How to Cancel Chime Account: Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Have you decided it’s time to close your Chime account? Maybe you no longer need it or simply want to switch to another digital bank.

Canceling a Chime account fully is possible but not as straightforward as you might expect.

So how do you delete your Chime account properly? By following some key steps to unlink connected accounts, clear balances, gather documents, and confirm your closure request through the Chime mobile app and support team.

This complete guide walks through the account deletion process in detail, covering:

• Step-by-Step Instructions to Close Your Account
• What to Do Before Closing Your Chime Account
• When You Cannot Delete a Chime Account
• Impacts on Your Credit Score and Money
• Alternatives to Chime After Closing
• Whether You Can Reopen a Closed Account
• Plus Mistakes to Avoid and Final Tips!

Let’s start by looking at the key things you need to do to safely and smoothly cancel your Chime account.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Delete Your Chime Account

Ready to proceed with closing your account? Here are the steps to take:

1. Log Into the Chime Mobile App

First, open the Chime app on your mobile device and log into your account by entering your credentials.

You’ll need access to initiate the account deletion process.

2. Transfer Out Any Remaining Balance

Next, you should transfer money out from Chime to move your current balance to a new account.

You can send funds to your connected bank account, Cash App, PayPal, or similar.

Tip: Clearing out your balance makes account closure faster and avoids having to wait for Chime to mail remaining funds later.

3. Unlink Connected Accounts

With your money transferred out, head to Settings > Linked Accounts and tap “Unlink” by any connected accounts like your bank or Cash App.

Unlinking accounts and payment methods ensures no unwanted charges or transactions down the line after closing your Chime account.

4. Gather Tax Documents or Statements

While logged into your account, go to Settings > Documents and save any statements or tax forms you may need for personal records.

These documents won’t be accessible after confirmation of account termination.

5. Navigate to Settings to Close Account

Next, from the main Settings menu, choose Personal Info > Close Account to initiate the Chime account deletion.

Follow the prompts by entering any details it requests to proceed.

6. Confirm Account Closure

Finally, finish by completing the last steps to confirm closure of your Chime account permanently.

Chime states accounts are typically closed within 5 days after receiving this account deletion request.

And that covers the end-to-end process for how to cancel your Chime account directly through the mobile app!

But there are some other things you should do before closing your account successfully.

What to Do Before Closing Your Chime Account

Prior to starting the Chime account closure process, it’s smart to complete these preparatory steps:

Settle Any Negative Balances or Fees

If your account has a negative balance from an overdraft or unpaid fees, you must resolve this first.

Chime won’t allow account deletion until you pay the outstanding difference.

Contact Chime’s support team if you need help clearing a balance.

Redirect Direct Deposits and Automated Payments

Similarly, redirect any direct deposit transactions or automatic/recurring payments to a new account before closing your account.

This avoids funds getting stuck in the closed account.

Download Important Documents

While still logged into your Chime account, save key statements or documents that you may need for personal records.

Once your account is closed, you lose access to these, so downloading tax forms, account statements, or other paperwork is crucial while you still can.

Handling these items in advance of account termination helps ensure the deletion process goes smoothly without any last hiccups.

Now let’s look at a few cases where you actually can’t remove a Chime account right away.

When You Cannot Delete a Chime Account

In some scenarios, immediately closing your account isn’t possible due to:

Outstanding Overdraft Balances

If you have an unpaid negative balance from using Chime’s overdraft or “SpotMe” feature, you must repay this amount first before account removal.

Pending Investigations

If Chime flags your account for potential fraud or abuse under review, it may result in a hold on closing the account until the investigation concludes.

Not the Account Owner

Only the primary owner of a Chime account can initiate closure. If you are not the original owner, you won’t see account deletion options without contacting Chime support for help.

In these cases, you will need to contact Chime’s customer service team by phone or email to resolve the issue delaying account termination.

So now that you know how to delete your Chime account fully, you may be wondering…

Does Closing a Chime Account Affect My Credit Score?

The good news is closing your account does not directly impact your credit score or report at the major bureaus.

As Chime provides banking services but not lines of credit, there is no credit limit or account history to close that would influence your score.

However, any mishandling of balances or payments tied to closing your account could indirectly affect your credit. For example, leaving recurring charges without updating payment methods could lead to missed payments sent to a closed account, hurting your credit.

So be sure to redirect or cancel existing payments before account closure.

Next, what happens if you have a balance still when removing your account?

What Happens to My Money if I Close My Chime Account?

Ideally, you will want to transfer money out from your Chime balance to another account prior to closure. This ensures immediate access to the funds.

However, if any amount remains in your Chime account when you close it, Chime states they mail a check for the remaining balance to your registered address on file within 30 days of account termination.

So you wouldn’t lose the money left behind, but it may take some weeks to receive if you failed to withdraw funds beforehand while deleting your Chime app.

Once you close your account with Chime, you may consider switching to another popular digital bank.

Alternatives to Chime After Closing Your Account

If you’re moving on from Chime after canceling your account, here are a few alternative online banking options to consider:

• Ally Bank: Top-rated online bank with no monthly fees and robust mobile app.
• Varo Bank: Digital challenger bank with advanced budgeting tools and high-yield savings.
• Simple: User-friendly banking specifically optimized for digital experience.

Each provides modern features like easy peer transfers, budgeting, savings, mobile check deposit, and more – potentially better aligned with what you may be seeking beyond Chime.

Evaluating your priorities around account costs, functionality, convenience can help identity the best new primary bank account for your money.

On that note, a common question is whether you can reopen a cancelled account later or not.

Can I Reopen My Closed Chime Account?

Once confirming account closure, Chime does not let you reopen that specific closed account down the road.

However, their policy does allow creating a new Chime account afresh at any time, should you switch services but later wish to return.

Keep in mind though, you cannot open a new account if you previously closed a Chime account with an unpaid negative balance at time of termination.

This considers your slate clean to start fresh again as a new customer if desired.

If interested in reopening your recently closed account due to a change of mind, you would need to contact Chime support directly to request reactivating your closed account. But approval is not guaranteed.

So how long does the closure process take?

How Long Does It Take to Close a Chime Account?

Chime notes that after submitting your account closure request, whether directly in the app or through their support team, accounts are typically deactivated within 5 business days.

This timeline may extend longer in certain cases depending on pending transactions or investigations flagging the account during the deletion process.

But under normal circumstances, expect your Chime account closed within about one week from your closure confirmation date.

Finally, is there a termination fee when you close out your account?

Is There a Fee to Close My Chime Account?

The good news is Chime does not charge any sort of account closing fee when you request to delete your account.

Account closure is free, as long as you’ve paid off any existing negative balances before submitting your closure request.

So unlike some other financial accounts, you won’t incur any termination or deactivation fees purely for closing your primary Chime banking account itself.

Closing Other Accounts Related to Chime

In addition to your core Chime checking/savings accounts, you may also need to cancel related accounts separately:

Amazon Chime

If you use Amazon Chime for messaging/calls and are closing your AWS account, your Amazon Chime will automatically terminate as well.

Otherwise, you can manually delete Amazon Chime accounts through the Amazon Chime console settings.

Chime Subscriptions

Since Chime does not manage ongoing subscriptions themselves, you will need to independently change payment methods or cancel subscriptions tied to your Chime account before closure.

Updating billing details for these is essential if you wish to continue the subscription services themselves without interruption when your account closes.

Chime Payments

Similarly, directly in your Chime account, you can cancel pending or recurring payments before account termination.

Access Activity > Pending Transactions to cancel payments not yet processed from your closing account.

Chime Debit Card

You can block your Chime debit card via the app before account closure to avoid any unwanted card transactions after deleting your account.

Handling these ancillary account closures or changes alongside your core Chime account cancellation ensures a smooth transition without lingering financial links back to your closed account.

Why You May Want to Close Your Chime Account

There are a few reasons why someone may opt to delete their Chime account, including:

• Bank Switching: Choosing another bank with better rates or features
• Cost Savings: No longer needing premium accounts or services
• Account Security: Consolidating finances into fewer institutions
• Low Activity: Rarely using account features anymore
• Customer Service: Experiencing unsatisfactory support

Determining what’s most important to you in a banking provider can clarify if moving on from Chime to another digital bank make sense for your situation.

Mistakes to Avoid When Closing Your Chime Account

When navigating the account deletion process, sidestep these common mistakes:

• Not clearing account balances – delaying closure
• Forgetting to download key documents pre-closure
• Leaving auto-payments hooked to closed account
• Failing to notify direct deposit contacts

Avoiding these missteps ensures your account severs ties cleanly for a smooth transition to a new financial institution.

What to Do if Chime Closes Your Account Unexpectedly?

In some rare cases, Chime may close accounts unexpectedly on their side due to suspected fraud or other concerns flagged for review.

If this occurs, take the following steps:

• Contact support to understand reason for closure
• Update direct deposit contacts with new account details
• Monitor credit report to ensure no mistakes

While inconvenient if you still actively needed the account, handling impacts promptly prevents major issues upon an unexpected Chime account closure.

Final Thoughts on Closing Your Chime Account

I hope this guide covered everything you need to know to successfully close your Chime account.

While Chime makes it reasonably straightforward to handle their account termination directly in their app, taking some preparatory steps ensures the process goes smoothly.

Be sure to clear out balances, downloaded documents, unlink other accounts, cancel subscriptions, and redirect payments before deletion.

Within about one week after you confirm closing your account, you should regain access to any remaining funds, while being safely switched over to a suitable new digital bank alternative for your ongoing banking needs.

And remember – should you change your mind later down the road, you can always open a brand new Chime account again hassle free if you choose.

Follow this comprehensive playbook when ready to cancel your account, and you’ll complete Chime’s account deletion protocol quickly and cleanly.