February 25, 2026
Written by Catherine Hiles
Certified Financial Education Instructor®
Certified Financial Education Instructor®
Catherine Hiles, CFEI®, originally hails from the U.K. and currently resides in Ohio, where she writes about finance, parenting, pets, home improvement, and more. In her spare time, Catherine enjoys running, reading, and hanging out with her husband, two young children, and energetic dog.
Chime Prime™ gives you the best of Chime with qualifying direct deposits1
Get access to 5% cash back with Chime Card2 on a category of your choice, like groceries, gas, monthly bills, restaurants, or travel
Get 3.75% APY3 on savings to help grow your money faster
Enjoy exclusive travel and lifestyle perks like a Complimentary Priority Pass® membership4, Visa® luxury hotel benefits5, and access to the Visa Signature® Concierge6.
Note: Chime Prime launches to select members in early 2026 followed by a full rollout in spring 2026.
Chime Prime builds on what members already love about Chime – simple, fee-free banking7 – and adds meaningful rewards for people who want their money to go further.
It's the next evolution in everyday banking. As a Chime Prime member, you'll get 5% cash back2 with Chime Card on your category of choice and 3.75% APY3 on savings so you can compound your progress. You'll also get access to premium travel perks as a Chime Card holder and 24/7 priority support from real people, when you direct deposit at least $3,000 monthly1.
Intrigued? Let's explore how Chime Prime can help you reach your financial goals, fee-free.
Chime Prime is the most rewarding of Chime's three memberships, built to help your money work harder for you. It includes every benefit from Chime and Chime Plus™, plus additional market-leading cash back rewards to unlock more from every dollar.
Here's what you can expect as a Chime Prime member:
Top-tier rewards: Get 5% cash back2 on a spending category of your choice – from groceries and gas to restaurants, travel, or monthly bills – when you use your Chime Card™
High-yield savings: Earn 3.75% APY3 on your savings balance and watch your nest egg grow faster
Premium travel perks: Enjoy a complimentary Priority Pass membership4 that gives you access to 1800+ airport lounges and experiences, global mobile data8, luxury hotel benefits5, and access to the Visa Signature Concierge6.
Get paid before payday: Get up to $500 with MyPay9
Instant loan: Pre-qualified loan. Get $100+ instantly10
Overdraft coverage: Chime Prime members may have access to a starting limit of $50 in SpotMe® overdraft coverage and can receive up to $200 over time11
Priority support: Got questions? Enjoy 24/7 priority support with a real human over phone or chat
Fee-free banking7: No monthly fees, no minimum balances, no subscription fees
You'll automatically achieve Chime Prime status when you direct deposit at least $3,000 monthly1.
Wondering how to get Chime Prime? Just follow these steps and enjoy more rewards:
Step 1: Receive qualifying direct deposits totaling at least $3,000 into your Chime Checking Account per month1.
Step 2: Once you've qualified, your Chime Prime status unlocks automatically in the app.
Step 3: Access your upgraded benefits – from higher savings rates to cash back rewards and perks.
As long as you direct deposit at least $3,000 each month, you'll stay enrolled.
As a Chime Prime member, you'll unlock 5% cash back2 on your category of choice when you use your Chime Card to pay for eligible purchases on up to $1500.
Categories to select from include:
Grocery stores
Gas
Restaurants
Monthly bills
Taxi and rideshare
Travel
Select your cash back category in the Chime app. You can choose a different category on the first of each month or stick with the same one – whichever option you feel will maximize your cash back potential. You must make an initial category selection to be eligible. If you don't select a new category each month after your initial selection, the one you chose the previous month will automatically roll over.
A higher cash-back percentage equals more money in your pocket. Chime Prime has the highest percentage, while Chime Plus offers 2% cash back.1
Once you qualify for Chime Prime, you can earn an impressive 3.75% APY3 in your High-Yield Savings Account. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is the amount of interest you can earn on your savings over a year. Most standard savings accounts earn little or no interest, while high-yield savings accounts generally offer higher interest rates that allow your balance to grow over time.
A high APY helps you grow your savings faster – and Chime members can save even more with features like Automatic Savings12 and Round Ups13.
Chime isn't a bank. Chime is The #1 Most Loved Banking App** built to help everyday people make financial progress. See how Chime's banking features compare.
Chime | Bank of America | Wells Fargo | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cash back2 In the category of your choice. | 5% With Chime Card and Chime Prime | 6% first year, 3% after Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card | ✗ No Secured Card with cash back |
Savings APY3 | 3.75% Chime Prime | 0.04% Advantage Savings Account | 0.05% Platinum Savings Account |
Fee free banking7 Checking with no monthly fee without additional requirements. | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
*With Chime Prime, get 5% cash back on eligible Chime Card purchases and 3.75% Prime APY on your Savings Account balance. Not all Chime benefits listed require qualifying direct deposits of $3,000+. Chart based on internal comparison conducted February 2026 to select offerings at traditional banks, numbers subject to change at any time. See details used for comparison to traditional bank offerings here.
Chime offers the most rewarding fee-free banking+. Here's how you can maximize your rewards:
Choose your cash back category wisely: Pick everyday categories like groceries or gas when you're home, and switch to travel or restaurants when traveling.
Use your savings smarter: Automatically move funds to your high-yield account to maximize your APY earnings and make your money grow faster.
Travel with confidence: Complimentary Priority Pass membership4 that gives you access to 1800+ airport lounges, global mobile data through GigSky8, luxury hotel benefits5, and access to the Visa Signature Concierge6.
Stay connected: Find all perks under your profile tab in-app – or reach out to your 24/7 Visa Travel Concierge.
You've worked hard to make progress but most banks don't recognize it. That's why Chime is America's #1 Choice For Banking14 because, unlike other banks that stay stagnant, Chime grows with you.
Now, Chime will give you an even more rewarding experience as you make financial progress. Starting in 2026, direct deposit unlocks the most rewarding way to bank through Chime. Get more from every dollar you earn when you set up qualifying direct deposits — all without additional fees or minimum balance requirements.
You'll automatically achieve Chime Prime status when you receive qualifying direct deposits of at least $3,000 monthly.1
Chime Prime rewards include 5% cash back2 with Chime Card, 3.75% APY3 on savings, and exclusive perks with qualifying direct deposits of at least $3,0001. Chime Plus, meanwhile, gives you 2% cash back and 3.00% APY on your savings with a single qualifying direct deposit of $200 or cumulative direct deposits of $400 or more.
Chime Prime is a meaningful upgrade if you're able to direct deposit at least $3,000 per month1.
There are no monthly fees, minimum balance fees, or subscription fees to worry about. Chime makes fee-free banking7 accessible to anyone – and Chime Prime gives you the most rewarding way to bank+ at Chime.
As a Chime Prime member, you get premium travel perks with your Chime Card. Your perks include:
A complimentary Priority Pass membership4 that includes access to 1,800+ airport lounges and experiences that includes 2 complimentary visits every year
Complimentary global mobile data plans that include 1GB/15 days through GigSky8
Access to call or chat Visa Signature Concierge6 that will help with booking flights, hotels, reservations
Luxury hotel collection5: Get access to a premium collection of benefits like VIP status, complimentary breakfast for two, and an upgrade when available
International ATM fee reimbursements: Get automatically reimbursed two out-of-network fees per month when you withdraw cash from an international ATM.
Yes. Chime Prime upgrades happen automatically once you meet the deposit threshold.
Chime makes information security a top priority to ensure members' information and money are safe. Here's how Chime protects you:
Chime uses encryption and other measures to safeguard your data and money.
Instantly block your card if you suspect unauthorized use.
Turn on app notifications to receive real-time alerts Visa's Zero Liability Policy protection means you're not responsible for unauthorized charges15.
The Chime app supports two-factor and fingerprint authentication for added security.
Chime is viewed as a safe option with strong security features. Independent consumer research also shows strong adoption of Chime for new checking accounts; according to a recent study, Chime is America's #1 Choice For Banking.
14
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.
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. See https://www.chime.com/policies/.
Based on 2025 internal comparison to select traditional bank and fintech offerings.
MyPay® line of credit provided by https://www.chime.com/policies/bancorp/mypay/ or https://www.chime.com/policies/stride/mypay/. MyPay services provided by Chime Capital, LLC (NMLS ID 2316451).
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.
© 2013-2026 Chime Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.
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.