What bank does chime use for zelle

Chime is an up-and-coming digital bank that’s appealing to millions of people and counting. It offers many benefits such as no monthly fees, free overdrafts, free ATM withdrawals, and easy and free money transfers.

This last benefit is something we’re looking at in today’s article because many people are trying to use Chime with Zelle. So, does Chime have Zelle integrated into its app?   

Chime doesn’t have Zelle integrated with its banking app as many traditional banks do. Until recently, you could at least add Chime’s debit card to Zelle’s app. However, this functionality has ceased for anyone trying to add Chime to the Zelle app now. 

This might be a big deal for some, however, Chime does have a robust Pay Anyone feature that lets you make instant money transfers to Chime and non-Chime members alike.

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Why Doesn’t Chime Have Zelle?

Chime is a so-called neobank or a challenger bank that is trying to dethrone traditional banks such as Chase, Wells Fargo, Capital One, Bank of America, and others. 

Coincidentally, Zelle was developed by these big banks to offer instant money transfers as an answer to the rising competition from Chime, Cash App, Venmo, and other digital banks.

This explains why Chime doesn’t support Zelle money transfers and why Zelle, as of recently, doesn’t allow customers of online banks to add their accounts and cards to the Zelle app. 

You see, although Chime never integrated Zelle into their banking app, you could still make an account on the Zelle side of the things, in its app. You simply connected your Chime debit card and that was it, you could use it easily. 

But then, sometime in 2021, a shift happened within the Zelle company and suddenly, new Chime users, and old ones updating their cards, got rejected. 

You couldn’t add your Chime card or update your old one anymore. Didn’t matter if you used Zelle hundreds of times successfully beforehand, you were out of the game.

However, if you’re a Chime user, you should be aware of the fact that you can use Chime’s Pay Anyone feature just as easily and for free. There’s really no need to use Zelle to send money. 

READ ALSO: The 7 Online Banks Like Chime (Chime Bank Alternatives)

How to Use Chime’s Pay Anyone Instant Transfers

Pay Anyone is a handy and much requested money transfer feature that now lets you send money to anyone, be they Chime members or not. It’s easy, it’s free, and it’s generally instant.

Although transfers are typically instant, there might be some delays at times. There’s also a limit of $2,000 or 15 transfers per month. Here are some tips on how to use it properly.

Choose who you want to pay 

The first step for sending money is to select the person you want to send the money to. To do this, tap “Pay Anyone” to find the person or enter their $ChimeSign. 

If the recipient doesn’t have a Chime account yet, don’t worry, they won’t have to open a Chime account. This is different from Zelle because both the sender and the recipient have to have Zelle accounts.

So, to send money to a non-Chime user, search your imported contacts or enter their email address or phone number if they aren’t in your contacts. 

Lastly, enter the payment details, and add a GIF or emoji if you want to, Venmo-style.  

Double-check all the payment details and tap “Pay” to complete the transfer. All Chime users will get their funds instantly. As for non-members, they will get an email or text with a link where they have to enter their debit card info and claim their cash in the next 14 days. 

How to Receive The Pay Anyone Money

If You Already Have a Chime Checking Account

To receive money from someone that was using Pay Anyone to send it to you, you don’t have to do anything. The money will appear in your Chime checking account immediately for free.

However, what you can do is request money from other Chime members, for instance, if you are owed money. To do this, all you have to do is:

1. Log into your Chime app
2. Tap “Pay Anyone” 
3. Search for the right person 
4. Enter the amount of money you want to receive 
5. Send your request 

The person who receives your request has 14 days to send you the money (or else!). 

When You’re Not a Chime Member

Even if you don’t have a Chime account you can receive money from someone who sent it with Chime. The recipient will get an email or a text containing a link to Chime’s website. 

All a person has to do is click on the link to enter their debit card info on the Chime website and that’s it.

They also have up to 14 calendar days to claim the money or else it will be returned to the sender’s Chime account. So, even if a person isn’t a Chime member, they can get the money straight away without paying anything.

However, you MUST be careful not to click on a scammer’s link. We all know too well that scammers are sending millions of phishing texts and emails trying to get you to click or tap on their links. 

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The real Chime website is https://www.chime.com/

These links will typically lead you to an official-looking website where you need to type in your banking information or your login credentials. 

The person waiting to receive money from Chime has to be 100% sure they’re clicking on a genuine link coming from a real Chime account.  

Pay Anyone vs. Zelle

So, what’s the difference between the two really? Is there any? There sure is. 

First of all, to send and receive money with Zelle, both sides have to have a Zelle account. You can then send money instantly from your bank account to other people only using an email address or a phone number. 

In the case your bank doesn’t offer Zelle (which is unlikely), you can register your debit card number through the Zelle mobile app. Although Zelle doesn’t support Chime or other digital banks anymore, it does accept thousands of traditional banks and credit unions.

Also, Zelle is inherently free for both sending and receiving money. However, in rare cases, some banks might charge a fee. 

On the other side, Chime has made a good job with its Pay Anyone feature that is now a better alternative to Cash App, Venmo, Zelle, and even PayPal. No fees for instant transfers and no need to make an account (for the recipient) are market-leading benefits for customers.

Pay Anyone vs. Cash App and Venmo

Cash App and Venmo are both mobile payment services that let you transfer money in a couple of days for free or instantly but for a fee.

In both apps, you basically have to connect a debit card or bank account to have full functionality and to send money if you don’t have enough in your app’s balance. 

Cash App and Venmo both require the sender and the recipient to have accounts. Unlike Chime, they also charge instant cash out fee of 0.5% – 1.75%.

Although Chime isn’t exactly a security powerhouse, Cash App and Venmo are actually worse when it gets to the number of scammers using their platforms and other safety features, or the lack thereof. 

READ NEXT: Cash App vs Venmo: What Is Better For Mobile Payments?

Conclusion

To conclude, although Chime isn’t supported by Zelle anymore, you can use its Pay Anyone feature to basically replace different money transfer apps, including Zelle. 

It will, not only enable you to send cash to friends and family without the need for downloading an app or signing up for another service but let you give the middle finger to traditional banks which Zelle is a product of. 

Adrian Volenik is a fintech enthusiast who loves testing and reviewing digital banking apps and financial products in general.

How many digital banking accounts can one man have?

Not enough, if you ask Adrian. As his wallet will soon explode if he doesn’t cut back on the number of cards.