US fintech Chime reportedly files confidentially for IPO, targeting 2025 listing

Chime Financial, the US digital banking company, has confidentially filed for an initial public offering and plans to go public in 2025, Bloomberg reported on 18 December 2024, citing unnamed sources. The timing of the listing had not been finalised and could change, according to the report. Chime declined to comment on the report.

Chime was valued at US$25 billion in 2021. It was reported in September 2024 that the company had selected Morgan Stanley to lead its IPO, with the aim of going public in 2025.

LONG-RUNNING LISTING PLANS

Chime has been regarded as an IPO candidate for several years. It put earlier listing plans on hold in February 2022 as the technology boom faded amid rising interest rates and inflation. In December 2023, co-founder Chris Britt said the company was “as IPO-ready as a company can be” and was monitoring economic and stock-market conditions.

A confidential submission allows a company to have a draft registration statement reviewed by staff of the US Securities and Exchange Commission before making its filing public. The SEC extended this non-public review, originally a JOBS Act benefit for emerging growth companies, to all companies in 2017.

FEE-FREE PRODUCTS

Chime said in October 2024 that its members had received a collective US$30 billion in overdrafts since 2019 through its SpotMe feature without paying a fee. SpotMe allows eligible members to overdraw their accounts by up to US$200 without charge. In August 2024 the company announced an expanded collaboration with NCR Atleos under which ATMs at 4,000 Walgreens stores would carry the Chime brand; Atleos’ Allpoint Network has provided Chime members with access to more than 50,000 fee-free ATMs since 2021.