What is Chime's minimum balance?

Chime has no minimum balance requirement. You can hold any balance — including $0 — without incurring a fee. The Chime Spending Account and Savings Account both require $0 to open and have no ongoing minimum balance.

Does Chime charge a fee if my balance is low?

No. Chime charges no monthly maintenance fee and no low-balance fee. There is no minimum balance required to avoid any fee. Whether your balance is $0.01 or $50,000, your monthly account charge is $0.

What is Chime's minimum opening deposit?

Chime requires no minimum opening deposit. You can open a Chime Spending Account and Savings Account with $0. Your first deposit can be any amount — there is no activation deposit threshold.

Chime Minimum Balance 2026: $0 — No Minimum Balance Required

Chime has no minimum balance on any account — ever. The Chime Spending Account (checking) and Chime Savings Account both require $0 to open and impose zero minimum balance requirements. There is no monthly fee to avoid, so the concept of a “minimum balance to waive the fee” does not apply.

Chime Minimum Balance by Account

Account	Min to Open	Ongoing Minimum	Monthly Fee
Spending Account (checking)	$0	$0	$0
Savings Account	$0	$0	$0
Credit Builder (secured card)	$0 (move money to security deposit)	$0	$0

No Monthly Fee — No Minimum Needed

Chime charges no monthly maintenance fee on any account. This eliminates the need for a minimum balance entirely.

Compare to traditional banks that require minimum balances to waive monthly fees:

Bank	Monthly Fee	Balance to Waive
Chime	$0	N/A
Chase Total Checking	$12	$1,500
Bank of America Advantage	$12	$1,500
Wells Fargo Everyday	$10	$500
TD Bank Convenience	$15	$100
PNC Virtual Wallet	$7	$500

A Chime member with an average $200 balance saves $10–$12/month ($120–$144/year) compared to someone paying a monthly fee at a traditional bank because they can’t maintain the minimum balance threshold.

SpotMe: Negative Balances Are OK (Up to -$200)

Chime’s SpotMe feature allows eligible members to go negative — up to $200 below $0 — with no overdraft fee. This effectively means:

Minimum balance is -$200 (with SpotMe, for eligible members)
No penalty for going negative within SpotMe limit
Balance is automatically corrected by the next deposit

Without SpotMe, Chime declines transactions that would overdraw the account rather than charging a fee.

Chime Savings Account: No Rate Tiers Based on Balance

Some banks offer higher APY on larger balances (rate tiers). Chime does not — the Savings Account earns a flat rate regardless of balance. This simplifies planning:

Balance	Chime Savings APY
Any amount	~2.00%

While 2.00% is lower than top online savings accounts (Ally ~4.00%, Marcus ~4.10%), Chime’s savings APY has no minimum required to earn it. Even $1.00 earns 2.00% APY.

Credit Builder: Flexible Secured Card

Chime’s Credit Builder secured credit card has no minimum security deposit requirement — you move whatever amount you want from your Spending Account as your credit limit. This allows:

Start with $20 if that’s all you have
No credit check to open
Reports to all three credit bureaus

This is unlike most secured credit cards, which require $200–$500 minimum deposits.

Chime fees 2026 — $0 monthly, SpotMe overdraft, full fee schedule
Chime ATM limits 2026 — $500/day, 60,000+ free ATMs
Chime transfer limits 2026 — $10,000/day ACH, Pay Anyone limits
Chime routing number 2026 — 031101279 or 103100195

Written by WealthVieu

WealthVieu researches and writes data-driven personal finance guides using primary sources including the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, and Census Bureau.

The content on Wealthvieu is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, tax, or investment advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions. Full disclaimer · Editorial policy