Yes. Chime offers the Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card, but it is not a card you can get on its own — it exists only as a companion to a Chime Checking Account, according to Chime's official product page. The card is built to help people with thin or damaged credit files establish a payment history, not to serve as a general-purpose rewards card. Understanding how it's structured — who qualifies, what it costs, and what it actually does for your credit — matters more here than with a typical card, because almost every feature works differently from a standard secured card.
Table of Contents
- What the Credit Builder Card Actually Is
- Who Qualifies for the Card
- How the Secured Limit and Approval Work
- What It Costs
- Credit Building and the Rewards Question
- Frequently Asked Questions
What the Credit Builder Card Actually Is
The Chime Credit Builder Secured Visa® Credit Card is tied directly to a user's Chime Checking Account rather than sold as a freestanding product, according to Chime. You cannot apply for the card by itself; the checking account comes first, and the card is layered on top of it. The physical card itself isn't issued by Chime.
Chime is a financial technology company, not a chartered bank, so the card is issued under a Visa license by a bank partner — reported as Stride Bank, N.A. in current listings, with some reviews also naming The Bancorp Bank, N.A. for certain accounts, according to a MoneyLion/CNBC Select card listing. Chime manages the app, the account, and the customer relationship; the bank partner handles the underlying banking infrastructure.
Who Qualifies for the Card
Opening a Chime Checking Account isn't enough on its own. An applicant also needs to have received a qualifying direct deposit of at least $200 within the 365 days before applying, and that deposit has to arrive by ACH from an employer, a payroll provider, or a benefits payer, according to Chime.
Not every deposit counts. Money moved in through Venmo or Cash App, a mobile check deposit, a cash load, or a transfer from another bank account does not satisfy the $200 requirement, according to Credit.com's reporting on the program. That rules out several common ways people move money and means a reader hoping to qualify quickly needs an actual payroll or benefits deposit, not just any incoming funds.
- Open a Chime Checking Account.
- Receive at least $200 in qualifying ACH direct deposits (payroll, employer, or benefits) within the prior 365 days.
- Apply for the Credit Builder card through the Chime app.
- Move money into the linked secured account to set a spending limit.
How the Secured Limit and Approval Work
Most secured cards require a cash security deposit and a credit check before approval. This one skips both: there's no credit check to apply and no required minimum security deposit, which is why Chime markets it toward applicants with no credit history or poor credit, according to a CreditCards.com review of the card.
Instead of a deposit, the spending limit is set by how much money a user moves into the linked Credit Builder account, which Chime holds as collateral, according to Chime. Moving $25 into that account sets a $25 spending limit — there's no credit line beyond whatever funds the user has actually deposited. That structure removes the risk of approval denial based on credit history, but it also means the card can't be used for purchases larger than whatever the user has funded.
What It Costs
The card carries no annual fee and charges no interest, and Chime ties that directly to the collateral structure: because spending can never exceed the money held in the secured account, carrying a balance that accrues interest isn't possible in the first place, according to Chime. That doesn't make the card entirely free to use.
An out-of-network ATM withdrawal fee — reported around $2.50 — can apply, and an over-the-counter cash advance fee can apply as well, according to a Bankrate review of the card. Readers who plan to withdraw cash rather than make purchases should check which ATMs are in Chime's fee-free network before relying on the card for that purpose.
Credit Building and the Rewards Question
Building credit history is the card's central purpose. Chime reports Credit Builder account activity monthly to all three major credit bureaus — TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax — according to a Bankrate review. Consistent, on-time use of the card is what shows up on a credit report over time.
Whether the card also pays cash back is unsettled between reviewers. NerdWallet's review cites a 1.5% cash-back rate, while CardRatings states the card offers no rewards program at all, a direct contradiction with NerdWallet's review. Anyone choosing this card specifically for rewards, rather than for credit building, should confirm the current rewards terms directly in the Chime app or on Chime's site before counting on a cash-back rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone get the Chime Credit Builder card without opening a Chime Checking Account first?
No. The card is issued only as a companion to the checking account, not as a standalone product, according to Chime.
Does a Venmo or Cash App transfer count toward the $200 deposit requirement?
No. Only ACH direct deposits from an employer, payroll provider, or benefits payer count; peer-to-peer transfers, mobile check deposits, and cash loads do not, according to Credit.com.
Who actually issues the physical card?
A bank partner issues it under a Visa license, since Chime itself is a fintech rather than a chartered bank — reported as Stride Bank, N.A., with some reviews also naming The Bancorp Bank, N.A., according to a MoneyLion/CNBC Select listing.
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