Advertiser disclosure

We may be paid when you apply through some of the links on this page. That never changes what we say about a card.

Read more

Chime Card review: building credit with money you already have

A secured card with no credit check, no security deposit minimum and no interest, because it cannot carry a balance. Your spending limit is whatever you move over from your Chime account.

CTBy the Credairy teamUpdated August 30, 2026
✓Edited by the Credairy team

We are not a bank and we do not approve applications. Every rate and fee here comes from the issuer and was checked on August 30, 2026.

✓

The verdict

The barriers are gone: no credit check, no deposit minimum, no interest, and it reports to all three bureaus. The trade is that you have to bank with Chime, and the cash back only shows up if you route a qualifying direct deposit there.Jump to:The full review
Official Website Takes you to chime.com. Terms as published by the issuer.
Chime Credit Builder Visa
Regular APRNo interest, 0% APRissuer terms, checked Aug 30, 2026
Rewards rateCash back on a category of your choice, unlocked by qualifying direct deposits
Credit lineSet by the money you move to the cardNo preset limit, so utilization works differently here
Intro APRNot applicable, the card cannot carry a balance
Who can applyAn open Chime Checking Account. No credit check to apply
How to applyOnline only, through the Chime app

Rates and fees in detail

  • No annual fee, no interest and no late fee.
  • No minimum security deposit. Your available balance is your spending limit.
  • Out-of-network ATM withdrawals and over-the-counter advances can carry fees.
  • See the full terms on Chime's page.

More details

  • Chime reports to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, which is what makes the card useful for building history.
  • Safer Credit Building can pay your monthly balance automatically from the money held for the card.
  • Cash back on a chosen category requires a qualifying direct deposit, so it is not automatic for every cardholder.
  • Chime is a financial technology company. The card is issued by its partner banks.
⇄

Pros and cons

What works

  • No credit check to apply

  • No interest, because you cannot carry a balance

  • No security deposit minimum

  • Reports to all three major credit bureaus

What does not

  • Requires a Chime Checking Account

  • Cash back depends on qualifying direct deposits

  • No path to a traditional unsecured card with a returned deposit

  • No branches to walk into

≡

The full review

Most secured cards ask for a few hundred dollars up front and then charge interest if you slip. This one removes both. You move money from your Chime account to the card, spend it, and the payment gets reported. There is nothing for interest to compound on, which is why the APR is zero rather than low.

That structure has a side effect worth knowing. Because there is no preset limit, utilization does not work the way it does on a normal card, and the score impact comes mostly from payment history and account age.

The requirement to bank with Chime is the real decision. If you already do, this is close to a free way to build a file. If you do not, opening a checking account elsewhere just to hold a credit-builder card is a bigger commitment than it looks.

» MORE: Where to go once your credit is established

» MORE: A no-fee flat-rate card for later

The basics

Annual fee: $0

APR: none, the card cannot carry a balance

Security deposit: no minimum

Credit check: not required to apply

▦

How it compares

Chime Credit Builder Visa
Official Website
Regular APRNo interest, 0% APR checked Aug 30, 2026
Credit lineSet by the money you move over
Rewards rateCash back with qualifying direct deposits
Who can applyChime Checking Account, no credit check
Chase Freedom Flex
Official Website
Regular APR18.24% to 27.74% variable APR checked Aug 30, 2026
Credit lineSet at approval
Rewards rateUp to 5% on rotating categories
Who can applyGood to excellent credit
Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards
Official Website
Regular APR17.49% to 27.49% variable APR checked Aug 30, 2026
Credit lineSet at approval
Rewards rate2% first year, then 1.5%
Who can applyGood to excellent credit

Issuer terms as published, checked Aug 30, 2026.

Compare before you applySee every card we cover side by side, with the rates and fees each issuer publishes.
See all cards

Common questions

Is there really no credit check?
Chime states that no credit check is required to apply. You do need an open Chime Checking Account.
How is my limit set?
By the money you move from your Chime account to the card. There is no preset limit and no minimum deposit.
Does it help my score?
Payments are reported to all three bureaus, so on-time payments build history. Results vary by person and no card guarantees a score increase.

About the author

CT

Credairy team

We compare credit cards using the terms issuers publish, and we say plainly when a card only works for a narrow kind of spender.