Cathy Desmet
Chime’s SpotMe program allows you to make overdraft transactions with your debit card (up to a certain limit) without paying additional fees. It also allows you to overdraft by withdrawing cash from an ATM, cash back transactions, or over-the-counter withdrawals.[1]
With the Chime SpotMe program, you can use your debit card to make purchases that overdraft your checking account, up to your predetermined overdraft limit.[2] However, in order to use the SpotMe program, you must be making a “qualifying transaction” — it will not work for things like Pay Friends/Split Bill or ACH transfers.[3]
How SpotMe Works
SpotMe allows Chime account holders with monthly direct deposits of $200 or more an overdraft cushion of a set amount. Your SpotMe overdraft limit will start at $20 and may increase over time (up to $200) based on your account history and activity.[4]
There are no fees for using SpotMe; Chime will simply deduct the overdrawn amount from your next direct deposit. Chime will automatically decline any transaction at a store checkout that would take your Chime account beyond your individual overdraft limit.[4] If you’re not careful, however, you may incur out-of-network cash withdrawal fees. Pulling cash from an ATM outside of Chime’s 60,000+ fee-free ATMs will often charge you a small fee.[3]
Note that SpotMe only covers debit card transactions; it does not cover the following:[4][3]
- ACH transfers (including Venmo and Square Cash)
- Transfers to a Chime savings account
- Chime checkbook transactions
- Pay Friends transfers
You might also be interested in our list of banks that offer overdraft lines of credit or ATM overdraft policies listed by bank.
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