Revolut vs Chime
Torn between Revolut and Chime? The comparison below is built from the same test data we use across the rest of the site.
Revolut issues on Visa · Mastercard and Chime on Visa; verification is ID only at Revolut versus ID + proof at Chime; only Revolut takes crypto top-ups.
Revolut is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its free virtual cards, no monthly fee. Chime still clears the same checkouts in our tests, so match the table to the services you actually pay for.
The short version of the matchup
| Field | Revolut | Chime |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa, Mastercard | Visa |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Digital Bank / Neobank |
| KYC | ID only | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Free | Free |
| Monthly fee | Free (Standard); Plus £3.99; Premium £7.99; Metal £14.99; Ultra £55 per mo | Free |
| Top-up fee | Not disclosed by issuer | Not disclosed by issuer |
| FX fee | 0.5% | 0% |
| Crypto funding | Yes | No |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney |
| Risk level | Low-Medium | Low |
| Our rating | 8.6 | 8.6 |
| User reviews | 80 | 551 |
| Best for | All-rounder · Ad spend | All-rounder · AI subscriptions |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
The head to head
- If you wear several hats, Revolut is the more flexible of the pair.
- Revolut asks for less verification up front, which matters if you want a card live the same day.
- Revolut can sit on a crypto balance; Chime cannot, so the call depends on how you fund it.
- If risk rating weights your choice, Chime is the calmer of the two.
Where they split
Revolut is the cheaper card to hold: free to create and no top-up fee, against free and no top-up fee at Chime. Chime earns its keep only if you need the rows where it leads in the table.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Revolut scores 8.6/10 against Chime's 8.6/10 in our tests, but the two split on fees, KYC and crypto funding. Read the table above, then match it to the checkouts you actually run.
Revolut is the cheaper card to run. Both Revolut and Chime issue virtual cards for free.
Revolut asks for ID only at signup; Chime asks for ID + proof. If a light sign-up is the priority, the one with the lower KYC label is the faster route.
Both show up in 95 of the same test scenarios, including ChatGPT Plus, OpenAI API, Claude.ai. They overlap on a good share of checkouts, so the choice between them matters most on those pages. Where one is accepted and the other is not usually comes down to the billing country and 3-D Secure handling.
Where both show up
Revolut and Chime both landed in our top picks for 95 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🤖 AI Tools & Developer Tools 20
📺 Streaming & Entertainment 20
🛍️ Cross-border Shopping 15
🌐 Cloud & VPS 15
🎮 Gaming 15
🧳 Travel & Productivity 10
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇬🇧 UK · 🇺🇸 US — the country guides group every range we track from there.
What our charge log shows
Every count here is a real charge attempt we placed on that range, renewals included, with the gateway response recorded. Weeks tracked is how long the range has been in the programme: