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Does Chime® Have Zelle?

No, Chime doesn't use Zelle since it’s a fintech company and not a true bank.

Zelle, an app and service that lets its users send money to other US bank accounts, does not work with Chime accounts.

Chime is not directly compatible with Zelle

Unfortunately, Chime does not have Zelle. In Zelle’s program, only US banks and credit unions can be added to its list of partner banks. Since Chime is not a “true” bank and is a fintech with banking partners, it cannot join Zelle’s list of partnered financial institutions.

However, Chime has another option for peer-to-peer (P2P) payments.

Chime’s Pay Anyone feature is for P2P payments

Chime offers its own P2P service called Pay Anyone — aptly named, too.

The Pay Anyone service lets Chime® checking account holders send money to anyone with a debit card, typically within seconds. The recipient of a Pay Anyone fund transfer does not need a Chime account, and there are no fees to send or receive money.

You can pay non-Chime users by entering their email or phone number, and they have up to 14 days to claim the sent funds by entering a valid debit card. This service is a major plus over other apps like Cash App or Venmo, which require the sender and recipient to have separate Cash App or Venmo accounts.

Can I connect my Chime account to Zelle?

While this used to be an option, you can no longer connect your Chime account to Zelle directly. On April 1st, 2025, Zelle discontinued the ability to use its standalone app to send or receive money. Now to use Zelle at all, you must enroll with one of banks and credit unions that support Zelle. There are over 2,200 banks and credit unions in the program, including Chase and SoFi.

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SoFi Checking and Savings

A hybrid account that's integrated with Zelle automatically.

  • $0 monthly fees.
  • Earn interest on checking and savings balances.
  • Saving Vaults and round-ups.
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 Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period) OR $300 (with at least $5,000 total Direct Deposits received during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period). Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 12/7/2023 and will be available through 1/31/2026. See full bonus and annual percentage yield (APY) terms at sofi.com/banking#1.

SoFi members who enroll in SoFi Plus with Direct Deposit or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee every 30 days or with $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 3.80% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either SoFi Plus or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Only SoFi Plus members are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 1/24/25. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet. See the SoFi Plus Terms and Conditions at https://www.sofi.com/terms-of-use/#plus.

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 Checking & Savings 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 incurred when using out-of-network ATMs are not subject to reimbursement. 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.

Alternatives to Zelle

Since Zelle isn’t compatible with Chime because it’s not a bank, here are some alternative apps to check out:

  • Cash App. Free to download and free to use (for the most part), Cash App is one of the most popular P2P payment apps. It also offers a debit card, investing and tax services.
  • Venmo. Nearly just as popular as Cash App, Venmo offers P2P payments, teen checking and a credit card.
  • Apple Cash. For Apple fans, Apple Cash offers a quick and easy way to send other Apple users money through the Messages app. You can set it up for free within the Wallet app.

Bottom line

Chime does not have Zelle automatically included within its app. However, you can use its own P2P payment service, called Pay Anyone, or try out other apps like Venmo or Cash App.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chime a bank?

Chime is not a bank — it’s a fintech company with banking partners. Chime’s accounts are insured and backed through its two FDIC Member partners: The Bancorp Bank and Stride Bank.

Does Chime work with other banks?

Yes, you can connect external accounts to Chime via Plaid.

Can Chime be linked to Cash App?

Yes, you can connect your Chime checking account to Cash App.

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.
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Written by

Banking editor

Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto. Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt. Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others. Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio

Bethany's expertise
Bethany has written 445 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Personal finance
  • Banking
  • Auto loans
  • Insurance
  • Cryptocurrency and NFTs

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