Legacy product: Credit Builder is a legacy Chime product. No new accounts are being opened. |
How Experian Boost® works
When you connect your Chime account to Experian, it scans your transaction history for payments to qualifying merchants. If it finds at least three on-time payments to the same merchant within six months, those payments are added to your Experian credit profile and may raise your FICO® Score.
Experian has read-only access to your account — it can view transactions but cannot make changes. Your data is protected with encryption.
Qualifying bill types include phone (mobile and landline), internet, cable and satellite, utilities (gas, electric, water, power, solar, trash), and select streaming services: Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Starz, Sling TV, ESPN+, Fubo TV, Showtime, and Roku. Music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora do not qualify.
Experian Boost® vs. SpotMe Boosts: These are two different things. Experian Boost® may improve your FICO® Score by reporting bill payments to the credit bureaus. SpotMe Boosts temporarily increase your SpotMe spending limit and have no effect on your credit score.
Connect, reconnect, or disconnect Experian Boost
Connect for the first time
On the home screen, scroll down and tap FICO Score.
Tap Experian Boost.
Tap Agree and follow the steps to create your Experian account.
Reconnect after a disconnection
On the home screen, tap Credit building under Discover more
Tap View FICO® Score.
Tap Let's go (new to Experian) or Get credit for paying bills (already enrolled).
Tap I agree and follow the remaining steps.
Disconnect from Experian Boost®
Tap Profile > Credit tracking > Disconnect from Experian Boost and follow the prompts
Switching to a different Chime account to pay a bill will not affect your Experian Boost benefits or payment history already reported.
Questions about your FICO® Score
Your Chime app shows your FICO® Score from Experian. If you use Credit Karma, you may notice a different number — that is your VantageScore®. Both measure creditworthiness but use different models, so a difference between them is normal.
If your FICO® Score is not showing in the app, it may be because Experian does not have enough credit history to calculate your score yet, or because there is a connection issue between Experian and Chime. You can check your score directly at experian.com or call Experian at (888) 397-3742.
When to contact Experian
Chime Member Services can help you connect Experian Boost in the app, answer questions about which bill types qualify, and address general credit score questions. For everything else — including account access issues, why a specific bill was dropped, and questions about how your score changed — contact Experian directly at (888) 397-3742.
Results will vary. Not all payments are boost-eligible. Some users may not receive an improved score or approval odds. Not all lenders use Experian credit files, and not all lenders use scores impacted by Experian Boost®.
Credit score calculated based on FICO® Score 8 model. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO® Score than FICO® Score 8, or another type of credit score altogether.