In this article
Our Chime review explains how its savings APY tiers work, who holds your money, the fees and minimums Chime lists, and which Money Types it fits.
Priceless Tay may earn a commission from some links on this page, and that never changes how we compare apps.
Short answer
Chime is a banking app, and it lists iOS and Android. Chime lists 1.00% APY for standard members, 3.00% APY for Chime Plus and 4.00% APY for Chime Prime, in rates effective Oct 6, 2026. Chime has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 1,629,130 ratings as of Oct 24, 2026, which is the store's number, not our score.
Chime at a glance
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank, that offers checking and savings accounts through partner banks.
- Price and fees
- Chime says its savings account has no fees, and you need an active Chime Checking Account to open one.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: help.chime.com/what-is-the-chime-savings-account-f189355c
- APY or rate
- Chime lists 1.00% APY for standard members, 3.00% APY for Chime Plus and 4.00% APY for Chime Prime, in rates effective Oct 6, 2026. The rate is variable.Chime says there is no minimum balance, but you need $0.01 in savings to earn interest. The higher rates depend on Chime Plus or Chime Prime status, which ties to qualifying direct deposits.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: help.chime.com/what-is-annual-percentage-yield-apy-dfafd381
- Minimums
- Chime says its savings account has no minimum balance requirement.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: help.chime.com/what-is-the-chime-savings-account-f189355c
- Protection
- Chime is not a bank. Banking services come from The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC, and pass-through deposit insurance applies only when certain conditions are met.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: help.chime.com/what-is-the-chime-savings-account-f189355c
- Platforms
- Chime lists iOS and Android.As of Oct 25, 2026. Source: chime.com
- Features
- Yes: Goals
- Yes: AI features
- App store rating
- Chime has 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store from 1,629,130 ratings.As of Oct 24, 2026. Source: App Store listing
Prices and ratings change, so check Chime's own site before you sign up. Every line here links to the official page it came from.
What Chime looks like
Every image we have of Chime, grouped by task. App Store and Google Play images are the app's own marketing, so they can show sample data. Help center images come from its support articles.
Home (2)
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "America's #1 Choice for Banking" showing an Available balance with Savings, Cash back, MyPay and Direct Deposit tiles.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageTiles for Savings at $5,821.45, Cash back at $115.00, MyPay at $275, Direct Deposit in 3 days, FICO Score and Chime Deals.App Store listing, as of
Accounts (1)
App Store marketing imageAvailable $2,346.91 with a $200 SpotMe link below.App Store listing, as of
Goals (2)
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with a savings APY headline showing a Savings screen with goals like Wedding and Emergency fund.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageA Goals list with My savings at $5,017.45, Wedding at $1,094 and Emergency fund at $2,099.App Store listing, as of
Reports and insights (3)
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Increase your credit score up to 70 pts" showing a credit score gauge at 720.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageA Chime notification saying Your score went up 70 points!App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageA FICO credit score gauge reading 720 on a 300 to 850 arc, with "What goes into FICO Scores" below.App Store listing, as of
Transfer and send (1)
App Store marketing imageMyPay with a green ring showing $275 available now and a Manage MyPay link.App Store listing, as of
Card controls (1)
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Earn 5% cash back with Chime Card." showing a Your cards screen with an Add to Apple Wallet button.App Store listing, as of
Settings and security (3)
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Serious security and real-time alerts" showing a Security Center at 100% and a suspicious activity alert.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageA Suspicious Activity notification asking Did you just make a purchase of $212.32? Open the app to confirm.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageSecurity Center with a 100% ring, a High security note and steps for Set up passkey and Email verification.App Store listing, as of
Other screens (3)
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with the headline "Get up to $500 of your pay when you say" showing a MyPay screen with $275 available.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageApp Store image with a fee-free ATMs headline showing a map with ATM pins.App Store listing, as of 
App Store marketing imageA Chime notification saying Cha-ching! You just scored 5% cash back on your purchase.App Store listing, as of
Who Chime is for
Who Chime fits
- You want savings goals and automatic saving in a mobile app.
- Your direct deposit could qualify you for one of Chime's higher APY tiers.
- You want a savings account with no fees and no minimum balance.
Who should skip Chime
- You want the same savings rate no matter how you're paid.
- You want your direct deposit to land in savings directly.
- You'd rather keep deposits at a bank instead of a fintech with partner banks.
A lot of people call Chime their bank. Chime says it isn't one. It's a financial technology company, and its banking services come from partner banks.
That detail matters, because it changes where your money is held and how deposit insurance applies. This review walks through it, then covers how Chime's savings account and its APY tiers work.
The current rates, fees and minimums sit in the box at the top of this review. Each one shows the date we checked it in Chime's help center.
Who actually holds your money
Chime says its banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., both Members FDIC. Chime also says certain conditions must be met for pass-through deposit insurance to apply.
If that's new to you, the short version is this: the FDIC insures deposits at insured banks, and an app that works through a partner bank relies on that bank's coverage. You can look up any bank yourself on the FDIC's BankFind tool (2026).
How Chime Savings works
You need an active Chime Checking Account to open Chime Savings. Chime says there's no fee to open it and no minimum balance, and interest is calculated daily and paid on the first day of each month.
Chime's APY depends on your membership tier. Standard members earn one rate, and Chime Plus and Chime Prime members earn higher rates. Chime says those higher tiers tie to qualifying direct deposits, so check which tier you'd actually be in before you compare Chime with another account.
One detail trips people up: Chime says its savings account can't receive direct deposits. Instead, you can send a percentage or dollar amount of your direct deposit to savings automatically.
What stands out
Savings goals. Chime lets you create several savings goals inside your savings account, name them, give them an emoji and a target, and watch a progress bar fill as you add money.
Automatic saving. When you open savings, Chime offers paycheck and round up saving you can switch on or off, plus one-time or recurring transfers.
Where Chime asks more of you
The best Chime rate isn't the default rate. If your paycheck doesn't qualify you for a higher tier, the standard rate is the one to compare.
Chime is also an app first. Its help center says the easiest way to reach support is in the Chime app.
Chime and your Money Type
Priceless Tay sorts money habits into four Money Types: Strategist, Spender, Saver and Scrambler. Your type tells you which fix to make first.
Strategists should compare Chime's rate for their own tier against other high-yield savings accounts before moving money.
Spenders can let round ups and paycheck saving move money before they see it. That pairs well with Sleep on It.
Savers are the best fit for the goals feature, as long as the money doesn't just sit. The Saver first fix, Put It to Work, starts with picking one amount and giving it a job.
Scramblers can split each direct deposit so savings happens on payday. Pair it with Bills First, so the bills are covered before the transfer.
Not sure which one you are? Take the free Money Types quiz.
How Chime compares
Our best high-yield savings accounts guide covers more options, and our Ally savings account review is a useful contrast with a bank that holds deposits itself. To see what a rate means for a real goal, try the savings goal calculator.
FAQ
Is Chime a bank?
No. Chime says it's a financial technology company, not a bank. Its banking services come from The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.
Is money in Chime FDIC insured?
Chime says its accounts are FDIC insured through its partner banks up to the standard limits, and certain conditions must be met for pass-through deposit insurance to apply.
What APY does Chime Savings pay?
It depends on your membership tier. Chime lists a standard rate and higher rates for Chime Plus and Chime Prime, and the current numbers are in the box at the top of this review with the date we checked them.
Is there a minimum balance for Chime Savings?
Chime says there's no minimum balance. You need at least one cent in savings to earn interest.
Can I send my direct deposit straight to Chime Savings?
No. Chime says its savings account can't receive direct deposits. You can set a percentage or dollar amount of your direct deposit to move to savings automatically instead.
Who Chime fits, by situation
Pick the tab that sounds like you. The questions come from app help centers, FAQ pages and user forums, and every answer comes from the app's own pages, with the date we checked it.
Just me
Budgeting on your own? These are the basics people ask about first.
Is it free?
Chime says its savings account has no fees, and you need an active Chime Checking Account to open one.
As of . Source: help.chime.com
Is there support from the app's makers if I need help?
Partners
Sharing money with a partner? Here's how each app handles a second person.
Can my partner use their own login details?
Yes. Your partner gets their own login.
In their words: “To open and keep a joint account, each co-owner must have their own active Chime Checking Account.”
As of . Source: help.chime.com
How many people can share one account?
Up to 2 people, including you.
In their words: “A joint account is a checking account owned and shared by two people to manage money together.”
As of . Source: help.chime.com
Can we keep shared and individual views?
Yes. You can keep shared and individual views.
In their words: “To open and keep a joint account, each co-owner must have their own active Chime Checking Account.”
As of . Source: help.chime.com
Family
Bringing in more of the household? Here's what each app says about families and kids. See apps with custodial accounts for kids.
Does it have accounts or features for kids or teens?
How many people can share one account?
Up to 2 people, including you.
In their words: “A joint account is a checking account owned and shared by two people to manage money together.”
As of . Source: help.chime.com
Freelancer
Paid on an uneven schedule or running a side hustle? Here's what each app offers. See apps with a SEP IRA or Solo 401(k).
Can I mix business and personal expenses in this app?
Business
Running a small business? Here's what each app says about business money.
Can I mix business and personal expenses in this app?
A question shows only when every app here has a current official source that answers it. We only say no when the app's own page does.
What real users say
These are other people's opinions, not Priceless Tay's. We quote public reviews and posts word for word, link each one and show its date, but we haven't checked the claims in them. A post counts toward a theme when it uses one of that theme's keywords, so a mention can be praise or a complaint.
What Chime users say
Based on 500 App Store reviews, 7 Reddit posts, 1 YouTube video and 2 Hacker News posts dated May 2026 to Oct 2026, read Oct 2026. We collected the Reddit and YouTube data with Apify, a scraping service, on Oct 24, 2026.
- Of the 510 reviews, posts and videos we read, 83 mention deposits, transfers or getting paid.
- Of the 510 reviews, posts and videos we read, 45 mention how easy or hard the app is to use.
- Of the 510 reviews, posts and videos we read, 40 mention customer service or support.
Positive
“It’s the best banking app out there in my opinion. You can get paid two days earlier than your paycheck...”
Critical
“Worst customer service and dispute resolution it takes over 3 months so they can tell you your dispute was denied...”
Mixed
“I've had chime for 3 years and for the most part it's been a great experience.”
Where these come from
- Chime reviews on the App Store, read Oct 24, 2026. The public feed returns the 500 most recent US reviews. We kept every one dated inside the window.
- Hacker News search for Chime, read Oct 24, 2026. Public search of comments and posts. 13 named the app; we kept 2 where the writer shares their own use of it.
- Reddit search for Chime, collected Oct 24, 2026. Collected with Apify (harshmaur/reddit-scraper) on Oct 24 2026: a keyword search for "Chime bank", posts and comments from after Oct 24 2025. It returned 61, most of them about something else. We kept 7 where the writer shares their own use of the app or a clear opinion of it. We left out moderators, bots, company accounts, referral posts and people promoting their own apps.
- YouTube search for Chime, collected Oct 24, 2026. Collected with Apify (streamers/youtube-scraper) on Oct 24 2026: a search for "Chime bank review" from the past year, up to 8 videos. It returned 8. We kept 1 and left out the app's own channel, sponsored videos, videos with affiliate or referral links and videos about a different product. We count themes from each video's title, description and captions, but we don't quote videos, because the captions we have carry no timestamps.
- u/Beautiful_Boat3144 in r/CashApp on Reddit, Oct 24, 2026.
- u/Dankdefender420 in r/chimefinancial on Reddit, Oct 24, 2026.
- u/Sure-Resist-1415 in r/chimefinancial on Reddit, Oct 23, 2026.
- u/LittleLotteRae in r/chimefinancial on Reddit, Oct 23, 2026.
- u/Extreme_Set485 in r/chimefinancial on Reddit, Oct 23, 2026.
- u/Revolutionary_Ad1168 in r/Mercari on Reddit, Oct 23, 2026.
- u/dnyte270 in r/chimefinancial on Reddit, Oct 22, 2026.
- devchix on Hacker News, Oct 22, 2026.
- jimz on Hacker News, Jun 25, 2026.
- "Why I Will NEVER Use Chime Bank Again (Shocking Truth)" by Credit Card Blueprint on YouTube, May 17, 2026.
Compare Chime
Looking at other options? See Chime alternatives, closest category first.
Want the bigger picture? Compare more money apps.
Full disclosure: Taylor Price, who runs Priceless Tay, owns Fifecta, so keep that in mind as you read this comparison.
Another option: Fifecta
If you're still weighing Chime, here is one more option to look at. Fifecta gives every paycheck a plan with FUNDS, and it starts from your Money Type, so the plan matches how you already handle money.
Sources and confidence
- Last checked
- Sourced facts
- 7 facts, each linked and dated
Chime7 sourced facts, last checked Oct 25, 2026
- Price and feeshelp.chime.com/what-is-the-chime-savings-account-f189355c, as of Oct 24, 2026
- APY or ratehelp.chime.com/what-is-annual-percentage-yield-apy-dfafd381, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Minimumshelp.chime.com/what-is-the-chime-savings-account-f189355c, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Protectionhelp.chime.com/what-is-the-chime-savings-account-f189355c, as of Oct 24, 2026
- Platformschime.com, as of Oct 25, 2026
- Featureshelp.chime.com/what-are-chime-savings-goals-4aef8222, as of Oct 24, 2026
- App store ratingApp Store listing, as of Oct 24, 2026
Each fact links to the official page it came from, with the date we checked it. Once a fact is older than its app's window (8 days for apps whose rates change often, 35 days for the rest), it comes off the page until we check it again. How we source, date and index this data.
This is education, not financial advice.
You made it to the end. That's Saver-level patience.
