Looking to use Chime to pay your friends? This post will give you the complete guide on Chime Pay Friends feature. We answer the common queries including questions like how does Chime Pay friends work, can you pay to friends without Chime account , how long does it take and solutions to problems like Chime Pay Friends not working issue etc.
Chime is a popular online-only financial technology company offering fee-free banking services with the banking partners like The Bancorp Bank and Strides N.A banks. It leverages technology to offer most banking services, keeps it cost low and has a ton of innovative features, which has made it a favorite among its members.
One of the innovative features in Chime’s repertoire is the Chime Pay Friends Feature where you can pay your friends right from within Chime App, even if the friend is not having an account with Chime. Even if your friend has not downloaded the Chime app.
In such cases(where a friend is not on Chime), your friend will get an email or text message with a link to claim the receipt.
This feature actually works similar to Zelle (which is actually a product of a consortium of large banks) but Zelle requires the recipient to download and register on Zelle to receive the funds. Here, in Chime, this is optional as person can receive the funds even without signing up for Chime. So it makes it even better than other money transfer apps including Venmo or Cash App, where both users need to be using the service to be able to send and receive money.
But how does the Chime Pay Friends feature exactly work?
How Does Chime Pay Friends Work?
You can pay anyone using the Pay Friends feature on Chime. If your friend is also a Chime member, you can use their Chime username (also called $Chime Sign) to send the money and your friend will receive money instantly in their Chime account.
On the other hand, if the person is not on Chime, you have to enter the email id or US Registered Mobile number to make the payment. The recipient will receive a text or email with the link and has 14 days to claim the funds.
There are 2 ways to claim the funds: Way 1) by entering the debit card details (linked to another bank account where you want to receive the credit) or Way 2) choose to open a new Chime account to
How to Use Chime Pay Friends Feature?
- Open your Chime mobile app and login
- Go to the “Friends” tab on home page
- Find your friend’s name from the contacts list. Of if your friend is not on Chime, enter the email or phone number of person (make sure the details are correct, as the transfer is irreversible if completed)
- Enter the amount you want to send
- Enter the reason for sending the money
- Confirm the transfer details i.e. amount and recipient are correct
- Next tap on “Pay Now” to send money
Chime Pay Friends limit per day
Chime does not have a daily limit for Pay Friends. However, there is a limit of $2000 per calendar month.
Chime Pay Friends without Chime
You can use the Chime Pay Friends feature to also send money to friends who are not on Chime. For this, you need to manually enter the email id or mobile number of the person.
They will receive an email or text message with the link to claim the payment within 14 days by entering a debit card number linked to their bank account. Alternatively, the friend can choose to open a new account with Chime to get the credit (optional).
Before attempting to make the payment to a friend who are not on Chime, make sure you have the correct details of their mobile or email id as the Chime Pay Friend transfer is not reversible once it is completed. However, you do get an option to cancel the transfer if it is pending, where you will receive funds back immediately.
The best thing to do in are in doubt (especially if your friend is not on Chime) is make a test transfer of very small amount to check if your friend is able to claim and receive the money. Then do the actual transfer with the same details.
There are no fees for using the Chime Pay friends feature, so use this to your advantage.
Alternatively, you can invite your friend to join Chime and then make the payment, This can even get both of you a referral bonus of $100, if you friend gets a direct deposit of $200 or more in their Chime account within 45 days of account opening.
Here is how you can invite friends to Chime.
How to Add Friends to Chime
To invite friends using the Chime mobile app:
- At the top-left corner, select Settings.
- At the top of the Settings screen, tap Invite Friends.
- Select names from your contacts to send an invite, customize the message if you’d like, and tap Send.
Chime Pay Friends not working
There can be some cases where Chime Pay Friends not working. This may be due to no. of reasons:
- You have not updated to latest version of Chime Mobile App
- Your access to Pay Friend feature is blocked (based on your Chime activity and history, Chime can block access in certain cases, as per their terms )
- Chime server is down or there is an outage (rare case)
- You have exceeded your Chime send limit ($2000 per calendar month) or your friend (if he is a Chime user) has exceeded Chime receive limit ( $6000 per month)
You can get in touch with Chime Support on their email id – [email protected] if you feel the issue is difficult to understand.
Chime Pay Friends dispute | Is Chime Payments Safe
While Chime Pay Friends is protected, it is irreversible (once completed) and Chime advises to use it only with people you trust. If you use Chime Pay Friends to make payment to a merchant for goods and services, you may not have any scope of getting a refund through Chime and would have to work directly with the merchant. Also, any error on your end in selecting the recipient or entry of incorrect amount is also out of scope to register dispute with Chime.
So it is better you use Chime Pay Friends feature only with your circle of trust. It is better you do a test transfer of small amount if you have any doubt on the recipient, especially if they are not on Chime. Make sure you confirm the transfer details including the amount etc. before you hit the send button.
How long does Chime Pay Friends take? Is Chime Pay Friends instant
If you send money to a friend who is a Chime member (using Chime Pay Friend), your friend will receive the money instantly in their Chime account. On the other hand, if your friend is not on Chime, the time taken to receive money depends on how soon he claims the funds by entering his or her debit card details (your friend has to make the claim within 14 days)
Wrap Up
Hope this post gave you some insights on how the Chime Pay Friends feature work. This is another innovative product from Chime and being an instant transfer and within Chime app, it speeds up the process. But make sure you use it only with your friend and family, whom you can trust.
