Updated September 29, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team
Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) vs Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card)
Higher score in this comparison
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
Where Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) and Varo Believe Secured Credit Card differ
| Compare | Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card)ReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Varo Believe Secured Credit CardReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Rewards rate | 5% cash back on selected category (Chime Prime with $3,000+ monthly direct deposits) or 2% (Chime Plus) | Offer-based, varies by merchant offer; up to $750 per calendar month |
| Perks | Visa Zero Liability fraud protection, Autopay feature, SpotMe overdraft protection, No credit check, Reports to 3 major credit bureaus, Access to 47,000+ fee free ATMs | Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app, No credit check to apply, No minimum security deposit; cardholder sets own spending limit, Cashback offers at select merchants with the card, Free out of network free Allpoint ATM access |
| APR | Not confirmed | 0% |
Same on both: Annual fee ($0), Currency conversion fee (0%), Rewards type (Cashback), Credit needed (Poor), Card kind (Credit).
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Key differences
- Founded is lower at Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card): 2012 vs 2015.
- Perks: only Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) offers Visa Zero Liability fraud protection, Autopay feature, SpotMe overdraft protection.
- Perks: only Varo Believe Secured Credit Card offers Reports to all three credit bureaus, Free credit score tracking in the Varo app, No credit check to apply.
Our verdict on each
Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card)
Chime Card Secured Visa Credit Card suits people with poor credit who want a secured card with cashback and no annual fee. Its annual fee is $0, while the lack of a conventional credit check and reporting to the major credit bureaus help position it for credit building.
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card suits anyone with poor credit who wants a credit card and a bank account without annual or interest charges. Its annual fee is $0 and its APR is 0%, so nothing is owed for keeping it open, and the spending limit stays under the cardholder's control.
Score breakdown
| Area | Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4The secured card charges an annual fee of $0 and a currency conversion fee of 0%. | 9.6HigherAnnual fee $0, APR 0% and currency conversion fee 0% on a secured card aimed at poor credit. |
| Offer | 9.6 | 9.6 |
| Trust | 8.5Higher | 8.3 |
How they place
| Ranking | Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Debit cards | 164 of 1336 | 189 of 1336 |
| Credit cards | 158 of 1020 | 172 of 1020 |
| Bad credit and credit builder cards | 13 of 23 | 14 of 23 |
| Cashback cards | 58 of 203 | 64 of 203 |
| Secured credit cards | 11 of 27 | 13 of 27 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Features | Rewards, Secured | Rewards, Secured |
| Legal entity | Chime Financial, Inc. | Varo Bank, National Association |
| Headquarters | United States | United States |
| Founded | 2012Lower | 2015 |
| Support channels | Phone, Chat, Email, Help centre | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre |
Debit cards
| Fact | Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Card type | Debit | Debit |
| Card network | Visa | Visa |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0at the median | $0at the median | $0 |
| APR | Not confirmed | 0%lowest quarter | 19.39% |
| Currency conversion fee | 0%below the median | 0%below the median | 1% |
Median across 312 listed cards.
Pros and cons
Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card)
Pros
- The card has an annual fee of $0 and offers cashback.
- Its currency conversion fee is 0%.
- It is secured and designed for people with poor credit.
Cons
- Cashback is limited to a selected category rather than applying broadly.
- The higher cashback rate requires Chime Prime and qualifying direct deposits.
- Chime Plus receives a lower cashback rate.
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
Pros
- The annual fee is $0 and the APR is 0%, so a card built for poor credit carries no holding or interest cost.
- There is no credit check to apply, and there is no minimum security deposit because the cardholder sets the spending limit.
- The card reports to all credit bureaus, with free credit score tracking in the Varo app.
Cons
- The cashback rate is offer-based and moves with the merchant offer, so the return cannot be planned as a flat rate.
- The 0% and $0 figures are for the secured credit card, while the debit card and the bank account carry their own terms.
Who each suits
Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card)
Who it suits
- People with poor credit who want a secured route to building a credit record.
- Chime Plus members who want cashback on a selected category.
- Customers who value a no annual fee card and access to fee-free ATMs.
Who should look elsewhere
- Those who want a debit-first account should compare Starling Personal Account Debit Card instead.
- People who want broad cashback rather than cashback on a selected category may prefer a different product.
- Applicants seeking a conventional unsecured credit card may find that this secured option does not suit their needs.
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
Who it suits
- Anyone with poor credit who wants a credit card without a deposit or a credit check.
- People who want free out-of-network Allpoint ATM access and a visa card from the same bank.
- Customers who want their card payments reported to all credit bureaus with score tracking in the app.
Who should look elsewhere
- Wise, for anyone who mainly wants an everyday card rather than a credit-building one; its annual fee is £0.
- Starling Personal Account Debit Card, for a plain debit card with an annual fee of £0 and no secured credit record to build.
- AXI Card Tarjeta y Credito, for readers who prefer a combined debit and credit card; its annual fee is €0.
Country by country
| Country | Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card) | Varo Believe Secured Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card)
Does the Chime Card have an annual fee?+
The Chime Card Secured Visa Credit Card has an annual fee of $0. It is a secured credit card, and its stated audience is people with poor credit. The product is presented as a way to build credit without a conventional credit check.
What is the card's currency conversion fee?+
The currency conversion fee for the Chime Card Secured Visa Credit Card is 0%. That makes foreign currency transactions a notable part of the card's cost proposition for anyone using it outside the US.
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card
What does the Varo Believe Secured Credit Card cost to hold?+
The secured credit card carries an annual fee of $0 and an APR of 0%, which means no interest on a balance that is repaid in full. The bank account in the same setup has a monthly fee of $0. No deposit is tied up either, since the cardholder sets the spending limit, so opening the account costs nothing in fees.
Is there a currency conversion fee on the Varo card?+
The currency conversion fee listed for the secured credit card is 0%, so a purchase in another currency does not add a conversion charge on the card. DebitCue places it at 1 of 181 brands on that measure, putting it in the cheapest group among the cards compared.
Other options to compare
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Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card)
Varo Believe Secured Credit Card