Chile’s card payments industry continued to evolve steadily through the third quarter of 2025, reflecting a mature but highly competitive market shaped by both banking institutions and non-bank issuers. The insights presented here draw from the Research Report 2015-2025, a comprehensive statistical database built on financial statements from issuers and card brands, regulatory disclosures from the Comisión para el Mercado Financiero (CMF), and proprietary consumer and market surveys conducted by RankingsLatAm.com
The competitive landscape of debit cards remains firmly dominated by the country’s largest retail and commercial banks. Banco del Estado de Chile leads the market in total number of debit cards, followed closely by Banco de Chile, Banco de Crédito e Inversiones, Banco Santander-Chile, and Banco Falabella. Their leading positions underscore the long-standing influence of traditional banking institutions in Chile’s day-to-day payment behavior and transactional volumes.
The credit card ecosystem shows a more diversified mix of players. CMR Falabella stands out as the leading issuer in terms of total cards, reflecting the strength of its retail-driven credit strategy. CAT Administradora de Tarjetas also holds a prominent position, illustrating the continued relevance of non-bank credit card operators. Among banking institutions, Banco de Chile and Banco Santander-Chile remain central competitors, complemented by other non-bank issuers such as CAR. This combination highlights the dual structure of Chile’s credit market, where both banks and retail-linked financial companies retain substantial market share.
In terms of brand presence, Mastercard and Visa lead by a wide margin in total credit cards issued, demonstrating their solid penetration in both banked and non-banked segments. A second tier of brands—including Visa Tricot, Cruz Verde/Spin, Hites, American Express, Tarjeta Blanc (Visa), and ABC Visa Internacional—reflects the important role of private-label and cobranded programs in Chile’s consumer credit landscape.
Business indicators for the quarter ending September 2025 further illustrate the scale and behavior of the market. Debit cards remain the dominant payment instrument in Chile, with 29.1 million cards in circulation, of which 28.8 million correspond to primary cardholders and 355,569 are additional cards. Debit card usage is intense: the quarter registered 1.23 billion transactions, including 90.99 million ATM withdrawals and 1.14 billion debit purchases. In value terms, debit transactions totaled CLP 23.49 trillion, with ATM cash withdrawals accounting for CLP 5.64 trillion and debit purchases reaching CLP 17.85 trillion.
Credit cards, while fewer in number, continue to represent a crucial segment of Chile’s consumer finance market. As of September 2025, there were 16.15 million credit cards, distributed between 14.54 million primary cards and 1.60 million additional cards. Total quarterly credit card transactions reached 265.9 million, including 229.4 million purchases, 22.6 million service-related charges, and 2.24 million cash advances. Combined credit-related transactions amounted to CLP 13.41 trillion, with purchases representing CLP 11.32 trillion, service charges CLP 542.8 billion, and cash advances CLP 1.08 trillion. The number of active customers totaled 8.78 million, including 8.31 million primary cardholders and 474,618 secondary users.
Together, these indicators portray a robust, diversified market where debit maintains its role as the primary transaction channel, while credit card issuance and usage continue to reflect the interplay between banks, retailers, and global payment brands. Chile’s card payments sector, as documented across a decade of statistical evidence, remains a dynamic benchmark in Latin America’s evolving financial services landscape.