Chime, the San Francisco digital bank, reported revenue of $718 million for the quarter to 30 September on 4 November 2026, up 32% year over year, with net income of $44 million and adjusted EBITDA of $137 million, according to Chime’s results release. Fintechbits compared the result with the third-quarter guidance Chime gave on 5 August, when it forecast revenue of $680 million to $690 million and adjusted EBITDA of $105 million to $110 million, so Chime Q3 2026 revenue came in $28 million above the top of that range and adjusted EBITDA $27 million above it. Chime also raised its full-year revenue outlook to $2.792 billion to $2.802 billion.

What Chime Q3 2026 Showed

In Chime Q3 2026, revenue growth accelerated to 32% from 27% in the second quarter. Payments revenue rose 22% to $444 million, while platform-related revenue, which covers the MyPay earned wage access product and Instant Loans, rose 52% to $274 million. That split matters: the faster-growing half of Chime is now credit, not card interchange.

Active Members grew 20% to 10.9 million, with about 500,000 added in the quarter and a record 1.8 million over twelve months. Average revenue per Active Member rose 10% to $270. Purchase volume grew 19% to $38.5 billion. Net income of $44 million was Chime’s third straight quarter of GAAP profit, and net margin reached 6%.

Chris Britt, Chime’s chief executive and co-founder, said Chime is “seeing structural improvements in our growth and profitability profile”. The numbers support him.

The Guidance Gap

When Chime reported its second quarter, as Fintechbits covered in August, it guided third-quarter revenue to $680 million to $690 million and full-year revenue growth to 25% to 26%. The same report disclosed a cut of about 10% of headcount and the exit of the chief financial officer. Three months later, Chime Q3 2026 revenue landed well above that range and the full-year outlook now implies 28% growth.

The fourth-quarter guide is $757 million to $767 million in revenue and $161 million to $166 million in adjusted EBITDA, a 21% to 22% margin. Full-year adjusted EBITDA is now expected at $519 million to $524 million.

Fintechbits analysis

Why the Chime Q3 2026 Beat Matters More Than the Headline

A beat of this size against a company’s own range usually means one of two things: management guided cautiously, or something in the business moved faster than planned. Here it looks like both. The restructuring announced in August cut costs, and that shows up in an adjusted EBITDA margin of 19%, up 14 percentage points on the year. Revenue, though, cannot be cut into existence. The extra money came from MyPay and Instant Loans, where platform revenue grew more than twice as fast as payments revenue.

For Chime Q3 2026, that is the right trend for margins and the riskier one for credit. Chime is lending small sums to members who often have thin credit files, and it says credit reached 29% of purchase volume, nearly double a year earlier. A lender growing loans at this pace in a soft labour market needs loss rates to stay quiet. The release talks about record MyPay origination and transaction profit, but readers should look at loss provisions in the full filing before treating this quarter as proof that the model is safe.

Chime’s profile of its founder has always rested on fee-free banking for people underserved by large banks. Chime Q3 2026 shows a company making more of its money from short-term credit to those same customers. That shift is reasonable, and it makes Chime a different business from the one that listed in June 2025.

Frequently asked questions

What did Chime report for Chime Q3 2026?

Chime reported revenue of $718 million, up 32%, net income of $44 million and adjusted EBITDA of $137 million for the quarter to 30 September 2026. Active Members rose 20% to 10.9 million.

Did Chime raise its 2026 guidance?

Yes. Chime now expects full-year revenue of $2.792 billion to $2.802 billion, about 28% growth, and adjusted EBITDA of $519 million to $524 million.

What is driving Chime’s growth?

Platform-related revenue from MyPay and Instant Loans grew 52% to $274 million, outpacing payments revenue, which grew 22% to $444 million.

What to Watch Next

After Chime Q3 2026, the fourth quarter will test whether the guide of $757 million to $767 million is conservative again. The more important number sits in the 10-Q: credit loss provisions on MyPay and Instant Loans. If losses rise faster than platform revenue, the margin gains from the August restructuring will not last.