Chime is not a bank—it's a fintech company that partners with banks to issue your debit card and hold your money

Chime itself does not hold your deposits. Instead, Chime partners with two banks: Stride Bank, N.A. and Chime Financial, Inc. (a subsidiary of Stride Bank). When you open a Chime account, your money sits in an account at one of these two banks, not at Chime. Chime acts as the interface—the app, the customer service, the debit card design—but the actual banking happens at Stride.

This matters because it means your deposits are covered by FDIC insurance up to $250,000, the same way they would be at any traditional bank. The FDIC insures deposits held at Stride Bank, regardless of whether you access them through Chime's app or a traditional bank website. You are not taking on extra risk by using Chime; your money has the same federal protection.

Chime does not tell you which of its two partner banks holds your specific account. The routing number on your account statements will show which one it is, but Chime does not publish this information upfront. Both banks are FDIC-insured, so the distinction does not affect your protection or access to your money.

Key Takeaways

  • Chime is a fintech company, not a bank, and your deposits are held at Stride Bank, N.A. or its subsidiary Chime Financial, Inc.
  • Your money is FDIC-insured up to $250,000 at whichever Stride-affiliated bank holds your account.
  • You can find which bank holds your account by checking the routing number on your statements or contacting Chime support.
  • Chime's partnership with Stride means you get the app and customer service from Chime while the actual banking infrastructure comes from a regulated bank.

How to find your account's routing number and bank partner

Your routing number appears on any check Chime issues you, on your account statements, and in the Chime app itself. Log into your Chime account, go to Settings, and look for Account Details or Bank Information. The routing number will be listed there. You can then search that routing number online to confirm whether it belongs to Stride Bank or Chime Financial.

If you need to know when ready, Chime's customer service team can tell you which bank holds your account. You can reach them through the app's support chat or by calling the number on the back of your debit card. They will not volunteer this information, but they will answer if you ask directly.

Why Chime uses a bank partner instead of being a bank itself

Chime does not have a banking charter, which means it cannot legally hold customer deposits on its own. Federal law requires that any company holding customer money either be a bank itself (which requires a charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency or a state banking regulator) or partner with a bank that is. Chime chose the partnership route, which is why Stride Bank is the actual depository.

This structure is common in fintech. Companies like Chime, Varo, and others use bank partners to handle the regulated side of banking while they focus on building the app and customer experience. It does not make Chime less safe—Stride Bank is a real, regulated bank subject to the same federal oversight as any other bank you might use.

What FDIC insurance covers when your money is at Stride Bank

FDIC insurance protects your deposits up to $250,000 per account holder, per bank, per ownership category. If you have a Chime account in your name alone, your balance is covered up to $250,000. If you have a joint account with another person, each account holder's share is insured separately up to $250,000.

The insurance covers the full balance if Stride Bank fails—a rare event, but one the FDIC was created to handle. You do not need to do anything to set up this coverage; it is automatic. Your money is protected whether you access it through Chime's app or any other method.

Money market accounts, savings accounts, and checking accounts held at the same bank are all insured separately under different ownership categories, so if you have multiple account types at Stride through Chime, each one is covered up to $250,000.

Chime's relationship with Stride Bank and what it means for you

Stride Bank is a Kansas-based bank that was founded in 1999. It operates primarily as a backend partner for fintech companies rather than serving retail customers directly. Chime is one of its largest partners, but Stride also works with other fintech platforms. This arrangement means Stride handles the regulatory compliance, the actual deposit-taking, and the infrastructure, while Chime handles the user experience.

For you as a customer, this means you get the benefits of both: a modern app and no monthly fees from Chime, plus the safety and FDIC protection of a real bank. If Chime ever shut down, your money would still be at Stride Bank and you would still be able to access it—you might just need to contact Stride directly or move to another fintech partner that uses Stride.

What happens if Stride Bank fails

If Stride Bank were to fail, the FDIC would step in and either transfer your account to another bank or pay out your balance up to $250,000. This process typically takes a few days. You would not lose money that is within the insurance limit, and you would regain access to your account through the FDIC's resolution process.

Bank failures are extremely rare in the modern era. The FDIC has a strong track record of protecting depositors, and Stride Bank is a well-capitalized institution. The risk of losing money due to bank failure is far lower than the risk of fraud or account compromise, which are the more common threats to your account security.

How Chime's fees and features work within the Stride Bank structure

Chime charges no monthly account fee, no overdraft fees, and no minimum balance requirement. These policies are Chime's choice, not Stride Bank's. Stride Bank provides the infrastructure and FDIC insurance; Chime decides how to price the account. Chime makes money through interchange fees (a small percentage of each debit card transaction) and by offering optional paid features like early direct deposit and SpotMe boosts.

The fact that your money is at Stride does not change how Chime's fee structure works. You still get the same no-fee checking account, the same debit card, and the same app features whether you know about Stride or not. The bank partnership is invisible to most users and only matters if you need to know where your money actually sits or if you are checking FDIC coverage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my money safe at Chime if it is actually held at Stride Bank?

Yes. Stride Bank is a regulated bank with FDIC insurance, so your money has the same federal protection as it would at any traditional bank. The fact that Chime is the interface does not reduce your safety. Your deposits are insured up to $250,000 per account holder.

Can I move my money out of Stride Bank if I want to?

You can close your Chime account and move your money to another bank by transferring it to an external account. You cannot move your account from Stride to a different bank while keeping it at Chime, because Chime only partners with Stride. If you want to leave Stride, you have to leave Chime.

What is the difference between Stride Bank and Chime Financial, Inc.?

Chime Financial, Inc. is a subsidiary of Stride Bank created specifically to hold Chime customer deposits. Both are part of the same corporate structure and both are FDIC-insured. The distinction does not affect your account security or access to your money.

Do I need to contact Stride Bank directly for customer service?

No. You contact Chime for all customer service issues. Chime handles your account, your debit card, and your app. Stride Bank operates behind the scenes. You will never need to call Stride directly unless your account is transferred there as part of an FDIC resolution, which is extremely unlikely.

Can I get a loan or credit product from Stride Bank through Chime?

Chime offers some credit products like SpotMe and Chime Credit Builder, but these are Chime's products, not Stride Bank's. Stride Bank does not offer consumer loans or credit cards directly to Chime customers. Any credit product you see in the Chime app comes from Chime, not from Stride.