Build credit with Chime Card^™

Signing up for the Chime Card is easy. Just start by opening a Chime account¹. You’ll share a few personal details, verify your identity, and then download the Chime app to get going.

Chime accounts are available to anyone 18 or older with a valid U.S. address. Once you’re set up, you can pick your Chime Card and choose between evergreen or black, or upgrade to a premium titanium color for $50 plus applicable taxes.

There’s no credit check required, and your physical card usually arrives within 7–10 business days. Don’t want to wait? You’ll have access to your virtual Chime Card right away. Learn more about the Chime Card here.

Already using Credit Builder? The secured Chime Visa^® Credit Card is launching in phases, so some members will get access a little later than others. Join the notify list in the Chime App to be notified when you’re eligible to switch.

Chime Card is the next generation of Credit Builder. You get the same outstanding credit-building capability, with built-in banking access plus 1.5% cash back rewards on rotating categories (with direct deposit)^§§. Like Credit Builder, Chime Card lets you use your own money to build credit safely, while offering added features that make the card even better.

Consistent use of Chime Card can help you build credit with on-time payment history, increase the length of your credit history over time^**, and more. With Chime Card, Chime will report your monthly payments to the three major bureaus – TransUnion^®, Experian^®, and Equifax^®. We report your highest balance, your payment amount, and payment date. On-time payments can improve your score while late or missed payments may negatively impact your score. By turning on Safer Credit Building^**, your balance is automatically paid each month, reducing the risk of missed payments.

We don’t report utilization on your Chime Card so your score won’t be negatively affected – even if you use all of the money in your account during the month. Please note that activity on other credit accounts may also impact results and credit score improvement is not guaranteed.

Yes. Like Credit Builder, Chime Card is a secured credit card. The money you move to your Chime Card 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, Chime Card also reports to the major credit bureaus to help you build your credit history over time. For most secured credit cards, security deposits are unavailable to you, the consumer, until you close the account. With Chime Card, however, you can use your deposit to pay for monthly charges. Plus, Chime Card charges no annual fees or interest^<, and no minimum security deposit is required⁴ just like Credit Builder.

All you need is a Chime Account to start. Don’t have a Chime Account?
Apply for one in minutes!

We don’t believe in annual fees or profiting from our members’ misfortune. We have no fees to apply, no annual fee or interest^<. Out-of-network ATM fees may be applied if you use your card at an ATM that is not a part of the fee-free network of 47,000+ ATMs^††.

The Chime Card is a secured credit card. That means the money you add to your Chime secured deposit account is the amount you can spend on the card.⁵ Unlike other secured credit cards, that money can be used to pay off your monthly balances. Since the Chime Card doesn’t have a pre-set limit, spending up to the amount you added to your secured deposit account won’t contribute to a high-utilization record on your credit history.

The Chime Card helps reduce the risk of overspending and can help you build credit history with no annual fees and no interest^<. There’s also no credit check to apply!

Just like Credit Builder, Chime Card doesn’t have a pre-set credit limit. Instead, the money you move into your Chime 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 Chime Card 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 Chime Card is shown as “Available” in the Chime app.⁵

Nope. Just like Credit Builder, the Chime Card 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 your credit builder card for your everyday purchases and let them count toward building credit history when you make on-time payments!

Yes. As you move money from other banks into your Chime Account, that money will be automatically available to spend.

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

You can pay off charges on your credit builder cards in 3 ways.

1. One option is to turn on Safer Credit Building. When you make a purchase, the money you spend is put on hold in your secured account. Safer Credit Building uses the money you transferred to your secured account to automatically pay your monthly balance. This will help you avoid late payments and outstanding balances.
2. If Safer Credit Building is not turned on, Manual Payments can still be made at any time by going to Settings → Safer Credit Building → Make a Payment.
3. ACH Payments can be made from any bank by using Chime Card’s account number. To find them, go to Settings → Safer Credit Building → Make a Payment → Paying with another bank

Chime Cards statements are available by the 28th of each month and are due on the 23rd of the following month.

If you miss a payment, we’ll disable your Chime Card and ask you to pay your overdue balance. See “How and when do I pay off my credit building card?” on how to make a payment.

If your balance due isn’t paid in full after 30 days, we may report information about your account to the major credit bureaus. Late payments, missed payments, or other defaults on your account may be reflected on your credit report.

Yes! You can withdraw cash using your Chime Card. Get cash fee-free^†† at 47,000+ ATMs found in stores you love like Walgreens, 7-Eleven, CVS, and more!

Yes! SpotMe^® on Chime Card is now available. Get covered up to $200 when you need it fee-free.⁺

Building a good credit history not only improves your eligibility for loans and lines of credit, but it’s also key to building a healthy financial history. Building good credit history and maintaining a good credit score empowers you to make informed financial decisions. Higher credit scores can potentially help you qualify for better interest rates and larger lines of credit.

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 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. In a way, the “credit limit” is the money you put into the deposit. This can help you make on-time payments and avoid overspending, which can slowly build your credit.

Generally, a good credit score could be anywhere from 670 to 850. Scores in this range indicate to lenders that a person is likely to be a reliable borrower, giving them access to more favorable interest rates and loan terms. On the other hand, scores below 670 could make it more difficult to be approved for a loan or find low interest rates.

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, paying off credit balances, and diversifying credit types can positively impact credit scores. It’s also important to monitor your credit reports to ensure it remains accurate.

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 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.

Both a secured card for building credit and an installment loan designed to help you build credit history can help improve credit over time, but they’re distinctly different. A “credit builder” loan requires you to borrow money, but it’s great if you want to stick to a fixed repayment plan. On the other hand, secured “credit builder” cards offer flexibility in making everyday purchases and can have a more immediate impact on your credit score. Which one is better depends on you and your financial circumstances.

You can review a summary of your credit report directly in the Chime app. Through the app, you can monitor your FICO^® credit score. If you want access to your full report, submit a request to one of the three major credit bureaus for your free annual copy.