn from each other. 
  • A fan of diversity: It encourages you to discover new people, companies, and content in its Explore section. 
  • Customer obsessed: It offers fast and friendly support to ensure your investing questions are answered straight away. 

Not to mention, we’re far from the only Public fans you’ve heard of. The company has been backed by the likes of Will Smith, J.J. Watt, The Chainsmokers, and Tony Hawk.³

Get $20 just for giving Public a try

Ready to start building your financial future? 

We’ve teamed up with Public to give you $20 to invest4 in a stock of your choice. All you have to do is sign up with Public and connect your Chime Checking Account. You’ll then get a $20 bonus that you can invest however you’d like. 

Want to buy stock in Apple? Done. How about Nike? Yep, you can do that, too. Or, invest in Starbucks so you’ll feel a little bit better the next time you splurge on an overpriced latte. 

If you’d prefer, you can also find Public in the Chime Marketplace by: 

  1. Opening the Chime app
  2. Scrolling down to the “Earn More & Save Money” section on the home screen
  3. Tapping on “See My Offers” 

When it comes to investing, the first step is always the hardest. So sign up for Public and get your free $20 today!

#1 most-loved banking app™~

  • Over 1,000,000+ five-star reviews on Google Play & Apple Store
  • Send and receive money fee-free
  • Deposit checks from anywhere
Get Started

Chime® is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. The Chime Visa® Debit Card and the Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card are issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A. pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa debit and credit cards are accepted. Please see the back of your Card for its issuing bank.

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).

Third-party trademarks referenced for informational purposes only; no endorsements implied.

The Bancorp Bank, N.A. and Stride Bank neither endorse nor guarantee any of the information, recommendations, optional programs, products, or services advertised, offered by, or made available through the external website (“Products and Services”) and disclaim any liability for any failure of the Products and Services.

The offer(s) provided by Chime come from companies who pay us. Compensation may factor into which offers are presented and where these offers appear on our site.

¹ https://public.com/themes
² https://news.gallup.com/poll/266807/percentage-americans-owns-stock.aspx
³ https://public.com/about-us
⁴ Offer valid for U.S. residents 18+ and subject to account approval. Open To The Public Investing is a member of FINRA & SIPC. Regulatory and firm fees apply. See Public.com/disclosures/.

~ Chime is recommended by more of its users than that of any brand per 2023 Qualtrics® NPS score.

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.

© 2013-2024 Chime Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.