We wrote yesterday about a new option that Chime now offers to write checks using your Chime balance, see Paper Checks with Chime – Manufacture Debit Card Spend.
FrequentMiler commented there with a nice tip that I hadn’t been aware of. He notes that US Bank Buxx can be used to load your Chime card fee-free. Although gift cards don’t work on Chime and Paypal debit card has a fee, Buxx is fee-free. I tried out a Nationwide Buxx card, and it was also fee-free on Chime.
This makes unloading Buxx a whole lot easier. Obviously, with the new Checkbook option, it means that Buxx can be loaded fee-free from your computer.
But even without that, this makes Buxx easier to deal with because Chime allows $500 taken out of an ATM per day (for a $2.50 fee, besides the ATM surcharge) and it allow up to $2500 in debit purchases per day. So we can load up Chime with all of our Buxx cards. Once the balance is consolidated, we can then unload it all at once, from one card. Or use the higher ATM limits.
One thing I’ll note is that I’ve had problems using the Chime card on two occasions. The card didn’t work and I had to call in and get something reset. Resetting a card?! Whatever. I’ve seen others complain also about the card not working and having to call in. I got stuck at Walmart a couple of times in the middle of a transaction when the card wouldn’t process. After that, I just started using the ATM option more.
Anyway, with this new Checkbook option, we should be able to unload it that way.
