Chime bank is a popular online-only bank that allows you to deposit cash for free. It was founded in 2013 to challenge traditional banks. One of the key features that make Chime stand out from big banks is that it has not physical branches, but allows customers to put cash into a checking account. After the deposit money become available within a few minutes.
Add cash at the register is not a unique feature of Chime bank. Green Dot and Netspend started offering customers to deposit cash in retails stores much earlier.
Today Chime allows customers to deposit cash to their checking account at retail stores like Walgreens, Walmart, CVS Pharmacy, 7-Eleven, and many others. The deposit costs a small fee of up to $5 per deposit.
However, you’ll be pleased to find that Chime agreed with Walgreens to let you deposit cash for free. It is worth mentioning that Walgreens has more than 8,500 locations in the US so it is a big deal.
So if you still ask the question “Where can I add money to my Chime Card?” then the answer is simple. You can deposit cash at more than 75,000 participating stores. You can find these locations using the Chime mobile app.
How to load cash Chime?
Find location using location service in Chime app.
Visit the store and find the register.
At the register ask the cashier to deposit cash.
Hand cash and swipe Chime debit card.
Cashier may ask you to show ID if the amount you deposit is over a $100
Check that money was added to your account.
Are there any limits on how much you can put to Chime?
You can deposit up to $1,000 per day and $500 per deposit. Monthly limit is $10,000.
You can also watch a step-by-step video on how to put cash to Chime Debit Card in real life.
You can use other ways to add money to Chime account. For example, you can use “Mobile Check Deposit” or transfer money from another bank.
When you need to deposit paper check to checking account you may find that there are limits on amounts of deposit per month. While there are many ways to deposit paper check to bank account the most convenient is using your mobile phone. But before you deposit a check make sure you know how much time it is going to take.
Here are the remote deposit limits of popular banks. Some banks change limits based on customer’s trust worthiness and how much money you receive as a direct deposit, you average balance etc.
Bank
Monthly Limit
When Money Available
Eligibility
Chase
$7,500
Bank Of America
$15,000
Wells Fargo
$11,980
Capital One
$10,000
Ally Bank
$50,000
PNC Bank
$50,000
Chime
$2,000
Direct Deposit
Discover Bank
$25,000
Varo Money
$500
7 days
Cash App
–
–
Available to few users
GO2Bank
$15,000
Netspend Debit Card
$10,000
Spruce Bank
–
–
Unavailable
PayPal
$9,999
10 days
Current Bank
$2,000
3-5 days
Amex Checking
$5,000
2 business days
US Bank
$50+
10 days
It is specific for every user
Bank Of The West
$25,000
$10,000 per day
Charles Schwab
$100,000
7 days
Mobile Check Deposit Limits for various banks
Mobile check capture is a “must have” feature for modern banks. In 2013 only 10% of US banks adopted the remote deposit using mobile phone, but now it is more widespread. Still there are banks that don’t support it.
Mobile deposits with Ingo Money
Some banks and debit cards decided to outsource mobile check deposit to “Ingo Money”. It is a service, that handles check deposits. It takes 10 days for “Ingo Money” to process and clear the check. I don’t understand why it takes so much time, while other banks are able to finish deposit transaction in 1 or 2 business days. For example, PayPal cash account uses the service.
For some people who rarely receive paper checks, the limit may be not that important. At the same time other people who receive checks often may find mobile deposits very valuable.
Before we can find the ZIP code on a credit card we have to understand it and know how the ZIP code looks like. It is a 5 digit number that often often has a 4 digit tail. The code is much older than the credit card.
What is ZIP Code?
ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plan. It is a postal code used by the United States Postal Service or USPS. Initially it was introduced in 1963. The basic format consisted of five digits. In 1983 there was an improvement that added 4 digits. Extended version included the five original digits, followed by a hyphen and four additional digits that designated a more specific location. ZIP code is used by postal workers to deliver mail to your house. When you receive your plastic credit card in the mail – your ZIP code is on your mailing address.
Why would you need a ZIP code for a card?
You need the verification code when you pay for gas at a gas station. Imagine someone found your card and wanted to use it. Guessing your code is not an easy thing. At a gas station after the first wrong attempt the thief will not be able to try again for quite some time.
Online purchases often require the ZIP code of your credit card. In addition to security code and expiration date it adds another layer of protection. Merchants can ask for a this code to verify that the card is yours and it is not stolen.
How to find your ZIP code on your card?
When you receive your plastic credit card in the mail – your code is on your mailing address. When you fill address line 1 and address line 2 the following fields include ZIP code. So the answer for the original question is that the ZIP code for your credit card is the ZIP code where you received your credit card.
Does ZIP code change when you move?
Yes. The ZIP code for your card changes once you notify the issuing bank that you changed residence.
Mobile check deposit, also known as remote deposit, is a feature that allows bank customers to cash checks without visiting a bank branch or going to an ATM. All you need is your smartphone and the mobile app of your bank.
Bank Of America Mobile Check Deposit
This feature became especially important for online-only banks like Chime Bank and Varo Bank. At the same time, some fin-tech applications like Cash App and Spruce Money still lack this functionality.
Check Deposits using mobile phones became legal in 2004. But, by 2013 only 10% of banks adopted this feature. Now it became an industry standard, that every bank must have. Mobile check capture, as some banks call it, allows you to deposit a paper check by taking two pictures of a check you received. You should take the picture using the bank’s mobile app.
Capital One Mobile Check Deposit
Big banks like Chase, Bank Of America, and Wells Fargo have their mobile check deposit implementations. Therefore, they often make money available on the next business day or in two business days. However, in some rare cases, it can take a week to process the check. Often these banks have high limits on deposits. For example, Ally bank allows you to deposit $50,000 per month. Bank Of America limits your deposits to $15,000 per month.
Bank Name
Deposit Limit
Bank Of America
$15,000
Chase
$7,500
Wells Fargo
$11,980
Capital One
$10,000
PNC Bank
$50,000
Ally Bank
$50,000
Mobile Check Deposit Limits for various banks
Deposit check with Ingo Money
Other banks like US Bank, PayPal, GreenDot, SoFi, and Netspend have lower limits. Because they use a third-party service called Ingo Money that is offered by First Century bank. This service allows you to deposit paper checks in two ways. The first way is to deposit immediately for a small fee. The second option is to deposit in 10 business days for free. But, you should keep in mind that Ingo Money is peaky and can reject even a $10 check. Since Mobile Only banks have lower limits on deposits, so you may not be able to deposit a large check.
Ingo Money
You may also notice, that these banks often enable this feature only after you receive a direct deposit of a certain amount. Direct deposit is your salary. It means that just an ACH transfer is not enough. So if you only earn cash, this can limit your ability to deposit paper checks.
The general recommendation is to take pictures of the check on a dark background like a wooden table or a laptop. And make sure to turn on the lights so that the phone can take a good picture.
In most banking mobile apps you can find the “Deposit” button at the bottom of the dashboard. When you deposit, you have to first enter the amount of the check and then take pictures. Using the mobile app you can take pictures automatically. Make sure to place your phone right above the check. After you take the front picture of the check, you have to sign the back picture and take the back picture.
Deposited money can become available on the next business day.
Prepaid cards are very popular among underbanked people, who don’t trust big financial institutions. These prepaid debit cards are easy to obtain and easy to use. While traditional banks can reject your application for their checking account, prepaid cards are available to everyone.
You can easily apply for a prepaid debit card from your home and save a few bucks, but you’ll have to wait a couple of weeks to receive the card in mail. On the other hand, if you need a prepaid card immediately and cannot wait a couple of weeks, then you can buy a prepaid card in a retail store. It will cost you a fee around $5.
How to find such a retail store? There are two ways.
First way is to go outside and look for a Walmart, 7-Eleven, Walgreens, CVS. These stores are present in almost all states, so you must bump into one of them if you are in a big city. But you may want to be sure to find it quickly and not take chances.
Retails Stores
Second way is to go online. How to find the best debit card? Here are a few sources, where you can purchase a Prepaid Debit card like Netspend, Go2Bank and some other cards.
Go to the Go2Bank website and find a store by your location. You can enter a ZIP code so that it will find the nearest one. For a ZIP code 90004 in Los Angeles it finds few locations. Alternatively you can allow it to use your location and find a place to buy a prepaid debit card near you.
GO2Bank Reload locations
You can also go to Netspend website and use their location finder. You can enter city names like San Diego and find dozens of locations. All you need is your location and they’ll show your nearest retail location.
When you are going to buy a prepaid debit card it is important to ask yourself. Do I really need it immediately or do I want it? Chances are you can wait a couple of weeks and save $5. You can go even further and earn a $100 signup bonus if you apply for a Chime Debit card using promo code. With your first salary you may get the bonus. As an alternative, you can get a Current Debit Card and receive a $50 bonus. Check my referral links below or send them to your friend.
Best debit card is a personal choice of a person. Here are a few factors that can help you to choose a prepaid debit card. What features do you like?
When do you need it?
When you need a debit card ASAP, you may want to take the first available. Go2Bank and Netspend are an easy choice. You can buy these prepaid cards almost everywhere. After you resolved the urgent need for a card, you can calm down and start doing detailed research.
Payment network
You may want only Visa or only MasterCard. On the other hand you may be ok to use American Express and Discover It. The last two have limited footprints outside of the US, while Visa and MasterCard are accepted everywhere.
Fees
Paying annual fees or monthly fees may be OK for some users, if they receive some benefits. Others may want to avoid paying any fees. Debit cards like Go2Bank charge you a fee unless you receive a direct deposit every month. Debit cards of big banks can waive you a fee if you have some minimum balance.
Deposit cash
Many prepaid debit cards offer you to deposit cash at retail stores at the register for a small fee. But some cards allow you to deposit cash for free. And this is what can help you to make the choice.
Cash deposits using other cards can cost you up to $5.
Withdraw cash
If you often need cash, then some cards are better than others. For example, Chime gives you access to two ATM networks, AllPoint and MoneyPass. Other debit cards often give you access to only one of the networks.
If you want to withdraw cash anywhere in the world and receive rebates for fees charged by ATMs, then cards like Charles Schwab Debit Card and Fidelity Debit Card are your way to go.
Another interesting feature is withdrawing cash at the register using your PIN. Some cards allow this.
Transfer funds
Some debit cards allow you to transfer money from other banks, but not to other bank accounts. The Spruce Debit Card is a good example of this.
Deposit paper checks
To deposit paper check to you can use bank’s ATM if bank offers it or deposit paper checks using your mobile phone can save you a visit to your bank. So having this mobile check deposit feature may be the ultimate factor. Some banks hold the deposit for 10 days, while others release money on the next business day. There are more ways to deposit a paper check!
Paying bills
Some cards allow you to send paper checks online using their website. Others like Netspend have very limited functionality.
Earning interest on your savings
Some debit cards have high interest savings accounts that can pay you 4 and even 5% interest on your savings balance. For example, Varo bank pays 5% interest if you receive a direct deposit. Current Bank earns 4% interest. Some banks can earn you only 1 or 2%. Others don’t pay you any interest at all.
These are few factors that you should keep in mind when you choose a prepaid debit card.
American Express Bluebird prepaid card is one of the few debit cards that has some valuable benefits. The card has advantages and disadvantages. It means Bluebird prepaid card may be good for some people and others may have to choose some other card. For example, if you often visit Walmart, the card can bring you some benefits, but if you often go to some other store like Walgreens or CVS Chime or Capital One are better choices. At the same time, if you more often earn cash than spend it, your choice may be different.
Amex Bluebird has no minimum balance, no monthly fees, and no annual fees. So you can keep it as a secondary card and not to worry that you qualify for waiver.
You can apply for the card online or purchase a temporary one for $5 at a retail store. Then you should receive a permanent card in mail within 10 business days. It is 2 weeks. If you need the Bluebird card sooner, you can order expedited shipping in 4 business days. It will cost you $20. When you receive your permanent BlueBird card you have to activate it. Here is how to do it.
To add funds you can set up a direct deposit of your salary to your Bluebird prepaid card. All you need is to provide a Bluebird prepaid card routing number and account number to your employer. You can find these numbers in the My Profile section of your online account. Here is video instruction
If you set up direct deposit, make sure you don’t receive more than $100,000 per year. This is rather unusual limit.
Bluebird prepaid card is a good choice if you often shop at Walmart and even if you just have one nearby. You can add cash up to for free at Walmart and at other stores it can cost you up to $3.95. The deposit is limited to $1,999 per day at Walmart after you verify the email. And monthly limit is $5,000.
Another way to add funds is mobile check capture via Ingo Money. This is limited to $5,000 per day and $10,000 per month.
Bluebird prepaid card gives you access to a fee free network of ATMs where you can withdraw up to $750 per day. The network is called MoneyPass and it has more than 30,000 ATMs. But it cost $2.50 to withdraw money at an out of network ATM.
If you want more ways to withdraw cash, Bluebird has a feature called “Cash Pickup powered by Ria”. There is a fee for withdrawal, it is $3 for up to $500, $6 per $500 up to $1,000. Amounts from $1,000 to $2,900 cost $9. Also Bluebird prepaid cards have other limits. For example, your purchases using the card are limited to $15,000 per month.
It is worth mentioning that Bluebird account balance doesn’t earn any interest and there is no linked savings account. At the same time some banks have checking accounts that pay small interest. In this context Bluebird doesn’t look great.
Overall Bluebird debit card is fine if you often visit Walmart and don’t have much money. However, even in this case there are many better cards and bank accounts.
Getting a debit card is a dream for many kids as young as 6 years old. They often ask their parents when they can get a debit card. How old do you have to be to get a debit card?
Some banks allow you to open a debit card for kids when they are only 6 years old. Other banks require kids to be teenagers and require you to be at least 13 years old. In all cases parents have to have an account at the bank and a child should have an SSN.
For example, Chase bank has a Debit Card for Kids and Teens that is called “Chase First Banking”. Chase charges no monthly or annual fee if you are older than 6 and up to 17. In addition Chase has teen savings account. The debit card gives you access to Chase ATMs, so you can withdraw cash as needed.
Capital One in its turn has a fee-free MONEY Teen Checking account. Kids age 6 to 17 can get the debit card that allows them to make purchases. Additionally, kids can have a savings account with high interest. The debit card looks exactly like the one that adults have.
Fidelity also offers checking and brokerage accounts for teenagers above 13 years old.
Copper debit card requires kids to be at least 13 years old, but it has no monthly fees. It also allows kids to deposit cash at retail locations, but it can cost up to $5.
Other debit cards for kids often have an annual or monthly fee. Greenlight, for example, has a minimum $5 monthly fee and if you want more features and benefits you can pay $10. In my opinion it is a great opportunity to teach kids to calculate net benefits. Paying even $5 out of your own money every month may not be as attractive for savvy kids.
On the other hand credit cards for kids don’t exist. So you can apply for a secured credit card only when you are 18 years old. Parents, however, can add their adult kids as authorized users to a credit card that they already have. This way kids will inherit the credit history of their parents and should have higher chances of being approved for a better credit card.
Charles Schwab is most known for its brokerage account where you can invest money and keep your retirement savings. It also has a Debit Card with High Yield Investor Checking account. So if you have a Schwab Brokerage account you should consider its Visa Platinum Debit Card.
The card has silver color and has no card number on the front side. However, it has a security chip and a contactless payments feature. If the point of sale has no contactless feature and security chip reader, you can still swipe it as an old style plastic.
Beside having no minimum balance and no monthly or annual fees it pays above the average 0.45% APY on your checking balance.
The debit card has no foreign transaction fees, which makes it fine choice for travelers. However, I wouldn’t recommend using it to make purchases abroad and in the US. To spend money you should get a credit card.
You can write checks! A free checkbook is another nice benefit that Charles Schwab offers for owners of its checking account.
Does Schwab Checking have FDIC insurance? Yes. The FDIC protection is up to $250,000 included!
You can also receive your salary to the checking account. It has account number and routing number. Here is how to find your account number.
Customer support of Schwab high yield investor checking account is outstanding. I have never had to wait more than a couple of minutes on line. They almost immediately take my call. Bank Of America at the same time, can easily keep me on hold for 15 minutes straight.
Can I use the Debit Card to withdraw cash?
Debit cards are often called ATM cards. Because they allow you to withdraw cash from an ATM. Schwab ATM card gives you access to ATMs worldwide and rebates ATM fees. ATMs that are in MoneyPass, Plus, and Visa networks are not going to charge you any fees. And even if they mistakenly charge you, Charles Schwab is going to reimburse you.
The maximum you can withdraw per day is $1,000. The limit can be higher, if you meet certain conditions. Keep in mind that ATMs have their own limits. Also be aware, that your purchases are limited to $15,000.
How to add money to Schwab Checking Account?
You can deposit paper checks using mobile check deposit feature or mail the check. Daily deposit maximum is $100,000. Being able to deposit that amount in one day blows my mind.
Usually banks have much smaller limits on mobile deposits. The most generous limits of Ally Bank and PNC Banks are $50,000 per month.
Schwab Checking account makes $225 of the deposit available on the next business day. Large amounts over $5,525 should be available after 5 business days, which means a week.
There are other ways to add money to Schwab account. For example, you can setup direct deposit of salary or paycheck. ACH transfer from your external bank account works too.
You can link Schwab account to your other bank using Schwab account number and routing number. Then push money to Schwab from external bank. In this case money should be available after 2 business days.
Alternative is to link external bank account to Schwab and pull money. In this case transfer takes 4 business days as Schwab keeps an additional safety hold.
Does Schwab have any fees?
Apparently Charles Schwab earns very little on the investor checking account. Most probably this debit card is a complementary service to its primary business of brokerage commissions.
I was able to find only a few fees. Outgoing wire transfer fee of $25 which is less than many other banks. Another fee $15 is for expedited shipping of card replacement.
Fee
Amount
Foreign Transaction Fee
$0
Maintenance Fee
$0
ATM fees
$0
Outgoing Wire transfer
$25
Does Schwab Debit Card support Zelle?
Yes, Schwab has integrated Zelle so you can send and receive money by phone or email. Do you want to know what it Zelle? It is a peer to peer payment system that was made by largest banks of the US and now majority of banks integrated it.
Sending and receiving money with Zelle makes Schwab account on par with other banks.
You should check my review of Charles Schwab debit card on YouTube!
Getting a Fidelity Debit Card with a checking account makes sense if you already have a Fidelity investing account and/or Fidelity Credit Card and really enjoy it. After all, combining financial services under a single financial institution might make your life so much easier.
What are the benefits of a Fidelity Debit Card?
This is a Visa debit card with chip for enhanced security protection and contactless feature, that allows you to pay with a tap.
You’ll receive the debit card in mail withing a couple of weeks after account opening. Before you can use it the card should be activated. Here is how to activate the card.
Fidelity cash management account is a high yield checking account that pays 1.19% APY on your balance. It is one of the highest interest paid by checking accounts. Other high yield checking accounts usually pay only 0.1%.
In addition to the high interest on your balance Fidelity offers $100 signup bonus. All you have to do is open new account using promo code Fidelity100 and deposit $50. Why am I so sure? I just got my bonus!
You can receive your salary or any other payments to your Fidelity checking account. It has account and routing numbers that your employer can use to send you a paycheck.
Keep in mind that Fidelity Debit Card has a foreign transaction fee of 1%. So it is not a good idea to take the debit card on a trip.
The debit card account has some limits.
Limit
Amount
Daily purchase
$10,000
Cash advance
$2,500
Cash transfer
$2,500
Debit cards are also known as ATM cards because they allow you to withdraw cash from ATMs.
At what ATMs can you use your Fidelity ATM Card?
You can use any ATM in the world that has the Visa, Plus, or Star logo. Fidelity Cash Management Account reimburses all ATM fees, which is my favorite feature.
Other banks’ debit cards, such as Bank of America, Chase, and Wells Fargo, allow you to use only ATMs in their network. You will be charged an ATM fee at all other ATMs. A $3 fee is quite common.
What is the Fidelity ATM withdrawal limit?
You can withdraw up to $520 with up to 6 transactions. The withdrawal limit is close to industry average.
Can I overdraft my Fidelity account?
Yes. You can turn on overdraft protection so that as soon as your balance dips below $0 Fidelity can automatically transfer funds to Cash Management account. For this you need special Fidelity funding account. Usually it is a brokerage account.
Can I pay bills from a Fidelity Checking?
Yes, you can use the Fidelity checking account to pay bills and even send paper checks. Fidelity will issue a paper check in your name. There is no need for an envelope, stamps, or address writing.
All you have to do is add Payee and then bank should handle it on their own.
Does Fidelity Debit Card have any other benefits?
Extended warranty services for the first 90 days after purchase. I think this benefit is not very useful. Majority of retail stores in the US will accept your return without any questions anyway.
Travel and emergency assistance is a nice thing, but a very common one. Almost all Visa cards offer it by default.
Travel Accident Insurance is also widespread among good credit cards. For a debit card this perk is rather unusual.
Auto rental collision damage waiver can save you some money when you rent a car. It is also very common benefit.
Keeping in mind all these benefits, I would strongly recommend not using your debit card for any kind of purchases. Since merchants and service providers often put a hold on funds in your card you may find that significant part of your account balance is frozen.
Other than that, Fidelity Cash Management has no minimum balance, no account fees and has FDIC insurance up to one million dollars of your balance.
