The future of banking is being pushed by alternate financial startups, which operate outside of the typical banking infrastructure. Chime, which offers a debit, credit and savings account, aims to do this through a commitment to fee-free mobile banking.
In the U.S., several technology companies are building financial platforms which do away with customer fees. Robinhood pioneered zero-commission stock trading and both Venmo and Square’s Cash App have made sending money to friends easy.
Alongside fee-free mobile banking, Chime also offers a $200 overdraft for free and access to over 60,000 ATMs for free. Other features include receiving a pay-check two days early and a credit builder service.
Instead of applying for a banking charter, Chime relies on two partner banks, The Bancorp Bank or Central National Bank, for FDIC-insured checking services and the procurement of debit and credit cards. It does not have any physical branches, similar to other neobanks.
It generates most of its income through a process called interchange, similar to European neobanks Monzo and Revolut. This is a small percentage that credit and debit cards charge for each transaction, which is typically 0.5 to 2% of the total transaction amount.
Chime is considered the most popular neobank in the U.S., with over 13 million active customers. It has also been able to maintain a lead even with European contenders Revolut, Monzo and N26 all launching in the U.S. over the past two years.
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Learn moreIt also raised $750 million in July 2021, at a valuation of $25 billion. Expectations are that Chime will be one of the next fintech startups to IPO, joining Robinhood, Wise and Affirm which have all seen their value increase on the public market.
We have collected data and statistics on Chime. Read on below to find out more.
Chime key statistics
- Chime generated $600 million revenue in 2020, mostly through a process called interchange
- Chime has over 13 million customers, 8 million of which use Chime as their primary bank
- In 2021, Chime was valued at $25 billion
Chime overview
| Launch date | 15 April 2014 |
| HQ | San Francisco, California |
| People | Chris Britt (co-founder, CEO), Ryan King (co-founder, CTO) |
| Business type | Private |
| Industry | Online banking |
Chime revenue
| Year | Revenue |
| 2018 | $80 million |
| 2019 | $200 million |
| 2020 | $600 million |
Source: The InformationÂ
Chime users
| Year | Users |
| 2017 | 0.5 million |
| 2018 | 1 million |
| 2019 | 5 million |
| 2020 | 10 million |
| 2021 | 12 million |
Source: Company data
Chime valuation
| Year | Valuation |
| 2018 | $0.5 billion |
| 2019 | $5.8 billion |
| 2020 | $14.5 billion |
| 2021 | $25 billion |
Source: Forbes, TechCrunch
Chime vs US neobanks: users
Want to learn more about the mobile banking industry? Read our sector profile
Chime FAQ
How many countries is Chime available in?
Chime is only available in the U.S. and has not said if it plans to launch in other countries
What banks work with Chime?
The Bancorp Bank and Central National Bank are both partners with Chime
What is the total value of Chime’s assets?
Chime held $5.8 billion in assets in 2019
