Does Chime work with Zelle? Chime and Zelle are two payment processors that offer security, convenience, and a fast way to send or receive money. But does Chime work with Zelle?
First off, if you are not yet familiar with Zelle, it’s a digital payment system that lets you send or receive money to or from someone else’s bank account for free. By doing so, it eliminates the need for third-party apps like Venmo and PayPal.
Chime, on the other hand, is an online-only financial company that provides fee-free checking and savings accounts. You also get a debit card along with your Chime account.
These two apps are fee-free. As such, they offer a great way to make transactions at no cost. But can you integrate them and use Zelle with your Chime account?
Does Chime work with Zelle?
Yes, Chime works with Zelle. However, you will need to link your Chime account within the Zelle app because there’s no way of integrating the two using the Chime app.
This is because Zelle works primarily with brick-and-mortar banks like Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, and Bank of America. It wasn’t meant for online-only companies like Chime – not initially anyway. But the good news is that there’s a way around it. You can link your Chime and Zelle accounts in a few simple steps (read on to find out how).
- There are many benefits of integrating your Chime and Zelle accounts:
- Makes it easy to move money and complete transactions.
- Both apps are fee-free and can help you save on transaction costs.
- Zelle and Chime use encryption to process transactions safely.
- They both have great customer support.
Can someone use Zelle to send money to any Chime account?
Yes, you can use Zelle to send money to any Chime account. Similarly, anyone can use the Zelle app to send money to their Chime account.
This means you can use Zelle to send and receive money from family and friends who have a Chime account. The only thing you will need is their phone number or email address.
However, keep in mind that the transfer is typically not as quick as a Chime-to-Chime payment. That’s because Zelle is not natively integrated into Chime’s platform.
How to Set Up Chime to Work with Zelle
To use your Chime account on Zelle, you will first have to link your Chime debit card with your Zelle app. This is a fairly simple process, though not as straightforward as adding a bank that’s natively integrated into Chime. Nonetheless, here’s a step-by-step guide for setting up Chime to work with Zelle:
Step 1. Download the Chime and Zelle apps
The first thing you will want to do is download and install both apps on your smartphone or mobile device. Both are available for free on App Store (for iOS devices) and Play Store (for Android devices).
Of course, this step is not necessary if you already have them on your device. But if you only have one of the apps installed, make sure to also install the other.
Step 2. Set up your Zelle account
The Zelle account is free to set up and use. After installation, simply run it. You will be prompted to enter your mobile number. Do so and click “Continue”.
Step 3. Link your bank
Zelle will ask you to find your bank. Head to where it says “Where to do you bank” and type in “Chime”. Chime won’t actually come up in the results (because it’s not natively integrated), but don’t worry. Simply select “Don’t see your bank?”
Step 4. Add your Chime debit card
Here, Zelle will ask you to add your debit card. Since you are looking to use Chime, you will need to add your Chime debit card information. This includes details like the card number, expiry date, and security code.
Step 5. Create a password
To finalize the process, choose a password that you would like to use with your Zelle account. Once that’s done, you will be ready to start sending and receiving Chime payments straight from your Zelle account. The entire process of setting up Chime to work with Zelle often takes about five minutes.
How much time does it take to send Zelle payments using Chime?
While Chime-to-Chime transfers and Zelle-to-Zelle transfers are practically instant, Zelle-to-Chime payments take up to three business days. That’s because Chime isn’t natively built in Zelle. Instead, you typically use your Chime debit card to send and receive payments, with Zelle merely acting as a processing platform.
For this reason, payments take a few business days to process. Nonetheless, it’s still your best bet if you want to use your Chime account with Zelle.
Are there any fees for using Chime with Zelle?
Since both platforms are fee-free, there are no fees for sending or receiving the money to your Chime account using Zelle. In fact, Zelle does not make any money currently. Rather, all the participating banks generate revenue when Zelle users use the platform to transfer money. But Zelle itself doesn’t earn any fees from these transactions.
And, of course, Chime transactions are fee-free too. Therefore, using Zelle with your Chime account will cost you nothing whatsoever.
What is the transfer limit when using Chime with Zelle?
Perhaps the biggest drawback of using your Chime account with Zelle is that the transfer limit is capped at $500 per week. There are no daily limits, but you can’t exceed $500 per week. Thus, you should be fine as long as you don’t need to send more than $500 at once or within a week.
It goes without saying that the set maximum tends to limit users who want to make large payments. It’s a contrast to banks that are native to Zelle. For example, you can transfer up to $3,500 if you use Zelle with Bank of America.
How to fix issues when setting up Chime to work with Zelle
You shouldn’t face any issues if you follow the steps provided above for setting up Chime on Zelle. However, in some cases, you may get an error message that says your debit card is not supported by Zelle.
In such a case, there won’t be much you can do within the Zelle or Chime app. But you can try contacting Zelle through their customer support to see if they can offer any help. While this is a long shot, you can also reach out to Chime for help. Chances are they will tell you that there isn’t much they can do because Chime is not natively built in Zelle.
How to start paying anyone with Chime, hassle-free
If you’ve already linked your Chime account with Zelle, follow the following steps to pay anyone:
- In your Zelle app, add a recipient by tapping the “+” icon. Enter their email address or U.S. phone number.
- Enter the amount you wish to send. Remember that you can only send a maximum of $500 per week.
- Review the details of your transaction, and then hit send. This will draw money to your account and transfer it to the recipient.
The recipient will be notified of your transfer either by text or email. If they haven’t enrolled in Zelle yet, they will get additional information explaining how they can enroll to claim the money. If they fail to do so within 14 days, the funds will be reversed to your Chime account.
FAQs
Do you have to have a Chime account to send money to someone else?
No, you don’t have to have a Chime account to send money to someone else using Zelle. However, if you don’t have a Chime account, you must have an account with a bank or credit union that partners with Zelle. That’s where Zelle will draw the funds you are sending. There are over 7,000 financial institutions that use Zelle, including Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, and Bank of America.
What are Disbursements with Zelle?
Disbursements with Zelle is a tool that allows business, governmental and non-profit organizations to send money to individuals. Contrary to person-to-person transfer, Disbursements with Zelle is essentially business-to-person transfer. Needless to say, this toolkit is only available to organizations that use Zelle as a method of sending payments to customers, employees, and other groups of individuals.
Final word
So, to answer the question: does Chime work with Zelle? Yes, Chime works with Zelle. You can use this P2P platform to send and receive money from and to your Chime account.
However, since Zelle doesn’t natively support Chime, this method of transfer is not necessarily the most convenient. There are two major drawbacks. For one, it takes a few days – up to three business days – to complete a transaction. Secondly, you can only send a maximum of $500 per week. This makes it unreliable if you are looking to make larger transactions.
On the upside, using your Chime account with Zelle offers a simple way to send and receive money between family and friends. It’s a great alternative, particularly if you don’t want to use other available payment processors like PayPal and Venmo.
