Current vs. Chime®: Which Fintech Is Right for You?

Chime and Current are both fintech companies with banking partners. Each offers checking and savings with no monthly fees, savings tools and a credit-building secured card. Compared to Chime, Current has more happy customers, high bonus on savings and perks Chime doesn’t have, like a teen banking option.

• Chime terms and conditions

  Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services and debit card provided by The Bancorp Bank N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.
  ATMs: Out-of-network ATM withdrawal fees may apply except at MoneyPass ATMs in a 7-Eleven, or any Allpoint or Visa Plus Alliance ATM.
  Deposit: Once the retailer accepts your cash, the funds will be transferred to your Chime Checking Account. Cash deposit fees may apply if using a retailer other than Walgreens and Duane Reade.
  Mobile Deposit: Mobile Check Deposit eligibility is determined by Chime in its sole discretion and may be granted based on various factors including, but not limited to, a member's direct deposit enrollment status.
  Chime Savings Account: Chime Checking Account is required to be eligible for a Savings Account.
  APY: The Annual Percentage Yield (“APY”) is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed APY is accurate as of date of publication. No minimum balance required. Must have $0.01 in savings to earn interest.
  Get Paid Early: Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.
  Chime Card:: To apply for a Chime Card, Chime® Checking Account is required to apply.
  SpotMe: SpotMe® on Credit is an optional, no interest / no fee overdraft line of credit tied to the Secured Deposit Account available to qualifying members with an active Chime Card Account. To qualify for the SpotMe on Chime Card service, you must receive $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to your Chime® Checking Account each month and have activated your physical secured Chime Visa® Credit Card or Chime Visa® Debit Card.
  
  Qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their Secured Deposit Account up to $20, but may later be eligible for a higher limit of up to $200 or more based on Chime account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. The SpotMe on Chime Card Limit will be displayed within the Chime mobile app and is subject to change at any time, at Chime’s or its banking partners’ discretion. Although Chime does not charge any overdraft fees for SpotMe on Chime Card, there may be out-of-network or third-party fees associated with ATM transactions and fees associated with OTC cash withdrawals. SpotMe on Chime Card won’t cover non-card transactions. SpotMe on Chime Card Terms and Conditions.
  Federal Tax Return Direct Deposit: Chime members may choose to direct deposit their state and/or federal tax refunds with Chime. They may choose to direct deposit no matter what tax preparer they choose. They do not need to file through Chime in order to direct deposit their refund. If a member does direct deposit their federal refund they may receive the refund up to 6 days early. This only applies to federal refunds, not state. When marketing the speed of the tax refund it must always include the following elements: federal tax refund, up to 6 days early, with direct deposit.
  MyPay®: MyPay® is only offered in select states. To be eligible for MyPay, you must receive Qualifying MyPay Direct Deposits to your Chime Checking Account as set forth in the MyPay Agreement. A Qualifying MyPay Direct Deposit is a deposit from an employer, payroll provider, gig economy payer, government benefits payer, or other permitted source of income by Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) or Original Credit Transaction (“OCT”). Your MyPay Credit Limit and Available Advance Amount may change at any time. MyPay is a line of credit and available limits are based on estimated income and risk-based criteria. Eligible members may be offered a $20 - $500 Credit Limit per pay period. Your Credit Limit and Maximum Available Advance will be displayed to you within the Chime app. MyPay is currently only available to eligible Chime members in certain states. Other restrictions may apply. See Bancorp MyPay Agreement or Stride MyPay Agreement for details. To be eligible for MyPay, you must receive Qualifying MyPay Direct Deposits to your Chime Checking Account as set forth in the MyPay Agreement. A Qualifying MyPay Direct Deposit is a deposit from an employer, payroll provider, gig economy payer, government benefits payer, or other permitted source of income by Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) or Original Credit Transaction (“OCT”). Your MyPay Credit Limit and Available Advance Amount may change at any time. MyPay is a line of credit and available limits are based on estimated income and risk-based criteria. Eligible members may be offered a $20 - $500 Credit Limit per pay period. Your Credit Limit and Maximum Available Advance will be displayed to you within the Chime app. MyPay is currently only available to eligible Chime members in certain states. Other restrictions may apply. See Bancorp MyPay Agreement or https://www.chime.com/policies/stride/mypay/ for details.

Current vs. Chime: Account options

Chime and Current are both online banking options with no physical branches. While neither has physical locations for cash deposits, both fintechs let you deposit cash at retailers like CVS and Walmart, but neither fintech allows ATM cash deposits.

It’s also worth noting that Current and Chime don’t support joint accounts or offer certificates of deposit.

Banking

Chime has over 22 million customers, which is significantly higher than Current’s four million customer base. Chime might have more customers, but Current’s savings bonus rate is slightly higher than Chime’s APY.

Current’s digital account is a hybrid checking and savings, and it offers a teen account:

• Current checking. Current’s all-in-one account includes a checking account and a savings account with “pods” to split up savings goals. There are no monthly or overdraft fees, and there’s no minimum deposit required. You can earn cashback rewards points, get early direct deposit, budgeting tools and paycheck advances. Having a Current account also unlocks the Current teen account and the Current Build card.
• Current savings pods. Included with the Current account, you can earn up to 4% bonus on up to $2,000 in each savings pod, with an allotment of up to three pods. There are no monthly fees or balance requirements.
• Current teen banking. For ages 13 to 17, having the regular Current account unlocks the Current teen account. There are no monthly or overdraft fees, and parents can easily send funds from their Current account to the teen account. Parents get parental controls such as spending limits and the ability to turn the account on and off.

Chime has a separate checking and savings account with similar fees and features to Current. To get the most perks with Chime, you’ll need Chime+ which requires setting up direct deposit of at least $200 per month. Features of Chime accounts include:

• Chime checking. The Chime® Checking Account has no monthly or overdraft fees or opening deposit requirements. With direct deposit of at least $200 per month, you can unlock the optional overdraft service SpotMe® and cash advances. Having the checking also unlocks the Chime Card™, and the Chime savings account. Being a Chime+ member offers extra perks like a better APY on Chime savings and early direct deposit.
• Chime savings. If you have Chime’s checking account, you can open the optional Chime savings account for no monthly fees and an APY of up to 3.50% with Chime+. Without Chime+, your APY is 1.00%.

Borrowing

Current and Chime both offer cash advances and a credit-building secured card — if you have their respective accounts to qualify.

• Chime cash advances. Chime MyPay unlocks for users with a direct deposit of at least $200 per month into the Chime® checking account. You may qualify for cash advances between $20 and $500, depending on your eligibility, and your loan term lasts until your next direct deposit, similar to payday loans. However, it’s not available to all users or in all states and is expected to widen its availability at later dates.
• Chime Card. If you have Chime’s checking account, you can apply for its credit-building secured card. It requires you to repay your balance every cycle to avoid APR. The Chime checking account backs the card, so you can only spend what’s in the account. Chime also reports to all three major credit bureaus.

Current’s borrowing options are nearly the same as Chime’s:

• Current cash advances. Offering up to $500 in paycheck advances, this feature is available to Current users who have direct deposit of at least $500 in eligible payroll deposits in either the Current account or an external account linked to your Current app.
• Current secured card. Very similar to Chime’s secured card, the Current account backs the Build card, so the spending limit is based on what you have deposited. There are no annual fees, interest charges or hard credit check. However, unlike Chime’s card, Current only reports payments to TransUnion.

Investing

Chime doesn’t offer an investing platform. However, with a Current account, you can buy and sell crypto such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether and many more. Plus, it’s only $1 to get started.

Apps, features and more

Chime’s app has a ton of other perks, like Pay Anyone, Chime’s P2P service that lets you send money to anyone with a debit card with no fees. There’s also Chime SpotMe®, an optional overdraft service available to users with direct deposit of at least $200 per month. With it enabled, you may overdraft on your account between $20 to $200, depending on your eligibility, with no fees or tips required. Chime also offers a savings rounds-up feature that rounds up debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and sends the rounded-up amount to your savings.

Just like Chime, Current also offers savings round-ups and early direct deposit. But what Chime doesn’t have is a cashback rewards program. Current’s cashback rewards program offers cash-redeemable points at over 14,000 participating merchants, such as local businesses, restaurants and gas stations. Every 100 points is redeemable for $1. Current also offers budgeting features, letting you set categories with spending limits — and you approach the limit for each category, the app alerts you.

How Current and Chime’s fees compare

Current and Chime’s fees are nearly identical. Neither charges monthly maintenance or overdraft fees, and neither requires an opening deposit for either of its banking products. Both fintechs’ out-of-network ATM fees are the same, charging $2.50 per cash withdrawal outside its ATM network.

What customers say about Chime and Current

Current holds a great A rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and Chime has the highest rating of A+. Current also holds significantly fewer BBB complaints, with under 400 currently and Chime with over 7,500 in the last three years.

On Current’s Trustpilot, there are over 15,000 reviews and a stellar 4.5-star rating. Customers say transfers are quick, the chat support is helpful and responsive, and they like the savings pods, high bonus rates and love the lack of maintenance fees. They also claim the app is easy to use, and most say they’ve yet to have any issues.

Chime has had a rough go of it. A few years back, Chime’s fraudulent alert system was flagging and freezing accounts, thinking they were fraudulent, resulting in thousands of negative reviews and complaints. The BBB also flagged a large number of complaints and Chime responded, stating they resolved the issue. On Trustpilot, Chime’s 3.7-star rating is much better than it’s been in recent years, and holding more 5-star reviews than other ratings.

Chime’s complaints are common with banks and fintechs with banking services, but directly compared to Current, Chime has more negative complaints and reviews overall.

Final verdict: Current wins

Current and Chime are very similar fintechs. Both offer no monthly fee checking and savings, but Current’s better customer reviews, high savings bonus and cashback points program earn it the win in this battle.

Current’s savings pods can earn up to a 4% bonus on balances up to $2,000, letting you create up to three pods to separate your savings goals. Chime’s savings only offers 1.00% APY, and while that’s decent, Current is the clear option to grow your savings. Chime also requires Chime+ to earn the highest APY, which is just another hoop you gotta jump through.

And if you want rewards, Current is the answer. Chime offers some rewards with Chime+, but it’s not entirely clear. Current offers a points program with thousands of participants and the points are redeemable for cash. Additionally, Current’s customer reviews are much better. It has a great BBB rating, thousands of fewer complaints, and a great star rating with Trustpilot.

If you’re looking to build credit history, Current and Chime both offer a credit-building card secured by their respective accounts. Neither card has deposit requirements, but it’s worth noting that Chime reports to all three bureaus. Current only reports to TransUnion, so Chime’s card may be a better option for building credit thanks to more reporting action.

Current at a glance

Featuring a no-fee, all-in-one bank account with a high savings bonus rate, large ATM network, teen banking, credit-building opportunities and much more.

Chime at a glance

Chime falls a little short compared to Current, but its secured card is the better option to build credit history because it reports to all three major credit bureaus.

Alternatives to Chime and Current

Chime and Current are online banking options, and neither are true banks. If you’d rather have a more traditional option with physical branches, more deposit account options or just an online banking option with different perks, consider these alternatives:

• SoFi®. A top competitor among online bank accounts, SoFi has one of the best digital accounts out there. It offers a hybrid checking and savings account with no monthly fees, overdraft fees or opening deposit requirements. You can also earn up to 3.30% APY on savings by meeting certain requirements. There’s an investing platform and lending services, too.
• Chase. If you like going to a branch for cash deposits or need in-person support from time to time, Chase is worth considering. Unlike Chime or Current, Chase has a large branch network, a variety of personal and business accounts, lending services, credit cards and much more.
• PNC Bank. PNC offers digital all-in-one accounts similar to Current and Chime, but it’s also a full-service bank with thousands of branches and a large ATM network. Its high-yield savings account offers a high 3.95% APY, but many of its accounts have monthly fees.

See how even more bank accounts stack up

• SoFi vs. Chime
• Step vs. Current
• Varo vs. Chime

• SoFi terms and conditions

  New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus of either $50 (with at least $1,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Eligible Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Eligible Direct Deposit. If you have satisfied the Eligible Direct Deposit requirements but have not receiveda cash bonus in your Checking account, please contact us at 855-456-7634 with the details of your Eligible Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 12/31/2026. Full terms at sofi.com/banking. SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.
  
  SoFi members with Eligible Direct Deposit can earn 3.30% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults)and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Eligible Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the 3.30% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Eligible Direct Deposit will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/23/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
  
  Annual percentage yield (APY) is variable and subject to change at any time. Rates are current as of 12/23/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Fees may reduce earnings. Additional rates and information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet
  
  We do not charge any account, service or maintenance fees for SoFi Checking and Savings. We do charge a transaction fee to process each outgoing wire transfer. SoFi does not charge a fee for incoming wire transfers, however the sending bank may charge a fee. Our fee policy is subject to change at any time. See the SoFi Bank Fee Sheet for details at sofi.com/legal/banking-fees/.
  
  SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance per depositor per legal category of account ownership, as described in the FDIC’s regulations. Any additional FDIC insurance is provided by the SoFi Insured Deposit Program. Deposits may be insured up to $3M through participation in the program. See full terms at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/sidpterms. See list of participating banks at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/participatingbanks.
  
  We’ve partnered with Allpoint to provide you with ATM access at any of the 55,000+ ATMs within the Allpoint network. You will not be charged a fee when using an in-network ATM, however, third-party fees may be incurred when using out-of-network ATMs. SoFi’s ATM policies are subject to change at our discretion at any time.
  
  Early access to direct deposit funds is based on the timing in which we receive notice of impending payment from the Federal Reserve, which is typically up to two days before the scheduled payment date, but may vary.
  
  Overdraft Coverage is a feature automatically offered to SoFi Checking and Savings account holders who receive at least $1,000 or more in Eligible Direct Deposits within a rolling 31 calendar day period on a recurring basis. Eligible Direct Deposit is defined on the SoFi Bank Rate Sheet, available at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. Members enrolled in Overdraft Coverage may be covered for up to $50 in negative balances on SoFi Bank debit card purchases only. Overdraft Coverage does not apply to P2P transfers, bill payments, checks, or other non-debit card transactions. Members with a prior history of unpaid negative balances are not eligible for Overdraft Coverage. Eligibility for Overdraft Coverage is determined by SoFi Bank in its sole discretion. Members can check their enrollment status, if eligible, at any time by logging into their account through the SoFi app or on the SoFi website.
  
  Earn up to 4.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) on SoFi Savings with a 0.70% APY Boost (added to the 3.30% APY as of 12/23/25) for up to 6 months. Open a new SoFi Checking and Savings account and pay the $10 SoFi Plus subscription every 30 days OR receive eligible direct deposits OR qualifying deposits of $5,000 every 31 days by 3/30/2026. Rates variable, subject to change. Terms apply at sofi.com/banking#2. SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.