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Zelle, a digital payments network that allows you to easily send and receive money to and from others in the network, is currently available in more than 2,000 banking apps. But what about the Chime® mobile app? Does Chime work with Zelle? After all, Chime* is a financial technology company that partners with the Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank to provide mobile banking services.
Here’s what you need to know to send and receive money using your Chime account.
Does Chime Work With Zelle?
As Chime is not a bank, you won’t be able to use Zelle services through the Chime App traditionally. However, the Chime Visa® Debit Card1 works with the Zelle app since it’s a Visa debit card. Below is a breakdown of some pros and cons of how Zelle can be used through Chime.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| You can use the Chime Visa Debit Card with the Zelle app since it’s a Visa card. | You cannot use Zelle services through the app as Chime is a financial technology company and not a bank. |
| You can use your Chime debit card to make and receive payments, but you can only send or receive money through Zelle if the other person uses Zelle via their financial institution, not the Zelle app. | For any Zelle transaction, either the receiver or the sender must have Zelle access through a bank or credit union. |
Can I Send and Receive Money With Chime?
If you have Chime and don’t want to deal with multiple apps to send and receive money, you can use Chime’s Pay Anyone feature, which works much the same as Zelle and Venmo. The recipient doesn’t need a Chime account, and you won’t incur any fees2 when using Pay Anyone to transfer money from your Chime Checking account.
To use Chime’s Pay Anyone feature to send money:
- Launch the Chime mobile app and log in.
- Go to the Pay Anyone tab.
- Find the recipient by entering their $ChimeSign or searching for them in your imported contacts. If they’re not in your contacts, enter their phone number or email address.
- Enter the amount and a note describing the payment.
- Confirm that the transaction information is correct.
- Tap “Pay.”
If the recipient is in the Chime network, they’ll receive the money instantly3. Non-Chime recipients have 14 days to collect their funds4.
Receiving Money With Chime
If you have a Chime Checking account, the money that other Chime members send instantly goes to your account.
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You can send a payment request by tapping “Pay Anyone” in the Chime app. Search for the person you want to send the request to, enter the amount of the request and submit. The individual will have 14 days to send the money.
You can receive money with Chime even if you’re not a member. In that case, you’ll get a text or email with a link to the Chime website. Click the link within 14 days, and then enter your debit card information to receive the payment. You can cash out your payment right away.
5 Alternative Ways To Transfer Money
Several other apps make money transfers easy. Some also give you ways to manage your cash — an especially useful benefit if you don’t use a bank.
1. PayPal
PayPal was an early entrant in digital payment processing, so it has one of the most mature consumer and business platforms out there. Transfers go through in seconds in some cases, and as long as you have the recipient’s email address or cell number, you can send money even if they don’t have an account. However, they’ll have to sign up for one to withdraw their funds. Payment methods include linked bank accounts, your PayPal balance and debit or credit card.
Using PayPal.Me, you can request money by sending the payor a custom link you generate from your account.
2. Remitly
Remitly could be an excellent option for anyone who transfers money internationally. It works with over 100 currencies and offers several delivery options, including cash pickup, bank deposit, mobile money, debit card and, for recipients in the Dominican Republic, Philippines and Vietnam, cash home delivery.
Remitly displays fees before you send, but you won’t know what the fees are until that point because the website only lists discounted fees for first-time users. On June 20, for example, it cost $3.99 for economy service and $4.99 for new customers to send money to Albania.
3. Venmo
Venmo is a full-featured money transfer platform with basic cash management tools. In addition to sending and receiving payments from friends and family, you can have your paychecks directly deposited into your Venmo account.
Many local businesses and some national retailers accept payment via Venmo. Like PayPal, Venmo offers a debit card and a credit card. What’s more, it can divide group expenses like restaurant meals and vacations among multiple individuals.
An optional social component can share your transactions with your contacts or with the public — be sure to check your privacy settings if you want to keep your transactions private.
4. Cash App
Cash App is a financial services platform that allows users to send and receive money for free within the app, using the recipient’s phone number, email address, $cashtag or personal QR code. If the recipient isn’t a Cash App member, they’ll receive an email or text prompting them to open an account within 14 days to accept the payment.
You have two options for withdrawing funds: a standard deposit to your linked bank account or an Instant Deposit to your linked debit card. Standard deposits are free and take one to three business days. Instant Deposits incur a 0.50% to 1.75% fee — $0.25% minimum. ATM withdrawals using your Cash App Card debit card are $2.50 each unless you’ve had at least $300 in paychecks direct-deposited into your Cash App account in the past month.
5. Western Union
Western Union revolutionized the money-transfer industry over 150 years ago and still helps people with and without banks, smartphones or computers send and receive cash in over 200 countries and territories. It also has one of the easiest-to-use interfaces of any platform. From the home page, just enter the payment amount and currency and the recipient’s currency and you’ll see the amount they’ll receive displayed, along with the fee.
GOBankingRates looked at fees for $200 transfers to a dozen randomly selected countries. Rates can be as low $0.99, though may be higher depending on whether or not you’re using a credit card or the amount you’re transferring. Like other international transfer services, Western Union also makes money on currency exchanges, although conversions are competitive. You can use your bank account or credit or debit card for online transfers — cash-advance fees might apply to credit card payments. Recipients can pick up their money in as soon as a few minutes.
If you’d prefer to schedule your transfer in person, you can do so from any of the 42,000 Western Union locations in the U.S.
Final Take To GO
Although it is possible to use the Zelle app with your Chime debit card to send and receive money, you might find it easier to use Chime’s Pay Anyone feature. Alternatively, consider one of the many other choices, especially if you need to send money internationally.
Andrea Norris and Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
Information is accurate as of Aug. 7, 2024.
*Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by, and debit card issued by, The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.
1Banking services and debit card provided by The Bancorp Bank N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
2There’s no fee for the Chime Savings Account. Cash withdrawal and Third-party fees may apply to Chime Checking Accounts. You must have a Chime Checking Account to open a Chime Savings Account.
3Funds are automatically debited from your Checking Account and typically deposited into the recipient’s Checking Account within seconds. Pay Anyone transactions will be monitored and may be held, delayed or blocked if the transfer could result in fraud or another form of financial harm. Sometimes instant transfers can be delayed.
4Sometimes instant transfers can be delayed. The recipient must use a valid debit card to claim funds. Once you are approved for a Chime Checking Account, see your issuing bank’s Deposit Account Agreement for full Pay Anyone Transfers details. Please see the back of your Chime debit card for your issuing bank. See Terms and Conditions.
Editorial Note: This content is not provided by any entity covered in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, ratings or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any entity named in this article.
