When can i overdraft my chime card

Chime offers mobile banking with innovative features and services at almost no fees. One of the features that is available on Chime is the no-fee overdraft, which is a great option as compared to traditional banks, which may subject you to higher fees. If you are wondering-if you can overdraft with Chime without direct deposit, this post may be helpful.

No, you cannot overdraft your Chime Card without direct deposit as Chime offers overdraft facility through Spot Me option only, which requires you to have a minimum direct deposit of at least $200 in your Chime account in the last 34 days.

If you attempt to overdraw your card without SpotMe activated, the transaction will be automatically declined.

You can only spend the money you to the extent of your available balance in your Chime account, if you are not enrolled in Spot Me. In absence of Chime Spot Me, your Chime card works just like a prepaid card and not a credit card that will cover the transaction and charge you afterwards.

But if you are eligible for and enroll in the Chime Spot Me , you can overdraw your account up to the limit set by Chime. To enable Chime Spot Me, you need to have a direct deposit of at least $200 or more in your Chime account in the preceeding 34 days, which is the qualifying direct deposit. Also, you need to maintain these direct deposits to continue to have access to Chime Spot Me limit every month.

As per Chime terms, the Direct Deposit has to be a “Qualifying Direct Deposit” i.e. a direct deposit from your employer, payroll provider, gig economy payer, or benefits payer by Automated Clearing House (ACH).

Bank ACH transfers, Pay Friends transfers, verification or trial deposits from financial institutions, peer to peer transfers from services such as PayPal, Cash App, or Venmo, mobile check deposits, cash loads or deposits, one-time direct deposits, such as tax refunds and other similar transactions are not Qualifying Direct Deposits.

Basically, the amount of your direct deposit in Chime account and its continuity is key factor, based on which Chime not only determines your overdraft limit but also takes care of the repayment. The negative balance once you have overdrawn your account, is automatically adjusted against your next direct deposit.

The good thing about the Chime Spot Me is that there is no overdraft fees charged to you. You can choose to give a tip to Chime which is completely optional. Also, signing up for Chime Spot Me does not require a check on your credit score.

How to get enrolled in Chime SpotMe

  1. Go to the Settings tab in your Chime app to check if you’re eligible for the SpotMe feature (make sure you have the latest version of the app).
  2. Agree to the SpotMe Terms and Conditions, if you have read and find them acceptable
  3. Once you’re enrolled in SpotMe, you will be assigned a Spot Me limit which is the maximum amount you can overdraw. The amount starts at $20 and can go up to $200. The limit is auto-determined by Chime depending on your activity and usage and notified to you.
  4. When Chime receives the next direct deposit, it will be automatically applied by Chime to clear your negative balance, without any overdraft fees.

Direct Deposits and its impact on Spot Me

This Spot Me Limit is initially fixed and can be periodically changed by Chime based on your account activity and history. This will include factors like your direct deposit history and direct deposit amounts, spending activity and other risk-based factors etc.

So even the amount of Spot Me Limit is tied in a way to the amount of direct deposit that you have in your account e.g. if you have a direct deposit of $200 per month, you may be given a limit of $20 to start with and if your direct deposit increases to say $400 per month, you may be able to get access to higher overdraft limit of $50 or more.

So even if you initially fulfill the eligibility criteria of having a direct deposit of $200 and enroll in Chime Spot Me, you need to maintain it. If subsequently, you cannot meet such criteria for some reason, your access to Chime SpotMe may be suspended till the time you meet the criteria of necessary direct deposits or terminated.

In fact, there may also be a possibility that Spot Me limits can be revised even downwards if your direct deposit amounts reduce or are not consistent over a period of time.

So it is important that you have a steady stream of direct deposits to have access to Spot Me and also able to maintain your Spot Me limit.

If you are looking for alternate cash advance apps that work with Chime, you can go through the list in our post.

Wrap Up

So direct deposit is key in getting access to the overdraft limit from Chime through Spot Me. It works as an assurance of your repaying ability and increasing direct deposit may also help in increasing overdraft limit over a period of time.

Does Chime let you overdraft right away?

No. If you do not have sufficient funds in your Chime Checking Account, or have reached your SpotMe limit (if enrolled), then your Chime Visa® Debit Card will be declined. There is no fee for declining transactions or for utilizing SpotMe.

Can I overdraft at ATM with Chime?

SpotMe at ATMs You can also withdraw cash using SpotMe—Chime's fee-free overdraft feature that lets you overdraft up to $2002 with your debit card.

How do I overdraft my Chime money?

How it works.
We'll notify you in the Chime app when you're eligible to enroll in SpotMe..
When you make a debit card purchase and cash withdrawals that exceed your balance, we'll spot you up to your SpotMe limit..
When your next deposit arrives in Chime, we'll apply it to your negative balance..

Why can't i overdraft my Chime card?

Due to their commitment to always helping out their customers when in times of need, Chime created the SpotMe feature for those low moments. But, if you don't have the SpotMe feature set up in your account, you won't be able to overdraft on your card. Instead, your Chime card will be declined due to insufficient funds.