Best Credit-Building Card

5.0 _/5

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Quick take: Chime’s no‑annual‑fee, 0% APR secured Credit Builder^® Visa^® lets you build payment history without reporting utilization. It’s ideal if you want everyday‑spend flexibility and a gentler path to credit.

Credit Builder Card

$0 fees^𝒾
0% APR^𝒾
No hard credit check^𝒾
Set your own limit
Pays automatically from your secured balance (on time every time)
Fee-free cash from 50,000+ in-network ATMs^𝒾
SpotMe® overdraft up to $200
On‑time payments can raise scores (average increase is 30 points)^𝒾

Must open a Chime checking account and set up a minimum qualifying direct deposit of $200
No option to upgrade to a traditional credit card
No rewards program or benefits
Must pay your balance in full every month (no option to pay over time)

Annual fee	$0^𝒾
APR	0% (no interest)^𝒾
Minimum deposit	$0 (you choose)
Cash withdrawals	Fee‑free at 50K+ Moneypass, Allpoint, and Walgreens ATMs^𝒾

Table of Contents

How it works
What Chime offers
Who qualifies?
How to apply
Fees, limits, and cash access
Does it really work?
Pros and cons
Alternatives
FAQ

How Chime Credit Builder works

Chime sticks to three steps:

Move money: Transfer any amount from your Chime Checking Account into the Credit Builder secured account. That becomes your available credit.^𝒾
Spend money: Swipe anywhere Visa is accepted (or add to Apple/Google Pay). Use it like a normal credit card, or pull cash at an in‑network ATM.
Build credit: Turn on Safer Credit Building, and Chime autopays your statement from the secured balance each month. On‑time payments are reported to TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. Credit utilization is not reported, so maxing out your self‑set limit won’t hurt your credit score.

Reminder: You’ll need one $200+ qualifying direct deposit to unlock the card.

What Chime offers

Chime Checking Account

What it means: FDIC‑insured demand deposit; gateway to all Chime products
Why it matters to you: Required before you can add Credit Builder

Credit Builder secured account

What it means: Holds the money you move; doubles as your spending limit and payment source
Why it matters to you: No locked “deposit” like old‑school secured cards

Safer Credit Building

What it means: Autopay option
Why it matters to you: Eliminates risk of late payment

Move My Pay

What it means: Direct deposit splitter
Why it matters to you: Automate funding to Credit Builder each payday

Prompt from Chime Credit Builder: How much do you want to move to Credit Builder when you get paid? $500, $250, or $100

SpotMe® on Credit Builder

What it means: Fee‑free overdraft up to $200 (with eligibility)
Why it matters to you: Extends safety net for debit‑style purchases

Read our other Chime reviews:
–Chime Mobile Bank
–Chime MyPay

Who qualifies?

Age and residency	U.S. citizens and permanent residents age 18+
Chime Checking	Open one in about 2 minutes; no ChexSystems pull
Direct deposit	One $200+ paycheck within past 365 days
No credit check	Identity verification only (safe if you’re rebuilding credit)

How to apply

Chime app "Get Credit Builder!" prompt that includes the "Apply now" banner

Open the Chime app: Tap the “Apply now” banner.
Confirm address and Social Security number (for ID, not a hard pull).
Accept terms; physical card arrives in about 7 days.
Fund, turn on Safer Credit Building, and start swiping.

Fees, limits, and cash access

Feature	Cost or limit
Annual fee	$0
APR	0% (no interest)^𝒾
Minimum deposit	$0 (you choose)
Cash withdrawals	Fee‑free at 50K+ Moneypass, Allpoint, and Walgreens ATMs
Out‑of‑network ATM / OTC cash	$2.50 + any operator fee
Daily ATM withdrawal limit	$500
SpotMe® coverage	Up to $200 overdraft on card and debit
Late payment fee	$0 (due to Safer Credit Building autopay)

Does Chime Credit Builder really work?

Chime reports payment history only, not credit limit or utilization. That means:

Paying on time each month is weighted heavily (about 35% of FICO).
Using most or all of your available balance won’t spike utilization ratio.
Members report a +30‑point average score gain within approximately 8 months.^𝒾

Pro tip: Set a recurring Move My Pay transfer (say $100)^𝒾 and let Safer Credit Building autopay. You’ll cycle usage and payments—exactly what scoring models love.

Pros and cons

With any financial product, it’s wise to consider the pros and cons before making a decision.

Pros

$0 fees and 0% APR
No hard inquiry; great for thin files or credit‑repair journeys
Utilization not reported
Safer Credit Building prevents late payments
Cash access + SpotMe overdraft (both rare on secured cards)
Deposit is reusable; not locked away like most secured credit cards

Cons

Must open Chime Checking and maintain direct deposit
No path to an unsecured Chime credit card, so you’ll need another issuer later
No rewards program
Full balance autopaid monthly (can’t pay in installments)

Alternatives to consider

If you have a steady paycheck but thin or damaged credit, the Chime Credit Builder card offers a friction‑free way to rack up on‑time payments without the fear of utilization dings or surprise fees. Pair it with direct‑deposit automation and you’ll build positive history while using the card for everyday purchases or fee‑free cash.^𝒾

But if you’re not sure whether a Chime Credit Builder Card is right for you, here’s how it compares to several other credit builder apps that made our “best of” roundup:

Credit building app	Best for	No credit check	Reports to all 3 bureaus	Has savings feature	Secured card	Rent reporting	Credit monitoring	Subscription & utility credit	Debit-based card
Chime	Building credit with a secured card	✅	✅	➖	✅	➖	➖	➖	✅
Self	Benefits beyond building credit	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	➖	➖	➖
MoneyLion	Bundling credit building with banking	✅	✅	✅	➖	➖	✅	➖	➖
Kovo	Building credit with small monthly payments	✅	✅	➖	➖	➖	✅	➖	➖
Kikoff¹	Budget-friendly credit building with all 3 bureaus	✅	✅	➖	✅	✅	✅	➖	➖
GrowCredit	Building credit through subscriptions	✅	✅	➖	➖	➖	➖	✅	➖
Experian Boost²	Boosting your Experian score with bills you already pay	✅	➖	➖	➖	✅	✅	✅	➖
Credit Karma³	Understanding what’s affecting your credit	✅	➖	➖	➖	➖	✅	➖	➖
Credit Sesame	Building credit with a debit card	✅	✅	➖	➖	➖	✅	➖	✅
Extra⁴	Building credit without a credit check	✅	➖	➖	➖	➖	➖	➖	✅

_{¹ Secured card and rent reporting are only available with premium membership.}
_{² Reports only to Experian, not to Equifax or TransUnion.}
_{³ Offers credit monitoring but does not report user behavior to any bureau.}
_{⁴ Reports only to Experian and Equifax, not TransUnion.}

FAQ

Can I withdraw cash from my Chime Credit Builder Card?

Yes. Credit Builder lets you pull cash at 50,000-plus fee-free ATMs in stores like Walgreens®, 7-Eleven®, and CVS®.^𝒾 You’re drawing against money already parked in your secured account, so there’s no cash-advance fee. Just avoid out-of-network machines that may assess their own surcharge.

Is Chime Credit Builder a credit card?

Yes, it’s a secured Visa® credit card. You move money from your Chime Checking Account to set your spending limit, use the card everywhere Visa is accepted, and Chime reports your on-time payments (not utilization) to TransUnion®, Experian®, and Equifax®.

How do I close my Chime Credit Builder account?

Open the Chime app. Navigate to Settings > Personal Info > Edit > Close account, or email [email protected]. Your card is disabled instantly, and any remaining secured balance is returned to your Chime Checking Account within five business days.

Can I use my Chime Credit Builder Card at an ATM?

Absolutely. Insert the card at any in-network ATM to withdraw up to $500 per day with no Chime fee. The withdrawal comes from the funds you’ve already moved into Credit Builder.

How does Chime Credit Builder work to build credit?

Chime reports your payment history every month to all three bureaus, and members who pay on time see an average FICO® score increase of 30 points. On-time payments help; late payments can hurt.

How do I add money to my Chime Credit Builder Card?

Tap “Move Money” in the app to transfer cash from your Chime Checking Account, or set up Move My Pay to automatically send part of each paycheck. Transfers post instantly and become your Available to Spend.^𝒾

Can I use my Chime Credit Builder Card with no money?

No. Credit Builder is secured, so you can only spend what you’ve moved into the secured account. If your Available to Spend is $0, the transaction will decline; you can’t overdraft or go negative.

What fees does the Chime Credit Builder Card have?

None from Chime. There’s no annual fee, interest, or minimum deposit, and replacement cards are free. The only potential costs are third-party: $2.50 for over-the-counter cash or any surcharge an out-of-network ATM owner sets.^𝒾

How we rated Chime Credit Builder Card

We designed LendEDU’s editorial rating system to help readers find companies that offer the best credit builder loans. Our system awards higher ratings to companies with affordable solutions, positive customer reviews, and online transparency of benefits and terms.

We compared Chime to several credit builder loans, using hundreds of data points from company websites, public disclosures, customer reviews, and direct communication with company representatives. We weighted, scored, and combined each factor to produce a final editorial rating. This rating is expressed on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest possible score. Our take is represented in our rating and best-for designation, recapped below.

Company	Best for…	Rating (0-5)
5.0 View Rates	Best Credit Builder Card	5.0 View Rates