Chime is a popular fintech company whose online banking app has over 22.3 million users as of April 2024^[1]. It offers its customers several features, including fee-free overdrafts, early direct deposits, and credit builder cards^[2].

If you’re a Chime user, you may encounter an unauthorized or incorrect charge on your account. When that happens, disputing a charge is the correct course of action.

In this guide, we'll discuss how to dispute a charge on Chime and provide tips for a successful payment dispute resolution process. You'll also learn about virtual cards and ways they can help you avoid some of the reasons for filing a dispute in the first place.

Disclaimer: The information in this guide is accurate as of February 2025. For up-to-date information, visit the official Chime website or contact customer support directly.

Can You Dispute a Charge on Chime?

As a Chime user, you can conveniently dispute any unauthorized or incorrect charge on your account. However, the company limits the types of charges users can dispute. As such, you can’t dispute the following charges with Chime^[3]:

• Money transfers between Chime accounts registered under your name
• Paper checks that you mail from your Chime app
• Any bill payments you settle with your Chime Checkbook
• Chargeback payments and other adjustments resulting from disputes with external banks
• Wage garnishments and levies
• Round-up or Save When I Get Paid transfers credited into your Savings Account

But before you dispute a transaction, it’s a good idea to contact the merchant directly first to try and resolve the issue. The merchant may offer a refund, product replacement, or another solution, saving you time and effort. However, if they’re uncooperative or unreachable, you can proceed to dispute the charge on Chime.

How To Dispute a Transaction on Chime

Before you dispute a transaction on Chime, it’s important to gather supporting documentation for efficient investigation. This includes^[4]:

• Dated receipts or invoices
• Delivery and shipping information
• Confirmation emails, tracking numbers, and written requests to cancel or stop the transaction
• Photos of the defective or damaged merchandise
• A link to the product's description on the merchant's website
• Evidence showing discrepancies between the advertised price and the actual charge

With the documentation prepared, you can dispute a transaction on Chime in two ways:

1. Via the Chime app
2. Via phone

How To Dispute a Charge on the Chime App

The easiest way to dispute a charge on Chime is through the app. Here are the steps to follow^[4]:

1. Launch the Chime app on your mobile device.
2. Tap the account with the transaction you want to view.
3. Find the charge you want to dispute from the list.
4. Tap Problem with this transaction? and follow the on-screen prompts to submit a dispute.

After you file the dispute, the Chime team will investigate and notify you of the resolution via email. You can also track the dispute status through the app^[5].

How To Dispute a Chime Charge via Phone

If you prefer to speak with a representative, you can dispute a charge on Chime by calling the customer support team at (844) 244-6363^[4]. Make sure to have the following information ready:

• Your Chime account number
• The transaction details (date, amount, merchant name)
• Reason for dispute
• Any supporting documentation, such as receipts or emails

The representative will initiate the dispute process and provide further instructions if necessary.

What Happens When You Dispute a Transaction on Chime

When you file a dispute on Chime, the process involves:

1. Investigation
2. Provisional credit
3. Final decision

Investigation

Depending on the nature of the dispute, Chime may take 45 to 90 days to investigate the transaction^[6]. If your card was lost, stolen, or used to make unauthorized payments, Chime will deactivate and replace it within 7–10 business days^[7] to prevent further fraudulent transactions on your account.

Provisional Credit

If Chime can't complete the investigation within 10 business days (or 20 business days for new accounts) after receiving your dispute, they’ll apply a provisional credit to your account for the disputed amount^[6]. 

A provisional credit is a temporary refund to your account while the investigation is ongoing. It allows you to access the disputed funds and continue using your Chime card without interruption. However, a provisional credit isn't proof of final resolution and can be reversed if the investigation is resolved in favor of the merchant.

Not all disputes are eligible for temporary credit. In the table below, you can see which types of transactions qualify for provisional credit and which don’t^[8]:

Final Decision

After completing the investigation, Chime will email you a final resolution^[6]. If they approve your dispute, the provisional credit will become permanent, and you won't owe anything on that transaction. However, if they reject your dispute, the provisional credit will be reversed, and the disputed amount will be deducted from your account.

Why Payment Disputes Can Be Challenging (and What To Do)

Companies like Chime make disputing charges convenient and straightforward. Still, the dispute resolution process can be challenging since you need to gather supporting documentation. Even when you do, the process can be lengthy, taking weeks or months to resolve. The outcome of the process is uncertain, too, and the provisional credit may be reversed. 

Fortunately, there’s a way you can avoid some of the reasons for filing a payment dispute altogether—using a virtual card for online transactions. A virtual card comes with a unique 16-digit number, expiration date, and security code that substitutes your actual card details when shopping online. This way, your real payment card information isn’t shared with the merchant, helping reduce the risk of fraud in case of a breach.

While banks like Capital One and Citi offer virtual cards, you must have an account with them to access this feature. Additionally, they might provide limited features to protect you from having to file a payment dispute.

By signing up with a trusted provider like Privacy, you can get virtual cards that are compatible with many U.S. bank and use it. For instance, credit unions. Privacy employs bank-grade security and offers advanced card controls that allow you to avoid disputes and chargeback headaches.

Privacy Virtual Cards—The Safer Way To Transact Online

Privacy is a BBB-accredited virtual card provider trusted by over 250,000 users. After linking a bank account or debit card to Privacy, you can generate multiple virtual cards for single or recurring use. 

Privacy offers three types of virtual cards:

1. Single-Use Cards—Designed for one-off transactions, these cards close moments after completing the first transaction. After that, even if a potential hacker manages to get your card details, they’ll be useless to them. You can use these cards to make purchases on unfamiliar websites.
2. Merchant-Locked Cards—These cards "lock" to the first vendor you transact with, making them a perfect choice for recurring payments like bills and subscription services. Any attempts to use the card with a different merchant will be declined.
3. Category-Locked Cards—These cards are “tied” to a specific spending category, such as retail, education, or sports and fitness, aiding budgeting and spending control. A merchant outside the designated category won't be able to process payments with these cards.

You can set a custom spending limit on each Privacy Card, and Privacy will decline transactions above the limit. This feature helps protect you from billing errors such as hidden fees, duplicate charges, and incorrect amounts.

Privacy lets you pause or close your virtual card anytime, blocking further transaction attempts. This protects you against accidental charges, such as those that might sneak up on you while canceling a subscription.

If you still need to dispute a charge made with your Privacy Card, the Privacy team will investigate your claim and file a chargeback if there are grounds for it.

Enjoy More Convenience With Privacy Cards

To make your virtual card management and online shopping experience seamless, Privacy offers additional convenience features such as:

• Privacy Browser Extension—Available for Firefox, Chrome, Edge, and Safari (including Safari for iOS), the extension autofills card information at checkout, facilitating quick and secure transactions.
• Privacy App—Available for Android and iOS, the mobile app allows you to create, manage, and monitor virtual cards on the go. You can set transaction alerts to get instant notifications whenever your Privacy Cards are used or declined for quick detection of unusual activity.
• 1Password integration—This integration enables you to create and manage your Privacy Cards and login credentials within the 1Password browser extension.
• Shared Card—This feature allows you to share your virtual cards with family members or trusted friends, giving them access to your budget without revealing your actual card details.
• Card Notes—You can add notes to each card, making it easy to remember where and how you use it. For instance, you can add a note with the date you’re expecting the card to be automatically charged again

You can use Privacy Virtual Cards with most vendors that accept U.S. Visa^® or Mastercard^® payments, including subscription services such as LinkedIn Premium, PayPal, and NordVPN.

How To Get Started With Privacy

Joining Privacy is straightforward—complete these four steps to start enjoying worry-free online payments:

1. Create an account
2. Provide the required Know-Your-Customer (KYC) information to verify your identity
3. Connect a funding source
4. Request your first Privacy Card

Privacy has four monthly plans—learn more about them in the following table:

References

^[1]Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1239190/challenger-banks-users-in-the-united-states/, sourced December 17, 2024

^[2]Chime. https://www.chime.com/, sourced December 17, 2024

^[3]Chime. https://help.chime.com/hc/en-us/articles/16354697335703-What-kinds-of-transactions-can-I-dispute, sourced December 17, 2024

^[4]Chime. https://help.chime.com/hc/en-us/articles/221405728-How-do-I-dispute-a-charge-on-my-card, sourced December 17, 2024

^[5]Chime. https://help.chime.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500003050061-How-do-I-check-the-status-of-my-dispute, sourced December 17, 2024

^[6]Chime. https://help.chime.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408356988311-How-long-will-it-take-to-resolve-my-dispute#:~:text=Depending%20on%20the%20transaction%20and,temporary%20credit%20to%20your%20account., sourced December 17, 2024

^[7]Chime. https://help.chime.com/hc/en-us/articles/9021781544855-Why-did-Chime-close-my-card-after-I-reported-an-unauthorized-charge, sourced December 17, 2024

^[8]Chime. https://help.chime.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500011981082-What-s-a-temporary-credit, sourced December 17, 2024

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