Chime Financial CEO Touts 25% Growth, New Premium Tier and AI Push at Morgan Stanley TMT Conference

Chime Financial (NASDAQ:CHYM) Chief Executive Officer Chris Britt outlined the company’s strategy, recent operating performance, and product roadmap during a discussion at the Morgan Stanley TMT Conference. Britt described Chime as a consumer banking and payments “disruptor” that is increasingly becoming a primary account destination for customers switching away from traditional banks.

Focus on primary banking relationships

Britt said Chime was built to serve roughly 200 million Americans earning up to about $100,000 a year who largely live paycheck to paycheck, which he described as the company’s “sweet spot,” though he noted Chime has recently begun moving “a little bit higher” on the income spectrum. He attributed the brand’s appeal to a “holistic suite of services” and a mission of helping members make financial progress—citing member feedback that 97% say Chime is helping them make progress.

He emphasized that Chime is not a “point solution” fintech, but rather a brand consumers think of as primary banking. As examples of brand momentum, Britt cited third-party research indicating Chime trails only Chase in unaided online-banking brand awareness, and he referenced J.D. Power research saying Chime opens more bank accounts in America every month than any other brand, about 40% higher than the number two player, Chase.

Financial update and 2026 priorities

Discussing the company’s most recent quarterly results, Britt said Chime delivered 25% top-line growth and a 10% adjusted EBITDA margin, calling it the company’s third quarter as a public company and its third quarter of “beating and raising.” He also said adjusted EBITDA was up 50% year-over-year on an incremental basis.

Looking ahead, Britt framed priorities around continued product innovation to capture share of primary bank accounts, scaling a newer “Enterprise Channel,” and expanding the use of AI.

• Consumer product expansion: Britt pointed to last year’s launch of Chime Card and said the company plans to launch a new “more premium tier of service” with additional rewards, higher APY, and added services intended to make Chime “the most rewarding place to bank.” He also said Chime plans to move into investment accounts and to support trust accounts, joint accounts, and custodial accounts for kids.
• Enterprise Channel: Britt said the enterprise initiative remains early but is showing promising momentum.
• AI: Britt said Chime is using AI to improve member experience and operational efficiency, including an updated AI co-pilot called “Jade” that is intended to become more proactive in nudging members toward “smart financial decisions.”

Chime Core and product velocity

Britt said a key differentiator has been the company’s move to operate its own core ledger and processing platform, called Chime Core, rather than relying on third parties. He said this approach has delivered cost advantages and accelerated product rollout.

He said Chime’s cost to serve per active checking account member is about one-third that of a large money-center bank and about one-fifth that of a regional bank. Britt estimated that running its own processing and ledger provides about a 60% cost savings, adding that Chime has realized “a good chunk” of that benefit already. He also said Chime operates at close to a 90% gross margin and about a 70% transaction margin, while emphasizing that the larger advantage is the ability to prioritize and launch features without waiting in third-party queues.

Chime Card adoption and credit products

Britt discussed Chime Card as a secured credit card designed to provide credit-building benefits while limiting consumer risk by requiring funds to be set aside. He said Chime reports successful repayment to the credit bureaus and that the product can result in a positive credit score change of up to about 70 points.

He said the latest version of Chime Card, launched in the second half of last year, added rotating-category cash back in everyday categories such as fuel, groceries, utilities, and cable. Britt said the shift toward credit card spend has been financially beneficial because credit cards generate higher interchange than debit cards, which in turn enables Chime to offer richer member benefits.

In terms of mix, Britt said the share of total purchase volume on the secured credit card rose from 16% to 21%. He also said that among new members at the “top of the funnel,” more than half take the product and place about 70% of their spend on it, which he described as almost double the interchange of a debit card.

On potential unsecured credit expansion, Britt said Chime is already moving into unsecured credit through cash-flow underwriting tied to products such as SpotMe, MyPay, and Instant Loans. He said the company sees a future that could include unsecured lines of credit and “eventually an unsecured credit card,” with access likely tied to direct deposit and primary account relationships.

MyPay growth, pricing changes, and enterprise momentum

Britt highlighted MyPay as a major growth driver, saying it grew from “essentially a standstill product” to close to a $500 million revenue run rate. He said the company reduced MyPay loss rates from 1.7% to 1% in the most recent quarter and credited risk and underwriting improvements.

He also explained a move toward variable pricing for MyPay. Britt said the prior flat $2 fee regardless of transaction size created perceived unfairness, with smaller draws effectively subsidizing larger draws. He added that member feedback also centered on frustration with the way access resets after payday; he said the new pricing approach allows Chime to improve the experience by not needing to bring access “all the way back down.” Looking ahead, Britt said Chime’s focus is shifting from simply managing loss rates to maximizing transaction profit dollars, which could include making the product available to more people and potentially offering larger lines to certain segments, even if that means loss rates move somewhat above 1% at times.

On Chime Enterprise, Britt said Chime has been “right in the mix” on a number of RFPs and announced new employers in recent weeks. He cited strategic relationships with Workday and UKG and described how being integrated into payroll systems can enable an “enterprise version” of MyPay with higher limits and no employee fee because hours worked and incoming direct deposit are more certain. Britt said many employers Chime approaches already have 10% or more of employees using Chime accounts. He added that the enterprise channel is showing higher levels of monetization “right out of the gate” than the consumer channel because every account opened through enterprise is, by definition, a direct depositor and primary relationship, which Chime can monetize through everyday transaction activity rather than per-draw fees.

Britt also addressed macro concerns about consumer health, saying Chime continues to see a “resilient consumer,” with per-member spend up across discretionary and non-discretionary categories, and with average savings and checking balances up. He said the company has not seen an uptick in unemployment benefits among its customer base. On AI, Britt said Chime views the technology as a tailwind and reiterated the company’s intent to keep its payroll cost envelope essentially flat while continuing to grow.

Finally, Britt reaffirmed the company’s long-term target of a 35% adjusted EBITDA margin, saying progress depends on continued operating discipline, ongoing top-line growth, product attachment to drive revenue per active member, and the ability to demonstrate operating leverage over time.

About Chime Financial (NASDAQ:CHYM)

Chime Financial is a U.S.-based financial technology company offering mobile-first banking services designed to reduce fees and simplify everyday transactions. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, Chime operates a digital bank platform that provides customers with a checking account, a savings account, and a debit card without monthly maintenance fees, overdraft charges, or foreign transaction fees. The company’s platform is accessible via its mobile app, enabling users to manage their finances, track spending, and access customer support from their smartphones.

At the core of Chime’s service offering is its fee-free spending account, which includes early access to direct deposit funds—up to two days before scheduled payday—and instant transaction alerts.