Chime Financial, the US fintech, is thriving as cost-of-living pressures push consumers toward cheaper banking alternatives. Traditionally serving lower-income users with no-frills checking and secured credit cards, Chime's fastest growth now comes from customers earning over $75,000 annually. CEO Christopher Britt says fee-free “Prime” status attracts affluent users who want rewards without high credit-card fees.

In the 12 months to June, Chime opened 1.7mn new checking accounts, matching the pace of JPMorgan Chase. Analysts expect full-year earnings of $170mn, reversing earlier loss forecasts. After a volatile IPO, Chime’s stock has risen back above its listing price — a rare feat among 2025’s large US IPOs, where only nine of 21 trade above offer price.

Challenges remain: reliance on swipe fees and high marketing spend (about a quarter of Q2 revenue). Yet valuation has compressed from 8.8x to 4.8x enterprise value/revenue. Chime’s reliability — consistently beating forecasts — has drawn institutional investors, contrasting with peers like StubHub and Klarna that missed targets or grew unpredictably.