Manage Credit

All you need is an active Chime^® Checking Account.

Don’t have a Chime Checking Account? Apply for one in under two minutes!

We don’t believe in unnecessary fees or profiting from our members’ misfortune. We have no fees to apply, no annual fee or interest, and no fee to replace your card. We do charge an out-of-network ATM fee if you use your card at an ATM that is not a part of Chime’s fee-free network of 50,000+ ATMs.^††

Credit Builder offers features that help you stay on top of key factors that impact your credit scores. Consistent use of Credit Builder can help you build credit with on-time payments**  and by increasing the length of your credit history over time. We report to the major credit bureaus – TransUnion^®, Experian^®, and Equifax^®.  

Learn more about credit building with Credit Builder.

Unlike traditional credit cards, Credit Builder helps you build credit with no annual fees and no interest.^< 

 There’s also no credit check to apply!

Credit Builder is a secured credit card. The money you move into Credit Builder’s secured deposit account is the amount you can spend on the card. Unlike other secured credit cards, that money can be used to pay off your monthly balances. Since Credit Builder doesn’t have a pre-set limit and doesn’t report utilization spending up to the amount you added won’t contribute to a high-utilization record on your credit history.

Learn more about how Credit Builder works.

Yes, Credit Builder is a secured credit card. The money you move to the Credit Builder secured deposit account is how much you can spend with the card. This amount is often referred to by other secured credit cards as the security deposit. Like other secured credit cards, Credit Builder also reports to the major credit bureaus, to help you build credit history over time.

However, for some secured credit cards, security deposits are held as collateral and not unavailable to you, until you close the account. With Credit Builder, you can use the money you move to your secured deposit account to pay your monthly charges. Plus, Credit Builder charges no annual fees and no interest,^†† and no minimum security deposit required!⁵

Credit Builder doesn’t have a pre-set credit limit. Instead, the money you move into your Credit Builder secured deposit account sets your spending limit on the card.

With traditional credit cards, using a high percentage of your available credit limit could negatively impact your credit score. You don’t have to worry about that with Credit Builder because Chime does not report credit utilization. On-time payment history can have a positive impact on your credit score. Late payment may negatively impact your credit score.

How much you can spend with Credit Builder is shown to you as “Available to Spend” in the Chime app.

Nope. Chime doesn’t report percent utilization to the major credit bureaus because it has no pre-set credit limit. That means spending up to the amount you added will not show a high-utilization card on your credit history. So you can use Credit Builder for your everyday purchases and let them count toward credit building when you make on-time payments!^**

No, you cannot move money from other banks to your Credit Builder secured deposit account. You can only do that from your Chime Checking Account.

Safer Credit Building is a feature that allows you to automatically pay your monthly balance with the money in your Credit Builder secured deposit account.^** Turn it on, so your monthly balances are always paid on time! Learn more about how it works here.

Yes! SpotMe^® on Credit Builder is now available for eligible members! Get covered up to $200 when you need it fee-free.⁺

While traditional credit cards have a set credit limit that can be borrowed from the credit card issuer, secured cards do not. They are designed specifically to help people with little or bad credit history to build their credit score.

Instead of being approved for a set credit limit, people who use secured credit cards will make a security deposit that acts as the collateral for their card. The “credit limit” is the money you put into the security deposit account. This can help you make on-time payments and avoid overspending, which can slowly build your credit.

Building credit involves several key steps, such as obtaining a credit card and using it responsibly by making timely payments. Additionally, keeping credit card balances low and diversifying credit types can positively impact credit scores.

The time it takes to rebuild your credit score will depend on your individual circumstances and the severity of your past credit issues. Consistently paying your bills on time and reducing any outstanding debts can begin to improve your credit score within just a few months to a year. However, larger improvements may take several years of responsible financial behavior in order to achieve.

A good credit score means you have experience managing your finances and being responsible with payments. By contrast, having no credit score signifies to lenders that you have no experience at all in this area. This could make them hesitant to approve you for anything from a high credit limit to a home or auto loan. Establishing a good credit history can alleviate some of these problems.