Chime
p/chime
Banking with no hidden fees and fee-free overdraft
Chris R Britt
Chime — The bank account that pays you to save
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Stop paying unnecessary bank fees, get your paycheck 2 days early* with direct deposit, save money automatically, and manage your finances from anywhere using the Chime mobile banking app.
Replies
Jack Smith
@chrisrbritt will applying for an account cause me to have a hard-pull credit check?
Chris R Britt
@_jacksmith Hi Jack. Nope. Like SoFi & others, we don't use any of the traditional scoring models (FICO, Chexsystems, etc) that most of the big banks use (www.wsj.com/articles/silicon-val...). They're just not relevant to our risk assessment and often prevent young consumers from getting accounts. Thanks for checking us out!
Jack Smith
@chrisrbritt cool. thanks! signed up
Chris Davis
@chrisrbritt is the 10% bonus a promotional deal or will this be an ongoing feature?
Chris R Britt
@imchrisdavis not a promotional deal. This is a core part of our product offering, designed to reward our members for a regular savings habit.
William Hockey
Have been working with Chris and the Chime guys for over a year - its been inspiring to see how much thought and time was put into Chime. It's a much needed addition.
Chris R Britt
@williamhockey Thanks William, Zach and the entire team @plaid - great partners!
Matteo Duò
Looks intriguing. Is it available outside US?
Chris R Britt
@matteoduo The card works internationally, but members must have a valid SSN to enroll.
Charley Ma
Congrats on the launch guys! I really like how straightforward the cashback system (e.g. at time of purchase, straightforward bonuses, etc). I can never seem to figure out half the time how my credit cards award bonuses so this is awesome!
Buster Collings
Although I'm not a Bank of America customer, I've always thought their "Keep the Change" savings program was a brilliant way to encourage saving. [https://www.bankofamerica.com/de...] Chime's 10% bonus sounds like a killer differentiator. However, to be fair, I think it should be pointed out that the 10% bonus can never be greater than 9 cents per transaction ($0.99 x 10%). Whereas, a credit card that offers 1% cash back will earn more on all transactions greater than $9. Without signing up, I'm not sure how competitive Chime's cash back rewards are, but if they can match the market standards then Chime's 10% bonus is in fact a killer differentiator. @chrisbritt Is there more specific public information available about the cash back rewards offered? Best of luck Chime!
David Carpe
@busterc I was thinking the same thing - loved that bofa program for teaching savings, and cash rewards could exceed the 9 cents on many transactions, so makes much more sense for small budget or cash living...
Chris R Britt
@busterc Hi Buster. You're correct there are a ton of cash-back rewards programs on credit cards but there's been a secular shift in payments in the US from credit to debit as the preferred way to pay. While big banks continue to focus on marketing credit cards (because they make more $$ from them), 70% of young consumers would actually prefer to pay with a rewards debit card (and eventually via their phone) linked to their core deposit account. See: http://blog.chimecard.com/blog/2... We believe the combination of Automatic Savings, other cash-back rewards and lack of fees makes Chime the most rewarding debit card & bank account in the US - and we're just getting started. Our Automatic Savings feature isn't going to make you rich, but can help you save hundreds per year and get you on a steady savings habit. Regarding our other cash back rewards, they vary all the time, are real-time and are personalized based on where you actually shop. And the more you pay with Chime, the more rewards you get. Thanks!
Jack Smith
@chrisrbritt @busterc why would people prefer to pay via debit instead of credit, given that credit cards come with lots of protections on your purchases etc? is it because they don't want debt?
Chris R Britt
@_jacksmith @busterc The primary reason people prefer paying with debit rather than credit is for a feeling of control and knowing that they can't get themselves in to trouble.
Chris R Britt
@_jacksmith @busterc Yes, the top reason debit is preferred is that many people feel a greater sense of control of their finances versus paying with credit and want to avoid debt. Also, it's a myth that credit cards are safer than debit. The most important thing is letting your bank know that fraud has occurred and you'll get your money back. We provide real-time alerts to your phone on every transaction so you don't have to wait for your bank to try to figure out whether unusual activity is happening. You can also immediately put a temporary block on your Chime card from the app and call/chat with us to resolve the problem - we're here to help!
Joshua Kidd
Wow! The signup process is so seamless and simple. 😀 Will be using this more often! Great job on the launch guys!
Thanasis
@chrisbritt Is the service available in Greece ?
Mihir Patel
Hi, can you please help me clarify this? "Banking Services provided by The Bancorp Bank, Member FDIC. The Chime Visa® Debit Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted." I always fear to signup for new products. How much of the money is protected? What is your relationship with The Bancorp Bank? Does that mean both you and the bank stores my personal information? And do you get compensated by The Bancorp Bank? This is a nobel work as I am a huge advocate for savings. But I am also cautious with new products. Thanks!
Chris R Britt
@mihirchronicles Thanks Mihir - these are really good questions! To be clear, Chime is not actually a bank. All Chime accounts reside at our partner bank (The Bancorp Bank) which is fully FDIC-insured - so all Chime accounts are insured up to $250,000 just like any other deposit account. In other words, your money is safe with Chime! Think of us as the application layer on top of your bank account designed for mobile. We create and manage all aspects of the consumer experience (since banks are notoriously bad at this), while our bank partner ensures that your funds are protected and that we comply with all applicable laws and regulations from the CFPB, FDIC, etc. In terms of information storage, only our partner bank and its transaction processing system retain your sensitive personal info (SSN, card # etc.), not Chime. Our business model is that we simply earn money from Visa every time our members pay with their Chime card. We pay our partner bank a portion of what we earn for the banking services that they provide us (and you!). Thanks.
Chris O'Connell
@chrisrbritt @mihirchronicles Simple is also a Bancorp application layer. How do you differ other than a very small accumulation of saving? I've been using Simple for almost 5 years, and find that they add more headache than a traditional bank, minus the fees. The only advantage I've found that Simple or many of these application layer "banks" offer, is the lack of fees. No access to traditional financing for things like buying a car. No access to many of the other benefits traditional banks offer, like advisors, business accounts, etc. No way to deposit cash, either. No checks over the app over $3,000, etc. Are there plans to become a savings bank so you can offer a full service account? Or is the plan to maintain functionality, much like Simple, which is simply a prepaid debit card with perks?
Chris R Britt
@covt @mihirchronicles Hi Chris, We think a beautiful user experience and low fees are a great starting point for your core bank account. The team at Simple created a great product and we really have a lot of respect for them. We know our members have other financial services needs and we'll expand in to other banking services on our own and through partnership. Here are a few other ways we're a bit different than other bank accounts: 1) we believe the best way to help people save is through automation - so that you save automatically rather than with budgeting tools that require work. Most people say they want to use budgeting tools but don't actually use them! 2) we believe that your bank experience should be rewarding, so we've designed a product that rewards you when you spend & when you save. Our rewards aren't going to make you millions but are intended to help create healthy financial habits. 3) our savings account is actually a separate account from the core deposit account so it's protected from your spending balance allowing you to save for something that's important to you or for a rainy day. We definitely intend to expand in to other financial products with these philosophies in mind. Thanks!
Krithika Muthukumar
Is there any interest paid on balances beyond the 10% bonus on automatic savings? What are the other cash-back rewards?
Chris R Britt
@krithix Hi Krithika, unfortunately in this interest rate environment there really aren't high rates in any saving accounts - our current interest rate is only .01%. But our weekly savings rewards can help add to your Chime savings account balance over time. Regarding other rewards, they vary and are refreshed every few weeks. For example, we recently had offers from HotelTonight, Dunkin Donuts and MarineLayer. We also offer category rewards (e.g., $5 off your next restaurant purchase, $5 offer your next mobile phone bill, etc). In addition, our platform actually learns where you shop and automatically offers our members small dollar savings at their favorite places.
Steven Cruz
This looks great! Reminds me of the Acorns App (the concept of rounding to the nearest dollar and reallocating those funds elsewhere.) Does Chime support Mobile Check Deposit?
Chris R Britt
@thecruziest Hi Steven. We’ll be launching this feature soon. Currently, Chime members can deposit checks through a third a party app (Ingo Money). We're working to bring this feature in to our app to make the mobile check deposit even faster and more seamless. In the meantime, you can also add money to your Chime account via direct deposit (where most of our deposits come from), bank transfer or by debit card. Thanks.
Chris R Britt
We're thrilled to introduce our new savings account that pays our members to save money.
Chris R Britt
Leena Rao at Fortune covers today's launch: "Chime wants to be a well-liked bank for millennials" http://fortune.com/2016/01/12/ch...
david
Plans on Chime being available for customers in Europe?
Chris R Britt
@davidesquimal Not in the short term, thanks.
steven
@chrisrbritt Cool product. How about depositing cash? Where can I do that??
Kristian Kabuay
Just signed up! Been looking to get away from Chase.
Chris R Britt
@baybayin awesome - thanks Kristian!
Evan Knight
Any plan for joint account? That's one thing I don't like about Simple, is my wife and I have to have separate accounts.
Chris R Britt
@evannite Hi Evan, We're working on it! Thanks, CB
MYANA
Sounds cool. Is this an actual saving bank account? Or just a link to existing bank account then use more funcy, like Simple?
Chris R Britt
@smliad Thanks Myana. With Chime, there is a deposit account, a Visa debit card and an optional savings account. Both accounts are actual, FDIC-insured bank accounts with our partner bank, The Bancorp Bank, member FDIC. They are separate accounts that are linked.
Sam Dickie
@thecruziest is this available in the UK?
Chris R Britt
@thisdickie We're US only for now.
Paul Owusu
Great job @ChrisBritt and Ryan. I love the UI/UX.!