Chime Promo Code: None Exists, but a $100 Bonus Does

Quick answer

Chime doesn’t have a promo code. Chime says so itself: it doesn’t use promo codes or referral codes.

What it has is a referral link. If a current member sends you theirs and you sign up through it, you can earn a $100 reward. If you don’t have a friend’s link, the offer you can claim yourself is Current: $75 with code WELCOME75 after $1,500 or more in direct deposits in your first 35 days.

Current is a separate app and a separate account. Terms apply, and the bonus needs qualifying direct deposits.

Search for a Chime promo code and you’ll find pages full of codes. None of them are real.

You won’t find a box at sign-up to type one into, either. So skip the code hunt and look at the deal itself, which is a referral bonus with a few rules attached.

How the Chime referral bonus works

The new member gets $100 once three things happen, in order.

  1. Open a new Chime Checking Account through a current member’s referral link. You can’t have had a Chime Checking Account before.
  2. Get a single qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more within 45 days of opening. It has to be an ACH deposit from an employer, payroll provider, gig payer or benefits payer.
  3. Activate your physical Chime Visa debit card within 14 days after that deposit.

Chime says the reward generally shows up within 10 business days after you meet every requirement.

Here’s what doesn’t count as the direct deposit: transfers from another bank, Pay Anyone transfers, peer-to-peer apps like PayPal, Cash App or Venmo, mobile check deposits, cash deposits and one-time deposits like a tax refund.

The catch is the link.

If you sign up on your own, with no referral link, you don’t get the $100.

What the person who refers you gets

Chime pays the member who sent the link too, but the amount isn’t fixed. It varies by whatever offer is active when the friend signs up. A member can earn rewards on up to 10 successful referrals a calendar year.

So if you’re the one with the link, check the amount in your own app under Profile and Invite friends before you promise anyone a number. And if you’re the new member, ask the friend for the link first. Nobody needs a code.

Chime $100 or Current $75?

On paper, Chime’s bonus is the better deal. It pays more, and the deposit bar is much lower. The problem is that you can only get it through someone else’s link.

BonusChime referralCurrent
New member gets$100$75
How you claim itA current member’s referral linkSign up as a new user and enter code WELCOME75
Direct deposit neededOne deposit of $200 or more$1,500 or more in eligible payroll deposits
Time window45 days, then activate the card within 14 daysFirst 35 days

So what should you do? If a friend already has Chime, use their link. If you don’t know anyone, don’t go digging for a code that doesn’t exist. Take the one you can claim on your own.

Current

$75 with code WELCOME75

Current is a mobile banking app, and it’s the one with a code you can actually use. Sign up as a new user, enter WELCOME75, and get Eligible Payroll Deposits totaling $1,500 or more in your first 35 days.

Transfers from Cash App, Venmo or Zelle, mobile check deposits, cash and tax refunds don’t count toward the $1,500. The rest is in the Current review.

Pros
  • Real promo code: WELCOME75
  • $75 bonus for new users
  • Works with a regular paycheck

The catch: You need $1,500 or more in eligible payroll deposits within 35 days. That’s a lot higher than Chime’s $200, so it’s not for everyone.

Is Chime a bank?

No. Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Its banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. Worth knowing if you’re comparing it with an actual bank, which is what SoFi vs Chime gets into.

If Chime doesn’t fit, start with 9 Chime alternatives and online banks like Chime. And if you’re hoping to use a cash advance app with it, here are the cash advance apps that work with Chime.

Bottom line

There’s no Chime promo code, and any site that tells you otherwise is guessing. The real deal is a $100 referral reward that needs a friend’s link, a $200 direct deposit and an activated card. No friend? Current pays $75 with WELCOME75, as long as you can get $1,500 in payroll deposits in your first 35 days.

Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. Chime may change or end its referral offer at any time. Current bonus terms apply and are set by Current.

Chime promo code FAQs

Is there a Chime promo code?

No. Chime does not use promo codes or referral codes. New members get the referral reward by signing up through a current member’s unique referral link.

How much is the Chime referral bonus?

The new member gets $100 after a qualifying direct deposit of $200 or more within 45 days and activating the physical debit card within 14 days of that deposit. What the referring member gets varies by offer.

Can I get the Chime $100 without a referral link?

No. The reward only applies to accounts opened through a member’s unique link, so ask a friend who already has Chime to send theirs.

What counts as a Chime qualifying direct deposit?

An ACH deposit of $200 or more from an employer, payroll provider, gig payer or benefits payer. Bank transfers, peer-to-peer payments, mobile check deposits, cash deposits and one-time deposits like tax refunds do not count.

Is there a bank bonus with a real promo code?

Yes. Current gives new users $75 with code WELCOME75 after $1,500 or more in eligible payroll deposits within the first 35 days.

Is Chime a bank?

No. Chime is a financial technology company. Its banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. See Chime alternatives if you want a bank.

Brian Meiggs
Brian Meiggs founded My Millennial Guide and has spent over a decade writing about money. He tries every app and product before it goes on the site. No fluff, no guesswork. Named to the Northern Virginia 40 Under 40 earlier this year, and featured in WSJ, Business Insider, and Entrepreneur. Off the clock: chess, the gym, a quiet night in.