Better Health for All

Chime's Workplace solution offers fee-free Earned Wage Access (EWA) and is a no-cost platform for both employers and employees, making it highly accessible.

This aligns with a score of 50 for price_accessibility, as it is priced at cost (zero cost) for users. The program is specifically targeted at vulnerable populations such as frontline and hourly workers, and those living paycheck-to-paycheck, with 78% of Americans reported to be in this situation in 2023. This indicates a significant reach to vulnerable populations, aligning with a score of 40 for vulnerable_reach. The financial wellness programs are explicitly linked to improved mental health by alleviating financial stress, which is a substantial mental health benefit, warranting a score of 20 for mental_health_initiatives. Additionally, comprehensive financial education is an essential component of these wellness programs, supporting health literacy and earning a score of 10 for healthcare_education.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Chime's Instant Loans have a 29.76% APR, which falls into a higher APR tier, despite being potentially half the cost of other liquidity products.

However, Chime does not rely on consumer fees such as overdraft, monthly service, or minimum balance fees. SpotMe provides fee-free overdrafts up to $200, and MyPay offers access to up to $500 of pay, free within 24 hours or for a $2 instant fee, with no interest. The Credit Builder Visa Credit Card has no interest, minimum security deposit, or credit check. Chime has pledged 1% of its equity to the Chime Scholars Foundation and funds local leaders through its Changemakers initiative. Chime uses the Financial Health Network’s FinHealth Score® survey to understand its members' financial health and obtains real-time data. The CFPB issued an order against Chime Financial for failing to timely refund consumers’ balances after account closures, resulting in a $3.25 million civil penalty and at least $1.3 million in consumer restitution. Chime members who consistently use Credit Builder have an average credit score increase of 30 points after making on-time payments. In 2024, 81% of members reported Chime improved their financial situation, and members saved over $18 billion in 2023. Chime has committed to bringing financial education to 10 million people across the U.S. by 2027, offering over 800 modules through a partnership with Zogo. Chime's products are designed to be easy to use and transparent, with the Credit Builder card helping members build credit simply and safely.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Chime Financial, Inc. has an overall employee rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars from 309 reviews, with 74% of employees stating they would recommend the company to a friend.

Additionally, 77% of employees approve of the CEO. There is no public record of substantiated labor-law or human-rights violations, regulatory actions, or fines in the past three years.

Kind to Animals

Chime Financial, Inc. operates as a financial technology company, providing mobile banking services.

The provided articles contain no specific, concrete data points regarding animal treatment, cruelty-free certifications, animal testing, humane certifications for operations, wildlife conservation impact, ethical input substitution, supplier audits for animal welfare, cage-free sourcing, animal agriculture ethics, or engagement in animal welfare policy or R&D. Therefore, all KPIs must be omitted as no evidence is available.

No War, No Weapons

No specific, concrete evidence was found in the provided articles to assess Chime Financial, Inc. against any of the KPIs for the 'No War, No Weapons' ethical value. The articles did not contain information regarding revenue from arms contracts, dual-use technology, sales to embargoed regimes, peacebuilding investments, or any other specified metrics related to military or conflict involvement.

While lobbying expenditures were reported, their specific focus regarding arms control legislation was not disclosed.

Planet-Friendly Business

No specific, quantifiable data was found in the provided articles for any of the environmental KPIs. While Chime states that environmental stewardship guides its operations and growth, and that its digital-first platform avoids the environmental footprint of physical branches, these are general statements and do not provide concrete metrics such as emissions, renewable energy usage, waste diversion rates, or specific climate targets.

The company is preparing its first ESG report, but its contents are not yet available. Assessments from third-party sources indicate weak commitment to environmental sustainability and a lack of meaningful targets, but these are qualitative observations, not specific data points that can be scored against the rubric's quantitative thresholds.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Chime has established 20 formal partnerships through its Community Changemakers program, which includes alumni and current partners.

The company committed 1% of its equity to the Chime Scholars Foundation, which has awarded over $3.8 million to more than 500 recipients. This foundation provides scholarships to students from various backgrounds, including low-income or marginalized communities. The company offers 24/7 human help, which serves as a standard grievance process. However, there is no specific data on the percentage of revenue donated to cultural heritage organizations, nor is there a clear percentage of non-core revenue distributed to community development funds, beyond the equity commitment to the Scholars Foundation and support for grassroots leaders.

Safe & Smart Tech

Chime has partnered with FairPlay to incorporate fairness into its underwriting models, utilizing their solutions for automated fairness testing, monitoring, and optimization to identify and address biases.

Personal information is stored in an encrypted format. Users can opt out of marketing emails and exercise data access, deletion, and correction rights. They can also block transactions and receive real-time alerts. The company supports two-factor and fingerprint authentication. Chime collects only necessary data and retains it for at least two years. The company states it complies with GDPR, CCPA, and other relevant laws, and its accounts are FDIC insured up to $250,000. Cardholders are protected from unauthorized charges by Visa Zero Liability.