Payment methods in Chile: Webpay, cards, bank transfers and MACH for merchants

What are the most common payment methods in Chile?

Chile is a strongly card-oriented market by Latin American standards. The Banco Central de Chile reports 435 digital payments a year per person over 15, with debit cards as the most used instrument and electronic funds transfers (TEF) growing by 15 percent. Cash still matters for small purchases, public transport and street markets.

Online, the default is a card payment through Webpay, operated by Transbank, or through a gateway connected to another acquirer. Bank transfer initiation and wallets cover shoppers who prefer to pay from their account, including holders of BancoEstado's widely used CuentaRUT debit account.

How does Webpay work and who else acquires cards?

Webpay Plus is Transbank's hosted payment page: the shopper is redirected, chooses debit, credit or prepaid, authenticates and returns to the store. For years Transbank was the only acquirer, but since the move to a four-party model in 2020 other acquirers such as Getnet, Klap, Global Payments and Mercado Pago compete for merchants.

Interchange is capped by law. The committee created under Law 21.365 set limits for domestic cards in 2023 at 0.5 percent for debit, 1.14 percent for credit and 0.94 percent for prepaid; a further reduction planned for October 2024 was suspended. The merchant discount rate on top of interchange is negotiated with the acquirer and is typically higher for credit than for debit.

Why do Chilean shoppers pay in cuotas?

Paying in cuotas, or monthly installments, is a normal way to buy with a credit card in Chile. At checkout the shopper chooses the number of installments, and the issuer decides whether interest applies. Retailers and banks regularly run cuotas sin interés promotions in which the merchant or issuer absorbs the financing cost.

For a merchant the main point is to let the shopper choose installments in the payment flow and to understand who funds interest-free offers. In most setups the merchant is still paid in full according to the acquirer's settlement schedule, not per installment.

How do bank transfer payments like Khipu and Fintoc work?

Chilean banks support 24/7 electronic transfers, and services such as Khipu and Fintoc turn them into a checkout method: the shopper selects their bank, logs in and approves a pre-filled transfer, and the merchant receives a confirmation. There is no card data, no chargeback scheme and fees are typically lower than for credit cards.

Law 21.521, the Fintech Law of 2023, created a regulated open finance system, including payment initiation, that the CMF is implementing in phases. As it comes into force, account-to-account payments are expected to become more standardised across banks.

What tax and ID rules apply to online sales in Chile?

Every company and person in Chile has a RUT, which local providers and invoicing systems ask for. The VAT rate, IVA, is 19 percent. Foreign providers of digital services to Chilean consumers have had to register with the SII and charge IVA since 2020.

Since 25 October 2025, foreign online sellers and platforms that sell goods worth up to USD 500 to Chilean consumers must also register in the SII's simplified regime, charge 19 percent IVA at checkout and remit it. Goods above that value pay VAT at import through customs.

How can a foreign merchant accept payments in Chile?

A merchant with a Chilean entity and RUT can sign with Transbank or another acquirer and settle in pesos locally. Without a local entity, the usual path is a cross-border PSP such as dLocal, EBANX, Kushki or PayU, which offers local cards and bank transfers in CLP and pays out abroad in USD or EUR.

Pricing in CLP and processing cards locally typically raises approval rates compared with charging Chilean cards cross-border. Check how the provider supports cuotas, refunds to bank-transfer payers and reconciliation of CLP amounts without decimals.

Adding Chilean payment methods through OrsunPay

OrsunPay connects to the merchant's own PSP and acquirer accounts as a technical layer and never holds funds. If a connected provider offers Webpay, local cards or bank transfer payments for Chile, they can be shown in hosted checkout and routed next to the providers you already use elsewhere.