【Updated 2026.2】Chime Prime is coming soon, with a selectable 5% cash back category, 3.75% APY on deposits, and Priority Pass airport lounge access (2 free visits per year). You need monthly Direct Deposit of $3,000 to activate it. The official launch is set for 2026, so it should be coming soon.

Adding these benefits instantly makes Chime look like a stellar card. After all, 5% back on groceries and gas is something most of us can actually use, and with some special methods you may be able to max out the $1,500 monthly cap. The no-strings-attached 3.75% APY on deposits is also very appealing. As for the hard requirement of DD $3,000, we can handle it directly with the excellent LemFi app. A recurring $3,000 U.S.-to-U.S. transfer each month is enough.

Here are the specific benefits:

  • Top-tier rewards: Get 5% cash back~ on a spending category of your choice – from groceries and gas to restaurants, travel, or monthly bills – when you use your Chime Card™ (up to $1,500 per month)
  • High-yield savings: Earn 3.75% APY^ on your savings balance and watch your nest egg grow faster (very competitive, with effectively no deposit threshold)
  • Premium travel perks: Enjoy a complimentary Priority Pass membership1 that gives you access to 1800+ airport lounges and experiences, global mobile data§, luxury hotel benefits2, and access to the Visa Signature Concierge3. (2 times per year)
  • Get paid before payday: Get up to $500 with  MyPay (probably not that useful for most of us)
  • Instant loan: Pre-qualified loan. Get $100+ instantly (probably not that useful for most of us)
  • Overdraft coverage: Chime Prime members may have access to a starting limit of $50 in SpotMe® overdraft coverage and can receive up to $200 over time (probably not that useful for most of us)
  • Priority support: Got questions? Enjoy 24/7 priority support with a real human over phone or chat (probably not that useful for most of us)
  • Fee-free banking*: No monthly fees, no minimum balances, no subscription fees (as usual, nice to see no annual fee or monthly fee)

Right now, TopCashback is offering a $300 signup bonus for Chime. One nice feature of this account is that the $100 referral bonus can stack with the payout from a cashback portal. So getting a total of $400 for opening one account is pretty solid. This account is a prepaid card, so it does not pull your credit report and will not hurt your credit score. That makes it a good one to open for the bonus. One very important note: when opening the account, do not check the box for Chime Credit Builder, because that one will create a new account on your credit report!

Chime's Direct Deposit requirement is very easy to complete; LemFi DD $201 works.

For the exact steps to stack the referral bonus and cashback portal payout, see below:

This article was co-authored with ymlulu and KUKU.

About Chime Prepaid Card

Chime Prepaid Card is a reloadable debit card. After loading funds, you can use it anywhere that accepts Visa Debit cards (and if a place accepts Visa credit cards, it will definitely work there). Chime occasionally runs promotions where using your Chime card at certain merchants gives you instant cash back credited back to the card. Also, since this is only a Prepaid Card, applying for it does not result in a Hard Pull, meaning it has no impact at all on your credit report. Regular usage also does not appear on your credit report.

Application and Bonus Overview

Right now, applying through certain referral links can get you a $100 account opening bonus (previously $50/$75). To qualify, you need Direct Deposit $200 within 45 days after opening the account. Opening this kind of prepaid card will not affect your credit history and does not involve a Hard Pull, so you can feel comfortable applying. This account has no monthly fee, waives fees at some ATM withdrawals, charges no foreign transaction fee, and has no minimum deposit requirement, so it is fairly hassle-free. We suggest reading the next step before clicking the link.

During the application process, in addition to your email, name, address, and similar information, you will also need to provide your date of birth and SSN for identity verification. Even though you provide your SSN, applying for this Prepaid Card will not Hard Pull your credit bureau, so naturally it will not affect your credit score in any way.

Detailed Steps to Stack Chime Account Opening Bonuses (by cloud)

The bonuses being stacked are Chime's referral signup bonus and the rewards offered by sites like Swagbucks and MyPoints. In principle, Chime does not want to pay out two bonuses, so there is some risk that one may not post or could later be clawed back. However, based on actual testing, both bonuses can be received, so you can decide for yourself whether you want to attempt the double dip.

If you do not already have MyPoints or Swagbucks, please register for InboxDollars, MyPoints, or Swagbucks before starting step one. The author used MyPoints because the payout was $40 higher.

We recommend reading through all the steps before proceeding. It is best to do this on desktop Chrome with your ad blocker turned off.

  • Step 1: In the Chrome browser, open the signup link (the Chime $100 link). Do not close this page at any point, even though we will not use it again later.
  • Step 2: Open a new tab in the same browser. Log in to your cashback portal, find the Chime offer, and click through to start. You will need to fill in your basic personal information, use the same email address as your cashback portal account, and set your Chime password. At the final step, you will be prompted to download the Chime app.
  • Step 3: Open the Chime app you just downloaded on your phone, and log in to Chime using the username and password you just created in your computer browser. (Note: you do not need to register again.) After logging in, you may see a screen asking about Direct Deposit (shown below; screenshot courtesy of reader Vera from our WeChat group). At this step, select "Set up direct deposit" and then "Request a direct deposit form". (You will receive a Direct Deposit email. You do not actually need to use this Direct Deposit form. Based on the author’s data point and other online data points, if you complete this step, Mypoints/Swagbuck should show the corresponding points as "pending" within a few hours.)
  • Step 4: Finish logging in to the Chime app and successfully see the $100 account opening bonus and its requirements (shown below).

A few hours later, go to the shopping portal / cashback site to confirm that the corresponding points have become "pending" (shown below).

If it works for you, feel free to share your experience in the comments!

How to Get the Account Opening Bonus

To receive the account opening bonus, in addition to completing registration and identity verification, you also need to complete one $200 Direct Deposit (DD) within 45 days after opening the account. DD generally refers to payments sent to an individual by an employer or the government. See:

For this Chime DD requirement, in addition to a normal payroll deposit, the following methods may also trigger it. The process is to add your Chime checking account information in another bank using the routing number and account number, then initiate a transfer to send $200 to your Chime account. Sometimes, when adding the account at a bank, you will need to verify two trial deposits; just enter the amounts as requested.

  • Schwab Checking transfer, Schwab Brokerage transfer, Blue Bird transfer, Serve transfer, Square Cash transfer, NWFCU transfer
  • [2020.10 update] Based on reader DPs in the comments, using Fidelity, Cash App, or withdrawing from Chase Checking to Chime can count as Direct Deposit and trigger the account opening bonus. Schwab may run into a name mismatch issue.

The following methods do not trigger it:

  • Capital One transfer

After a successful DD, the $100 bonus (previously $35/$50/$75) will post immediately. If you have linked a bank account, you can transfer the money out to your bank right away.

Chime Savings Account

Chime also has a savings account that offers 1% APY, with no various extra fees.

Chime+ Features

Chime now has a Chime+ feature. If you meet the Chime+ requirements, you can get more benefits, such as a higher interest rate on cash, more Chime deals, earlier customer service access, and more. The boosted savings interest rate is 3.75%, which is pretty decent. You need to complete one $200 direct deposit every 34 days to qualify.

Chime Card Promotions

Current Promotions

Chime card promotions are refreshed from time to time, and they are worth using if they fit your needs.

Past Promotions

  • $5 off Cable Bill
  • Free $5 Toward Phone Bill with Chime – Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, BoostMobile, MetroPCS
  • Free $5 Amazon Gift Card with Chime
  • $50 AMEX Gift Card for $45 with Chime
  • $5 Off ANY Purchase Of $50+ When Using The Chime Card

However, there have not been any new promotions lately—just ads.

Summary

If you are interested in the account opening bonus, this is a decent offer to apply for with just a few clicks. The Chime card no longer has an inactivity fee, so you can just leave it in a drawer and load some money onto it to use when there is a promotion. For tax purposes, the account opening bonus is similar to a checking account bonus, and you will receive a 1099INT form at year-end. No need to worry—just report taxes as required. Interest income will not affect F1 status.

Application Link