Guidelines / FAQs

Chime Financial, Inc. (“Chime”) is committed to continually improving the safety of our products and services for our members. Chime has a specialized team dedicated to working with law enforcement and government agencies to review and respond to each request Chime receives. The Law Enforcement & Government Response Team (LEGR) has processes in place to assist law enforcement through our law enforcement webform, available at: https://www.chime.com/legr.
Chime is committed to the privacy of our members’ data. Chime stores, maintains, and discloses member data in accordance with applicable laws. More information is available in Chime’s Privacy Notice, and the Chime User Agreement.
These Law Enforcement Guidelines and the accompanying FAQs are not intended to provide legal advice. They do not create any affirmative duties on behalf of Chime, and Chime reserves the right to update or change this guide without notice to law enforcement.
Quick Links
SERVICE OF LEGAL PROCESS TO CHIME FINANCIAL, INC.
SCOPE OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION
EMERGENCY DISCLOSURE REQUEST PROCEDURES
FORFEITURES, SEIZURES, LEVIES, GARNISHMENTS, AND ALL OTHER ACCOUNT ATTACHMENTS
CHIME PARTNER BANK CONTACT INFORMATION
CHIME PARTNER BANK ROUTING NUMBERS
SOCIAL SECURITY / DEBIT & CREDIT CARD NUMBERS
OPENING CHIME PRODUCTION DOCUMENTS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
SERVICE OF LEGAL PROCESS TO CHIME FINANCIAL, INC.
Criminal legal process from law enforcement or government organizations should be submitted via Chime’s webform.
Please note that all legal process must:
- Be in PDF format;
- Be assembled in the complete form as issued by the court or competent authority;
- Be dated and signed by an attorney or government official (if applicable), or by a judge;
- Be addressed to:
Chime Financial, Inc.
77 Maiden Lane
San Francisco, CA 94108 (note: we do not require the full physical address be listed on the subpoena to accept service)
DO NOT ADDRESS LEGAL CORRESPONDENCE TO “CHIME BANK” - Include as much identifying information as is available. Particularly helpful identifying information includes the following:
- 12-digit Chime account number;
- Full email address associated with the account;
- Full first and last name;
- Full date of birth;
- Street address;
- Last four digits of social security number
- Clearly describe the particular information requested and the applicable date range for your request. (Chime will only produce basic subscriber information in response to vague requests for “any and all” records).
- Be specific in identifying the legal basis for the request
- Be in compliance with the type of legal process required for the type of data requested. (See Legal Process Matrix below).
LEGAL PROCESS MATRIX
SUBPOENA | COURT ORDER / 2703d ORDER (including but not limited to a 2703(d) court order) | SEARCH WARRANT Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 41 (or state equivalent) | FORFEITURE (i.e. freeze, restrain, forfeit or transfer a Chime member’s assets) |
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TESTIMONY POLICY
Chime does not provide in-person testimony. Chime records are authenticated via a sworn statement when records are produced.
SCOPE OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION
Chime is not a bank and as such:
- Chime does not have any physical banking locations and does not have any video of deposits, withdrawals, surveillance, or ATM activity
- Be advised that transaction descriptions referencing a specific location do not necessarily refer to the physical location where the transaction occurred. For instance, the description may list the headquarters of the organization, not where the Chime member took money out of the ATM;
- Chime cannot file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs);
- Chime does not provide any lending (loan) services, and does not have any mortgage documents, loan applications, loan ledger sheets, or loans of any sort;
- Chime only provides personal accounts; Chime does not provide corporate/business accounts or joint checking accounts;
- Chime does not have certificates of deposits (CDs), money market accounts, safety deposit boxes, cashiers checks, trading instruments, traveler’s checks, trusts, estates, savings bonds, withdrawal slips, deposit slips, corporate resolutions, tax forms, signature cards, photocopies of driver’s licenses or identification cards used to open account, corporate board authorization minutes or partnership resolutions, credit and debit memos, credit reports, investment or security custodian accounts, IRA, keogh, or other retirement plans, cashier’s checks, manager’s checks, bank checks, traveler’s checks, money orders, retained copies of money orders, applications for purchase of checks or money orders;
- Chime does not have account applications, signature cards, background investigations, canceled checks, deposit tickets – front and back, forms 1099, 1089, or back-up withholding documents, collateral agreements and documents.
EMERGENCY DISCLOSURE REQUEST PROCEDURES
If you believe an emergency situation exists, please submit details through our secure webform and select “emergency request.” Generally, the information being sought must be in connection with a case involving danger of death or serious physical injury to any person to meet this criteria.
PRESERVATION REQUESTS
Chime will honor preservation requests sent via our webform for up to 90 days provided that we can verify the request is valid and from a law enforcement or government agency. Chime will honor a second preservation for the same account in order to expand the initial request an additional 90 days. The second request will only be treated as an extension of the first; Chime will not produce any new material. For international law enforcement agencies, Chime will preserve data to allow them the opportunity to obtain records through the Mutual Assistance Treaty (MLAT) process.
Unless a narrower set of data is specifically requested, the data to be preserved is that which would be produced in response to a search warrant (see US LE Requests Matrix).
FORFEITURES, SEIZURES, LEVIES, GARNISHMENTS, AND ALL OTHER ACCOUNT ATTACHMENTS
Chime is not a bank and is unable to fulfill requests seeking garnishments, levies,
forfeitures, or other transfers or restraints of funds. All requests to freeze, restrain, forfeit or transfer assets are executed by Chime’s partner banks.
To freeze or take possession of any assets that may be associated with Chime account(s), please contact the partner bank associated with the requested accounts The routing number and/or BIN will indicate which banking partners to serve.
CHIME PARTNER BANK CONTACT INFORMATION
Stride Bank
324 West Broadway
Enid, OK 73701
The Bancorp Bank, N.A.
ATTENTION: Legal Service of Process Team
409 Silverside Road
Wilmington, DE 19809
CHIME PARTNER BANK ROUTING NUMBERS
Stride routing numbers: 103100195, 103113315
Bancorp routing numbers: 031101114, 031101334, 031101279
CONSENT FORMS
Note that while Chime requires legal process to provide any member information to law enforcement or government agencies, Chime members can access their own account statements on the Chime website or Chime mobile app by logging in and viewing their account statements.
Chime members can access their statements from the mobile app by going to Settings and then selecting Documents >View Statements. On the View Statements screen, the user can select the account type and select the statement by Month and Year, e.g. statement name. Clicking on a particular statement will then display the statement in PDF format. The member can then save/print/forward the PDF statement from their mobile phone.
Alternatively, Chime’s Authorization and Consent to Release may be requested through our webform.
CHIME RECORDS KEY/GUIDE
A records guide containing information on transaction codes, abbreviations, definitions, and other transactional data is available upon request. Please submit requests through our webform.
SOCIAL SECURITY / DEBIT & CREDIT CARD NUMBERS
Chime does not maintain member social security or debit/credit card numbers.
OPENING CHIME PRODUCTION DOCUMENTS
Upon receipt of a data production from Chime, the following steps can be followed to access the documents:
- Download the production;
- Save the production to your computer or network drive (do not save to your web browser);
- Open the document using the encryption key sent to you. Please do not use your internet browser to view the file
- Note: productions will be saved as a “PDF Portfolio;”
- Select “View;”
- Select “Portfolio;”
- Click “Layout” or “Details.”
In order to open the individual .xls files within the portfolio:
- Right-click on the file in the navigation pane;
- Select “Extract from Portfolio” (this will open up a new window which allows you to save the .xls file);
- Save the .xls file as a new individual file.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take Chime to respond to a law enforcement request?
Chime strives to respond to all law enforcement requests within 15 business days.
What is a Chime Checking account?
At Chime, the ‘Checking Account’ is similar to what is traditionally referred to as a ‘checking account.’
How many accounts can a member have?
Members can only have one account, but each account can include up to three different Chime products: (1) Checking Account, (2) Savings Account, (3) Credit Builder Account (Secured Credit Card).
Do Chime members have checks?
No, but members can request a paper check be sent on their behalf. Checks are issued by Bank of America and are valid for 180 days.
What is ‘Pay Friends’ / ‘Pay Anyone?’
‘Pay Friends’ is a peer-to-peer payment system available only between two Chime members.
‘Pay Anyone’ is a peer-to-peer payment system between Chime members and recipients outside of Chime.
Are third-party platforms available to transfer money from Chime accounts?
Yes, money can be transferred from a Chime account using Venmo, PayPal, Cash App, and other platforms.
Can members access cash via their accounts?
Yes, members can access cash via ATM, point-of-sale (cash back), and over the counter via a bank or credit union.
How much cash can Chime members deposit into their account?
$1000 per day $10,000 per month via Green Dot Network only. Subject to provider (WalMart 7-Eleven limitations)
How can a member have a negative balance on their debit card?
Chime’s ‘Spot Me’ feature allows members to overdraft their account up to a pre-set limit. A member can have a negative balance if a transaction settles for more than was originally authorized.
What is a Tokenized ID?
Tokenized ID refers to a Google, Apple, or Samsung pay service/store that is linked to the Chime account.
What is a "Visa money transfer" transaction?
A Visa money transfer is a transfer to an external bank account. The list of linkable banks includes but is not limited to: Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, PNC, Regions Bank, TD Bank, U.S. Bank, USAA, and Wells Fargo.
What are Card to Card Transactions?
Transactional data that is classified as “card to card” is an internal money transfer system within a member’s account OR a “Pay Friends” transfer. i.e. If a Chime member transfers money between their Spending, Savings, and Credit Builder accounts, the transaction will appear as “card to card.” Alternatively, if a member transfers money via Chime’s “Pay Friends” feature (see above) the transaction will be labeled as “card to card” on the statement.
What are “card to card to_____” transactions?
“Card to card to_____” transactions are ‘Round Up’ transactions. When the Round Up feature is enabled by a member, Round Ups automatically round up debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and transfers the round up from the Chime Checking Account into the Chime Savings Account E.g. If a member spends $8.40 on a purchase, $0.60 will be automatically transferred to their savings account.
What are “card to card from_____” transactions?
Transactions appear as “card to card from_____” when a Chime member transfers money between their Spending, Savings, and Credit Builder accounts.